27 December:SCOTTY MOORE = American guitarist = [died: 2016]
30 December:SKEETER DAVIS = American country singer = [died: 2004]
Timeline of Musical Events
21 May: RCA Victor's first commercially issued 33½ rpm record, "Salon Suite, No. 1" by The Victor Salon Orchestra, directed by NATHANIEL SHILKRET, was recorded
Also in 1931:-
ROY ROGERS' musical career begins
MARY GARDEN retires from the Chicago Opera
ALBERTO RABAGLIATI's singing career begins
Published Popular Music
"Adios" = lyrics by EDDIE WOOD; music by ENRIC MADRIGUERA
"All of Me" = lyrics & music by SEYMOUR SIMONS & GERALD MARKS
"As Time Goes By" = lyrics & music by HERMAN HUPFELD
"At Your Command" = lyrics & music by HARRY BARRIS, BING CROSBY & HARRY TOBIAS
"Black Jazz" = music by GENE GIFFORD
"Blah, Blah, Blah" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN. Introduced by EL BRENDEL in the film 'Delicious'
"Blues In My Heart" = lyrics by IRVING MILLS; music by BENNY CARTER
"Brighter Than The Sun" = lyrics by ANONA WINN; music by RAY NOBLE
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" = lyrics by E. Y. HARBURG; music by JAY GORNEY
"By The River Sainte Marie" = lyrics by EDGAR LESLIE; music by HARRY WARREN
"Call Me Darling, Call Me Sweetheart, Call Me Dear" = English lyrics by DOROTHY DICK; lyrics & music by BERT REISFELD, MART FRYBERG & ROLF MARBET
"Close Your Eyes" = by D. CARTER & H. M. TENNENT
"Come to Me" = lyrics by B. G. DE SYLVA & LEW BROWN; music by RAY HENDERSON
"Concentratin' On You" = lyrics by ANDY RAZAF; music by FATS WALLER
"Crosby, Columbo And Vallee" = lyrics by AL DUBIN; music by JOE BURKE
"Cuban Love Song" = lyrics & music by DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY McHUGH & HERBERT STOTHART
"Dancing In The Dark" = lyrics by HOWARD DIETZ; music by ARTHUR SCHWARTZ
"Delishious" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN
"Doin' What I Please" = lyrics by ANDY RAZAF; music by THOMAS WALLER
"Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" = lyrics by SAMMY TIMBERG; music by SAMUEL LERNER. Introduced by MAE QUESTEL and RUDY VALLEE in the Betty Boop animated short 'Musical Justice (1931)'
"Down Sunnyside Lane" = by JIMMY CAMPBELL, REG CONNELLY
"Dream a Little Dream of Me" = lyrics by GUS KAHN; music by FABIAN ANDRE & WILBUR SCHWANDT
"An Evening In Caroline" = lyrics & music by WALTER DONALDSON
"A Faded Summer Love" = lyrics & music by PHIL BAXTER
"Goodnight, Sweetheart" = lyrics & music by RAY NOBLE, JAMES CAMPBELL & REG CONNELLY
"Got A Date With An Angel" = lyrics by CLIFFORD GREY & SONNY MILLER; music by JACK WALLER & JOSEPH TUNBRIDGE
"Got the Bench, Got the Park" = lyrics & music by AL SHERMAN, AL LEWIS & FRED PHILLIPS
"Green Eyes" = English lyrics by E. RIVERA & EDDIE WOODS, Spanish lyrics by ADOLFO UTRERO; music by NILO MENENDEZ
"Guilty" = lyrics by GUS KAHN; music by RICHARD A. WHITING & HARRY AKST
"Hang Out The Stars In Indiana" = lyrics by BILLY MOLL; music by HARRY WOODS
"He Played His Ukulele As The Ship Went Down" = lyrics & music by ARTHUR LE CLERQ
"Heartaches" = lyrics by JOHN CLENNER; music by AL HOFFMAN
"Hello, My Lover, Goodbye" = lyrics by EDWARD HEYMAN; music by JOHN GREEN. Introduced by FRANCES LANGFORD in the musical 'Here Goes the Bride'
"Help Yourself to Happiness" = lyrics & music by MACK GORDON, HARRY REVEL and HARRY RICHMAN. Introduced by HARRY RICHMAN in the revue 'Ziegfeld Follies of 1931'
"Hold My Hand" = lyrics by DOUGLAS FURBER; music by NOEL GAY
"Home" = lyrics & music by PETER VAN STEEDEN, HARRY CLARKSON & GEOFF CLARKSON
"Hoops" = lyrics by HOWARD DIETZ; music by ARTHUR SCHWARTZ
