Ralph Blane Meets the 'Wizard of Oz'

My recent post of songs by Ralph Blane and The Martins elicited a note from Unknown telling me that the Internet Archive had posted another Blane single. Here it is in a cleaned-up version. This is the earliest Blane record we have found, very likely dating from 1939.

We can make that assumption on the date because it contains two Arlen-Harburg songs from The Wizard of Oz, which was released in that year: "Over the Rainbow" and "The Merry Old Land of Oz." Actually, Blane also recorded "If I Only Had a Brain" and "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead" at the same time, but I haven't located a copy of the latter single.

Surprisingly, "The Merry Old Land of Oz" comes off better than "Over the Rainbow." Blane's jauntiness suits the former, but he seems uncomfortable with the wistfulness of the latter. He generally sings well, although his pitch is not always on the beam. The bandleader is Franklyn Marks, who also conducted on one of the Blane singles featured on the main blog.

Ralph Blane in 1938

The Liberty Music Shop of New York issued this single. That small chain of stores maintained a boutique label from the 1930s into the 1940s, primarily featuring cabaret artists veering into the jazz realm - so Cy Walter through Ethel Waters and Lee Wiley. I can only recall featuring two of the label's products before, a single by Bruz Fletcher than can be found in this compilation, and another by Cy Walter than is in this set.

The Blane recording was made before his first real success as the co-composer of the Best Foot Forward score with Hugh Martin in 1941. I believe that circa 1939, Blane could be heard on the radio with The Martins on Fred Allen's show, and on his own sustaining program.

Thanks to Unknown for the tip on this record! The sound is excellent, by the way.