Rapture Records

Going well on the way into the new ‘20s for this year in the store window, I’ve managed to secure of a couple of mysterious floating televisions with some help from the Little Sisters. They seem to enjoy them very much; though the reception gives something to be desired, almost like tuning into a dream. You can just about make out the tune in the background as "My Heart Belongs to Daddy".

You know what they say about sitting too close to the TV set.

As always, we’ll take this time to remember Patti Page, singer of “Doggie in the Window” who also passed away on New Year’s Day.

See if your favorite record, 8-track, cassette, wax cylinder, or transcription disc was featured this year:

BioShock

“Bei Mir Bist du Schön” - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 1562

“Bei Mir Bist du Schön” - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23605 (reissue)

“It’s Bad for Me” - Rosemary Clooney and Benny Goodman - Columbia Records 40616

“Papa Loves Mambo” - Perry Como - RCA Victor Records 20-5857

“20th Century Blues” - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

“The Party’s Over Now” (1959) - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” - Bing Crosby - Victor Records 22701

“Beyond the Sea” - Bobby Darin - ATCO Records 45-6158

“Night and Day” - Billie Holiday - Columbia Records 3044 (reissue)

“The Best Things in Life are Free” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24327

“If I Didn’t Care” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 2286

“Danny Boy” - Mario Lanza - The Magic of Mario Lanza - Heartland Music HL 1046/50

Anniversary Revisits: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

“(How Much is That) Doggie in the Window” (1966) - Patti Page - Columbia Records CS 9326 (in-game version)

“The Doggie in the Window” (1953) - Patti Page - Mercury Records 70070 (original version)

“You’re the Top” (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24766 (original version)

“La Mer” - Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli - Djangology RCA RGP-1186 (reissue)

Cohen’s Quadtych: “Academy Award” vs. “The Ballroom Waltz”

“Academy Award” - Stanley Black - Music De Wolfe DW/LP 2977

“Too Young” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1449

“Just Walking in the Rain” - Johnnie Ray - Columbia Records 40729

“Waltz of the Flowers”

Looking for BioShock’s Django Reinhardt

BioShock's Soundtrack Timeline Quirks and Hiccups

BioShock 2

“Ten Cents a Dance” - Ruth Etting - Columbia Records 2146D

“Dawn of a New Day” - Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights - Brunswick Records 8313

“It’s Only a Paper Moon” - Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23425

BioShock 10th Anniversary Revisit and Eclipse

“Someone’s Rocking My Dream Boat” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 4045

“We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

“I’m Making Believe” - Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

“Bei Mir Bist du Schon” - Benny Goodman with Martha Tilton - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert - Columbia Records ML 4359

Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man“ - Henry Hall and his Orchestra with Val Rosing - Columbia Records FB 2816

“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

“You Always Hurt the One You Love” - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18599

“Paper Doll” - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18318

“Dream” - The Pied Pipers - Capitol Records 185

“Chasing Shadows” - Quintette du Hot Club de France - Royale Records 1798

“Nightmare” (1938) - Artie Shaw - Bluebird Records B-7875 (in-game version)

“Nightmare” (1937) - Art Shaw and his New Music - Vocalion Records 4306 (re-recording)

“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” - Bessie Smith - Parlophone Records R2481

Father’s Day in Rapture

“Daddy Won’t You Please Come Home” - Annette Hanshaw - Velvet Tone Records 1940V

“My Heart Belongs to Daddy” - Mary Martin - Brunswick Records 8282

“Daddy’s Little Girl” (1976) - Mills Brothers - Ranwood Records R-8152 (in-game version)

“Daddy’s Little Girl” (1950) - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 24872 (original version)

BioShock Infinite

"Ain't She Sweet" - Ben Bernie - Brunswick Records 3444

"Button Up Your Overcoat" - Helen Kane - Victor Records 21863

"(What Do We Do on a) Dew-Dew-Dewey Day" - Charles Kaley - Columbia Records 1055D

"Indian Love Call" - Sigmund Krumgold - Okeh Records 40904

"Me and My Shadow" - Sam Lanin - Lincoln Records 2628

"Black Gal" - Ed Lewis with unidentified prisoners (recorded by Alan Lomax)

"I'm Wild About That Thing" - Bessie Smith - Columbia Records 14427D

"Makin' Whoopee!" - Rudy Vallée - Harmony Records 825-H

The Cylinders of BioShock Infinite

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Ada Jones and Billy Murray - Edison Standard Record 10134

"The Bonnie Blue Flag" - Polk Miller - Edison Blue Amberol Record 2175

"After You've Gone"

"The Easy Winners"

"Solace - A Mexican Serenade"

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Elizabeth’s version

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Selah Jubilee Singers - Decca Records 7872

“The Grand Old Rag” - Billy Murray - Victor Records 4634

Albert Fink's Magical Melodies Presents: "God Only Knows"

“Ah! La femme il n’y que ça“ - Mon. A. Fertinel - Improved Berliner Gramophone Record 1148

“God Only Knows” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fantasy Records 634

Burial at Sea

Episode 1

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Midnight, The Stars and You" - Al Bowlly - Victor Records 24700

"She's Got You" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31354

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" - Johnny Mathis - Columbia Records 40784

"The Lady is a Tramp" - Mel Tormé - London American Recordings HL N.8305

"Tonight for Sure!" - Ruth Wallis - Wallis Original Record Corp. 2001

"Stranger in Paradise"

Episode 2

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Back in Baby's Arms" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31483

"Easy to Love" - Sammy Davis Jr. - Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Decca Records DL 8118

"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" - Glenn Miller - Bluebird Records B-11474

"La Vie en Rose" - Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 4004-F

“La Vie en Rose” (English version) - Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 38948

“La Vie en Rose” in 2007′s BioShock

"The Great Pretender" - The Platters - Mercury Records 70753

"You Belong to Me"

Classic Fallouts

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" - Louis Armstrong - Decca Records 27720

"Slave to the Blues" - Ma Rainey - Paramount Records 12332

Fallout 3 (Galaxy News Radio)

"Civilization" - Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye - Decca Records 23940

“Butcher Pete (Part 1)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Rhythm for You” - composed by Eddy Christiani & Frans Poptie - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 40

“‘Way Back Home” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Happy Times” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Dear Hearts and Gentle People” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Crazy He Calls Me” - Billie Holiday - Decca Records 24796

"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3987

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

“Swing Doors” - composed by Allan Gray - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

“Jazzy Interlude” - composed by Billy Munn - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

“Boogie Man” - composed by Sid Phillips - KP Music Recorded Library KP048B

“Treadin’ Light” - composed by Sid Phillips - KP Music Recorded Library KP048A

"Anything Goes" (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24825 (original version)

“I'm Tickled Pink” - composed by Jack Shaindlin - Cinemusic Inc. CMR 406

Galaxy News Radio soundtrack LP

Fallout: New Vegas (Radio New Vegas, Mojave Music Radio, Black Mountain Radio)

"It's a Sin" - Eddy Arnold - RCA Victor Records 10-2241

"Jingle Jangle Jingle" (1942) - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36604(in-game version)

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1962) - Kay Kyser's Former Orchestra - Capitol Records ST 1692 (re-recording)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1979) - Ink Spots (Bill Kenny) - CBS Special Products P 18042 (in-game version)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1941) - Ink Spots - Decca Records (original version)

“Heartaches by the Number” (1983) - Guy Mitchell - Candlelite Records CU 188LP (in-game version)

“Heartaches by the Number” (1959) - Guy Mitchell - Columbia Records 4-41476 (original version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (in-game version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” (1947) - Peggy Lee - Rendezvous with Peggy Lee - Capitol Records 10118 (re-recording)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

“Joe Cool” - composed by Nino Nardino - A Sam Fox Production SF1007

“Joe Cool” - composed by Nino Nardino - A Sam Fox Production SF1007

“Blues for You” - composed by Philippe Parès (aka Gabriel Parès) - A Sam Fox Production SF1012

"Big Iron" - Marty Robbins - Columbia Records 4-41589

“Blue Moon” - Frank Sinatra - Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session! - Capitol Records W1491

“Jazz Blues” - composed by Gerhard Trede - CBS Records EZ Cue Library CBS EZQ 172

“Roundhouse Rock” (1970) - Bert Weedon - Fontana Records 6007 012

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

Fallout 4 (Diamond City Radio)

“Butcher Pete (Part 2)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“The Wanderer” - Dion - Laurie Records 3115

“Sixty-Minute Man - The Dominoes - Federal Records 12022

“Atom Bomb Baby” - The Five Stars - Kernel Records A002

“It’s All Over But the Crying” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24286

“Grandma Plays the Numbers” - Wynonie Harris - King Records 4276

“Personality” - Johnny Mercer - Capitol Records 230

"The End of the World” - Patti Page - Say Wonderful Things - Columbia Records CS 8849

Fallout 76 (Appalachia Radio)

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1962) - Kay Kyser's Former Orchestra - Capitol Records ST 1692 (in-game version)

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1942) - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640 (original version)

"We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

“Sixteen Tons” - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Capitol Records 3262

Guardians of the Galaxy

"I'm Not in Love" - 10cc - Mercury Records (Phonogram) 73678 (abridged)

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" - Elvin Bishop - Capricorn Records CPS 0252 (abridged)

“Spirit in the Sky” - Norman Greenbaum - Reprise Records 0885

“Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes - Infinity Records INF 50.035

"Hooked on a Feeling" - Blue Swede - EMI Records 3627

"I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 - Motown Records M 1157

"Go All the Way" - Raspberries - Capitol Records 3348

"Come and Get Your Love" - Redbone - Epic Records 5-11035

L.A. Noire (KTI Radio)

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama” - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“Stone Cold Dead in the Market” - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23546

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

"Manteca" - Dizzy Gillespie - RCA Victor Records 20-3023

"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" - Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23741

"Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume" - Sammy Kaye - RCA Victor Records 20-2251

“Black and Blue” - Frankie Laine - Mercury Records A-1026

"'Murder', He Says" - Dinah Shore - RCA Victor Records 20-1525

"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams - Capitol Records Americana Series 40001

“Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop” - Lionel Hampton - Decca Records 18754

Mafia II (Empire Central Radio, Delta Radio)

“Everybody Eats When They Come to My House” - Cab Calloway - Columbia Records 38171

"Sh-Boom" - The Crew-Cuts - Mercury Records 70404

“Victory Polka” - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“Why Do Fools Fall in Love”- Frankie Lymon - Gee Records GG-1002

"Honey Love" - The Drifters - Atlantic Records 1029

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” (1947) - Peggy Lee - Rendezvous with Peggy Lee - Capitol Records 10118 (re-recording)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (in-game version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

"A Guy is a Guy” - Doris Day - Columbia Records 39673

Destroy All Humans!

