Don Raye
Don Raye (born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr., March 16, 1909 – January 29, 1985) was an American songwriter, best known for his songs for The Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "The House of Blue Lights", "Just for a Thrill" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." The latter was co-written with Hughie Prince. While known for such wordy novelty numbers, he also wrote the lyrics to "You Don't Know What Love Is," a simple, poetic lament of unusual power. He also composed the song "(That Place) Down the Road a Piece," one of his boogie woogie songs, which has a medium bright boogie tempo. It was written for the Will Bradley Orchestra, who recorded it in 1940, but the song was destined to become a rock and roll standard, recorded by The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Foghat, Amos Milburn, Harry Gibson, and countless others. In 1940, he wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song "This Is My Country". In 1985, Don Raye was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1909 (Washington, D.C.), Died January 29, 1985
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-98364 | 10-in. | 12/9/1935 | (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes | Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-98497 | 10-in. | 1/6/1936 | (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes | Little Ramblers ; Eddie Lloyd | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-035782 | 10-in. | 4/24/1939 | Why begin again (Pastel blue) | Three Reasons ; Dick Todd | Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-036840 | 10-in. | 5/1/1939 | Why begin again? | Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-037137 | 10-in. | 5/22/1939 | Well all right! (Tonight's the night) | Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-037636 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | The shoemaker's holiday | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-037637 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | Well all right (Tonight's the night) | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-037638 | 10-in. | 6/13/1939 | Danger! Men blasting | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-040692 | 10-in. | 8/29/1939 | The monkeys have no tails in Pago Pago | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-041148 | 10-in. | 7/31/1939 | Just for a thrill | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Kathleen Lane | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-041530 | 10-in. | 8/10/1939 | It's the tune that counts | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-041591 | 10-in. | 8/21/1939 | Just for a thrill | Gray Gordon ; Cliff Grass ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-044312 | 10-in. | 12/4/1939 | Yodelin' jive | Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-044636 | 10-in. | 1/18/1940 | I love you much too much | Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-047727 | 10-in. | 2/29/1940 | Let's have another one | Tony Pastor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-048677 | 10-in. | 4/9/1940 | I love you much too much | Blue Barron ; Russ Carlyle | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-049582 | 10-in. | 3/28/1940 | Sadie Hawkins' Day | Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-050536 | 10-in. | 5/8/1940 | Rhumboogie | Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-051843 | 10-in. | 7/11/1940 | Rhumboogie | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Al Stuart | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-056107 | 10-in. | 9/12/1940 | Beat me Daddy, eight to a bar | Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-056161 | 10-in. | 9/23/1940 | Ready, get set, jump | Tony Pastor Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-058210 | 10-in. | 12/3/1940 | Scrub me mama, with a boogie beat | Charlie Barnet Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BS-058892 | 10-in. | 1/20/1941 | Boogie woogie bugle boy | Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Tommy Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-058894 | 10-in. | 1/20/1941 | You're a lucky fellow, Mr.Smith | Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Mary Ann Mercer ; Tommy Taylor | Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-060437 | 10-in. | 1/21/1941 | Do you call that a buddy | Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Butch Stone | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-061630 | 10-in. | 9/11/1941 | You were there | Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-061712 | 10-in. | 10/5/1941 | I'll remember April | Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-062791 | 10-in. | 3/31/1941 | Music makers | Marilyn Duke ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-063841 | 10-in. | 5/2/1941 | Music makers | Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey ; Rhythm Reys | Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-067759 | 10-in. | 9/8/1941 | Watch the birdie | Harriet Clark ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068371 | 10-in. | 11/27/1941 | You dont know what love is | Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters | Jazz/dance band, with vocal | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068379 | 10-in. | 12/1/1941 | Pig foot Pete | Dawn Patrol Boys ; Dolly Dawn | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068400 | 10-in. | 11/17/1941 | The boy with the wistful eyes | Earl Hines Orchestra ; Madeline Green ; Earl Hines ; Three Varieties | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068403 | 10-in. | 11/17/1941 | You don't know what love is | Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068442 | 10-in. | 11/28/1941 | The boy with the wistful eyes | Mitchell Ayres ; Meredith Blake ; Fashions-in-Music | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-072560 | 10-in. | 7/30/1942 | (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy | Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-074717 | 10-in. | 6/30/1942 | (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy | Bob Chester Orchestra ; Betty Bradley | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-075401 | 10-in. | 7/1/1942 | He's my guy (Nobody knows better than I) | Jo Stafford ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | D9VB-715 | 10-in. | 8/19/1949 | Cuddled in your arms | Fran Warren | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | E1VB-0055 | 10-in. | 1/9/1951 | I love you too much | Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra ; Fran Warren | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
| Victor | E1VB-1786 | 10-in. | 4/16/1951 | Sidewalk shuffle | Steve Gibson ; Original Red Caps (Steve Gibson) | Male vocal quartet, with instrumental quintet | songwriter | |
| Victor | D4AB-0069 | 10-in. | 3/22/1944 | Milkman, keep those bottles quiet | Four King Sisters | Female vocal quartet, with male vocal solo and | songwriter | |
| Victor | D5VB-1149 | 10-in. | 11/12/1945 | I'm not having any (this year) | Russ Case Orchestra ; David Street | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1082 | 10-in. | 10/16/1947 | A song was born | Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong All-Stars ; Jack Teagarden | Male vocal duet, with jazz sextet | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-1808 | 10-in. | 10/22/1947 | Daddy-o (I'm gonna teach you some blues) | Lillian Lane ; Page Cavanaugh Trio | Female vocal solo, with male vocal trio, guitar, bass, and piano | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-2126 | 10-in. | 11/26/1947 | It's watcha do with watcha got | Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Glenn Hughes ; Martin Men | Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-2169 | 10-in. | 12/8/1947 | Your red wagon | Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing | Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | lyricist | |
| Victor | D7VB-2594 | 10-in. | 12/5/1947 | Love that boy! | Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Victor | D8VB-3740 | 10-in. | 5/11/1948 | Judaline | Stuart Foster ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra | Dub from film: Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Decca | 67615 | 10-in. | 4/23/1940 | Hit the road | Vic Schoen Orchestra | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 67616 | 10-in. | 4/23/1940 | Serenade to the stars | Vic Schoen Orchestra | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 67617 | 10-in. | 4/23/1940 | Of maestro and men | Vic Schoen Orchestra | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 67618 | 10-in. | 4/23/1940 | Arabian nights | Vic Schoen Orchestra | vocalist | ||
| Decca | DLA 2470 | 10-in. | 6/27/1941 | Pig foot Pete | Freddie Slack and his Eight Beats | vocalist | ||
| Decca | DLA 2471 | 10-in. | 6/27/1941 | That place down the road a-piece | Freddie Slack and his Eight Beats | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Raye, Don," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.
Raye, Don. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.
"Raye, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Raye, Don - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n89614294
Wikidata: Don Raye - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q220028
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/278124
MusicBrainz: Don Raye - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/96ae8237-7675-4d69-b357-c5d6969cef65
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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