Alfred Bryan

Alfred Bryan (September 15, 1871 – April 1, 1958) was a Canadian lyricist.

Bryan was born in Brantford, Ontario. He worked as an arranger in New York and wrote lyrics for many Broadway shows in the late 1910s and early 1920s. In the 1920s he moved to Hollywood to write lyrics for screen musicals.

Bryan worked with several composers during his career. Among his collaborators were Henriette Blanke-Belcher, Fred Fischer, Al Sherman, Larry Stock and Joe McCarthy. Perhaps his most successful song was "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier" (1915), with music by Al Piantadosi. The song sold 650,000 copies during the first three months and became one of 1915's top-selling songs in the United States. Although Bryan himself was not a committed pacifist, he described the American public's anti-war sentiments in his lyrics.

He died in Gladstone, New Jersey, aged 86.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 15, 1871 (Brantford), Died April 1, 1958 (Gladstone)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1902 - 1949

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 376-400 of 513 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh W80668 10-in. 3/23/1927 There's something nice about everyone (But there's everything nice about you) Gerald Macy ; Ed Smalle Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  
OKeh W80699 10-in. 4/6/1927 Red lips, kiss my blues away! Markel's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W80828 10-in. 5/3/1927 Red lips—kiss my blues away Alma Rotter Female vocal solo, with guitar and piano lyricist  
OKeh W81274 10-in. 8/25/1927 Blue river Seger Ellis ; Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W81301 10-in. 9/1/1927 Blue river Sophie Tucker Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh W400715 10-in. 5/28/1928 Chilly pom pom pee Fred Hall ; Sugar Babies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W400770 10-in. 6/8/1928 Don't keep me in the dark, bright eyes Seger Ellis Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
OKeh W400776 10-in. 6/11/1928 Don't keep me in the dark, bright eyes Lanin’s Famous Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist  
OKeh W401163 10-in. 9/28/1928 My window of dreams Seger Ellis ; Southern Melody Artists [Lou Gold Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W402126 10-in. 8/10/1928 Come be my rainbow Scottdale String Band String band lyricist  
OKeh W402858 10-in. 8/16/1929 My song of the Nile Justin Ring Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W402879 10-in. 8/23/1929 My song of the Nile Smith Ballew ; Roy Smeck’s Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W402884 10-in. 8/27/1929 My song of the Nile Seger Ellis Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
OKeh W402971 10-in. 9/20/1929 My lover (Master of my heart) Seger Ellis ; Joe Green ; Royal Music Makers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W403020 10-in. 10/2/1929 Somebody mighty like you Hal Kemp Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist  
OKeh W403081 10-in. 10/18/1929 If I can't have you (If you can't have me) Annette Hanshaw Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh W404817 10-in. 1/26/1931 When you were the blossom of Buttercup Lane and I was your Little Boy Blue Lanin’s Famous Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh [OK cat 1062-A] 10-in. approximately June-July 1918 There's a lump of sugar down in Dixie Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet lyricist  
Brunswick 1178 10-in. approximately July 1917 Joan of Arc Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick [Br cat 5196-b] 10-in. approximately Dec. 1917 Sweet little buttercup Harry McClaskey Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick [Br cat 5229-b] 10-in. approximately May 1918 Cleopatra Arthur Collins Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick E16456 10-in. 9/29/1925 Brown eyes—why are you blue? Nick Lucas Male vocal solo, with guitar lyricist  
Brunswick E23281 10-in. 5/21/1927 Room for two Colonial Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band lyricist  
Brunswick E27981 10-in. 8/6/1928 Don’t keep me in the dark, Bright Eyes Kenn Sisson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) lyricist  
Brunswick E27986 10-in. 8/7/1928 My window of dreams Chester Gaylord Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
(Results 376-400 of 513 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bryan, Alfred," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828.

Bryan, Alfred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828.

"Bryan, Alfred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828

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