Smith Ballew & His Orchestra - Blondy

Here is another rarely recorded song from Marianne, a 1929 feature film (second picture), which in the film was sung by Lawrence Gray and the Doughboys. This outstanding version however is by Smith Ballew. He was an excellent singer who worked with the most diverse jazz and dance bands (Ben Pollack, the Dorsey Brothers...); when the Depression struck very harshly, he could no longer perform as a member of other bands, and founded several bands under his own name, before returning to the Dorsey Orchestra and a little later joning the Glenn Miller Orchestra. This cheerful and sweet record (however featuring a great jazzy coda) was made in 1929. Ballew himself interpreted the vocal refrain. further personnel included: Jack Purvis-t / Wally Curtis-Lyle Bowen-cl-as / Babe Russin-ts / Bruce Yantis-vn / Bobby Van Eps-p / Dick McDonough-bj-g / Prob. Ward Lay-b / Dee Orr-d.