Frank Crumit

Frank Crumit spent his life in vaudeville and on the radio. He was born in Ohio in 1889 and earned a degree in electrical engineering before following his heart onto the stage. He earned the distinction of being the first artist to play the ukulele on the Broadway stage when he appeared in the Broadway musical “Betty Be Good” in 1918. His first recordings were made in 1919, with hits coming in the 1920s and 1930s. His recordings for Decca of the “Gay Caballero” and “Abdul Abulbul Amir” sold 4 million copies. During his lifetime Crumit was best known for his NY radio show “Battle of the Sexes,” which he hosted with his wife, Julia Sanderson. The show ran twice a week for 13 years. The final episode aired the day before his death in 1943. The recordings below are not his best known or most popular, but I love them. Like Peg Moreland, Crumit has a gentle voice, and sings with an unfussy authenticity that is a pleasure to hear.

The Recordings

Abdul Abulbul Amir
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (20715)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	4/08/1927
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
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Frankie and Johnnie
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (20715)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	5/11/1927
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
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A Gay Caballero
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (21735)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	October 2, 1928
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
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I Learned About Women From Her
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (21735)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	May 3, 1928
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
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Pretty Little Dear
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (20137)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	August 6, 1926
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
	Notes:	Personnel: Frank Crumit, vocal; Frank Banta, piano. In the middle of the song, Frank adds a verse or two of “When I Had But Fifty Cents,” written by Sam Devere and published in 1885 as “The Original Fifty Cents.” We also have Peg Moreland’s version of the song.
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Get Away Old Man Get Away
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (20137)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	August 6, 1926
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
	Notes:	Personnel: Frank Crumit, vocals; Frank Banta, piano. Crumit was a ukulele player; I am assuming that’s him playing on this delightful recording.
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I Don't Work for a Living
	Group:	Frank Crumit
	Label:	Victor	Matrix Number:	Victor (40214)
	Record Type:	Double sided 10 inch 78 RPM
	Date Recorded:	January 21, 1930
	Listen:	Click to play in popout player
	Notes:	As the title suggests, this is one of those songs that unapologetically celebrates the joys of laziness.
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