"Sh-Boom" - The Crew-Cuts - Mercury Records 70404

XCOM The Bureau Declassified (KNOV Radio)

“Runaway” - Del Shannon - Big Top Records 45-3067

“Who’s Sorry Now” - Connie Francis - MGM Records 975 (57-S-622)

"Smack Dab in the Middle" - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 29511

“Riders in the Sky” - Vaughn Monroe - RCA Victor 20-3411

"Man of Mystery" - The Shadows - Columbia Records 45-DB 4530

“I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive” - Hank Williams - MGM Records 11366

See the previous years’ lists here:

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Song: Boogie Man / Treadin’ Light

Composer: Sid Phillips

Record Label: KP Music Recorded Library (KPM) KP 048B

Released: 1960

Note: This is the original version of Sid Phillips’ “Boogie Man”. The version used in Fallout 3 is actually on the other side of this record with the name swapped with “Treadin’ Light” through strange happenstances. Listen to that track here.

The track listed as “Boogie Man” in the credits for Fallout 3. If you do happen to activate the button above, you may have noticed that the recording sounds rather zany or perhaps makes you want to get down and “boogie” rather than “tread light”.

Indeed in the 1970 reissue’s track description is:

Medium boogie

While the 1993 reissue for this melody is:

Big band boogie

Though the melody is the same, the track title on the 1993 CD is “Treadin’ Light” instead of the original “Boogie Man”.

As such, this is a very confusing Rapture Records Recommendation (RRR).

Above: sample of the official sheet music for the clarinet segment of “Boogey Man” composed and arranged by Sid Phillips and published by Peter Maurice Music (the M of KPM). Notice the wiggly, zany mordents on the opening notes. The copyright date for the composition is given as MCMXLVI or 1946. The Seven Part Swing Series contains seven parts for conductor/piano, bass, drums, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, and of course clarinet. The name was presumably later changed to “Boogie Man” once that spelling became associated with the dance genre.

Part 1: About the Composer

Sid Phillips on a 1953 Italian sheet music cover for several of his compositions, including “Treadin’ Light” with all seven arrangements for each instrument.

In contrast with many of the other library music artists featured in Fallout, Sid Phillips was both fairly well known among the British public and released many songs on the major UK record labels for commercial release, Decca Parlophone, His Master’s Voice and many others.

Born Simon Isidore in 1907, one of eight children, into a musical family, many of his siblings took up musical instruments. The young Sid Phillips went into the woodwinds, piano, and accordion before settling on his familiar clarinet.

It’s perhaps fitting to tell the story of the “Boogie Man” with his first Bogey Man. By age 16 in 1923, Sid and his brothers, Harry (trumpet) and Ralph (banjo) formed their own early jazz bands the Riviera Five followed by the Melodians Quintet. By 1927 Sid Kreeger (piano, trombone), Joe Badis (drums), and Jean Pacques (piano) had finalized the group.

In 1928, The Melodians including Sid Phillips recorded their first sides, among which included a composition called “Bogey Man”. It is a remarkable coincidence and marks the first of three songs associated with Sid Phillips to have a similar title to “Boogey Man”, “Boogie Man” etc.

Though The Melodians would record several dozen more sides, Sid Phillips caught the arranging and composing bug working for Lawrence Wright Music and eventually arrange for Bert Ambrose in 1933 along with playing baritone sax in the new band.

After touring America in 1937, Sid Phillips was called up for war service in 1939 along with many other musicians. His biography describes an incident looking over passports and a stint in the intelligence service due to his ability to speak five foreign languages as well as leading several wartime bands.

It is during this time during the war and shortly afterwards that he would compose and publish “Treadin’ Light” in 1943 and “Boogey Man” in 1946 (later retitled “Boogie Man”) for Peter Maurice Music.

By 1954, Sid Phillips was under a major recording schedule for HMV allowing him to record two sides of a 78 record every month for 13 years including his perhaps most well known recording “Hors d’ d'oeuvres”, ironically one of the few songs he did not compose himself.

In 1960, Sid Phillips would brush off a couple of compositions he wrote in the 1940s for Peter Maurice and provide new recording material for the Keith, Prowse & Co. or the KP Music Recorded Library. All three would combine to be Keith-Prowse-Maurice or KPM.

Listen to the flip side “Treadin’ Light” here, the melody heard in Fallout 3.

Song: Treadin’ Light / Boogie Man

Composer: Sid Phillips

Record Label: KP Music Recorded Library (KPM) KP 048A

Released: 1960

Location: Galaxy News Radio

Despite the swapping of the names, this side of the track is the clarinet instrumental which plays in the streets of Washington DC with Three Dog providing narration though he doesn’t explicitly name this song.

If you’re wondering why the song seem longer, it’s the same song more or less, but the version in the game is 15 seconds shorter and missing several measures while repeating others. Hopefully below will explain this confusing arranging situation.

The song otherwise known as “Boogie Man” aka “Treadin’ Light” appears in as far flung places as S3E5 “The Flayed” of Stranger Things where it is briefly heard in Murray Bauman’s safehouse as it pans over the radio equipment in the room. S2E4 of Indian Summer also has the song emanating from a gramophone as the characters argue over “no more bloody war”.

The shorter edited version of “Treadin’ Light” also appears as “Boogie Man” on the album Jump the Rhine - Volume One credited to Sid Phillips and his Melodians. As noted before, Sid Phillips had left the Melodians as one of his first bands for some time after the 1920s before KPM created the recording in 1960. However, very confusingly, Sid Phillips did record with The Melodians a song called “Bogey Man” in 1928, with one “O”.

Unusually for library music, this song is listed right alongside the other more familiar vocal tunes in Fallout 3′s end credits. However instead of the plethora of copyright information, artist name, and record labels, all of that is replaced with “Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.” The title is given as “Boogie Man” which was copied from the same error made in the 1993 APM CD.

The 1970 LP reissue’s track description is:

Medium - rhythmic

While the 1993 reissue for this melody is:

Catchy clarinet feature.

Though the melody is the same, the track title on the 1993 CD is “Boogie Man” instead of the original “Treadin’ Light”, meaning the two sides have swapped places on the CD itself.

Above: sample of the official sheet music for the clarinet segment of “Treadin’ Light” (otherwise known as “Boogie Man”) composed and arranged by Sid Phillips and published by Peter Maurice Music (the M of KPM). The copyright date for the composition is given as 1943. The Seven Part Swing Series contains seven parts for conductor/piano, bass, drums, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, and of course clarinet.

Part 2: About the Recording

Again as with all the other library music recordings, it’s not particularly clear who exactly performed on the recording as the Group-Eight Players.

KPM or KP Music had their own house orchestra ranging from the Group-Five Players all the way up to the Group-Forty Orchestra.

Sid Phillips appeared to have an early relationship with the company that would later be known as KPM. He composed and published “Treadin’ Light” in 1943 and “Boogey Man” in 1946 (later retitled “Boogie Man”) for Peter Maurice Music. Though he was a prolific disc cutter, Sid Phillips did not appear to have recorded these songs when he wrote them in the 1940s.

In 1960, it’s likely that Sid Phillips brushed off a couple of compositions he wrote in the 1940s for Peter Maurice including other songs like “Mister Charles” “Sugar Beat”, “Society Swing”, and “Rock Cake”. Given that the songs were originally part of the Seven Piece Swing Series and his familiarity with the as-yet unrecorded songs, it’s likely the Sid Phillips himself served as the eighth member of the Group-Eight Players either on his trademark clarinet or conducting.

In 1960, the 78s would be issued by Keith, Prowse & Co. or the KP Music Recorded Library. Later on, all three would combine to be Keith-Prowse-Maurice or KPM. This marked a sea change in the company which wanted to expand its output and styles with these Sid Phillips tracks caught in the transition period just prior to KPM releasing its celebrated 1000 Series Greensleeves.

The silken strings of tracks like 'Limelight Waltz' and 'Pink Fizz' by The Group-Forty Orchestra, KPM's other stalwarts in the late 50s and early 60s, sound like another world, sepia-toned and chalk-striped. "It was a good library," as Mansfield said, "but it was second division." All that was about to change.

