Name the Smiths

[George H. Smith]

I just made this video and uploaded it to YouTube.

I have a deadline coming up, so of course I worked on this instead. I should write a book on creative procrastination.

Ghs

[Selene]

Bubba Smith

[Brant Gaede]

Brant--not-a-Smith--Gaede?

--Brant

exploiting a crack

[BaalChatzaf]

Could the United Federation Starship Enterprise ever be commanded by Capt. Smith? Jones, maybe, not not Smith.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[9thdoctor]

I read something about a Martian named Smith:

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

That Second Amendment thing with the pistol risks blowing the spirit of this video to Smithereens...

(groan)

Michael

[merjet]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

[Selene]

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/smith-brothers.htm

William Wallace Smith I (1830-1913) and Andrew Smith (1836-1895) were the sons of James Smith (c1800-1866) of Poughkeepsie, New York. James' family had emigrated from Fife, Scotland, in 1831, and James had emigrated from St. Armand, Quebec in 1847.

In New York, he opened a small restaurant, ice-cream parlor, and candy business, called "James Smith and Son".

James Smith bought a cough drop recipe from a peddler named Sly Hawkins.

In 1852, James developed lozenges and advertised them in the Poughkeepsie paper selling them to those "afflicted with hoarseness, cough or colds". William and Andrew inherited the business after their father died in 1866.

The brand was then named "Smith Brothers Cough Drop". In 1872, to prevent drug stores from selling generic lozenges, they developed one of the first factory filled packages with trademark branding.

On the packaging the word "Trade" appeared under the picture of William and the word "Mark" under that of Andrew, they were then incorrectly referred to as Trade Smith and Mark Smith.

Andrew died in 1895, and William continued as president of the company almost up to his death in 1913. William was succeeded by his son, Arthur G. Smith (c1875-1936), who continued to expand the company by adding menthol drops (1922), cough syrup (1926) and wild cherry drops (1948). Arthur G. Smith had two sons: William Wallace Smith II (1888-1955) and Robert Lansing Smith (1891-1962). The trust funds that owned Smith Brothers stock in 1963 merged their company with Warner-Lambert. The last Smith Brothers Cough Drop manufactured in Poughkeepsie was made in 1972. They were thereafter manufactured by F & F Foods in Chicago, Illinois.

Now, I never knew the story behind the "trademark!"

<<<<fascinating!

Paging Paul Harvey!

[BaalChatzaf]

<<<<fascinating!

Paging Paul Harvey!

He's dead, Jim.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[caroljane]

Brant--not-a-Smith--Gaede?

--Brant

exploiting a crack

Hey, you never told us your nickname was Stuffy!

[George H. Smith]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

I originally had a long list of Smiths, and I was going to do a fast edit, with only a few seconds devoted to each Smith. But that would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have, so I decided to run each picture for 12 seconds, using the gimmick of a "Name the Smiths" game. This game would not have worked with my original plan, because the frames would have gone by too fast.

A friend from JazzWestCoast sent me a long list of jazz musicians named Smith, stating that I should have used those. One dorky little video and suddenly everyone is a critic.

I like the Boots Randolph version of "King of the Road," and I was looking for a way to upload it with something more interesting than the usual still album cover. Hence this masterpiece....

Ghs

[Roger Bissell]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

I originally had a long list of Smiths, and I was going to do a fast edit, with only a few seconds devoted to each Smith. But that would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have, so I decided to run each picture for 12 seconds, using the gimmick of a "Name the Smiths" game. This game would not have worked with my original plan, because the frames would have gone by too fast.

A friend from JazzWestCoast sent me a long list of jazz musicians named Smith, stating that I should have used those. One dorky little video and suddenly everyone is a critic.

I like the Boots Randolph version of "King of the Road," and I was looking for a way to upload it with something more interesting than the usual still album cover. Hence this masterpiece....