"I Apologize" = lyrics & music by AL HOFFMAN, AL GOODHART & ED NELSON
"I Don't Know Why" = lyrics by ROY TURK; music by FRED E. AHLERT
"I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store)" = lyrics by BILLY ROSE & MORT DIXON; music by HARRY WARREN
"I Heard" = lyrics & music by DON REDMAN
"I Love Louisa" = lyrics by HOWARD DIETZ; music by ARTHUR SCHWARTZ
"I Surrender, Dear" = lyrics by GORDON CLIFFORD; music by HARRY BARRIS
"If You Should Ever Need Me" = lyrics by AL DUBIN; music by JOE BURKE
"I'll Be Good Because Of You" = lyrics & music by RAY NOBLE & ALAN MURRAY
"I'm All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" = by FISHER, UNGER, STERN
"I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" = lyrics by ALEX HILL; music by FATS WALLER
"I'm Gonna Get You" = lyrics & music by GUS ARNHEIM, HARRY TOBIAS & JULES LEMARE
"I'm Good For Nothing But Love" = by BALLARD, MALTIN
"I'm Through With Love" = lyrics by GUS KAHN; music by MATTY MALNECK & FUD LIVINGSTON
"It's The Darndest Thing" = lyrics by DOROTHY FIELDS; music by JIMMY McHUGH
"It's The Girl" = lyrics by DAVE OPPENHEIM; music by ABEL BAER
"It's You!" = by RAZAF, WALLER
"I've Got Five Dollars" = lyrics by LORENZ HART; music by RICHARD RODGERS
"Jazz Nocturne" = music by DANA SUESSE
"Just One More Chance" = lyrics by SAM COSLOW; music by ARTHUR JOHNSTON
"Kicking The Gong Around" = lyrics by TED KOEHLER; music by HAROLD ARLEN
"A Lady Must Live" = lyrics by LORENZ HART; music by RICHARD RODGERS. Introduced by JEANNE AUBERT in the musical 'America's Sweetheart'
"Lady Of Spain" = lyrics & music by ROBERT HARGREAVES, TOLCHARD EVANS, STANLEY J. DAMERELL & HENRY J. TILSLEY
"Lies" = lyrics by GEORGE E. SPRINGER; music by HARRY BARRIS
"Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries" = lyrics by B. G. DE SYLVA & LEW BROWN; music by RAY HENDERSON
"Little Girl" = lyrics & music by MADELINE HYDE & FRANCIS HENRY
"Love Is Sweeping The Country" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN
"Love Letters In The Sand" = lyrics by NICK KENNY & CHARLES KENNY; music by J. FRED COOTS
"Lullaby Of The Leaves" = lyrics by JOE YOUNG; music by BERNICE PETKERE
"Mad Dogs And Englishmen" = lyrics & music by NOEL COWARD
"Makin' Faces At The Man In The Moon" = lyrics & music by MAX RICH, KATE SMITH, AL HOFFMAN & NED WASHINGTON
"Mama Inez" = English lyrics by L. WOLFE GILBERT; music by ELISEO GRENET
"Maria, My Own" = English lyrics by L. WOLFE GILBERT; music by ERNESTO LECUONA
"Marta" = English lyrics by L. WOLFE GILBERT; music by MOISES SIMONS
"Mausie" = English lyrics by HARRY GRAHAM; music by PAUL ABRAHAM
"Me!" = lyrics & music by IRVING BERLIN
"(There Ought to Be a) Moonlight Saving Time" = lyrics & music by IRVING KAHAL & HARRY RICHMAN
"My Canary Has Circles Under His Eyes" = by KOEHLER, POLA, GOLDEN
"My Song" = lyrics by LEW BROWN; music by RAY HENDERSON
"Nevertheless" = lyrics by BERT KALMAR; music by HARRY RUBY
"Now's The Time To Fall In Love" = lyrics & music by AL SHERMAN & AL LEWIS
"Of Thee I Sing" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN
"Oh, Monah" = lyrics & music by TED WEEMS & JOE "COUNTRY" WASHBURN
"One More Time" = lyrics & music by B. G. DeSYLVA, LEW BROWN, and RAY HENDERSON
"Ooh That Kiss" = lyrics by MORT DIXON & JOE YOUNG; music by HARRY WARREN
"Out Of Nowhere" = lyrics by EDWARD HEYMAN; music by JOHN GREEN
"Paradise" = lyrics by NACIO HERB BROWN & GORDON CLIFFORD; music by NACIO HERB BROWN
"Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)" = lyrics & music by WILL JASON & VAL BURTON
