John C. Spikes

John Curry Spikes (July 22, 1881 – June 28, 1955) was an American jazz musician and entrepreneur.

Along with his brother Reb Spikes, John ran a traveling show band in early 1900s. At one point, Jelly Roll Morton was a member of the band. The Spikes brothers were performing in San Francisco around 1915, under the name The Original So-Different Orchestra, with Reb Spikes billed as the "World's Greatest Saxophonist". Around 1919, they settled in Los Angeles, where they started a music store, a nightclub, an agency and a publishing house.

They were the first to record an all-black jazz band in 1922. In 1927, they shot a short sound film that predated The Jazz Singer, the first full-length sound film. Their most enduring musical collaborations were writing the lyrics to Morton's Wolverine Blues and their own composition, Someday Sweetheart, which has become a jazz standard.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 22, 1881, Died June 28, 1955

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist

= 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 BVE-37254 10-in. 12/16/1926 Someday sweetheart Jelly Roll Morton ; Red Hot Peppers Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BVE-38174 10-in. 3/16/1927 Someday sweetheart Gene Austin Male vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
Victor BS-92707 10-in. 7/13/1935 Someday sweetheart Benny Goodman Trio ; Gene Krupa ; Teddy Wilson Jazz/dance trio songwriter  
Victor PBS-026071 10-in. 9/1/1938 Someday sweetheart Paul Martin's Soothing Music ; The Three Cheers Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BS-040261 10-in. 7/7/1939 Someday sweetheart Ragtime Band [Muggsy Spanier] Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-073485 10-in. 3/25/1942 Someday, sweetheart Dick Todd Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia 81655 10-in. 3/27/1924 Someday sweetheart Georgians ; Frank Guarente ; Dolly Kay Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W143258 10-in. 1/4/1927 Someday sweetheart Charleston Chasers Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W144765 10-in. 10/15/1927 My mammy's blues Reb Spikes Majors and Minors Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia W144766 10-in. 10/15/1927 Fight that thing Reb Spikes Majors and Minors Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 144805 10-in. 9/28/1927 Someday, sweetheart Original Indiana Five Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W144864 10-in. 10/14/1927 Someday sweetheart Ethel Waters Female vocal solo ("blues singer"), with instrumental trio songwriter  
Columbia W150479 10-in. 4/17/1930 Someday sweetheart Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh 8498 10-in. October 1923 Some day, sweetheart Jelly Roll Morton's Jazz Band Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-71533 10-in. May 1923 You'll never have no luck by quittin' me Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
OKeh S-71534 10-in. May 1923 I'm gonna see you when your troubles are just like mine Eva Taylor ; Clarence Williams Female vocal solo, with piano songwriter  
OKeh W80325 10-in. 1/21/1927 Someday sweetheart Eddie Lang ; Boyd Senter Clarinet solo, with guitar and piano songwriter  
OKeh W400349 10-in. 2/25/1928 Someday, sweetheart Emerson Black Male vocal solo, with ukulele songwriter  
Brunswick E37272 10-in. 10/22/1931 Someday sweetheart All Star Orchestra ; Eddie Lang ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick E4224-E4225 10-in. 12/11/1926 Someday sweetheart Evelyn Thompson Female vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and piano songwriter  
Brunswick E22243-E22244 10-in. 4/4/1927 Someday sweetheart Vernon Dalhart Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin), guitar, and piano songwriter  
Brunswick C530 10-in. 7/23/1926 Some day, sweetheart Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2614 10-in. 11/30/1928 Some rainy day Abe Lyman ; Sharps and Flats Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) composer  
Brunswick C2640 10-in. 12/6/1928 Some rainy day Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick C2819 10-in. 1/17/1929 Some rainy day Nick Lucas Male vocal solo, with trumpet, guitar, and piano composer  
Brunswick C656-C657 10-in. 9/17/1926 Someday sweetheart Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Brunswick C1414-C1415 10-in. 1/9/1928 Someday sweetheart Royal Hawaiians ; Sam Ku West Instrumental trio songwriter  
Brunswick LAE431 10-in. 3/25/1929 I’m smiling with a broken heart Henry Starr Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick [Vo cat 1028-b] 10-in. Someday, sweetheart Alberta Hunter Female vocal solo, with cornet and piano songwriter  
Edison 8651 10-in. 10/31/1922 That sweet something, dear Atlantic Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison 9842 10-in. 11/10/1924 My mammy's blues Georgia Melodians Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 18021 10-in. 11/9/1927 Someday, sweetheart Al Lynn ; Music Masters Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison 18100 10-in. 12/13/1927 Someday sweetheart Melville Morris ; Piccadilly Players and Singers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet songwriter  
Nordskog [Nordskog cat 3007A] 10-in. April 1922 When you're alone blues Roberta Dudley ; Ory's Sunshine Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Nordskog [Nordskog cat 3007B] 10-in. April 1922 Krooked blues Roberta Dudley ; Ory's Sunshine Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Nordskog [Nordskog cat 3008A] 10-in. April 1922 That sweet something dear Ruth Lee ; Ory's Sunshine Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Nordskog [Nordskog cat 3008B] 10-in. April 1922 Maybe someday Ruth Lee ; Ory's Sunshine Orchestra Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Nordskog [Nordskog cat 3009B] 10-in. approximately late May 1922 Society blues Spikes' Seven Pods of Pepper Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Spikes, John C.," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113920.

Spikes, John C.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113920.

"Spikes, John C.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/113920

External Sources

Wikipedia: John Spikes

Discogs: John C. Spikes

IMDb: John C. Spikes

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Spikes, John C., 1882-1955 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2008015010

Wikidata: John Spikes - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6258668

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/117149294368980522299

MusicBrainz: John Spikes - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e1b64998-7415-4a8b-a9ff-27996a4d49f2

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

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