Click above image for larger picture and better detail. Offered here is a great old song contract from 1934 bearing the signatures of two behind the scenes musical legends. The song is "So Close to the Forest", and the composers are Joe Young and Larry Spier. The publisher is T. B. Harms Company. The name of Joe Young may not seem familiar, but his songs sure are. Mr. Young was an early Tin Pan Alley lyricist active in the 1910s, 20s and 30s. He partnered with fellow lyricist Sam L. Lewis and composer Harry Warren for many of his hits, which included: "Have a Little Faith in Me"(1913), "Rock-a-bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (1918), "How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm?" (1919), "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue," "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" (1925), "In a Little Spanish Town" (1926), "Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder" (1930). "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" (1932), "Your Gonna Lose Your Gal" (1933) and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" (1936). Joe Young is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Also having signed this contract is songwriter, Larry Spier. Spier had quite a songwriting career of his own, having written or co-written many great songs covered by jazz artists and even one that was covered by MARVIN GAYE! Here are a few: Put Your Little Foot Right Out (covered by Sonny Stitt, Monty Alexander, Ray Brown & Herb Ellis) Was it a Dream? (covered by Doc Cheatham and Marvin Gaye) Now You Know (covered by Jimmy Dorsey) Lost in the Shuffle (covered by Erskine Hawkins, Artie Shaw, and Willie the Lion Smith Destiny (covered by Johnnie Ray) A nice piece of memorabilia for fans of the old Tin Pan Alley days. Autograph autographs autographed signed |
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THIS JUST IN: Louie's New Orleans jazz novel, "The Sound of Building Coffins," will be published in March 2009 by The Toby Press.Please visit Louie's MySpace Page for more info (friend me, baby!) Also, please visit Louie's publisher, The Toby Press.  Click here to see what we have THIS WEEK ON EBAY |
