100 Years of 'Crazy'

Mamie Smith's important record of "Crazy Blues" was recorded 100 years ago this week - on or about August 10, 1920. To mark the occasion, I've resurrected a transfer I made many years ago, and to fill out the program I've added a cover record by the illustrious team of Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake, also from my collection.

"Crazy Blues" was unquestionably a popular and influential record, even though it is not what it is sometimes stated to be - the first recording by a female Black singer and a million seller. There had been other records by Black women, and Smith herself had made one earlier in the year, which was indeed the first pop release by a Black female soloist.

Mamie Smith

As for the sales claim, one of the most popular records of the era, Paul Whiteman's "Whispering," sold fewer than 250,000 copies, so the assertions of a million or even two million in sales are dubious at best. (Please see this article by discographer Allen Sutton for an informative and objective discussion of the record and its genesis.)

"Crazy Blues" came from Smith's second session, which was masterminded by songwriter Perry Bradford, who had the inspired idea to bring in the ensemble of Black musicians who became known as the "Jazz Hounds." Their interplay with the excellent Smith and Bradford's vivid imagery make the record compelling even today. Particularly noticeable are the swoops and slides by trombonist Dope Andrews.

A recent New York Times article claimed that Bradford's composition was something new, which was not the case. In fact, he was twice sued successfully for pulling parts of the song from two others he had written and sold off years earlier.

"Crazy Blues" was popular enough that it inspired cover versions, including the one by vocalist Noble Sissle and pianist Eubie Blake, recorded in November 1920 and issued on Emerson and under pseudonyms on other labels. It came out in the run-up to the May 1921 opening of their revue Shuffle Along on Broadway. That show, which played for more than a year, was reputedly the first to prominently feature syncopated jazz numbers. It also gave a boost to the careers of such important artists as Paul Robeson and Josephine Baker.

Blake in particular had a very long career - I remember seeing him on television several times. Mamie Smith was not so lucky. "Crazy Blues" was the high point of her fame. Bradford took the Jazz Hounds with him to another label, leaving Smith to be backed by stiff studio bands. The magic was not there and her career fizzled.

The sound from these century-old items is surprisingly good, despite the limited frequency response of the recording horns in use at the time.

Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake