Buddy Clark

This is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great vocalist Buddy Clark. (Thanks to Will Friedwald for that intelligence.) To mark the occasion, I've uploaded one of his 1948 singles, which I recently acquired.

On one side, Buddy takes on Leon René's "Gloria", a song that later became a doo-wop favorite. I have to say I prefer Ronnie Deauville's hypersensitive interpretation, but this is a good one, too. The flip is Harold Rome's "The Money Song", from the show That's the Ticket. The one was also recorded by Martin and Lewis, and Clark's rendition is to be preferred to that raucous affair.

Buddy Clark

On both sides, Clark has the backing of two notable singing groups, the well-known Modernaires, and the Skylarks, who also recorded with Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey and others, and were often on American television.

Clark died in a 1949 plane crash, at the peak of his popularity. It's a shame he isn't better remembered.

The sound on these sides is good. I think this may be the only green-label Columbia promo 78 I own (the rest of them are white). Love the crew cut DJ on these labels.