"Pied Piper Of Hamelin" = lyrics & music by NOEL GAY
"Poor Pierrot" = lyrics by OTTO HARBACH; music by JEROME KERN
"Popeye The Sailor Man" = lyrics & music by SAMMY LERNER
"Prisoner Of Love" = lyrics by LEO ROBIN; music by RUSS COLUMBO & CLARENCE GASKILL
"River, Stay 'Way From My Door" = lyrics by MORT DIXON; music by HARRY WOODS
"Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On" = lyrics & music by JAMES McCAFFREY, EUGENE WEST & DAVE RINGLE
"Running Between The Raindrops" = lyrics by James Dyrenforth; music by CARROLL GIBBONS
"Sally" = lyrics & music by WILLIAM HAINES, HARRY LEON & LEO TOWERS
"Shadrack" = lyrics & music by ROBERT MacGIMSEY
"She Didn't Say Yes" = lyrics by OTTO HARBACH; music by JEROME KERN. Introduced by BETTINA HALL in the musical 'The Cat and the Fiddle'
"Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" = lyrics by CHARLES O'FLYNN & JACK MESKILL; music by MAX RICH
"Somebody from Somewhere" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN. Introduced by JANET GAYNOR in the film 'Delicious'
"Sweet And Lovely" = lyrics & music by GUS ARNHEIM, HARRY TOBIAS & JULES LEMARE
"Thanks To You" = lyrics by GRANT CLARKE; music by PETE WENDLING
"That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine" = lyrics & music by JIMMY LONG & GENE AUTRY
"That's My Desire" = lyrics by CARROLL LOVEDAY; music by HELMY KRESA
"This Is The Missus" = lyrics & music by LEW BROWN & RAY HENDERSON
"The Thrill Is Gone" = lyrics & music by LEW BROWN & RAY HENDERSON
"Till The Real Thing Comes Along" = lyrics & music by MANN HOLINER, ALBERTA NICHOLS, SAMMY CAHN, SAUL CHAPLIN & L. E. FREEMAN
"Twentieth Century Blues" = lyrics & music by NOEL COWARD
"Under the Bridges of Paris" = French lyrics by JEAN RODOR, English lyrics by DORCAS COCHRAN; music by VINCENT SCOTTO
"Underneath The Arches" = lyrics & music by REG CONNELLY & BUD FLANAGAN
"Wabash Moon" = lyrics & music by DAVE DREYER & MORTON DOWNEY
"Was I?" = lyrics by CHARLES FARRELL; music by CHICK ENDOR from the revue 'Ziegfeld Follies Of 1931'
"Was That The Human Thing To Do?" = lyrics by JOE YOUNG; music by SAMMY FAIN
"We'll Be The Same" = lyrics by LORENZ HART; music by RICHARD RODGERS
"Were You Sincere" = lyrics by JACK MESKILL; music by VINCENT ROSE
"When I Take My Sugar To Tea" = lyrics & music by SAMMY FAIN, IRVING KAHAL & PIERRE NORMAN CONNOR
"When It's Sleepy Time Down South" = lyrics & music by LEON RENE, OTIS RENE & CLARENCE MUSE
"When The Bloom Is On The Sage" = lyrics & music by NAT VINCENT & FRED HOWARD WRIGHT
"When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain" = lyrics & music by HOWARD JOHNSON, HARRY WOODS & KATE SMITH
"When Your Lover Has Gone" = lyrics & music by E. A. SWAN
"When Yuba Plays The Rumba On The Tuba" = lyrics & music by HERMAN HUPFELD
"Where The Blue Of The Night" = lyrics & music by ROY TURK, BING CROSBY & FRED E. AHLERT
"Who Cares?" = lyrics by IRA GERSHWIN; music by GEORGE GERSHWIN. Introduced by WILLIAM GAXTON and LOIS MORAN in the musical 'Of Thee I Sing'
"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams" = lyrics by TED KOEHLER & BILLY MOLL; music by HARRY BARRIS
"Yes, Yes, My Baby Said Yes, Yes" = by CLIFF FRIEND, CON CONRAD. Introduced by EDDIE CANTOR in the film 'Palmy Days'
"You Are My Heart's Delight" = lyrics by HARRY GRAHAM; music (1923) by FRANZ LEHÁR
"You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)" = lyrics & music by CON CONRAD, GLADYS DU BOIS, RUSS COLUMBO & PAUL GREGORY
"You Can't Stop Me From Loving You" = lyrics by MANN HOLINER; music by ALBERTA NICHOLS
