Charles Paul

Charles Paul (August 23, 1902 in New York City – September 18, 1990 in Milford, Connecticut) was an American composer and organist, most known for his musical accompaniment on radio and television.

Originally providing musical accompaniment to such old-time radio programs as The Adventures of Ellery Queen and Young Doctor Malone, he transitioned to television in the 1950s. His music accentuated the TV version of Martin Kane, Private Eye with an organ and horn combo. His first known soap opera was Love of Life which he began accompanying in 1953. In 1954 he added The Secret Storm and the short-lived The Road of Life to his duties. By this time Paul had perfected a style that favored the organ, but was often coupled with piano for more intense scenes.

On The Secret Storm Paul began his practice of using "leitmotif" themes to underscore specific characters, such as his tune for matriarch Grace Tyrell (Marjorie Gateson) and his lament for her daughter Pauline Harris (Haila Stoddard). Paul continued this practice on Love of Life and his successive soaps.

It was in 1956 that Charles Paul began a stint as the organist for television's first thirty-minute soap opera, As the World Turns. Paul created character themes for Nancy Hughes (Helen Wagner), Pa Hughes (Santos Ortega) and Lisa (Eileen Fulton). He wrote motifs for opening scene shots that identified settings, such as Memorial Hospital and the Lowell, Barnes, Lowell & Hughes law firm. Paul also wrote the first theme song for NBC's Another World which was handled by other organists. Though he was not named in the credits, Paul provided the original scores to headwriter Agnes Nixon's ABC hits One Life to Live and All My Children under the auspices of Aeolus Productions.

In the summer of 1969, many behind-the-scenes shifts occurred at CBS soaps. As a result, Paul lost The Secret Storm, maintained his positions at Love of Life and As the World Turns, and assumed the keyboard duties at longtime favorite Guiding Light.

By the early 1970s, however, times were changing. Paul soon lost Love of Life but transitioned both As the World Turns and Guiding Light to orchestral arrangements. He would later do likewise for NBC's relatively short-lived Somerset, ABC's successful General Hospital, and the last year of CBS's Love of Life after ten years' absence from that series.

In 2009, Soapluvva established a YouTube tribute channel to both Charles Paul and Eddie Layton, who were colleagues of each other at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 23, 1902, Died September 18, 1990

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1945

Roles Represented in DAHR: electric organ, organ, piano

= 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-010439 10-in. 6/9/1937 O! Word of God most holy Frederick Jagel ; Charles Paul Tenor vocal solo, with electric organ instrumentalist, electric organ  
Victor BS-010440 10-in. 6/9/1937 From sense to soul Frederick Jagel ; Charles Paul Tenor vocal solo, with electric organ instrumentalist, electric organ  
Victor BS-010441 10-in. 6/9/1937 Shepherd, show me how to go Frederick Jagel ; Charles Paul Tenor vocal solo, with electric organ instrumentalist, electric organ  
Victor BS-010442 10-in. 6/9/1937 O gentle presence Frederick Jagel ; Charles Paul Tenor vocal solo, with electric organ instrumentalist, electric organ  
Victor BS-010443 10-in. 6/9/1937 O gentle presence Frederick Jagel ; Charles Paul Tenor vocal solo, with electric organ instrumentalist, electric organ  
Victor BS-071749 10-in. 1/31/1942 Agnus Dei Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus, organ, and harp instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071750 10-in. 1/31/1942 Ave Maria Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus, organ, and harp instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071751 10-in. 1/31/1942 O divine redeemer Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus, organ, and harp instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071752 10-in. 1/31/1942 Panis angelicus Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and organ instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071753 10-in. 1/31/1942 Crucifixus Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus, and organ instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071754 10-in. 1/31/1942 The palms Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and organ instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071755 10-in. 1/31/1942 I know that my Redeemer liveth Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and organ instrumentalist, organ  
Victor BS-071756 10-in. 1/31/1942 Where'er you walk Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and organ (take 2); with mixed chorus and piano (take 1) instrumentalist, organ, piano  
Decca 62741 10-in. 11/1/1937 Adeste fidelis Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca 62742 10-in. 11/1/1937 Silent night, Holy night Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca 62753 10-in. 11/8/1937 Hark! The herald angels sing Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca 62754 10-in. 11/8/1937 O little town of Bethlehem Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca 62755 10-in. 11/8/1937 It came upon the midnight clear Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca 62756 10-in. 11/8/1937 O holy night Charles Paul instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3760 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 1 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3761 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 2 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3762 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 3 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3763 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 4 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3764 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 5 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  
Decca L 3765 10-in. 3/28/1945 The littlest angel: Part 6 Loretta Young instrumentalist, electric organ  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Paul, Charles," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107335.

Paul, Charles. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107335.

"Paul, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107335

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