HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

Jo Stafford

In 1939 Tommy Dorsey hired a vocal group called the Pied Pipers of which Jo Stafford was a lead singer. The Pied Pipers were a highly popular vocal group of the swing period. Born on 12 November 1917 in Coalinga, California. During high school Jo and her two elder sisters, Christine and Pauline, formed the vocal trio called the Stafford Sisters who managed to find their way into radio and film, appearing in 'New Shoes' in 1936. Stafford married the musician, John Huddleston, in 1937 (divorced 1943). The Stafford Sisters also appeared in 'Gold Mine in the Sky', released on 4 July 1938. Though Stafford rose to fame with the Pied Pipers her debut recordings had been with Frank Trumbauer in Los Angeles on February 11, 1938, 'It's Wonderful' the first of several in that session.

'It's Wonderful' Jo Stafford w the Frank Trumbauer Orchestra

Standard Transcription Y109 of 11 Feb 1938 Matrix PMS-019017-1

Trumpet: Bill Shaw / Joe Meyer / Cal Clifford

Trombone: Joe Yukl / Lank Menge

Reeds: Trumbauer / Len Conn / Len Kavash / Lyle Bowen / Jimmy Oliver

Piano: Al Goering Guitar: Bob Hemphill

Bass: Russ Morhoff Drums: Ward Archer

'Always and Always' Jo Stafford w the Frank Trumbauer Orchestra

Standard Transcription Y109 of 11 Feb 1938 Matrix PMS-019017-1

Trumpet: Bill Shaw / Joe Meyer / Cal Clifford

Trombone: Joe Yukl / Lank Menge

Reeds: Trumbauer / Len Conn / Len Kavash / Lyle Bowen / Jimmy Oliver

Piano: Al Goering Guitar: Bob Hemphill

Bass: Russ Morhoff Drums: Ward Archer

Music: Edward Ward Lyrics: Bob Wright / Chet Forrest For the 1937 film 'Mannequin'

The original Pipers recorded 'Sugar Foot Stomp' / 'Polly Wolly Doodle All the Day' (Victor 26320) and 'In a Little Spanish Town' / 'What Is This Thing Called Love' (Victor 26364) on 6 June 1939, that their debut session date. Stafford first recorded as one of the Pied Pipers with Dorsey on February 1, 1940: 'After I Say I'm Sorry' and 'Sweet Potato Piper'. This was also Frank Sinatra's first recording date, backed by Dorsey on 'The Sky Fell Down'. 'After I Say I'm Sorry was issued flip to 'The Sky Fell Down' on Victor 26518. The Pipers would develop a tight relationship with Sinatra, backing him numerously. The Pipers next session was on February 21, 1940 for a radio broadcast from the Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove, New Jersey: 'I Thought About You'. Though Sinatra sang most the vocals during that session Stafford also appeared solo on 'Darn That Dream'. The Pipers also recorded 'Piggy Wiggy Woo' b/w 'Crazy Rhythm' in 1940 (Varsity 8362).

'(What Can I Say) After I Say I’m Sorry' Jo Stafford w the Pied Pipers

1 Feb 1940 in Chicago Matrix BS-044679 Victor 26518

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

The Pied Pipers:

John Huddleston / Chuck Lowry / Stafford / Billy Wilson

Music: Abe Lyman Lyrics: Walter Donaldson Arrangement: Sy Oliver

'Sweet Potato Piper' Jo Stafford w the Pied Pipers

1 Feb 1940 in Chicago Matrix BS-044681 Victor 26500

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

The Pied Pipers:

John Huddleston / Chuck Lowry / Stafford / Billy Wilson

Music: James V. Monaco Lyrics: Johnny Burke

'Charming Little Faker' Jo Stafford w the Pied Pipers

25 March 1940 in Chicago Matrix BS-048429 Victor 26581

Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

Music: Keene-Bean / Frankie Masters Lyrics: Johnny Burke

Other original Pipers had been John Huddleston, Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody Newbury and Dick Whittinghill. Among other members over the years were Connie Haines, Jane Hutton and Johnny Mercer. Stafford began to pursue her solo career in 1944. In 1945 she served a residency at the La Martinique in New York City. Shortly afterward she acquired the name "G.I. Jo" during her work with the USO [Wikipedia].

In California in 1946 Stafford hosted the 'Chesterfield Supper Club' radio show until 1949. She created the first of her comical personas, Cinderella G. Stump, in 1947 with the release of 'Temptation' with Red Ingle. Recording it as a joke (a spoof of the currently popular rendition by Perry Como), she waved royalties. Her second issue with Ingle the next year was 'The Prisoner of Love's Song'.

'Temptation' ('Tim-Tayshun') Jo Stafford as Cinderella G. Stump

14 March 1947 Capitol 412

Red Ingle's Natural Seven:

Guitar: Luke "Red" Roundtree Banjo: Herman "Herman The Hermit" Snyder

Steel guitar: Noel Boggs Accordion: Art Wenzel Fiddle: Ingle

Bass: Russell Hall Suitcase: Country Washburne

Composition: Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed

'The Prisoner of Love’s Song' Jo Stafford as Cinderella G. Stump

19 Dec 1947 Capitol 15312

Red Ingle's Natural Seven (Country Washburne Orchestra):

Guitar: Luther "Red" Roundtree Piano: Frank Leithner

Violin: Ingle / Verne Buckborough / Werner Callies / Sam Leichter

Bass: Don Whitaker Drums: Ormand Downes

Music: Russ Columbo / Clarence Gaskill Lyrics: Leo Robin

In 1948 Stafford began issuing a number of duets with Gordon MacRae. In 1950 she hosted Radio Luxembourg (without pay), 'Club Fifteen' (for CBS) and Voice of America (which main mission was the undermining of communism).