"You Forgot Your Gloves" = lyrics by EDWARD ELISCU; music by NED LEHAC. Introduced by CONSTANCE CARPENTER and CARL RANDALL in the revue 'The Third Little Show'
"You Rascal You" = lyrics & music by SAM THEARD
"You Try Somebody Else" = lyrics by B. G. DE SYLVA & LEW BROWN; music by RAY HENDERSON
"You're Blasé" = lyrics by BRUCE SIEVIER; music by ORD HAMILTON
"You're My Decline And Fall" = by GEORGE POSFORD
"You're My Everything" = lyrics by MORT DIXON & JOE YOUNG; music by HARRY WARREN
"Yours" (originaly "Quiéreme Mucho") = English lyrics by JACK SHERR, Spanish lyrics by AUGUSTIN RODRIGUEZ; music by GONZALO ROIG
Top Hits on Record
"Any Little Fish"
recorded by NOEL COWARD
"As Time Goes By"
recorded by RUDY VALLÉE
"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"
recorded by CAB CALLOWAY
"Beyond The Blue Horizon"
recorded by JACK HYLTON
"Blue Again"
recorded by AMBROSE
"Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
recorded by WAYNE KING, The Waltz King
recorded by OZZIE NELSON
"Goodnight, Sweetheart"
recorded by AL BOWLLY
recorded by GUY LOMBARDO & His Royal Canadians
"The Harp That Once Thro' Tara's Halls"
recorded by JOHN McCORMACK
"High Water"
recorded by PAUL ROBESON
"I Apologize"
recorded by NAT SHILKRET and the Victor Orchestra, vocal PAUL SMALL
"I Don't Know Why - I Just Do"
recorded by LAYTON and JOHNSTONE
"I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In a 5 and 10 Cent Store)"
recorded by THE BOSWELL SISTERS
"Just One More Chance"
recorded by BING CROSBY and VICTOR YOUNG
"The Kiss Waltz"
recorded by GRACIE FIELDS
"Lady, Play Your Mandolin"
recorded by Havana Novelty Orchestra, directed NAT SHILKRET, vocal PAUL SMALL
recorded by NICK LUCAS
"Lazy River"
recorded by LOUIS ARMSTRONG
"Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries"
recorded by HUTCH
recorded by RUDY VALLEE
"Linda"
recorded by CARROLL GIBBONS
"Memories Of You"
recorded by DUKE ELLINGTON
"Moanin' Low"
recorded by SOPHIE TUCKER
"Mood Indigo"
recorded by DUKE ELLINGTON & His Jungle Band
"My Ideal"
recorded by MAURICE CHEVALIER
"Nevertheless"
recorded by RUTH ETTING
"Out Of Nowhere"
recorded by BING CROSBY
"The Peanut Vendor (El Manicero)"
recorded by DON AZPIAZU
"Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"
recorded by GENE AUSTIN
"River Stay 'Way From My Door"
recorded by PAUL ROBESON
"Rockin' Chair"
recorded by PAUL ROBESON
"Sally"
recorded by GRACIE FIELDS
"Star Dust"
recorded by BING CROSBY
"Sweet And Lovely"
recorded by AL BOWLLY with Savoy Orpheans; HOWARD JACOBS and CARROLL GIBBONS
"Time On My Hands"
recorded by AL BOWLLY with The New Mayfair Dance Orchestra
"Walkin' My Baby Back Home"
recorded by MAURICE CHEVALIER
"When I Take My Sugar To Tea"
recorded by BOSWELL SISTERS and the DORSEY BROTHERS
"When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain"
recorded by KATE SMITH
"When Yuba Plays the Rumba On the Tuba"
recorded by RUDY VALLEE & His Connecticut Yankees
"Would You Like To Take A Walk"
recorded by ANNETTE HANSHAW including BENNY GOODMAN and EDDIE LANG
"Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams"
recorded by BING CROSBY
"You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)"
recorded by RUSS COLUMBO
Top Blues Recordings
"Broke Down Engine Blues"
recorded by BLIND WILLIE McTELL
"Devil Got My Woman"
recorded by SKIP JAMES
"Georgia Rag"
recorded by BLIND WILLIE McTELL
"Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues"
recorded by SKIP JAMES
"I'm So Glad"
recorded by SKIP JAMES
"Southern Can is Mine"
recorded by BLIND WILLIE McTELL
"Uncle Ned, Don't Use Your Head"
