Cliff Friend

Cliff Friend (October 1, 1893 – June 27, 1974) was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Friend co-wrote several hits including "Lovesick Blues", "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", also known as the theme song to the Looney Tunes cartoon series.

Birth and Death Data: Born Cincinnati, Died June 27, 1974 (Las Vegas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1955

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

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

Recordings (Results 501-525 of 626 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick E20758-E20760 10-in. 11/19/1926 I’m tellin’ the birds—tellin’ the bees, how I love you Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Brunswick E20799-E20801 10-in. 11/23/1926 I’m tellin’ the birds, tellin’ the bees, how I love you Wendell W. Hall ; Carson Robison Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble and whistling composer  
Brunswick E20810-E20812 10-in. 11/24/1926 I’m tellin’ the birds, tellin’ the bees how I love you Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet composer  
Brunswick E20856-E20857 10-in. 12/1/1926 I’m tellin’ the birds, tellin’ the bees, how I love you Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet composer  
Brunswick E20872-E20874 10-in. 12/6/1926 Hello bluebird Casa Lopez Orchestra ; Keller Sisters and Lynch ; Vincent Lopez Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E21441-E21443 10-in. 2/5/1927 I’m back in love again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Brunswick E21902-E21904 10-in. 3/16/1927 Hello, cutie Kenn Sisson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo; without vocal (take E21904) composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E23215-E23217 10-in. 5/18/1927 The whisper song (When the pussywillow whispers to the catnip) Chester Gaylord Male vocal solo, with piano composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E24243-E24246 10-in. 8/16/1927 A night in June Ernie Golden ; Hotel McAlpin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take E24246) composer  
Brunswick E24300-E24302 10-in. 8/24/1927 A night in June Frank Sylvano Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick E24406-E24409 10-in. 9/8/1927 Moonlit waters Colonial Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24409) lyricist  
Brunswick E24410-E24413 10-in. 9/8/1927 Sally Rose Colonial Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E24413) lyricist  
Brunswick E25142-E25145 10-in. 11/10/1927 I told them all about you Ernie Golden ; Hotel McAlpin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take E25145) composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E25991-E25993 10-in. 1/12/1928 I told them all about you Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio; without vocal (take E25993) composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E26213-E26215 10-in. 1/20/1928 The sunrise (Will bring another day for you) Adelphia Whispering Orchestra ; Herbert Gordon Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E26215) songwriter  
Brunswick E30834-E30835 10-in. Sept. 1929 Satisfied! Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) composer  
Brunswick E30858-E30859 10-in. Sept. 1929 Bottoms up Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) songwriter  
Brunswick E30862-E30863 10-in. Sept. 1929 Bigger and better than ever Ben Bernie ; Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) songwriter  
Brunswick E31182-E31183 10-in. Oct. 1929 I’ll close my eyes to the rest of the world (And dream sweet dreams of you) Carl Fenton’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) composer, lyricist  
Brunswick IND648 10-in. 6/21/1928 You’re a real sweetheart Charlie Davis Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) composer  
Brunswick C2024 10-in. 6/29/1928 You’re a real sweetheart Abe Lyman’s California Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) composer  
Brunswick C2472 10-in. 10/24/1928 My blackbirds are bluebirds now Les Backer Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick C2473 10-in. 10/24/1928 My old girl’s my new girl now Les Backer Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick C3164 10-in. 3/22/1929 So will I Freddie Rose Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick C3168 10-in. 3/25/1929 My castle in Spain is a shack in the lane Frank Sylvano ; Wolverines, The [Fred Hamm Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
(Results 501-525 of 626 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Friend, Cliff," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105837.

Friend, Cliff. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105837.

"Friend, Cliff." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105837

External Sources

Wikipedia: Cliff Friend

Discogs: Cliff Friend

IMDb: Cliff Friend

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Friend, Cliff, 1893-1974 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n88051343

Wikidata: Cliff Friend - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1565638

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/66656403

MusicBrainz: Cliff Friend - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/48647d73-8755-4ebb-981e-7947e4597212

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/241792 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/241792

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

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