Al Hoffman

Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today. He was posthumously made a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. The popularity of Hoffman's song, "Mairzy Doats", co-written with Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake, was such that newspapers and magazines wrote about the craze. Time magazine titled one article "Our Mairzy Dotage". The New York Times simply wrote the headline, "That Song".

Hoffman's songs were recorded by singers such as Frank Sinatra ("Close To You", "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die"), Billy Eckstine ("I Apologize") Perry Como ("Papa Loves Mambo", "Hot Diggity"), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ("Who Walks In When I Walk Out"), Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, the Merry Macs, Sophie Tucker, Eartha Kitt, Patsy Cline, Patti Page ("Allegheny Moon") and Bette Midler. In October, 2007, Hoffman's "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" was the lead single from Queen Latifah's album, Trav'lin' Light.

Though Hoffman had apparently little connection to Chicago, he wrote the Chicago Bears fight song "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" in 1941 under the pseudonym Jerry Downs.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 25, 1902 (Stoŭbcy District), Died July 21, 1960 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1950

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

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

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 242 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor LBS-75320 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 2/26/1933 Dance medley Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-75536 10-in. 3/17/1933 Meet me in the gloaming Frances Langford Female vocal solo, with instrumental quintet composer  
Victor BS-75538 10-in. 3/17/1933 Two buck Tim from Timbuctoo Gus Van Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet composer  
Victor BS-75746 10-in. 4/7/1933 Two buck Tim from Timbuctoo The High Hatters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-75747 10-in. 4/7/1933 Two buck Tim from Timbuctoo Sid Peltyn Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-76847 10-in. 8/4/1933 Heartaches Elmo Tanner ; Ted Weems Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with whistling composer  
Victor BS-77336 10-in. 12/12/1933 Jimmy had a nickel Wendell Hall Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-78255 10-in. 10/20/1933 Hush my mouth (If I ain't goin' South) Jerry Freeman Orchestra ; Frank Sylvano Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-80270 10-in. 2/15/1934 Winter interlude Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra ; Bob Hanon ; Harry Sosnik Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-80502 10-in. 5/8/1934 Why don't you practice what you preach Lee Bennett ; Jan Garber Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-80631 10-in. 6/18/1934 The prize waltz King Harvey ; Red Nichols ; Pennies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-81024 10-in. 1/3/1934 You're in my power (Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!) The Radio Rascals' Orchestra [Dick Robertson Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-81104 10-in. 12/26/1933 Masquerading in the name of love Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-81269 10-in. 1/26/1934 Who walks in when I walk out? Ramona Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor BS-81319 10-in. 1/26/1934 I wish we could dance forever Peerless Trio [Norman Price Trio] Male vocal trio, with guitar songwriter  
Victor BS-81345 10-in. 2/1/1934 Jimmy had a nickel Don Bestor Orchestra ; Charles Yontz Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-81731 10-in. 2/21/1934 Jimmy had a nickel The Three Scamps Vocal and instrumental trio songwriter  
Victor BS-81974 10-in. 3/22/1934 Moon time Neil Buckley ; Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-82375 10-in. 5/4/1934 Little man you've had a busy day Pickens Sisters Female vocal trio, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor BS-82380 10-in. 5/4/1934 Little man, you've had a busy day Eliot Everett Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-82512 10-in. 5/10/1934 Little man, you've had a busy day Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BVE-83636 10-in. 7/26/1934 The prize waltz Neil Buckley ; Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-83816 10-in. 8/3/1934 I saw stars Dan Hornsby ; Perry Bechtel Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-84014 10-in. 8/18/1934 I saw stars Peggy Healy ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-92530 10-in. 6/27/1935 Black coffee Four Towers Orchestra ; Billie Hibberd ; Ray Nichols Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
(Results 51-75 of 242 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hoffman, Al," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

Hoffman, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

"Hoffman, Al." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280

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