recorded by LONNIE JOHNSON
Classical Music
JOSEPH ACHRON
Quartet for Cello, Trumpet, Horn, and Piano, Golem
MARC BLITZSTEIN
Piano Concerto
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
String Quartet in D
RUTH CRAWFORD SEEGER
String Quartet
SAMUEL FEINBERG
Piano Concerto no. 1
REINHOLD GLIÈRE
Comedians (ballet)
CAMARGO GUARNIERI
Cello Sonata No. 1
CONSTANT LAMBERT
Concerto for Piano & 9 Instruments
IGOR MARKEVITCH
Serenade for Three Instruments
CARL NIELSEN
Commotio (for organ)
PAUL PARAY
Mass for the 500th Anniversary of the Death of Joan of Arc
SERGEI PROKOFIEV
Piano Concerto No. 4, for left hand, written for Paul Wittgenstein
MAURICE RAVEL
Piano Concerto for Left Hand, written for Paul Wittgenstein
CYRIL SCOTT
Cello Concerto
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, "First of May"
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Violin Concerto in D
EDGARD VARÈSE
Ionisation (1929–31)
WILLIAM WALTON
Belshazzar's Feast (oratorio)
Opera
GEORGE ANTHEIL
Helen Retires (not performed until 1934)
ARTHUR BENJAMIN
The Devil Take Her
GUSTAVE CHARPENTIER
Orphée
PAUL DESSAU
Das Eisenbahnspiel
WALTER GOEHR
Malpopita
GABRIEL VON WAYDITCH
Horus
EUGÈNE YSAŸE
Peter the Miner
Musical Theatre
AMERICA'S SWEETHEART
(Music by: Richard Rodgers; Book by: Herbert Fields; Lyrics by: Lorenz Hart)
Broadway production opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 10 and ran for 135 performances
THE BAND WAGON
(Music by: Arthur Schwartz; Book by: Howard Dietz, George S. Kaufman; Lyrics by: Howard Dietz)
Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on June 3 and ran for 260 performances
BITTER SWEET
(Noel Coward)
London revival
THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE
(Music by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern; Book by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern; Lyrics by: Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern)
Broadway production opened at the Globe Theatre on October 15 and ran for 395 performances
CAVALCADE
(Noel Coward)
London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on October 13 and ran for 405 performances
DIE DUBARRY
Berlin production opened on August 14
FOLLY TO BE WISE starring Cicely Courtneidge.
London revue opened at the Piccadilly Theatre on January 8.
HERE GOES THE BRIDE
Broadway production opened at Chanin's 46th Street Theatre on November 3 and ran for 7 performances
HOLD MY HAND starring Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale and Stanley Lupino.
(Music: Noel Gay Lyrics: Desmond Carter Book: Stanley Lupino)
London production opened at the Gaiety Theatre on December 23
THE LAND OF SMILES
(Franz Lehár)
London production opened at the Drury Lane Theatre on May 8
THE LAUGH PARADE
(Music by: Harry Warren; Book by: Ed Preble, Ed Wynn; Lyrics by: Mort Dixon, Joe Young)
Broadway revue opened at the Imperial Theatre on November 2 and ran for 231 performances
THE THIRD LITTLE SHOW
Broadway production opened at the Music Box Theatre on June 1 and ran for 136 performances
VICTORIA AND HER HUSSAR
London production opened at the Palace Theatre on September 17 and ran for 100 performances
WHITE HORSE INN
London production opened at the Coliseum Theatre on April 8 and ran for 651 performances
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1931
Broadway revue opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on July 1 and ran for 165 performances
Please address any comments concerning this page to The Music Maestro
Mark Chard BSc, PLY
Page created: 23rd May 2011
Last edited: 23rd December 2023
