Probably his best-known songs are:
His first job was singing ballads on the stage of Buffalo's Academy of Music. He next got a job with the Thatcher, Primrose and West Minstrels troupe, where he appeared in Blackface. Denman's 1888 production of 'The Old Homestead', saw Olcott in a vocal quartet. The Lillian Russell Opera Company put on 'Pepita' (in a theater in New York's Union Square), and cast Olcott in the leading role. In 1890, Olcott took voice lesson in London, England, and also appeared in some light opera. Upon his return to the U.S., he was hired, by Augustus Pitou, to be the Irish tenor in the shows that Pitou produced (with Pitou's own librettos). Olcott was to score many of these plays, including:
After, Olcott wrote other operettas. He also seems to have worked with the composer, Ernest R. Ball. It was Olcott who introduced (singing) many of Ball's most familiar ballads. They often collaborated on the music and words. Ball wrote the music, and Olcott and George Graff, Jr., wrote the lyric for the hit "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".
Some of the other songs that Olcott wrote include:
In 1925, while appearing in the show 'The Rivals', Chauncey collapsed. He never fully recovered, and retired to a chateau in Monte Carlo. During his retirement, he adopted a child prodigy pianist. In 1932, Olcott died.
Among the films for which he scored the music are:
Gary has also provided English lyrics for non-English vocalists as Serge Gainsbourg, Jean Paul Dreau, Lalo Schifrin, Riccardo Cocciente, Albert Hammond, Veronique Sanson, and James Newton-Howard. Still, he is best known for writing the lyrics and backing the vocals to five Elton John albums. Some of his lyrics, written with Elton music, include 'Blue Eyes', 'Part Time Love' and 'Little Jeanie' (a million dollar seller in the USA). Other notable hit songs featuring Osborne's lyrics include 'Amoureuse' by Kiki Dee and 'Forever Autumn' by Justin Hayward. Gary provided the lyrics and backing vocals for Jeff Wayne's 'War Of The Worlds' which sold over 6 million copies and shows no sign of stopping. Many artists have recorded his songs including Alice Cooper, Wilson Pickett, Cliff Richard, Jennifer Warnes and The Righteous Brothers. His backing vocals credits include 'You Left Me Just When I Needed You Most', 'Sugar Baby Love', and 'Gonna Make You A Star'.
Osborne was exposed to Jazz and Popular Music at a rather early age, and those influences have combined with his classical training have combined to produce a rather eclectic range of compositions. Tony has said:
Gershwin, Copland and Bernstein are the three main influences on Osborne, and he has said.
Osborne is part of a long tradition of composer performers, and by his composition and teaching, has made a unique contribution to the repertoire for the double bass. Audiences recognize his obvious enthusiasm for the instrument as he continues to promote music
for the double bass
But Owens did do some composing. His most famous composition was 1937's
Academy Award winner, "Sweet Leilani."
In 1923, the Sam Fox Music Publishing Company, published the song "La Rosita" with lyric by Allan Stuart and music by Paul Dupont (a
Gus Haenschen, pseudonym). The tune became a hit because it was played in the Silent motion picture theaters during showings of the film with the same name (directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Mary Pickford). The song was recorded by many orchestras including 'D. Onivas and His Orchestra' in 1924 (Path�Actuelle 036057--"D. Onivas" was Path�musical director Domenico Savino)
Elaine Obenchain, author of "The Complete Catalog of Ampico Reproducing Piano Rolls," writing about pianist/bandleader Vincent Lopez indicates that Lopez didn't record all the piano rolls attributed to him. And she is able to state that Domenico Savino, then working with Ampico Corp., may have recorded many that were then attributed to Lopez. Savino created the musical arrangements, and Adam Carroll and Edgar Fairchild adapted Savino's arrangements. It may well have been that Lopez merely lent his name to the recordings.
She points out in a short biography of Ampico recording artist Domenico Savino:
Besides Ampico, Savino also worked for Pathe, Victor and Brunswick.
Ben Oakland
b. Sept. 24, 1907/9, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA. d. Aug. 26, 1979, Beverly Hills, CA, USA.
Overview
This composer was active in the 1930's and forties.
1934 From the 25th Edition of the Cotton Club Parade Cafe show:
"Like A Bolt From The Blue", lyric by Mitchell Parrish.
