"River, Stay ‘Way from My Door," performed by Kate Smith, Music by Harry M. Woods, Lyrics by Mort Dixon (1931)
Today’s song was number 13 on the top 60 chart of 1932. There are actually two versions that appear in this chart, but this one, sung by Kate Smith, ranked higher. I mostly chose this one because Kate Smith was one of the few (only) women listed in the top 60 for 1932. When I started this project, I wanted to be sure to include at least one female artist for each decade. Of course, the first song I highlighted featured the female vocalist Ivie Anderson, but the song itself was billed as Duke Ellington. (And to be fair, Ellington composed the song and led the band and singer.) Anyway, Kate Smith was a contralto who became so popular that she became known as “the first lady of radio.” She had a popular radio show called, “Kate Smith Sings” on CBS from 1931-1947. During that time, Irving Berlin also granted her exclusive on-air rights to sing the popular patriotic song, “God Bless America.” You might have heard her voice singing this patriotic song during the 7th inning stretch at a Yankees game, though she has become somewhat controversial in recent years for racist songs she recorded during her career. This particular song is somewhat sultry and provides a great vehicle to hear her contralto voice.
The song:
Resources
About Kate Smith: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Smith
About Harry M Woods (composer): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_M._Woods
About controversy surrounding Kate Smith: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/04/23/kate-smith-heres-why-her-racist-recordings-are-controversial/3550061002/
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