Ghs

Hey George -- thanks for posting that video and especially for using the fun Boots recording. As our readers may not be aware, I did numerous gigs and several albums with "Bootie" back in the 70s and 80s, and from 1980-85, before moving to California, I played in his band 6 nights a week in his night club in Printers Alley in downtown Nashville. Coincidentally (to the theme of this thread), he had a comedian named FRED E. SMITH spell him for 20 minutes or so in the middle of his show.

Fred was dressed a bit like the old Red Skelton character, Freddie the Freeloader, and his brand of humor was rather crude, "back home" stuff. Here's an example: "When I was little, my folks wouldn't let me play in the sandbox, 'cause they was afraid the cats'd cover me up." Another: "We lived up there on Spivey Mountain, just up the road from the Whacker Brothers -- you know, Bush and Talley." Great stuff.

Boots passed on a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard what happened to Fred, but I sure remember all the jokes, many of which I couldn't help laughing at the upteenth time. Playing to a live audience is part of it I'm sure (Social Metaphysics?)...REB

[George H. Smith]

I made a mistake in the video. The cartoon character is "Snuffy Smith," not "Stuffy."

I have already gotten one email about this typo, and it is only a matter of time until some OLer catches it, so I am confessing my crime now in the hope that this will lessen the severity of my punishment.

Ghs

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

George,

I believe YouTube has an onsite video editor you can use so you can correct something like that without needing to load your video up again. You don't even lose post date or view counts.

Michael

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

This neighborhood of Smiths has gone to hell. George is totally wrecking his reputation.

Here, let me see if I can help:

Soapy Smith

From the article:

Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II (November 2, 1860 – July 8, 1898) was an American con artist and gangster who had a major hand in the organized criminal operations of Denver, Colorado; Creede, Colorado; and Skagway, Alaska, from 1879 to 1898. He was killed in the famed Shootout on Juneau Wharf. He is perhaps the most famous confidence man of the Old West.

Ahh... that's better.

He's a cool looking dude, too.

Michael

[George H. Smith]

George,

I believe YouTube has an onsite video editor you can use so you can correct something like that without needing to load your video up again. You don't even lose post date or view counts.

Michael

I checked the editor. It doesn't permit to you change text, so far as I can tell.

Ghs

[Roger Bissell]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

I originally had a long list of Smiths, and I was going to do a fast edit, with only a few seconds devoted to each Smith. But that would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have, so I decided to run each picture for 12 seconds, using the gimmick of a &quot;Name the Smiths&quot; game. This game would not have worked with my original plan, because the frames would have gone by too fast.

A friend from JazzWestCoast sent me a long list of jazz musicians named Smith, stating that I should have used those. One dorky little video and suddenly everyone is a critic.

I like the Boots Randolph version of &quot;King of the Road,&quot; and I was looking for a way to upload it with something more interesting than the usual still album cover. Hence this masterpiece....

Ghs

Hey George -- thanks for posting that video and especially for using the fun Boots recording. As our readers may not be aware, I did numerous gigs and several albums with "Bootie" back in the 70s and 80s, and from 1980-85, before moving to California, I played in his band 6 nights a week in his night club in Printers Alley in downtown Nashville. Coincidentally (to the theme of this thread), he had a comedian named FRED E. SMITH spell him for 20 minutes or so in the middle of his show.

Fred was dressed a bit like the old Red Skelton character, Freddie the Freeloader, and his brand of humor was rather crude, "back home" stuff. Here's an example: "When I was little, my folks wouldn't let me play in the sandbox, 'cause they was afraid the cats'd cover me up." Another: "We lived up there on Spivey Mountain, just up the road from the Whacker Brothers -- you know, Bush and Talley." Great stuff.

Boots passed on a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard what happened to Fred, but I sure remember all the jokes, many of which I couldn't help laughing at the upteenth time. Playing to a live audience is part of it I'm sure (Social Metaphysics?)...REB

Almost forgot to mention: Boots Randolph's given name was Homer Louis Randolph III. He grew up in the small community of Cadiz, Kentucky, which is near Paducah on the Ohio River. I played in his band several years at his invitational golf tournament at Cadiz on Lake Barkeley. The tournament provided comfy little cabins on the lake, and it was a nice working vacation to look forward to each October. I also got to play in a similar group at Chet Atkins' invitational golf tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee, until he relocated it to North Carolina. Those were the days!

