Harry B. Smith
Harry Bache Smith (December 28, 1860 – January 1, 1936) was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works were librettos for the composers Victor Herbert and Reginald De Koven. He also wrote the book or lyrics for several versions of the Ziegfeld Follies. Smith was born in Buffalo, New York to Josiah Bailey Smith (born 1837) and Elizabeth Bach (born 1838). According to his autobiography First Nights and First Editions (Boston: Little, Brown, 1931), Smith's actual name at birth was Henry Bach Smith. He married twice. His first wife was Lena Reed (born August 21, 1868), whom he married on October 12, 1887 in Chicago, Illinois. They had a son named Sydney Reed Smith (born July 15, 1892). Smith's second wife was the actress Irene Bentley (c. 1870 – June 3, 1940). They married on November 23, 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts, after she had been divorced on June 12, 1906 by her first husband James Thomas Sothoron, Jr. (1867–1913). Bentley retired from the stage in 1910 and died at Allenhurst, New Jersey. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, NY. While on a brief holiday in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on New Year's Day in 1936, Smith died of a heart attack in his room at the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel. Smith worked on many of the famous musical theatre productions of his time. His younger brother Robert Bache Smith (June 4, 1875 – November 6, 1951) was also a successful lyricist. Harry Smith's archive is largely held at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 28, 1860 (Buffalo), Died January 1, 1936 (Atlantic City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1894 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, arranger, songwriter, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 226-250 of 278 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
OKeh | S-70077 | 10-in. | Aug. 1921 | I wonder if you still care for me | Lewis James | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
OKeh | S-70446 | 10-in. | Feb. 1922 | The sheik of Araby | Charles Hart ; Orchestra of Araby | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
OKeh | S-70980 | 10-in. | Nov. 1922 | You gave me your heart | Lewis James | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | X11883-X11885 | 12-in. | 11/14/1923 | Robin Hood | Brunswick Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | X11905-X11908 | 12-in. | 11/17/1923 | Robin Hood | Brunswick Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E23277 | 10-in. | 5/21/1927 | Dear eyes that haunt me | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E27351 | 10-in. | 4/16/1928 | There’s something about a rose | Joe Rines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio; without vocal (take G) | arranger | |
Brunswick | E28866 | 10-in. | 12/3/1928 | The song I love | Joe Rines Orchestra ; Scrappy Lambert | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | arranger | |
Brunswick | E28867 | 10-in. | 12/3/1928 | Carolina moon | Joe Rines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | arranger | |
Brunswick | E28944 | 10-in. | 1/9/1929 | Fashionete | Joe Rines Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | arranger | |
Brunswick | E33333 | 10-in. | 7/3/1930 | The sheik of Araby | Five Pennies ; Red Nichols | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E36669 | 10-in. | 4/29/1931 | Yours is my heart alone | The Brunswick Orchestra [Victor Young Orchestra] ; Victor Young | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E2084-E2086 | 10-in. | 1/8/1926 | I dare not love you | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E7158-E7159 | 10-in. | 2/11/1928 | Gypsy love song | Miami Marimba Band | Marimba band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E23275-E2327 | 10-in. | 5/21/1927 | Dear eyes that haunt me | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E18013-E18015 | 10-in. | 2/18/1926 | I dare not love you | Virginia Rea | Female vocal solo and mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E19680-E19681 | 10-in. | 7/7/1926 | Gypsy love song | Richard Bonelli | Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E19900-E19902 | 10-in. | 7/23/1926 | Play, gypsies—dance, gypsies | Carl Fenton’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E20750-E20752 | 10-in. | 11/18/1926 | Someone | Park Lane Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | E20846-E20847 | 10-in. | 11/30/1926 | Someone | Park Lane Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E24748-E24750 | 10-in. | 10/15/1927 | Gypsy love song | John Charles Thomas | Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Brunswick | LTR253 | 10-in. | 11/30/1929 | Gypsy love song | William Edward Johnson | Male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Edison | 696 | Not documented | 7/7/1911 | Gypsy love song | Croxton Mixed Quartet | Mixed vocal quartet | lyricist | |
Edison | 2347 | 10-in. | 6/24/1913 | Though it was within this hour we met | Marie De Kyser ; Royal Fish | Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra | lyricist | |
Edison | 2443 | 10-in. | 9/8/1913 | Forest song | Marie De Kyser | Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Harry B.," accessed April 17, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.
Smith, Harry B.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 17, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.
"Smith, Harry B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 17 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Harry B. Smith
Discogs: Harry B. Smith
Allmusic: Harry B. Smith
Grove: Harry B. Smith
IMSLP: Harry B. Smith
RISM: Harry B. Smith
IMDb: Harry B. Smith
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Smith, Harry B. (Harry Bache), 1860-1936 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82051119
Wikidata: Harry B. Smith - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5667065
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/42023885
MusicBrainz: Harry B. Smith - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0e23e321-6877-4a04-ba63-dd449f8cd89b
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