While KPM was in the midst of releasing their Greensleeves, engineers had the foresight to release the Brownsleeves (or Orangesleeves), reissuing the original KP Music 78s on updated LP formats in 1970. Like the Greensleeves, these albums had the identical cover art of the titular color with only the track listing on the back giving a hint to the contents.

If there was doubt that the title swapping was a fluke and the labels were accidentally pasted on the wrong sides of the 78, “Treadin’ Light” and “Boogie Man” were reissued by KPM in 1970 as a Brownsleeve KPM LP 9 from 047-052.

The narrator announces the track titles as “KPM 048A” for the clarinet melody in “Treadin’ Light” heard in Fallout 3 and “KPM 048B” as the zany melody in “Boogie Man” which matches the original catalog numbers of the sides of the 78.

Above: Detail from the back of the KPM LP detailing the track listings and a disclaimer that the LP was a reissue of the original 78 rpm discs.

The same Sid Phillips tracks were reissued in 1993 on the KPM CD Archives Series Volume Six - 1940s and 1950s. The cover art features several black and white photos including one of Donald Duck. This picture of a Disney character may or may not be censored on APM sites with the sticker on the left, presumably due to copyright issues.

It is here on this 1993 CD where the track titles for “Boogie Man” and “Treadin’ Light” were swapped.

Some of the liner notes from the CD adverting “authentic sounds of the 1940s and 1950s”. Though “Treadin’ Light” and “Boogie Man” were composed and published by Sid Phillips in the 1940s, it does not appear that he recorded them during that time.

The KPM 78s state they were published/recorded in 1960.

Additional liner notes from the CD showing that the “boogie” description no longer aligns with “Boogie Man”, and “Boogie Man” now advertises a clarinet solo which it did not have previously.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, on top of the name switching, the track called “Boogie Man” on the CD was slightly altered from this side.

As shown above, the upper track is the original 1960 version of “Treadin’ Light” coming in at 2:52. The lower is the 1993 CD reissue retitled as “Boogie Man” and only 2:21.

The green portion is the clarinet solo which is only played once in the original 1960 recording. The 1993 version repeats the clarinet solo three times and removes several portions of the song represented in gray including a segment where the entire band joins in to repeat the phrase.

Therefore the exact track heard in Fallout 3 is an edited version of the 1960 recording of “Treadin’ Light”, composed in 1943, reissued in 1970, and swapped titles and edited in 1993 which was retained in the end credits for the game.

To end on a different note, there is one last mystery for the track known as “Boogie Man”, originally called “Treadin’ Light”.

In 1953, Italian sheet music publisher release a reprint of Sid Phillips Seven Piece Swing Series, including “Treadin’ Light”.

Italian sheet music for “Treadin’ Light”, the piano/conduction portion.

Suggested Italian lyrics for “Treadin’ Light” aka “Occhio al semaforo” by Taba aka Adelmo Tabarroni.

The inside cover features lyrics in Italian for “Treadin’ Light” aka Sid Phillips’ “Boogie Man”.

Though my Italian is quite rusty, the words appears to be eulogize the humble traffic light, a potential English pun for “Treadin’ Light”. Here are the Italian lyrics in full:

In mezzo alla contrada c'è un semaforo

Che cambia di color e che s'illumina

Che silenzioso regola

Con precisione

Chi passa per di là

Tra quell'andar chiassoso d'automobili

Tra quel « via vai » di uomini che passano

C'è sempre qualche macchina,

Qualche pedone

Che se ne infischia e va

Ma la guardia ch'è al semaforo

Grida allora con un vocion

« Contravvenzion! Contravvenzion! »

E non vuol sentir ragion

In mezzo alla contrada c'è un semaforo

Che cambia di color e che s'illumina

Che silenzioso regola

Con precisione

Chi passa per di là

Of course while these lyrics are interesting, it is difficult to set them to the music mainly because the sheet music does not indicate where they should go and the fact the lines do not rhyme like many songs do.

It would be quite an Euterpean procedure to try to play this song heard in Fallout 3 and try to unite them with these Italian lyrics.

Song: Cafard (aka Blues for You)

Composer: Philippe Parès (aka Gabriel Parès)

Record Label: A Sam Fox Production SF1012

Released: 1966

Location: Gomorrah casino, Mysterious broadcast

Once again Mr. Sam Fox (or Synchro Fox) brings us another mystery, the same label that brought you “Stars and Teardrops” aka “Joe Cool”.

Also as a side note though “Cafard” literally translates to “cockroach”, it’s likely that the title is referring to the French idiomatic expression “avoir le cafard” or “to have the blues” which dovetails neatly into the alternate title, “Blues for You”. 

Although this instrumental is not broadcast on the main three radio stations in New Vegas, it is heard in the Gomorrah casino as the lobby music. Later, it can be heard on the Mysterious Broadcast inviting you to the Big MT.

Unfortunately, unlike Fallout 3′s end credits, Fallout: New Vegas’ end credits feature the licensed music from the standard record labels, but omits all of the radio tunes from APM including the instrumentals save for a brief mention of  “Additional Music Courtesy of APM Music”.

As is the case with library music, finding artist and recording information is extremely difficult as these songs were never meant to be sold to the public, instead being exclusively used for the film and TV industry. What follows is an attempt to extricate this information.

Note: Library music is typically identified by composer or emotion. Very little can be confirmed about the musicians who performed on the recording.

So let us focus on what is known, starting with the full track list:

Side A

1. Global Hop (G. Wright Briggs) 2. Ephesus - Theme (Robert R. Way) 3. Ephesus - Bridge #1 (Robert R. Way) 4. Ephesus - Bridge #2 (Robert R. Way) 5. Ephesus - Bridge #3 (Robert R. Way) 6. Ephesus - Bridge #4 (Robert R. Way) 7. Ephesus - Bridge #5 (Robert R. Way) 8. Ephesus - Curtain (Robert R. Way) 9. Caudia - Theme (Robert R. Way) 10. Pegasus - Theme (long) (Robert R. Way) 11. Pegasus - Theme (short) (Robert R. Way) 12. Pegasus - Bridge #1 (Robert R. Way) 13. Pegasus - Bridge #2 (Robert R. Way) 14. Balua (Roger Roger) 15. Song of the Trade Winds (Roger Roger) 16. Bits and Pieces (Openings, Bridges, Endings) (Roger Roger) 17. Love Me (Roger Roger) 18. Memories of Barbara (Roger Roger) 19. Tropics (Roger Roger)

Side B

1. Tour for Swingers (Loren Wilfong) 2. Whooping and Hollering (Loren Wilfong) 3. Slim (Cecil Leuter) 4. Reveil (Nino Nardini) 5. Cafard (Ph. Pares) 6. Lunatic (Soulful) Trumpet (Jim Wakerfield) 7. Polly (J.S.  Zamecnik) 8. Heart Beats (Walter E. Miles)     Winter Tales (Czibulka - Lamont)     The Man on the Flying Trapeze (Honky Tonk Piano Medley) (arr. Victor Lamont) 9. Monte Carlo Polka (Ph. Pares) 10. Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-Der-Ei (March 1900) (Ph. Pares)

About the composer

Left: Gabriel Parès (père) - postcard and record label, ca. 1910s Right: Philippe Parès (fils) - EP album covers, ca. 1950s

As expected with library music, this track has been miscredited. The CD reissue lists the composer as Gabriel Parès while the record credits Philippe Parès. To confuse the issue further, they are father and son. 

Gabriel Parès lived from 1860-1934, slightly before when this track was pressed in 1966. Gabriel was primarily known for his marching band music as captain of the Garde Républicaine. His son, Philippe Parès was known for his work with collaborator George Van Parys in musical theater and jazz which better aligns with the 1966 date of this track. 

Both father and son were dedicated to music theory ranging from the Parès scales to the books Qui est l'auteur de la Marseillaise? and Histoire du droit de reproduction mécanique.

The 1978 book 33 tours en arrière et notes en vrac (Before 33 RPM and Loose Notes), serves as Philippe’s memoir regarding the music of his father, pre-war,  Occupation, and post-war music from 1923-1962. Philippe would also pass the following year in 1979.

About the recording

As noted above, the original title “Cafard” is likely linked to the French idiom “avoir le cafard” which ties into the CD reissue’s title of “Blues for You”. 

As for the miscredited composer, aside from the father/son confusion, Philippe’s full name is “Philippe Gabriel Hippolyte Emmanuel Parès”. The middle name of “Gabriel” probably didn’t help identification matters much. 

Similar to Stars and Teardrops/Joe Cool, “Cafard” aka “Blues for You” was reissued on the same Carlin Archives CD Jazzy Vibes, CAS 019, previously under APM, now under Warner/Chappell.

Along with the miscrediting of Philippe Parès as Gabriel Parès, track number 20 picked up the two similar descriptions between the Carlin Archives Series and the CPM issues. 

“Slow relaxed blues features saxophone electric guitar”

“Slow relaxed blues features electric guitar vibes saxophone trumpet”

There aren’t any entries in BMI, but ASCAP has the song registered under “Cafard” composed by Philippe Parès, not under “Blues for You”. 

As for dating the track, again the process is similar to “Stars and Teardrops”. 

The small R in the dead wax stands for the RCA Pressing plant in Rockaway, New Jersey which ceased operations in 1973.

