Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

October 25, 2009

This was a Depression, not Crash, song, but it will do to mark the anniversary.

The market slid on Thursday October 24 1929, but the catastrophic collapse occurred on Monday and Tuesday, October 28 and 29.

The song was written in 1931. The lyrics were by Yip Harburg, the music by Jay Gorney. It was sung by, among others, Bing Crosby.

Here by the little-known Charlie Palloy, with guitar and his orchestra, recorded in 1932. I’m not sure of the date of the Crosby.

One Response to “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

  1. davidderrick Says:

    Frank Sinatra said that he did not consider himself or Bing Crosby to be crooners. Palloy’s rendition was typical of the early crooners – long orchestral prelude and postlude, relatively short space for the crooner sandwiched in the middle. So if you prefer instruments to voices, you like that style.

    Palloy plays the guitar like a banjo.


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