"I'm A Hundred Percent For You"
1937 "I'll Take Romance"
1947 "I'll Dance at Your Wedding."
1940 "Java Jive", with music Ben Oakland and lyric Milton Drake. (A hit for the "Manhattan Transfer" and others.)
"Sidewalks of Cuba" (521kb), played by the Woody Herman Orchestra. (Sonny Berman on trumpet)
Charles O'Flynn
Currently no information available, but as seen below, he was already active as early as 1921.
Charles O'Flynn was a lyricist whose best known song is probably "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile." Among his work are such tunes as:
1921 "Dr. Jazz's Raz-Ma-Taz" (c Joe Rose. There is a excellent 1921 piano roll by James P. Johnson that illustrates Johnson's ability to create variations)
1934 "Sweetie Don't Grow Sour On Me (c: Thomas "Fats" Waller)
1925 "Play Me Slow" (c Hagen)
1929 "Where The Bab Bab Babbling Brook (Goes Bub Bub Bubbling By)" Words, Harry Pease & Charles O'Flynn ~ Music, Ed G. Nelson
1930 "Roses are Forget-Me-Nots" (c/l O'Flynn, Will Osborne and Al Hoffman)
1930 "Swinging in a Hammock" (lyric O'Flynn and Tot Seymour; c. Pete Wendling)
1930 "Jungle Drums" (c. Ernesto Lecuona; lyric O'Flynn and Carmen Lombardo. This song was used in the 1939 movie "Dancing Co-ed," starring Lana Turner.)
1930 "Good Evening" (Tot Seymour, O'Flynn, and Al Hoffman)
1930 "In My Heart, It's You" (Charles O'Flynn with Max Rich and Al Hoffman)
1930 "I'm Tickled Pink With a Blue-Eyed Baby" (c. Pete Wendling)
1930 "On a Blue and Moonless Night" (c/l O'Flynn, Will Osborne and Al Hoffman)
1931 "Smile, Darn Ya, Smile" (lyric: O'Flynn and Jack Meskill; c. Max Rich)
1931 "Yes or No" (c. Max Rich. From the 1931 movie, "Road to Singapore" starring William Powell. Not related to the 1940 "Road" movie with Crosby, Hope and Lamour.)
1932 "I'm Sure of Everything But You" (c. Pete Wendling and George W. Meyer)
1932 "Strangers" (c. J. Fred Coots)
1934 "Neighbors" (lyric O'Flynn and James Cavanaugh; c. Frank Weldon)
1935 "Gypsy Violin", (W&M: Charles O'Flynn, Jack Betzner)
1939 "After All I've Been to You" (c. David and Redmond)
1947 "Something For Nothing" (m: Willard Robison & w: Charles O'Flynn )
???? "Hawaiian Sandman" (Words: Charles O'Flynn- Music: F. Henri Klickmann)
???? ""When You Waltz With The One You Love" (m: Al Sherman and w: Charles O'Flynn)
This information on Mr Charles O'Flynn was kindly submitted by Mr. Anthony Ponaras.
Chauncey Olcott
b. July 21, 1858, Buffalo, NY. d. March 18, 1932, Monte Carlo.
né: Chancellor John Olcott.
Olcott was educated in the public school system of Buffalo, NY and then with the Christian Brothers. He went on to achieve fame as a composer; a lyricist and a singer of ballads, mostly Irish in style.
1896 Minstrel of Clare, "Minstrel of Clare" was Olcott's hit song.
1897
Sweet Inniscarra, featured his hit songs:
"Kate O'Donahue"
"Old Fashioned Mother"
"Sweet Inniscarra"
1899 A Romance of Athlone, "My Wild Irish Rose" was his hit song, but "Olcott's Lullaby" was also well received.
1901 Garrett O'Magh
1902 Old Limerick Town, "Voice of the Violet", was a successful tune.
Among Olcott's later works, are:
1905 'Edmund Burke', "Your Heart Alone Must Tell"
1906 'Eileen Ashore'
1907 "O'Neill of Derry', "Every Star Falls In Love with It's Mate"
1911
'Barry of Ballymore'. songs were both written by Olcott and Ernest Ball.