The etched matrix number is TR4M. However, RCA adopted a custom of switching the 2nd and 3rd characters of the matrix numbers every 10,000 numbers every year. So the matrix number should actually read “T4RM”.

In short the matrix numbers stand for:

T = 1966

4 = Re-recorded from client’s furnished tapes

R = 12" - 33⅓ RPM

M = Mono (Fine)

Alas, the record label still provides no clues for the performers on the tracks. What remains are the composers’ credits.

Listen to “Stars and Teardrops” aka “Joe Cool” also on Sam Fox here.

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, as we mark the end of the first year of the new decade.

I’m pleased to welcome WLH and WBDS radio commencing broadcast operations this year in the city of Lost Heaven. Alas, record shipments from a coastal city to an underwater one are currently backed up at the moment, but portions of their setlists should be published shortly.

Residents of Santa Modesta also have been sending in slightly less fuzzy photographs of supposed little gray men.

On display in the store window is the very latest in automatic recorders from Revere-Wollensak. I’ve been currently using the unusual stacking tape cartridge mechanism to play 15 hours worth of store announcements before changing the stack. Each used tape slides over to the right from below while a fresh one is lowered from the stack. It’s a new push from the offices of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company. I expect they will be abbreviating their rather unwieldy name soon since they are quickly expanding their magnetic tape services.

Given that the selection of pre-recorded tapes from the catalog they have sent me is rather limited, I’ve been trying to dub some of the records to the new stacking tape cartridges, but customers haven’t shown much interest. Perhaps Mr. Porter would be interested in a new Linear Tape Open device to upgrade The Thinker’s memory banks. If anything, Wattz Electronics has some competition on the market for square holotapes.

As always, we’ll take this time to remember Patti Page, singer of “Doggie in the Window” who also passed away on New Year’s Day.

See if your favorite record, 8-track, cassette, wax cylinder, or transcription disc was featured this year:

BioShock

“Bei Mir Bist du Schön” - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 1562

“Bei Mir Bist du Schön” - Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23605 (reissue)

“It’s Bad for Me” - Rosemary Clooney and Benny Goodman - Columbia Records 40616

“Papa Loves Mambo” - Perry Como - RCA Victor Records 20-5857

“20th Century Blues” - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

“The Party’s Over Now” (1959) - Noël Coward - Columbia Records ML 5163

“Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” - Bing Crosby - Victor Records 22701

“Beyond the Sea” - Bobby Darin - ATCO Records 45-6158

“Night and Day” - Billie Holiday - Columbia Records 3044 (reissue)

“The Best Things in Life are Free” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24327

“If I Didn’t Care” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 2286

“Danny Boy” - Mario Lanza - The Magic of Mario Lanza - Heartland Music HL 1046/50

Anniversary Revisits: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

“(How Much is That) Doggie in the Window” (1966) - Patti Page - Columbia Records CS 9326 (in-game version)

“The Doggie in the Window” (1953) - Patti Page - Mercury Records 70070 (original version)

“You’re the Top” (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24766 (original version)

“La Mer” - Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli - Djangology RCA RGP-1186 (reissue)

Cohen’s Quadtych: “Academy Award” vs. “The Ballroom Waltz”

“Academy Award” - Stanley Black - Music De Wolfe DW/LP 2977

“Too Young” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1449

“Just Walking in the Rain” - Johnnie Ray - Columbia Records 40729

“Waltz of the Flowers”

Looking for BioShock’s Django Reinhardt

BioShock's Soundtrack Timeline Quirks and Hiccups

BioShock 2

“Ten Cents a Dance” - Ruth Etting - Columbia Records 2146D

“Dawn of a New Day” - Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights - Brunswick Records 8313

“It’s Only a Paper Moon” - Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23425

BioShock 10th Anniversary Revisit and Eclipse

“Someone’s Rocking My Dream Boat” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 4045

“We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

“I’m Making Believe” - Ink Spots with Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

“Bei Mir Bist du Schon” - Benny Goodman with Martha Tilton - The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert - Columbia Records ML 4359

Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man“ - Henry Hall and his Orchestra with Val Rosing - Columbia Records FB 2816

“Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

“You Always Hurt the One You Love” - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18599

“Paper Doll” - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 18318

“Dream” - The Pied Pipers - Capitol Records 185

“Chasing Shadows” - Quintette du Hot Club de France - Royale Records 1798

“Nightmare” (1938) - Artie Shaw - Bluebird Records B-7875 (in-game version)

“Nightmare” (1937) - Art Shaw and his New Music - Vocalion Records 4306 (re-recording)

“Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” - Bessie Smith - Parlophone Records R2481

Father’s Day in Rapture

“Daddy Won’t You Please Come Home” - Annette Hanshaw - Velvet Tone Records 1940V

“My Heart Belongs to Daddy” - Mary Martin - Brunswick Records 8282

“Daddy’s Little Girl” (1976) - Mills Brothers - Ranwood Records R-8152 (in-game version)

“Daddy’s Little Girl” (1950) - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 24872 (original version)

BioShock Infinite

"Ain't She Sweet" - Ben Bernie - Brunswick Records 3444

"Button Up Your Overcoat" - Helen Kane - Victor Records 21863

"(What Do We Do on a) Dew-Dew-Dewey Day" - Charles Kaley - Columbia Records 1055D

"Indian Love Call" - Sigmund Krumgold - Okeh Records 40904

"Me and My Shadow" - Sam Lanin - Lincoln Records 2628

"Black Gal" - Ed Lewis with unidentified prisoners (recorded by Alan Lomax)

"I'm Wild About That Thing" - Bessie Smith - Columbia Records 14427D

"Makin' Whoopee!" - Rudy Vallée - Harmony Records 825-H

The Cylinders of BioShock Infinite

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" - Ada Jones and Billy Murray - Edison Standard Record 10134

"The Bonnie Blue Flag" - Polk Miller - Edison Blue Amberol Record 2175

"After You've Gone"

"The Easy Winners"

"Solace - A Mexican Serenade"

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Elizabeth’s version

“Just a Closer Walk with Thee” - Selah Jubilee Singers - Decca Records 7872

“The Grand Old Rag” - Billy Murray - Victor Records 4634

Albert Fink's Magical Melodies Presents: "God Only Knows"

“Ah! La femme il n’y que ça“ - Mon. A. Fertinel - Improved Berliner Gramophone Record 1148

“God Only Knows” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Fortunate Son" - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fantasy Records 634

Burial at Sea

Episode 1

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Midnight, The Stars and You" - Al Bowlly - Victor Records 24700

"She's Got You" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31354

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" - Johnny Mathis - Columbia Records 40784

"The Lady is a Tramp" - Mel Tormé - London American Recordings HL N.8305

"Tonight for Sure!" - Ruth Wallis - Wallis Original Record Corp. 2001

"Stranger in Paradise"

Episode 2

The Complete Records Behind the Music

"Back in Baby's Arms" - Patsy Cline - Decca Records 31483

"Easy to Love" - Sammy Davis Jr. - Starring Sammy Davis Jr. Decca Records DL 8118

"Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree" - Glenn Miller - Bluebird Records B-11474

"La Vie en Rose" - Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 4004-F

“La Vie en Rose” (English version) - Édith Piaf - Columbia Records 38948

“La Vie en Rose” in 2007′s BioShock

"The Great Pretender" - The Platters - Mercury Records 70753

"You Belong to Me"

Classic Fallouts

"A Kiss to Build a Dream On" - Louis Armstrong - Decca Records 27720

"Slave to the Blues" - Ma Rainey - Paramount Records 12332

Fallout 3 (Galaxy News Radio)

"Civilization" - Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye - Decca Records 23940

“Butcher Pete (Part 1)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Rhythm for You” - composed by Eddy Christiani & Frans Poptie - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 40

“‘Way Back Home” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Happy Times” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Dear Hearts and Gentle People” - Bob Crosby - Standard Program Library U-286

“Crazy He Calls Me” - Billie Holiday - Decca Records 24796

"I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3987

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

“Swing Doors” - composed by Allan Gray - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

“Jazzy Interlude” - composed by Billy Munn - Charles Brull - A Harmonic Private Recording CBL 37

"Anything Goes" (1934) - Cole Porter - Victor Records 24825 (original version)

“I'm Tickled Pink” - composed by Jack Shaindlin - Cinemusic Inc. CMR 406

Galaxy News Radio soundtrack LP

Fallout: New Vegas (Radio New Vegas, Mojave Music Radio, Black Mountain Radio)

"It's a Sin" - Eddy Arnold - RCA Victor Records 10-2241

"Jingle Jangle Jingle" (1942) - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36604(in-game version)

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1962) - Kay Kyser's Former Orchestra - Capitol Records ST 1692 (re-recording)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1979) - Ink Spots (Bill Kenny) - CBS Special Products P 18042 (in-game version)

“It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie” (1941) - Ink Spots - Decca Records (original version)

“Heartaches by the Number” (1983) - Guy Mitchell - Candlelite Records CU 188LP (in-game version)

“Heartaches by the Number” (1959) - Guy Mitchell - Columbia Records 4-41476 (original version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (in-game version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” (1947) - Peggy Lee - Rendezvous with Peggy Lee - Capitol Records 10118 (re-recording)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

“Joe Cool” - composed by Nino Nardino - A Sam Fox Production SF1007

"Big Iron" - Marty Robbins - Columbia Records 4-41589

“Blue Moon” - Frank Sinatra - Sinatra’s Swingin’ Session! - Capitol Records W1491