The only recent music/vacation gig that has compared with these halcyon days is the Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee each July in Northern California, which I've done eight years running. Despite now being 2000 miles (rather than 300 miles) away, I went there this past summer and hope to again next July.

I'm almost positive there are some Smiths who attend the Jazz Jubilee. (Jubilee that? :-)

REB

[George H. Smith]

George,

I believe YouTube has an onsite video editor you can use so you can correct something like that without needing to load your video up again. You don't even lose post date or view counts.

Michael

Michael,

I inserted a "speech bubble" correction at 1:34 into the video. I'm actually glad this came up. I had never used the YouTube editor before, and I was curious about it.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

I originally had a long list of Smiths, and I was going to do a fast edit, with only a few seconds devoted to each Smith. But that would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have, so I decided to run each picture for 12 seconds, using the gimmick of a "Name the Smiths" game. This game would not have worked with my original plan, because the frames would have gone by too fast.

A friend from JazzWestCoast sent me a long list of jazz musicians named Smith, stating that I should have used those. One dorky little video and suddenly everyone is a critic.

I like the Boots Randolph version of "King of the Road," and I was looking for a way to upload it with something more interesting than the usual still album cover. Hence this masterpiece....

Ghs

Hey George -- thanks for posting that video and especially for using the fun Boots recording. As our readers may not be aware, I did numerous gigs and several albums with "Bootie" back in the 70s and 80s, and from 1980-85, before moving to California, I played in his band 6 nights a week in his night club in Printers Alley in downtown Nashville. Coincidentally (to the theme of this thread), he had a comedian named FRED E. SMITH spell him for 20 minutes or so in the middle of his show.

Fred was dressed a bit like the old Red Skelton character, Freddie the Freeloader, and his brand of humor was rather crude, "back home" stuff. Here's an example: "When I was little, my folks wouldn't let me play in the sandbox, 'cause they was afraid the cats'd cover me up." Another: "We lived up there on Spivey Mountain, just up the road from the Whacker Brothers -- you know, Bush and Talley." Great stuff.

Boots passed on a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard what happened to Fred, but I sure remember all the jokes, many of which I couldn't help laughing at the upteenth time. Playing to a live audience is part of it I'm sure (Social Metaphysics?)...REB

I recall how impresssed I was when first heard that you had played with Boots. I've loved the guy since I was a kid. His (second) version of "Yakety Sax" made the Billboard top 40 in 1963, and that's how I found out about him. I only owned an alto at the time (I didn't get a tenor until two years later), so the tune didn't quite sound the same. Then again, I was not Boots, and that might explain the difference as well.

I have heard that some jazz buffs look down their snotty noses at Boots, but I must say that I have never encountered this attitude on JazzWestCoast. There was an extended discussion of him around a year ago, and he was treated with respect and affection --and there are lots of professional musicians and jazz critics on that list. Then again, West Coast Jazz fans frequently have a different outlook than do the more elist devotees of hard bop and free jazz.

Here is a nice video of Boots playing Yakety Sax. One of his versions, of course, became the theme song for the Benny Hill Show. I used to tell friends that "Yakety Sax" was one of the handful of tunes that I knew of with a sense of humor.

You've probably heard this tune a few times, eh?

Ghs

[Roger Bissell]

A few more: Bessie Smith, Kate Smith, Joseph Smith, Maggie Smith, Ozzie Smith.

I originally had a long list of Smiths, and I was going to do a fast edit, with only a few seconds devoted to each Smith. But that would have taken a lot of time that I didn't have, so I decided to run each picture for 12 seconds, using the gimmick of a &quot;Name the Smiths&quot; game. This game would not have worked with my original plan, because the frames would have gone by too fast.

