One of the interesting bits of trivia I have encountered time and again is the fact that an artist or bandleader had already been famous by the time they thought to put their work onto records. If not for the record, the music loving public would have only performances and sheet music to go on for how good (or not so good) a song or tune was. Mass produced disk records were so much of a shakeup for the music industry. So while today’s recording comes from the near beginning of the record releasing career of Richard Himber, he was, by the early 1930s, already an established fixture in the artistic community.
Growing up in the dawn of the 20th Century, Himber proved quickly he had a mind for music. His parents were not the encouraging sort, and upon encountering him playing at a Newark, New Jersey dive, confiscated his violin and sent young Richard away to military school. This only deterred him temporarily, for by 1915 he was freshly arrived in New York City. There, he proved a savvy businessman, working with artists to book acts for private functions. 1932 saw Himber start his own orchestra, with the following year marking his foray into record making. Aside from musical and business talent, Himber was also a magician and had a wicked sense of humor. He would pass away following a heart attack in 1966.
Moving along to the piece at hand, it’s a 1933 composition from the film “Dancing Lady”. Though not the standout song from the film, the lyrical content is about on par with much later popular music about one’s dancing partner and romantic interest. The song promises the dancing lady that there’s “nobody like her” and that soon the singer and his dancing lady will be wed. The song’s earnest, simple sentiment is a real winner. Himber’s orchestral handling of the tune demonstrates his talents, which made him such a formidable player in the music game.
Music Through the Mists of Time 