“Jazz Blues” - composed by Gerhard Trede - CBS Records EZ Cue Library CBS EZQ 172

“Roundhouse Rock” (1970) - Bert Weedon - Fontana Records 6007 012

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

Fallout 4 (Diamond City Radio)

“Butcher Pete (Part 2)” - Roy Brown - De-Luxe Records 3301

“Orange Colored Sky” - Nat King Cole - Capitol Records 1184

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“The Wanderer” - Dion - Laurie Records 3115

“Sixty-Minute Man - The Dominoes - Federal Records 12022

“Atom Bomb Baby” - The Five Stars - Kernel Records A002

“It’s All Over But the Crying” - Ink Spots - Decca Records 24286

“Grandma Plays the Numbers” - Wynonie Harris - King Records 4276

“Personality” - Johnny Mercer - Capitol Records 230

"The End of the World” - Patti Page - Say Wonderful Things - Columbia Records CS 8849

Fallout 76 (Appalachia Radio)

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - The Beach Boys - Capitol Records 5706

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1962) - Kay Kyser's Former Orchestra - Capitol Records ST 1692 (in-game version)

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" (1942) - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640 (original version)

"We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" - Ink Spots - Decca Records 3379

“Sixteen Tons” - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Capitol Records 3262

Guardians of the Galaxy

"I'm Not in Love" - 10cc - Mercury Records (Phonogram) 73678 (abridged)

"Fooled Around and Fell in Love" - Elvin Bishop - Capricorn Records CPS 0252 (abridged)

“Spirit in the Sky” - Norman Greenbaum - Reprise Records 0885

“Escape (The Piña Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes - Infinity Records INF 50.035

"Hooked on a Feeling" - Blue Swede - EMI Records 3627

"I Want You Back" - The Jackson 5 - Motown Records M 1157

"Go All the Way" - Raspberries - Capitol Records 3348

"Come and Get Your Love" - Redbone - Epic Records 5-11035

L.A. Noire (KTI Radio)

“Pistol-Packin’ Mama” - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“Stone Cold Dead in the Market” - Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23546

"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" - Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald - Decca Records 23356

"Manteca" - Dizzy Gillespie - RCA Victor Records 20-3023

"Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens" - Louis Jordan - Decca Records 23741

"Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume" - Sammy Kaye - RCA Victor Records 20-2251

“Black and Blue” - Frankie Laine - Mercury Records A-1026

"'Murder', He Says" - Dinah Shore - RCA Victor Records 20-1525

"Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) - Tex Williams - Capitol Records Americana Series 40001

“Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop” - Lionel Hampton - Decca Records 18754

Mafia II (Empire Central Radio, Delta Radio)

“Everybody Eats When They Come to My House” - Cab Calloway - Columbia Records 38171

"Sh-Boom" - The Crew-Cuts - Mercury Records 70404

“Victory Polka” - Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters - Decca Records 23277

“Why Do Fools Fall in Love”- Frankie Lymon - Gee Records GG-1002

"Honey Love" - The Drifters - Atlantic Records 1029

"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" - Kay Kyser - Columbia Records 36640

“Why Don’t You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)” (1947) - Peggy Lee - Rendezvous with Peggy Lee - Capitol Records 10118 (re-recording)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1950) - Peggy Lee with the Dave Barbour Quartet- Peggy Lee’s Greatest - Camay Records CA 3003 (in-game version)

“Why Don’t You Do Right” (1942) - Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra - Columbia Records 36652 (re-recording)

"A Guy is a Guy” - Doris Day - Columbia Records 39673

Destroy All Humans!

"Sh-Boom" - The Crew-Cuts - Mercury Records 70404

XCOM The Bureau Declassified (KNOV Radio)

“Runaway” - Del Shannon - Big Top Records 45-3067

“Who’s Sorry Now” - Connie Francis - MGM Records 975 (57-S-622)

"Smack Dab in the Middle" - Mills Brothers - Decca Records 29511

“Riders in the Sky” - Vaughn Monroe - RCA Victor 20-3411

"Man of Mystery" - The Shadows - Columbia Records 45-DB 4530

“I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive” - Hank Williams - MGM Records 11366

See the previous years’ lists here:

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Song: Slave to the Blues / Oh My Babe Blues

Artist: Ma Rainey and her Georgia Band

Record Label: Paramount 12332

Recorded: ca. December 1925

Location: Project V13 teaser

A rare song from a rare label. Here’s “Slave to the Blues” presented by the infamous Paramount Records label. Regrettably due to both its age and the somewhat non-standard practices of recording and pressing at the label, the audio quality leaves something to be desired, but I have tried to clear up some of the noise.

This year is rather auspicious as it is the 10 year anniversary of the 2010 teaser for Project V13 on the Fallout website and also the recent release of a new film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on Netflix. This record happens to have been made two years before the recording session depicted in the film.

When logging into the now-defunct Fallout Online website, players were greeted with a series of Polaroid photographs being tossed onto the table offering shots of buildings and concept art while this song emanates from the glowing record player and radio combination console on the right.

Recorded in late 1925 in the winter, this song is one of the few songs from the 1920s used in Fallout and would have been the oldest recording used in the series.

A period Chicago Defender print ad for Ma Rainey’s “Bessemer Bound Blues”, recorded during the same session. Also listed are other Paramount Record titles.

Born Gertrude Pridgett, though otherwise known as Ma Rainey, she lived a fairly colorful life rife with intrigue and rumor. Even her birthplace is uncertain with various sources giving credit to Alabama or Georgia.

As her named suggests, she is dubbed the “Mother of the Blues”, combining elements of vaudeville and early “jass” (later spelled as jazz). She and her husband William “Pa” Rainey toured extensively throughout the South in the 1900s and 1910s with live performances in minstrel shows and vaudeville. It’s around this time she coined the term “blues” to describe her music as well as developing a relationship with Bessie Smith, also up and coming.

Though demand for recordings by black musicians was high, the color barrier meant that Rainey was not able to be shellacked until 1923 by signing with Paramount.

While she recorded with many jazz stars of the day and made over one hundred recordings with Paramount, the film focuses on her last years with the label which would also go bankrupt by the 1930s.

Regrettably, there are comparatively few photos of Ma Rainey, but her voice still echoes from the grooves.

Left: A still of the 1984 Broadway cast, Center: A Playbill for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, Right: A reverse shot of the same scene from inside the recording room from the 2020 film

Strictly speaking, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is not an biographical film, but rather a restaging of the 1984 August Wilson play of the same name which dramatizes a 1927 recording session in Chicago. Many of the scenes take place outside of the recording room and focuses on conversations between the band members. With the exception of Ma Rainey herself, while the roles of the musicians, the recording engineer and so on undoubtedly existed, the characters are largely fictional.

The title refers to a song and dance of the same name, and of course Ma Rainey’s version of it as yet to be recorded until near the end of the story. The above record label represents the central MacGuffin which is never directly seen in the film, but drives the plot forward. While much has been said about the characters portrayed in the film including the last film role of Chadwick Boseman, here’s a closer look at one of the more muted mechanical stars of the 1920s recording process documented in the film.

Triptych of a heat wave: an electric fan, an ice-cold 5¢ bottle of Coca-Cola, and a box of discarded lacquer discs.

A slight change to the script of the play is the changing of the setting from winter to summer as foreheads glisten with perspiration. While dialing up the oppressive heat brings more prominence to the electric fan and Coca-Cola scenes (the character Levee also attempts to repeatedly open a door for ventilation), the original recording session for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was in the winter of 1927. Perhaps the winter release of the Netflix film was meant to be a reminder.

This also has an impact on the recording session itself. The film depicts the recording session using smooth black lacquer discs (sometimes called acetate discs though they do not contain that material). As the recording engineer tosses the bad takes into the bin, it shows they are thin metal discs covered with a thin layer of nitrocellulose lacquer.

Industry films showing wax blanks used to make the initial recording before heading to the plating process. Note how the wax is polished to a shine, the disc is thicker, and of a lighter color than lacquer. The text intertitles indicate silent film footage. The first three rows date to the 1920s with the third for a Columbia Records pressing plant. The last row is a film from the 1940s showing RCA Victor still using wax recording blanks. All are for shellac 78 rpm records as the vinyl LP would be introduced in 1948.

Industry films showing lacquer covered blanks used to make the initial recording before heading to the plating process. Note how the blanks are glossy black and much thinner. The first row is from the late 1930s showing lacquer discs being used to eventually cut shellac 78s for Variety Records. 1948 would bring the invention of the vinyl LP and more common color footage. The second row shows updated footage from RCA Victor in the 1950s now using lacquer discs to press newly invented vinyl LPs. The last row also shows lacquer blanks for Capitol Records. If you don’t recognize Mel Blanc’s face, you may recognize his voice from innumerable Looney Tunes cartoons. 

Contemporary film footage from record pressing plants during the 1920s more commonly show thicker one-inch discs made of wax being used in the record lathe. Lacquer discs were more commonly used in the decades following.

A wax disc would have melted in the sultry summer of Chicago which gets as hot as it does cold in the winter. While it was easy to keep a wax disc warm, cooling technology had not progressed so far during that period. Many of Ma Rainey’s recording sessions appear to have been made in the winter or at least the cooler months in Chicago and New York. A humorous anecdote about a 1930s Bob Wills recording session details packing the wax master recordings on couple hundred pounds of ice to beat the Texas heat.