A friend from JazzWestCoast sent me a long list of jazz musicians named Smith, stating that I should have used those. One dorky little video and suddenly everyone is a critic.

I like the Boots Randolph version of &quot;King of the Road,&quot; and I was looking for a way to upload it with something more interesting than the usual still album cover. Hence this masterpiece....

Ghs

Hey George -- thanks for posting that video and especially for using the fun Boots recording. As our readers may not be aware, I did numerous gigs and several albums with "Bootie" back in the 70s and 80s, and from 1980-85, before moving to California, I played in his band 6 nights a week in his night club in Printers Alley in downtown Nashville. Coincidentally (to the theme of this thread), he had a comedian named FRED E. SMITH spell him for 20 minutes or so in the middle of his show.

Fred was dressed a bit like the old Red Skelton character, Freddie the Freeloader, and his brand of humor was rather crude, "back home" stuff. Here's an example: "When I was little, my folks wouldn't let me play in the sandbox, 'cause they was afraid the cats'd cover me up." Another: "We lived up there on Spivey Mountain, just up the road from the Whacker Brothers -- you know, Bush and Talley." Great stuff.

Boots passed on a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard what happened to Fred, but I sure remember all the jokes, many of which I couldn't help laughing at the upteenth time. Playing to a live audience is part of it I'm sure (Social Metaphysics?)...REB

I recall how impresssed I was when first heard that you had played with Boots. I've loved the guy since I was a kid. His (second) version of "Yakety Sax" made the Billboard top 40 in 1963, and that's how I found out about him. I only owned an alto at the time (I didn't get a tenor until two years later), so the tune didn't quite sound the same. Then again, I was not Boots, and that might explain the difference as well.

I have heard that some jazz buffs look down their snotty noses at Boots, but I must say that I have never encountered this attitude on JazzWestCoast. There was an extended discussion of him around a year ago, and he was treated with respect and affection --and there are lots of professional musicians and jazz critics on that list. Then again, West Coast Jazz fans frequently have a different outlook than do the more elist devotees of hard bop and free jazz.

Here is a nice video of Boots playing Yakety Sax. One of his versions, of course, became the theme song for the Benny Hill Show. I used to tell friends that "Yakety Sax" was one of the handful of tunes that I knew of with a sense of humor.

You've probably heard this tune a few times, eh?

Ghs

Yup--somewhere well over 1,000 times, sometimes 3 times a night! Interestingly, the copyright to the song is held by Boots' son, Randy Randolph, and it appears that way on the sheet music.

The YouTube clip appears to be from an appearance on Ralph Emery's cable tv show on The Nashville Network. I recognize Ralph's piano player, Jerry Whitehurst, his sax player, Norm Ray, and his trumpet player, Terry Mead, who was Brenda Lee's conductor and arranger for quite a few years. (Terry is deceased now, a victim of juvenile onset diabetes that he did not deal with carefully enough.)(I toured Japan for 30 days in 1976 with Brenda Lee and her band. It was a nice hiatus between my disastrous first two attempts at marriage.) In the early-mid-70s, I subbed for several years, an average of one morning a week, for the sax player on Ralph's 6 am tv show on WSM (now WSMT), the local NBC affiliate, where Pat Sajak got his start back in the 1970s. Norm, the sax guy, just had trouble reconciling his party life with the requirements of a regular early-morning schedule. Since I often had not yet gone to bed by 4 am (when he typically called), I just stayed up, did the show, and went home to crash. That was in the days before I got busy doing recording sessions.

One of the first session gigs I got in Nashville was in the four-trombone section of the orchestra for Boots' 1971 TV special, "Star Spangled Boots," which also starred Doc Severinson and Barbara McNair. I recently found and purchased a copy of it--an amazing piece of Nashville TV history. Boots taped two TV specials for PBS in his club, but they never aired. I recently got a copy of them from one of the trumpet players, Ray Carroll, a good dixieland trumpet player and close friend of Boots through the years.