'Bluebird of Happiness' Jo Stafford w Gordon MacRae

17 Aug 1948 Matrix 3432 Billboard: 25 Sep 1948 Capitol 15207

Composition: Edward Heyman / Harry Davies / Sandor Harmati

'Need You' Jo Stafford w Gordon MacRae

Paul Weston and His Orchestra

28 Jan 1949 Matrix 3922 Issued March 1949 Capitol 15393

Composition: John Blackburn / Lew Porter / Teepee Mitchell

'Dearie' Jo Stafford w Gordon MacRae

Paul Weston and His Orchestra

14 Jan 1950 Matrix 5407 Billboard: 11 March 1950 Capitol 45-5407

Composition: Bob Hilliard / Dave Mann

Jo began releasing duets with Frankie Laine in 1951. She married arranger and band director, Paul Weston, in 1952, who would remain her most important collaborator throughout the rest of her career. She began appearing on television in 1954 on her own program, 'The Jo Stafford Show' [IMDb]. In 1957 she and Weston, released the album, 'The Piano Artistry of Jonathan Edwards', on which Stafford assumed the comical persona of Darlene Edwards, a vocalist who couldn't sing accompanied by a pianist who couldn't play piano. Several more Edwards albums were issued until their last in 1982: 'Darlene Remembers Duke, Jonathan Plays Fats'. Meanwhile 'The Jo Stafford Show' returned to television in 1961 [IMDb].

'Pretty Eyed Baby' Jo Stafford w Frankie Laine

Paul Weston and His Orchestra w Carl Fischer at piano

10 April 1951 in Hollywood Matrix ZSP 6905 Columbia 39388

Composition: Bill Johnson / Leo "Snub" Mosley / Mary Lou Williams

'In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening' Jo Stafford w Frankie Laine

Paul Weston and His Orchestra w Carl Fischer at piano

15 May 1951 Matrix ZSP 7214 Columbia 39466

Composition: Bill Johnson / Leo "Snub" Mosley / Mary Lou Williams

'Hambone' Jo Stafford w Frankie Laine

Paul Weston and His Orchestra w Carl Fischer at piano

2 Oct 1952 Matrix RHCO 10125 Columbia 39672

Composition: Red Saunders / Leon Washington

'Jo Stafford Show' Jo Stafford Television

Dec 1954 for CBS

'Early Autumn' Jo Stafford w Paul Weston and His Orchestra

From the 1955 album 'Soft and Sentimental' on Columbia CL 2501

Composition: Ralph Burns / Woody Herman / Johnny Mercer

Discogs Wikipedia

'All the Way' Jo Stafford w Paul Weston as Jonathan and Darlene Edwards

9 Jan 1958 on the television show 'Shower of Stars'

Appearing w Jack Benny / Ed Wynn / George Burns

Composition: Jimmy Van Heusen / Sammy Cahn

IMDb

Medley Jo Stafford

21 May 1958 on the television show 'Big Record' hosted by Patti Page

Wikipedia

'Ballad of the Blues' Jo Stafford Album

1959 on Columbia CL 1332

2003 reissue on Feinery FCD-3102-2 including 'A Conversation with Jo Stafford'

'Tim-Tayshun' ('Temptation') Jo Stafford as Cinderella G. Stump w Red Ingle

1960 Television Venue unidentified

Composition: Nacio Herb Brown / Arthur Freed

'I'd Climb the Highest Mountain' Jo Stafford w the Ernie Freeman Orchestra

1966 from the album 'This Is Jo' on Dot DLP 3745

Composition: Lew Brown / Sidney Clare

Discogs Wikipedia

'As Time Goes By' Jo Stafford w the Paul Weston Orchestra

From the album ' As Time Goes By' on SSJ XQAM-1050 recorded 1967-70

This track 8 Dec 1970

Composition: Herman Hupfeld

Discogs

'Whispering Hope' Jo Stafford w the Paul Weston Orchestra

Vocal: Amy Weston (daughter) Guitar: Tim Weston (son)

From the 1978 album ' Songs of Faith, Hope and Love' on Corinthian Records COR-111

Composition: Herman Hupfeld

Discogs

With the exception of the Edwards albums and a second recording of 'Whispering Hope' with her daughter in 1978, Stafford had retired from the music industry in 1975. Jo had first recorded 'Whispering Hope' with MacRea in 1949. She performed again in 1990 at an event in honor of Frank Sinatra. Soon after she acquired the rights to her earlier recordings for Columbia via lawsuit, then released such on the Corinthian label founded by Weston in the seventies.

Weston having died in 1996, in 2006 Stafford donated his and her libraries (arrangements, recordings, etc.) to the University of Arizona. She herself passed away of heart failure in Los Angeles on 16 July 2008.

Sources & References for Jo Stafford:

John Bush (All Music)

Encyclopedia

Francis D. McKinley (Musician Guide)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Musical Associates:

Gordon MacRae (1921-1986 / actor / vocalist):

Discogs Los Angeles Times RYM Linda Seida SHS Wikipedia