Though phonograph cylinders were made of wax a few decades prior, these wax discs made during the recording process was the origin of the term “spinning wax” popularized by disc-jockeys.

Regardless of wax or lacquer, this recording is extremely fragile and unable to be played very much. Similar to today, the process still continues to metal plating where multiple more durable metal copies are mirrored before eventually stamping out the right side up grooves into a vinyl slab, or more appropriate for the era depicted in this film, a shellac record.

Production designer Mark Ricker called the record lathe the “fifth star of the movie”. There are scant details about where they obtained the record lathe except it was from a recreator in the Los Angeles area. It is possibly related to the work of Nicholas Bergh who had restored a working 1920s record lathe which was featured in the documentary film series American Epic. The series explores this period of early recorded music and the people in front of and behind the microphone including Ma Rainey. In addition, contemporary artists attempt to adapt their music to the rigors, quirks, and restrictions of a 1920s recording studio. Jack White also produced on the film as well as producing the extensive Rise and Fall of Paramount Records box sets. Admittedly, the two machines aren’t a perfect match, but there is a very similar brass weight driving the entire mechanism which spectacularly snaps and crashes to the floor in a recording session.

With lacquer discs being used to preserve radio broadcasts by the late 1930s, it is likely the record lathe was adapted to work with lacquer discs since they are still in use today and more common to come by than wax discs.

Also notable during the session is that all the instruments and the vocalist share one microphone. The request for a second microphone was likely for dramatic effect. Similar to the acoustic era, the early electric microphone era were still experimenting with proper placement. It is a testament to the power of Ma Rainey’s voice that it can be picked out amongst the surface noise as the instruments and vocals move in and out of focus.

These were the days before the invention of magnetic tape and a substantially reduced recording booth without hulking amplifiers, control boards, and tape machines reflects that. Multi-track recording, overdubbing, or even audio editing was very difficult to accomplish in the pre-tape era. One microphone, one take, and direct to disc, otherwise the recording had to be done over.

While wax could be remelted or perhaps shaved, a flubbed take on a lacquer disc could not. Despite what some of the characters say, 6, 7, 8, 9 takes for the first song of a set-list would be expensive. Paramount would go bankrupt in the following years.

Paramount Records had a storied history nearly rivaling Ma Rainey herself though the record itself largely serves as the MacGuffin in the story. While the name of the record label was never directly mentioned in the film, there are some loose references. The advertising placards around the door mention offerings from a chair factory which Paramount originated. The Wisconsin Chair Company added making phonograph cabinets to its list of operations before delving into making their own phonographs and a record label in 1918.

Like Ma Rainey’s manager, the roles of the recording engineer and the record producer were likely combined into one character, Sturdyvant of Hot Rhythm Recordings, as the sign outside says.

Due to the popularity of the “race records”, Paramount had actually rented or owned recording studios in New York, Chicago, and in Wisconsin. Jay Mayo Williams or “Ink” Williams served as an unofficial liaison between Paramount and the African-American community, even convincing Ma Rainey to record for the label.

However, the label was plagued by low-quality pressings and inconsistent recording practices. Some records even have other songs heard in neighboring rooms. Williams would leave to produce his own record label Black Patti and later was head of the race records department at Decca.

The coming of the 1930s and the Great Depression spelled the end for Paramount Records. Employees were let go or reportedly paid in the metal record masters. Though many were sold for scrap metal, local rumor has the disgruntled employees throwing the masters into the Milwaukee River.

As a result, much of the Paramount Records catalog has become exceedingly rare or outright lost to the ages.

As a coda, a final scene was added to the film which was not present in the original play. A white orchestra plays a restrained version of a composition heard earlier by the Levee character. The bandleader is not named, but strongly resembles Paul Whiteman, one of the most recorded of the dance bands of the day. His trademark mustache and oval head were frequently caricatured even on his own record labels. Though he never recorded for Paramount, he was at the Victor and Columbia labels at the time, in addition to the circumstances of the recording session in the film there is an added layer referring to the background of his controversial self-styled moniker “The King of Jazz”.

Song: Oh My Babe Blues / Slave to the Blues

Artist: Ma Rainey and her Georgia Band

Record Label: Paramount 12332

Recorded: ca. December 1925

Here’s a question customers have posed while shopping around in this record store: “Is the BioShock soundtrack historically accurate?”

The short answer is no. This is of course including a presumption of a distinct cutoff year. If on the other hand, you would consider the reverse, “Is the BioShock soundtrack historically appropriate?”, well we shall see.

So let’s briefly break down the soundtrack of each game.

-

In the first Bioshock, the game opens with the year 1960 before taking us down to the underwater city of Rapture. However, Andrew Ryan had cut off contact with the Surface some time before, coupled with the Rapture Civil War officially starting on New Year’s Day in 1959. Granted several songs in BioShock were recorded in that last decade through the 50s including “Danny Boy” (1952), “Papa Loves Mambo” (1954), “It’s Bad for Me” (1955) and so on.

Frank Fontaine’s smuggling operations could account for the fact of the very late 1959 release dates of Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” and Noël Coward’s “20th Century Blues”, however Fontaine allegedly died in September 1958 according to the newspaper article in the Rapture Standard.

Even with Fontaine’s shenanigans, it doesn’t account for the 1966 version of Patti Page’s “Doggie in the Window” or the 2004 version of Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top” as seen below. Other songs include the assorted instrumental tracks recorded in the 1990s such as “The Ballroom Waltz”, “And All the While I’m Loving You” or even the 1966 song “Academy Award”. Lastly, there is still the mystery of the numerous instrumental guitar and violin songs supposedly performed or inspired by Django Reinhardt used in BioShock.

Creative Director Ken Levine obliquely mentioned the problem of using re-recordings and alternate versions of songs in a 2007 interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly.

...Or I would research on Wikipedia or talk to my dad, and then I would go and listen to little snippets, and I'd ask myself, "Does this feel like it belongs in Rapture?" [Dealing with this era of] licensed music... is a very complicated process, because generally you're dealing with people who are dead and their lawyers are dead. The rights are often very complicated, and so a lot of times we'd want a song and we wouldn't get it. We'd have to find another person who performed it, or another version of the recording or something like that. We had to be fairly flexible.

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Overall, BioShock 2 does have the most historically accurate soundtrack of the series, excluding the songs reprised from the first BioShock. The game ostensibly takes place in 1968, or 10 years later from 1958 according to the opening titles.

All things considered, its only soundtrack transgression is using the 1976 version of “Daddy’s Little Girl” as seen below.

Aside from that, its newest songs unique to the game are 1945′s “Dream” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon”. Many songs trend older towards the 1920s and 1930s, reflecting the older portions of Rapture seen in the game with some of the oldest tracks being 1929′s “Daddy Won’t You Please Come Home” and “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”.

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BioShock Infinite and the floating city of Columbia introduces time as central plot point and with it some interesting soundtrack implications. Keeping in mind the setting is 1912, its soundtrack can be broadly divided into three categories

Modern covers of existing period songs were recorded especially for the game such as “After You’ve Gone”, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, and the Scott Joplin rags.

Deliberately anachronistic songs are provided as a plot point courtesy of Messrs. Albert Fink and Scott Bradlee rearranging modern songs to sound period such as “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, “Fortunate Son”, “Tainted Love” and so on.

Lastly there are the period songs meant to evoke the flavor of the 1912 setting.  While some are authentically of the era including some very old Edison cylinders, quite a few bleed into the 1920s and 30s including “Ain’t She Sweet” (1927), “Button Up Your Overcoat” (1929), and “St. James Infirmary” (1930). Bessie Smith manages to crossover to both cities in both BioShock Infinite and BioShock 2 with “I’m Wild About That Thing”, “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”, and “Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl”. In addition, several recordings are presented “live” in the game, but were recorded much later such as the prison work song recorded by Alan Lomax, “Black Gal” in 1959 and “Shake Sugaree” recorded in 1967.

Lastly, Burial at Sea features a coda. Both Patsy Cline songs “She’s Got You” and “Back in Baby’s Arms” were recorded in the 1960s, well after the 1959 date of the events of the game. However in a tragic twist of fate, she would die shortly after recording the songs in a plane crash.

Creative Director Ken Levine again mentioned the problem of finding music “that sounds great to the modern ear” in a 2012 interview with Wired magazine.

But one of my favorite parts of my job is choosing the licensed music. BioShock Infinite is set in an interesting time because it’s right at the beginning of jazz and blues. Music before jazz and blues is not very listenable. I mean popular music -– it’s really kind of awful. You know, the John Philip Sousa marches and stuff. And then you get jazz and blues coming in, with the early stuff like ragtime.

It’s much more challenging to find music from that era that sounds great to a modern ear. BioShock was set in 1959, so we had this huge slate of great music to choose from. But here we don’t have all the chord progressions, and the things we like didn’t exist or had just started to exist. So finding music has been a really interesting challenge...

The most important thing is that you get people to feel things. I’ll give you a hint: There weren’t flying cities in 1912 nor were there underwater cities and genetic technology in 1959 (laughs). So, yeah, you play a little fast and loose. You could argue that this is Columbia and we do things a little differently.

You’ve already heard some of the strange musical things in the game...

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Less discerning record customers may have grabbed the wrong discs and are surprised to find the recordings don’t match what they’ve heard.

I have taken the liberty of conducting a synchronization of a number of the more unusual re-recordings which the games use instead of the originals. These are presented in the new stereophonic sound format, be advised it is recommended to have two speakers far apart to get the full effect, or at the very least avoid having two speakers that are too close together.