"Mother Machree",
"I Love the Name of Mary"
1912 'Isle o' Dreams
1913 'Shameen Dhu'
1914 'Terence'
"Goodbye My Emerald Isle"
"Day Dreams"
"In the Sunshine of Your Love"
"Laugh With A Tear in It"
"Last Love Song"
"Tic-Tac-Toe"
An interesting side note to Chauncey Olcott's fame is the fact that Jean Schwartz, a popular lyricist-composer-singer, wrote a song "Bedelia", which had the line "I'll Be Your Chauncey Olcott". This line alluded to women's admiration of Olcott.
Cyril Ornadel
b. 1924 England, UK.
This English composer studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
He was a composer as well as a very active conductor of West End (London) shows.
Among the films for which he scored the music are:
Some May Live (1967)
I Can't I Can't (1969)
Subterfuge (1969)
Cool it, Carol (1970)
Buxton Orr
This British composer studied studied with another fine composer, Benjamin Frankel, -a rather interesting situation. Frankel was a well known concert music composer, yet Horror Films were genre in which he would find work. So, it may not be too unusual to find that Orr would also come to the public's attention first via his scores for the Boris Karloff (and other) horror films. He is also very well recalled for his excellent score to the film Suddenly Last Summer, directed by Sam Spiegel, and starring Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn.
The Haunted Strangler (1958)
First Man Into Space (1959)
Suddenly Last Summer (1959)
Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961)
The Snake Woman (1961)
Corridors of Blood (1963)
The Eyes of Annie Jones (1964)
Walk a Tightrope (1964)
Gary Osborne
b. London, England, UK
Here is a photograph of Gary Osborne, the Lyricist son of the well known British bandleader, Tony Osborne. Though born in London, he was educated in Switzerland, and at just age 15, he followed his father into the music business. While still a youth, Gary served as a staff A & R man for RCA with his own show on the BBC world service. He would go on to write (and to sing on) hundreds of T.V. jingles including Pepsi, Ultrabrite, Shredded Wheat and Abbey National.
Tony Osborne
b. Nov. 10, 1947. Slough, Berkshire, England, UK.
NOTE: THIS TONY OSBORNE SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE BRITISH ORCHESTRA LEADER OF THE SAME NAME. Further information on bandleader Tony Osborne can be found HERE, on our British Bands Database.
Osborne originally studied the cello before finally moving to the double bass. In 1966-69, he studied composition with Richard Stoker, and the double bass with John Walton at the Royal Academy of Music, London. After graduation, he became a busy free-lance bassist in London, performing with the BBC Symphony, BBC Concert, Royal Ballet, Festival Ballet and D'Oyle Carte orchestras.
"Jazz is a major influence on my work. I was introduced to it by my brother who taught
me a great deal about jazz and classical music. We listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie
Parker and a whole range of jazz greats. And my father was an enormous influence on me.
A very gifted violinist, he played both romantic gypsy music and for silent movies, and
worked with local operatic societies as Music Director. All of these influences helped
to form me as a player and composer."
"I'm often thinking of Gershwin when I write. I admire the rhythm in Copland's work
and the melodies of Bernstein. Russian and French music are also major influences
especially Shostakovich and the lesser known Georgian composer, Balanchivadze."
John Ottman
Currently No Information on this British Composer.
Harry Owens
b. 1902, O'Neil, Nebraska, d. 1986
Overview
Harry is remembered today as a bandleader active in popularizing Hawaiian
music in the United States, during the thirties and forties.
D. Onivas
né: Domenico Savino (Onivas is Savino spelled backwards)
The team of A. R. Henry and Onivas composed many tunes including:
"Good Night Dearie"
"Himalya"
"Pahjahmah"
"Indianola", a very popular 1917 tune. It was recorded by Wilbur C. Sweatman's Original Jazz Band (among many others)- WILBUR SWEATMAN: clarinet, leader, WILLIAM HICKS: trumpet, MAJOR JACKSON: trombone, DAN PARISH: piano, HENRY BOWSER: drums Recorded in New York City (June 25, 1918) Columbia single #A-2611
"Kentucky Dream Waltz", in 1923 SR Henry and D. Onivas with a Frank H. Warren lyric.
" ... At various times he conducted the CBS Symphony, orchestrated
for Paul Whiteman and Vincent Lopez, and was chief editor of a
music publishing firm. ... Many of his popular pieces were published
under the pseudonym D. Onivas, which simply reversed his last name."
