George Asaf

George Henry Powell (27 April 1880 – 3 December 1951) was a Welsh songwriter who, under the pseudonym George Asaf, wrote the lyrics of the marching song "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit-Bag" in 1915. The music was written by his brother Felix Powell, and the song was entered into a World War I competition for "best morale-building song". It won first prize and was noted as "perhaps the most optimistic song ever written". Although Felix Powell was a Staff Sergeant in the British Army, George Powell was a pacifist, and became a conscientious objector when conscription was imposed in 1916.

Birth and Death Data: Born April 27, 1880 (St Asaph), Died December 3, 1951 (Hove)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1916 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: 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 B-18924 10-in. 12/22/1916 Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile! Edward Hamilton Male vocal solo, with vocal chorus and orchestra lyricist  
Victor PBS-072023 10-in. 1/12/1942 Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag (and smile, smile, smile) City Slickers ; Spike Jones Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble lyricist  
Columbia 47227 10-in. 12/13/1916 Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag (And smile, smile, smile) James F. Harrison ; Knickerbocker Quartet Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 77409 10-in. 10/4/1917 War song hits Columbia Quartette Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 49303 12-in. 1/25/1918 Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag (and smile, smile, smile) Columbia Stellar Quartette ; Oscar Seagle Baritone vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 5233 10-in. 12/26/1916 Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag and smile, smile, smile Helen Clark Female vocal solo and male vocal ensemble, with orchestra lyricist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Asaf, George," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109935.

Asaf, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109935.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109935

External Sources

Wikipedia: George Henry Powell

Discogs: George Asaf

IMDb: George Asaf

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Asaf, George - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no94004616

Wikidata: George Henry Powell - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1565612

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46335997

MusicBrainz: George Henry Powell - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c4552ff7-589f-4d1e-8c2e-89c23742a822

ISNI: 0000 0000 4396 2120 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000043962120

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