The original older track is on the listener’s left while the newer one used in the games are on the listener’s right.

Some of the more fantastically-minded among us down here in Rapture might be tempted to simply blame the above on those newfangled Tears. But it is the records that speak for themselves.

Patti Page’s “The Doggie in the Window”

1952 Mercury Records version (original)

1966 Columbia Records version (used in BioShock)

Cole Porter’s “You’re the Top”

1934 Victor Records version (original)

2004 version with Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks (used in BioShock)

Mills Brothers’ “Daddy’s Little Girl”

1950 Decca Records version (original)

1976 Ranwood Records version (used in BioShock 2)

The original versions of the songs are featured occasionally here with the addendum that they were not actually used in the game. They are marked with the RRR for Rapture Records Recommendation.

Song: Modern Jazz (Blues) (aka Jazz Blues)

Composer: Gerhard Trede Record Label: The CBS Records EZ Cue Library CBS EZQ 172 Released: ca. 1968

Location: Gomorrah casino, Mysterious broadcast

This is one of the longer pieces in Fallout with the instrumental coming in at 5 minutes. Like its cooler cousin, this library music song known as “Jazz Blues” can be heard playing in the lobby of the Gomorrah casino or later on the Mysterious broadcast.

While the record is almost entirely covered with fairly lengthy Gerhard Trede compositions, one side dwarfs them all with a massive groove for a 14 minute track by Messrs. Kuhn and Kuhn and their “Transfiguration (Free Jazz)”.

Unfortunately, unlike Fallout 3′s end credits, Fallout: New Vegas’ end credits features the licensed music from the standard record labels, but omits all of the radio tunes from APM including the instrumentals save for a brief mention of  “Additional Music Courtesy of APM Music”.

As is the case with library music, finding artist and recording information is extremely difficult as these songs were never meant to be sold to the public, instead being exclusively used for the film and TV industry. What follows is an attempt to extricate this information.

Note: Library music is typically identified by composer or emotion. Very little can be confirmed about the musicians who performed on the recording.

Here’s the full track list.

Side 1

Jazz

1. Transfiguration (Free Jazz) (Rolf Kuhn/Joachim Kuhn)

2. Back ‘N’ Forth (Gerhard Trede)

Side 2

Jazz

1. Modern Jazz (Blues) (Gerhard Trede)

2. Modern Jazz (City-Sound) (Gerhard Trede)

3. Modern Jazz (Moderato No. 1) (Gerhard Trede)

4. Modern Jazz (Fast) (Gerhard Trede)

5. Modern Jazz (Moderato No. 2) (Gerhard Trede)

About the composer

A publicity blurb from the May 2018 newsletter from Sonoton, the current license holder for the work of Gerhard Trede.

A color portrait of Trede from Hamburger Flimmern, 2006 Issue 13

Gerhard Trede is the most prominent musician on the Fallout series radio soundtrack with nine tracks total (2 from Fallout 3 and 7 from Fallout: New Vegas), eclipsing even the Ink Spots’ six songs.

A mainstay of the APM lineup, his work appears in everything from Spongebob Squarepants and Ren & Stimpy to period works and TV shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to Conan to numerous documentaries.

Despite this, very few biographies exist of him in English detailing his prolific composing career aside from official publicity blurbs mentioning his early life in Hamburg, Germany and his extraordinary musical output of over 100 compositions a year to playing over 50 instruments. Several articles in German report on his music scoring work in the newsreel series for Neuen Deutschen Wochenschau.

An essay details how the old Deutschen Wochenschau archive was bombed in Berlin throughout 1943 and 1944 to a point where the film reels and their music preserved on optical soundtracks were badly degraded from moisture, cold, and improper storage. The Neue Deutsche Wochenschau (NDW) would incorporate some rescued music cues. Gerhard Trede was hired in 1953 to fill in the substantial gaps in the music inventory. By 1955, he was composing for the newsreel every week, recording in an inn in Wellingsbüttel to be delivered to NDW. However, his compositions were owned by NDW and income derived solely through GEMA, Germany’s music rights organization.

Moviegoers quickly found the “Tredes Melodien“ from the newsreels so “eingängig” (catchy), that they demanded “Schallplatten“ or records to be made available, only to be continually rebuffed:

Brief von NDW Redaktion (A. Strehlke) an Werner Belgerin, Braunschweig vom 16.12.1961, Korrespondenz ab 1958, Archiv DW. Antwort auf eine Frage zu einer Schallplattenaufnahme der Musik, die in einem Bericht über die Europameisterschaften im Eiskunstlauf (NDW Nr. 575) zu hören war. Eine Schallplattenaufnahme zu erhalten war nicht möglich, da die Musik Eigentum der NDW war. Heute wird die Musik von G. Trede von der Fa. Sonoton als ‚typische‘ Musik der 1950er Jahre vertrieben – zu den Kunden zählen z.B. Fernsehsender und Filmproduzenten.

Letter from NDW Redaktion (A. Strehlke) to Werner Belgerin, Braunschweig, December 16, 1961, correspondence from 1958, DW Archive. Answer to a question about a recording of the music that was heard in a newsreel report on the European Figure Skating Championships (NDW Film No. 575). Obtaining a record was not possible because the music was owned by the NDW. Today, Gerhard Trede's music is sold by Sonoton as 'typical' music from the 1950s. Clients include television broadcasters and film producers.

By the 1970s, newsreels were dropping off in favor of television as Trede quickly shifted gears for the new format. He reacquired the rights to his massive collection of music and continually added new tracks to suit the electronic and experimental fashions of the time.The rights to his work vary from Selected Sound to EMI and finally to Sonoton.

Regrettable, few contemporary photographs of Trede have surfaced. There is purportedly a very young picture of him as a soldier in WWII. Aside from scoring for newreels and television programs from 1952 to 1982, Trede would compose “Nie wieder Krieg” or “War No More” in 1993 to reconcile his experiences as a WWII soldier. Trede would die 3 years later also in Hamburg.

About the recording

For those with an interest with reel-to-reel magnetic tape, CBS evidently issued their EZ Cue library on reels as well, The LP EZQ 172 is equivalent to Reel EXT 572. See the reels spinning here.

As a German composer, Gerhard Trede maintained his own private library music label in Germany and any recording information appears to be landlocked there. Rights appear to still remain in Germany under Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as under his pseudonym, Victor Cavani. However, he did license music for use in the UK and US market under Mozart Edition and CBS Records EZ Cue Library in the 1960s.

As for partially dating when this track was recorded or released, it’s proving nearly as byzantine as for “Joe Cool”.

Naturally as a division of Columbia Records, Columbia Special Products, and the famed “Tiffany Network”, the Columbia Broadcasting System, CBS needed a service to provide musical scoring for its television shows. Evidence of this comes from when CBS donated its archive to UCLA which has been meticulously poured over by researchers unraveling the cue sheets.The CBS EZ Cue Library was intended as a replacement of an older Reel system used by CBS which numbered as high as #75 with subsections A/B/C/D.

An early CBS EZ Cue catalog lists LPs EZQ 101-175 and Tape EZT 501-575. Several cues are named for CBS shows like The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason, the latter aired its final episode on CBS in 1966.

Advertisements for the CBS Records EZ Cue Library appear as early as 1970 in the Darnell Corporation’s Sales Management. Above is a print ad for CBS EZ Cue in the Radio Section of the 1971 Broadcasting Yearbook, published January 15, 1971. The 1971 advertisement uses the serif version of the CBS logo while the 1972 edition of the yearbook features CBS advertisements using a new sans-serif logo.

So far, this gives us a date that the CBS EZ Cue Library was offered for sale and distribution around 1967-1971.

Like “Joe Cool” and “Stars and Teardrops”, the secret lies in the matrix numbers, in this case XTV 134329 and XTV 134330 for the sides that have the track known as “Modern Jazz (Blues)”.

The Library of Congress holds the Columbia Records Paperwork Collection for the years 1923-1964. It details that XTV stands for a 12 inch mono LP while XSV stands for a 12 inch stereo LP. While the archive shows XTV numbers from 11000-94000 sequentially spanning the years from 1949-1964, the XTV numbers are still 5 digits and have not reached the 6 digit XTV number present on the CBS EZ Cue LP as the archive does not go beyond 1964.

Fortunately, Columbia Special Products pressed other records with similar 6 digit XTV numbers with known pressing dates.

Like RCA Custom, Columbia Custom XTV and XSV codes can be tied to a pressing date though Columbia’s is less precise. Judging by the 6 digit XTV and XSV matrix codes above for work by Columbia Custom for labels like Vanguard, Silver Burdett, Reader’s Digest, and even Columbia’s own CBS Special Products the XTV/XSV numbers can be roughly dated as:

XTV 120000 - 1967

XTV 130000 - 1968

XTV 140000 - 1969

Note that XSV stereo matrix numbers may be pressed at slightly different times than XTV mono releases. The 1968 TV movie for Kiss Me Kate was produced by Armstrong Circle Theatre which ran all the Big Three networks, NBC (1950-1957), CBS (1957-1963), and ABC (1966-1968). CBS evidently kept a close association with Armstrong TV productions by 1968. CBS also produced The Incredible Year 1968 with a higher XSV number of 144898; due to its content as an anthology of CBS News broadcasts from the year, it must have been produced towards the end of 1968 or early 1969.

