Guest
Jack Smith, Whispering Baritone, sings “Funny Face,“ the classic George Gershwin song often associated with Fred Astaire. Smith recorded this in England on September 28, 1928. The show called FUNNY FACE opened at the Alvin Theatre in New York City on November 14, 1927. It was a success, having 244 performances. The cast included Fred and Adele Astaire, William Kent, Victor Moore, Allen Kearns, Gertrude McDonald, and Betty Compton. FUNNY FACE was the third show for which George and Ira provided a score for Fred and Adele Astaire. The song opens with reference to a birthday gift since a birthday party had been held on stage. Frankie, dear, your birthday gift reveals to me That at heart you're really not so bad. If I add, your funny face appeals to me. Please don't' think I've suddenly gone mad. You have all the qualities of Peter Pan; I'd go far before I'd find a sweeter pan And yet I love your funny face, Your sunny, funny face; For you're a cutie With more than beauty You've got a lot Of personality N.T. A thousand laughs I've found In having you around. Though you're not Gloria Swanson, For worlds I'd not replace Your sunny, funny face. Needn't tell me that I'm not so pretty, dear, When my looking glass and I agree, In the contest at Atlantic City, dear, Miss America I'd never be, Truth to tell, though, you're not such a bad lot yourself; As a Paul Swan, you are not so hot yourself. And yet. I love your funny face, Your sunny, funny face; You can't repair it, So I declare it Is quite all right Jimmy: Like Ronald Colman? So's your old man! Yet it's very clear, I'm glad when you are near. Though you're no Handsome Harry For worlds I'd not replace Your sunny funny face. I love that funny face, That sunny, funny face; Thought it upsets one, in time, it gets one - That's true, for you Have personality for two. Those eyes! Those nose! Those cheek! Won't make a movie sheikh, But though you're not patootie, For worlds I'd not replace Your sunny, funny face. I love your funny face, Your sunny, funny face; You never bother About your father. Have you no shame? You're just a mutt and nothing but! Yet when you wag your tail, You'll never be for sale. Though you're no Rin Tin Tin, dear, For worlds I'd not replace Your sunny, funny face. I enjoy the recordings of Whispering Jack Smith--the haunting quality of his voice in sentimental tunes, the humor he conveys in comic songs, his choice of material during a Golden Age of songwriting, the tasteful accompaniments to his voice (he often provides his own piano accompaniment, and his playing is deft). The crooner's first discs were marketed in late 1925, “The Whispering Baritone“ enjoying popularity from that time until 1929 or so. His records sold well for four years, but sales declined dramatically with the Depression's onset. Born with the name Jacob Schmidt (probably on May 30, 1896), the singer made a legal change to Jack Smith around the time anti-German sentiment ran high. With the American Expeditionary Forces in France during World War I, Smith was a victim of a gas attack at the battle of Saint-Mihiel, or so it has been claimed--a book by Brian Rust says it, so people repeat it, but no primary source is cited. Can someone find a Jack Smith interview in which he says this? His discs were among the earliest made with an “electric“ recording process, a microphone used. His first recording session was on August 28, 1925, but Victor issued nothing from this “test“ date or trial session. “Cecilia“ was soon afterwards cut. Recorded on September 21, 1925, this “A' side of his first disc was among his biggest hits. Smith was exclusive to the Victor Talking Machine Company (and England's HMV) from 1925 to 1930. Hal Kemp's older brother, T. D. Kemp, Jr., became Jack Smith's business manager in 1926, arranging for Smith to perform in London that year and later. Smith made wonderful recordings abroad in 1928--in England and in Berlin, Germany. Kemp in retirement recalled that Smith's alcoholism destroyed the crooner's career by 1931. One sign of a decline in the career is that by 1931 Smith cut titles for Plaza, a company that issued budget labels. Jack Smith had fallen from the prestigious Victor label, ending up on the dime-store Banner label. He recorded for Decca in 1940 in a failed comeback attempt. He died in New York City on May 13, 1950, out of the limelight for two decades though he continued to work in radio, even hosting a radio show in the mid-1930s. He continued to play in nightclubs (or roadside restaurants, such as the Woodlawn in Madison, Connecticut), not presented as any kind of star or legend--he sang and played piano to audiences indifferent to or unaware of his earlier fame. “Funny Face“ classic George Gershwin song (1928) Jack Smith, Whispering Baritone
