Herbert Reynolds

Michael Elder Rourke (14 July 1867 – 26 August 1933), who assumed the pen name Herbert Reynolds in 1913, was an Irish-American lyricist. Reynolds wrote the lyrics to Jerome Kern's first big hit, "They Didn't Believe Me", interpolated into the 1914 American version of The Girl from Utah, produced by Charles Frohman. The show had a successful run of 140 performances at the Knickerbocker Theatre, opening on August 14, 1914. Frohman had hired the young Kern to write five new songs for the score together with Reynolds to strengthen what he felt was a weak first act. Julia Sanderson and Donald Brian starred in the production.

He shared the lyric writing with P. G. Wodehouse in Miss Springtime (1916), with additional music by Kern.

Reynolds went on to collaborate with Kern and several other lyricists on the Broadway musical Very Good Eddie with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae, and again in Rock-a-Bye Baby (1918).

Birth and Death Data: Born 1867, Died 1933

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1914 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter

Notes: M. E. Rourke changed his name to Herbert Reynolds in 1913.

See Also: Rourke, M. E.

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 43 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-15183 12-in. 9/11/1914 Gems from The girl from Utah Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-16055 12-in. 5/27/1915 Gems from Nobody home Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-16462 12-in. 9/8/1915 They didn't believe me Alice Green ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-16463 10-in. 9/8/1915 Auf Wiedersehn Alice Green ; Harry Macdonough Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-17126 12-in. 2/7/1916 Gems from Very good Eddie Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-18531 12-in. 10/5/1916 Gems from Little Miss Springtime Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-19308 12-in. 2/23/1917 Gems from Love o' Mike Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-19520 12-in. 3/27/1917 Auf Wiedersehn! Julia Culp Contralto vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-19541 10-in. 4/2/1917 If I find the girl Stewart Jackson Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor B-19604 10-in. 4/18/1917 If I find the girl Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor C-21998 12-in. 6/21/1918 Gems from Rock-a-bye baby Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor BVE-36352 10-in. 9/24/1926 Half a moon (Is better than no moon) Johnny Marvin ; Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra Orchestra, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-90262 10-in. 6/12/1935 Auf Wiedersehen Nelson Eddy ; Nat Shilkret Orchestra Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor CS-026828 12-in. 9/8/1938 Very good Eddie Leonard W. Joy ; Victor Light Opera Company Vocal soloists, with orchestra and vocal ensemble lyricist  
Victor PBS-061960 10-in. 12/8/1941 They didn't believe me Nan Wynn Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor D5VB-1089 10-in. 7/21/1945 They didn't believe me Artie Shaw Orchestra Jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor PD6VB-1604 10-in. 1/30/1946 They didn't believe me Jack Lowe ; Russ Case Orchestra ; Arthur Austin Whittemore Piano duet with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor PD6VB-2335 10-in. 6/11/1946 Auf Wiedersehn! Donald Dame ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor D7VB-0495 10-in. 4/10/1947 They didn't believe me Beryl Davis ; Toots Camarata Orchestra Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor D7VB-2210 10-in. 11/19/1947 They didn't believe me Johnny Bradford ; Russ Case Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor D9RC-1257 12-in. 8/23/1949 They didn't believe me Mario Lanza ; Ray Sinatra Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 45962 10-in. 8/23/1915 Auf Wiedersehn Grace Kerns ; Hardy Williamson Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 46435 10-in. 2/18/1916 On the shore at Le Lei Wi Grace Kerns ; Reed Miller Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 46649 10-in. 3/18/1916 They didn't believe me Grace Kerns ; Reed Miller Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 47091 10-in. 10/19/1916 Throw me a rose Reed Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 1-25 of 43 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reynolds, Herbert," accessed March 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112132.

Reynolds, Herbert. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112132.

"Reynolds, Herbert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/112132

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