Harry Tobias
Harry Tobias (September 11, 1895 – December 15, 1994) was an American lyricist. Like his younger brother Charles, he is an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Born in New York City, United States, but raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, he began writing songs in his teens. At the age of 19, he co-wrote his first successful songs, "That Girl of Mine" and "Take Me To My Alabam", with Will Dillon. After serving in the US Army, he returned to songwriting, co-writing the 1922 novelty hit, "Oo-oo, Ernest (Are You Earnest With Me?)". He often worked with his brothers Charles and Henry, writing songs with Charles for the Broadway show Earl Carroll's Sketch Book in 1929, and writing Rudy Vallee's hit "Miss You" with both brothers the same year. In 1931, he had success with the song "At Your Command", an early success for Bing Crosby, and also co-wrote "Sweet and Lovely", a hit for Russ Columbo. He wrote or co-wrote the theme songs for many films in the 1930s and 1940s, including One Rainy Afternoon (1936), The Young in Heart (1938), Made for Each Other (1939), If It Wasn't for The Moon (1940) and It's a Date (1940). His many co-writers included Gene Autry. He died in St Louis, Missouri at age 99 on December 15, 1994. His interment was in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New York City (most populous city in the United States), Died December 15, 1994 (St. Louis (independent city in Missouri, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 179 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | W151701 | 10-in. | 7/23/1931 | What is it? | Smith Ballew and his Piping Rock Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W151755 | 10-in. | 8/26/1931 | Sweet and lovely | Frank Parker | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W151854 | 10-in. | 10/13/1931 | I'm sorry, dear | Anson Weeks Orchestra ; Don Raymond | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W152045 | 10-in. | 12/14/1931 | I'm sorry, dear | Red McKenzie | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W152133 | 10-in. | 3/16/1932 | Goodnight, my love | Kassels-in-the-Air Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W152454 | 10-in. | 7/28/1933 | Here you come with love | Ted Lewis and his Band | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | C2142 | 10-in. | 2/28/1938 | On the sunny side of the Rockies | Girls of the Golden West | Female vocal duet, with guitar | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W351030 | 10-in. | 5/28/1931 | In the merry month of May | Frank Auburn and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W351038 | 10-in. | 6/19/1931 | At your command | Bobby Dix ; Georgia Moonlight Serenaders [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W351081 | 10-in. | 7/28/1931 | Sweet and lovely | Selvin’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W351091 | 10-in. | 8/25/1931 | What is it? | Lloyd Keating and his Music [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood [Paul Small] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-70292 | 10-in. | November 1921 | Mary O'Brien | Samuel Ash ; Crescent Trio | Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-70848 | 10-in. | Sept. 1922 | All for the love of Mike | Billy Jones | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| OKeh | S-71704 | 10-in. | July 1923 | Hot roasted peanuts | Blue Diamond Dance Orchestra ; Ernest Hare | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| OKeh | S-73497 | 10-in. | July 1925 | There's one born ev'ry minute | The Bow-Wows ; The Happiness Boys | Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W402538 | 10-in. | 7/25/1929 | Miss you | Smith Ballew Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W402738 | 10-in. | 6/26/1929 | Hot peanuts | Benny Benthall | Vocal solo, with guitar | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W404557 | 10-in. | 11/19/1930 | The wedding of the birds | Fred Rich Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W404815 | 10-in. | 1/26/1931 | It's a lonesome old town | Lanin’s Famous Players | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | C2087 | 10-in. | 2/14/1938 | On the sunny side of the Rockies | Prairie Ramblers | String band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | 599 | 10-in. | approximately early 1917 | Take me to my Alabam' | Peerless Orchestra | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Brunswick | 7744 | 10-in. | approximately March 1922 | O-oo Ernest | Margaret Young | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 11928-11929 | 10-in. | 11/20/1923 | Hot roasted peanuts | Gene Rodemich’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E28256 | 10-in. | 9/18/1928 | Do you? That’s all I want to know! | Yacht Club Boys | Male vocal and instrumental quartet | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E28475 | 10-in. | 10/16/1928 | Do you? That’s all I want to know | Six Jumping Jacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Tobias, Harry," accessed January 6, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105097.
Tobias, Harry. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 6, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105097.
"Tobias, Harry." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 6 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Tobias, Harry, 1895-1994 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85273905
Wikidata: Harry Tobias - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5672868
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/45753320
MusicBrainz: Harry Tobias - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/a28df0cc-0cad-4c1b-bcb3-b3138c59e59a
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/224114 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/224114
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