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Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; Yiddish: ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was an American composer and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook.

Born in Imperial Russia, Berlin arrived in the United States at the age of five. He published his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy", in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights, and became known for international hits, such as 1911's "Alexander's Ragtime Band". He also was an owner of the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. For much of his career, Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp; he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp.

"Alexander's Ragtime Band" sparked an international dance craze in places as far away as Berlin's native Russia, which also "flung itself into the ragtime beat with an abandon bordering on mania". Over the years he was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated aim being to "reach the heart of the average American," whom he saw as the "real soul of the country". In doing so, said Walter Cronkite, at Berlin's 100th birthday tribute, he "helped write the story of this country, capturing the best of who we are and the dreams that shape our lives".

He wrote hundreds of songs, many becoming major hits, which made him famous before he turned thirty. During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 original Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards. Many songs became popular themes and anthems, including "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Easter Parade", "Puttin' on the Ritz", "Cheek to Cheek", "White Christmas", "Happy Holiday", "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)", and "There's No Business Like Show Business". His Broadway musical and 1943 film This Is the Army, with Ronald Reagan, had Kate Smith singing Berlin's "God Bless America", first performed in 1938.

Berlin's songs have reached the top of the charts 25 times and have been extensively re-recorded by numerous singers, including The Andrews Sisters, Perry Como, Eddie Fisher, Al Jolson, Fred Astaire, Ethel Merman, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis Presley, Judy Garland, Tiny Tim, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Rosemary Clooney, Cher, Diana Ross, Bing Crosby, Sarah Vaughan, Ruth Etting, Fanny Brice, Marilyn Miller, Rudy Vallée, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Harry Nilsson, Jerry Garcia, Taco, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera.

Berlin died in 1989 at the age of 101. Composer Douglas Moore sets Berlin apart from all other contemporary songwriters, and includes him instead with Stephen Foster, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg, as a "great American minstrel"—someone who has "caught and immortalized in his songs what we say, what we think about, and what we believe." Composer George Gershwin called him "the greatest songwriter that has ever lived",: 117  and composer Jerome Kern concluded that "Irving Berlin has no place in American music—he is American music."

Birth and Death Data: Born May 11, 1888 (Tyumen), Died September 22, 1989 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1909 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, songwriter, vocalist

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

Recordings (Results 326-350 of 1629 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-51672 10-in. 5/1/1929 When my dreams come true Franklyn Baur Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-51755 10-in. 5/9/1929 ¿Dónde está el cantar de mis cantares? Del Oro [i.e., Sigmund Krumgold] Organ solo, with celeste and traps composer  
Victor BVE-51969 10-in. 5/2/1929 When my dreams come true Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio composer  
Victor BVE-53893 10-in. 6/28/1929 El cantar de los cantares Olga Albani Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-55375 10-in. 8/29/1929 Waitin' at the end of the road Fats Waller Piano solo composer  
Victor BVE-55642 10-in. 7/30/1929 Waiting at the end of the road All Star Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer  
Victor BVE-55848 10-in. 9/16/1929 Swanee shuffles Duke Ellington Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-56067 10-in. 8/29/1929 Waiting at the end of the road Fats Waller Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-56864 10-in. 10/1/1930 Just a little while Jesse Crawford Pipe organ solo composer  
Victor BVE-57143 10-in. 11/12/1929 To be forgotten Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-57262 10-in. 12/14/1929 Let me sing and I'm happy Earl Rickard Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-57263 10-in. 12/14/1929 To my mammy Earl Rickard Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-57264 10-in. 12/14/1929 Looking at you Earl Rickard Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-57431 10-in. 11/19/1929 To be forgotten Wayne King Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-57552 10-in. 11/22/1929 Waiting at the end of the road The Revelers Male vocal quartet, with piano composer, lyricist  
Victor BVE-57977 10-in. 1/6/1930 With you Johnny Marvin Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BVE-58111 10-in. 12/16/1929 Looking at you Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band; with mixed vocal chorus (takes 1-5) composer  
Victor BVE-58114 10-in. 12/17/1929 Let me sing and I'm happy Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal chorus composer  
Victor BVE-58149 10-in. 1/3/1930 To my mammy Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra Orchestra, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-58168 10-in. 1/8/1930 With you Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer  
Victor BVE-58505 10-in. 1/20/1930 Alice in Wonderland Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-58511 10-in. 1/21/1930 (Across the breakfast table) Looking at you Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor BVE-58519 10-in. 1/24/1930 Let me sing and I'm happy Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-58520 10-in. 1/24/1930 To my mammy Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-58608 10-in. 1/20/1930 Puttin' on the Ritz Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer, lyricist  
(Results 326-350 of 1629 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Berlin, Irving," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971.

Berlin, Irving. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971.

"Berlin, Irving." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/101971

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