As for the hip, jazz crowd, one in particular connected strongly with Boots. Richie Cole appeared a number of times with Boots in his club and on our winter band tours, when the club shut down. Boots and Richie also did an album, "Yakety Madness" (a take-off on Boots' "Yakety Sax" and Richie's "Alto Madness"), on which I did ~not~ play. But I ~am~ on "Cool Boots" (1974?), "Dedication" (1982?), and "Live" (1981?), which was finally released more than 10 years after we recorded it. We only got paid for our playing on the "Live" album, because the guitar player noticed that they were selling it at the gift counter of the lobby of Boots' club. Heh. Better late than never!

REB

[Roger Bissell]

Almost forgot: here is a link to a photo from the early 1980s. I am the young (!) trombone player on the right side of the photo. I still look almost that good. Heh. (Choke, gag, cough.)

http://www.bootsrandolph.com/album/photo18.htm

REB

[Selene]

Either of you guys familiar with the documentary, Trying To Get Good - the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon?

[Roger Bissell]

Either of you guys familiar with the documentary, Trying To Get Good - the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon?

I have not seen it, but I'm sure it's a fine thing.

I played in the band for Jack's show back in the 90s, at a casino showroom out east of Palm Springs. He not only played and sang his ass off, but he had us in stitches with his jokes. Sometimes it was a bit much for the audience -- crickets chirping, once or twice -- but we were dying up on stage. Outrageously funny stuff.

The only other comedian I heard live who cracked me up that much was Jonathan Winters. I played in the band for the radio awards at the Disneyland Hotel once back about 1995, and it was a night I'll never forget. To spare you the gory details, I had an extended flirt from the bandstand, not realizing the person on the other end of the flirt was Mrs. Ted Turner. (GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Hanoi Jane! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!)

REB

[Selene]

Reb:

I think both you and or George should listen to this show and definitely call in because he would love to talk to you guys. He has hit his 100 th affiliate this last week. He would be excellent exposure for both of you.

George would get him on Bloomington Normal, WRPW, 92.9 fm

You would have more options, WGOW, 1150 AM out of Chatanooga, Tenn.. or, WJCW, 910 AM, out of Johnson City. And of course on line.

He is a big jazz guy and has had Peggy Lee's granddaughter on for an hour and other jazz folks.

McIntyre and his wife, who is an actress, did the documentary on Jack Sheldon and they are friends of his. Sheldon is recovering from a stroke right now and recovering quite well.

His show is the fastest growing radio show in the US over the last two (2) years.

He is very knowledgeable of jazz, history [big George Washington buff], quite familiar with Rand.

He grew up in my eastern Queens community in NY City about ten (10) years after me, so I did not know him.

http://www.facebook.com/DougsRedEyeRadio?sk=app_4949752878

November 04, 2011

Doug McIntyre's Red Eye Radio Music - November 4, 2011

HOUR 1:

A.) Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me - Jack Sheldon

B.) Makin' Whoopee! - Plas Johnson

C.) Night Life - Julie London

HOUR 2:

A.) Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole

B.) Just In Time - Ross Tompkins

C.) In the Dark - Ernie Andrews

HOUR 3:

A.) I Love Being Here With You - Diana Krall

B.) Fly Me To The Moon - Al Viola

C.) Happy Talk - Janet Planet

HOUR 4:

A.) It's My Party - Amy Winehouse

B.) In Walked Bud - Bud Shank Quartet

C.) Let's Fly - Johnny Mercer/Pied Pipers

Each day he has playlists of the music ...this is today's.

Adam

[George H. Smith]

I used all the Smiths mentioned on this thread, plus some more, to make another video: NAME SOME MORE SMITHS. My thanks for the suggestions.

I did this a different way, as an experiment. I used the YouTube editor for the captions instead of embedding them in the video iteself. This proved more convenient, and I can now change the captions if I want, or add additional comments. This was a good way to learn the bells and whistles on the editor.

Again, however, my primary motive was the music. I love this tune -- "Utter Chaos," by Gerry Mullian, and played by the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band.

Ghs