Therefore, if the record with “Modern Jazz (Blues)” has Columbia matrix numbers of XTV 134329 and XTV 134330, it’s consistent with XTV 130000 releases in 1968. It is likely the first run of LPs for EZQ 101-175 with mono XTV numbers were all pressed around 1968 and later stereo XSV 1400000 content released as needed. As shown above, it appears the serif CBS logo was used to advertise this set until 1971 before the transition to sans-serif.

As for why “Modern Jazz (Blues)” became “Jazz Blues”, it’s likely because the original record had too many “Modern Jazz” descriptors. The record was partially reissued in 1990 on the Gerhard Trede Collection CD under Selected Sound and EMI for Jazz Time 1. 

Namely, the CD retitled several of the CBS tracks as:

CD                                      CBS

1. Jazz Blues               <=> Modern Jazz (Blues)

2. City Sound               <=> Modern Jazz (City-Sound)

4. Jazz im Bach Stil     <=> Bach ‘N’ Forth

Note the retention of the Johann Sebastian Bach pun.

The liner notes booklet is regrettably short on details, as expected for a library music CD. Trede would have been in his 70s when this CD was made of his CBS work from the 1960s. Though the CD notes it was made in West Germany when the country reunified the same year in 1990.

“Jazz Blues” is officially described as:

Sax gest. Trompete. Piano, sentimental schön.

Sax, muted trumpet, piano, sentimental nice.

The rest of the liner notes indicate the Gerhard Trede library was still transitioning from Selected Sound to EMI in 1990.

Another note is as follows:

Alle Musiken wurden von Gerhard Trede komponiert, instrumentiert und produziert.

Die Kompositionen, die mit einem (+) gezeichnet sind, wurden vom Komponisten auf allen Instrumenten selbst gespielt im eigenen Studio.

All music was composed, orchestrated and produced by Gerhard Trede.

The compositions marked with a (+) were played by the composer himself on all instruments in his own studio.

Though Trede was a talented multi-instrumentalist, “Jazz Blues” doesn’t have a plus so it doesn’t appear he solely performed on the track.

Other library music records used in Fallout:

Jazzy Interlude/Jazz Interlude - Billy Munn - CBL 37

Swing Doors - Allan Gray - CBL 37

Rhythm for You - Eddy Christiani & Frans Poptie - CBL 40

I’m Tickled Pink - Jack Shaindlin - CMR 406

Joe Cool/Stars and Teardrops - Nino Nardini - SF 1007

Song: Heartaches by the Number

Artist: Guy Mitchell

Record Album: Top 100 Country Hits of All Time (see below for others)

Record Label:  Candlelite Records  CU 188LP

Recorded: June 1980

Released: 1983

Location: Radio New Vegas, Mojave Music Radio, Black Mountain Radio

Perhaps Mr. New Vegas wasn’t speaking too figuratively when he introduces this song:

In New Vegas, we know the pain that numbers can bring us. Well, so does Guy Mitchell, who's got "Heartaches by the Number."

As the title implies, Guy Mitchell actually re-recorded a number of different versions of his hit tune, greatly muddling which version is actually broadcast over the New Vegas airwaves.

One thing that is numerically certain is that the original 1959 version is not the version used by Mr. New Vegas.

Guy Mitchell on the cover of a 1984 release of another album of re-recordings which features still another different version of “Heartaches by the Number”.

With his last hit in the 1960s and his last UK touring and recording session in 1974, Guy Mitchell effectively retired and went back to ranching. However, in June of 1980, the famed TV compilation album company K-Tel Records contracted Guy Mitchell to re-record a number of his hits in stereo including “Heartaches by the Number” in a recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

Following another Nashville recording session in 1982, there came multiple offers from Las Vegas and London for a planned tour of the UK. In 1990, he starred as a fictional country singer Jim Bob O'May  in the BBC series Your Cheatin’ Heart, a drama named after the Hank Williams song.

His last recording session was in 1997.

Well then, why is the 1980 version of “Heartaches by the Number” used in the game instead of the original 1959 version? A quick look at the end credits for Fallout: New Vegas reveals the licensed version is not the Columbia Records version, similar to “Big Iron”, but our old friend Dominion Entertainment who also provided the 1979 version of “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie”.

An article from the November 22nd, 1997 issue of Billboard Magazine indicates that K-Tel wanted to branch out online using its substantial catalog, including its subsidiary, Dominion Entertainment, which closes the circle somewhat on this tangled web of licensing.

Top row: Candlelite releases from 1983 - The Top 100 Country Hits of All Time, Country Music Cavalacade-Nashville Graffitti, 1950′s Rock’N’Roll Music Collection-Looking Back

Bottom row: known UK releases - Heat of the 50′s (1987, Mastersound) - Those Fabulous 50′s (1988, Ocean) - Hooked on Country (1990, K-Tel)

Researching this title has taken some time, but all of the above albums are known to contain New Vegas’ version of the 1980 re-recording of “Heartaches by the Number”. It doesn’t appear to have been released on a standalone Guy Mitchell album at the time, instead coming on a multitude of compilation albums that K-Tel and Candlelite were known for. However, this may vary on modern CD releases.

I was unable to find an earlier issue closer to the recording date of 1980 than the 1983 Candlelite albums. Confusingly, Candlelite released a nearly identical version of Country Music Cavalcade-Nashville Graffiti in 1976 which does use the original 1959 Columbia Records version of “Heartaches by the Number”.

As for why there was a late release 3 years after the recording session, it could be explained by K-Tel’s acquisition of former rival Candlelite in 1981. This was followed by a bankruptcy hearing and partial foreclosure in 1984.

The Mastersound release does tie back into video games. It’s a cassette release by the Mastertronic, the UK video game publisher for the Sega Master System and many others.

The last UK release is actually by K-Tel instead of one of the numerous licensees and subsidiaries, tying up some loose ends. “Heartaches by the Number” can actually be heard on the TV commercial for Hooked on Country.

To complete the early 80s look, Candlelite released their 5 LP set The Top 100 Country Hits onto a rather extensive 3 8-track cartridge set. Here it is with a Weltron and a lava lamp.

As for how the labels handled the copyrights for this 1980 re-recording of “Heartaches by the Number”, it’s rather bewildering.

The above US Candlelite releases in 1983 alternate between crediting Imperial Music and Key Seven Music. Though they do mention that they are re-recordings made by the original artist.

In the UK, licensing seems to have shifted to Kilo Music Limited. The 1990 K-Tel release omits the licensing information save for a vague “S J Productions Inc.” mention from 1982. Numbered heartaches indeed.

Song: Heartaches by the Number / Two

Artist: Guy Mitchell with Joe Sherman and his Orchestra

Record Label: Columbia Records 4-41476

Recorded: August 24, 1959

Above: The US 45 rpm and the Canadian 78 rpm issue of the song.

The title sort of gives the game away. This is the original 1959 recording of Guy Mitchell singing “Heartaches by the Number”. Guy Michell re-recorded a number of different versions of this song, but Mr. New Vegas plays the 1980 version, not the original.

As such, this is another Rapture Records Recommendation (RRR).

A picture sleeve for the 1959 Columbia 45 rpm issue of “Heartaches by the Number” featuring Guy Mitchell’s headshot and a price of 93 cents.

Born Albert George Cernik in Detroit, Michigan in 1927, he served a string of musical groups on the radio including Dude Martin and Carmen Cavallaro before winning on Arthur Godfrey in 1949.

Upon the new contract with Columbia Records in 1950, his moniker, Guy Mitchell, supposedly came from A&R man Mitch Miller who combined “nice guy” with his own name.

“Heartaches by the Number” would be Mitchell’s second No. 1 hit in the US apart from “Singing the Blues” in 1956. However, he would enjoy far more chart success overseas starting in the UK with “My Heart Cries for You” in 1950.

Joe Sherman (left) and George Davis Weiss get a recording session under way. - Clipping from the July 4th, 1964 issue of Billboard magazine

Though Sherman frequently took up the orchestra leader mantle, he was also a songwriter collaborating with Weiss as well as his brother, Noel Sherman, on "That Sunday, That Summer”, “Juke Box Baby”, and “To the Ends of the Earth” among others.

Joe Sherman and Guy Mitchell would collaborate once more on “The Same Old Me”.

Listen to the 1980 version of “Heartaches by the Number” used in Fallout: New Vegas here.

Song: Two / Heartaches by the Number

Artist: Guy Mitchell with Joe Sherman and his Orchestra

Record Label: Columbia Records 4-41476

Recorded: August 24, 1959

A rather curt title written by Mann Curtis and George Goehring.

There’s not much on this song, but it’s the fairly simple premise of romantic arithmetic: three pairs of things are needed to make two hearts one.

Lots of two-to soundalikes to keep lyricists and listeners on their toes.

Unsurprisingly, it comes in at a light two minutes.

Song: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition! / Jingle Jangle Jingle

Artist: Former members of Kay Kyser’s band - vocals by Harry Babbitt and Chorus

Conductor: Billy May (uncredited)

Record Album: Kay Kyser’s Greatest Hits

Record Label: Capitol Records ST 1692

Recorded: August 25, 1961

Released: 1962

Location: Appalachia Radio

Note: This stereo record features a very hard panning of the instruments and vocals.  The female vocals, tambourine, and saxophones are on the left. The male vocals, percussion, trumpets, and trombones are on the right. More modern mixes have reduced this effect to be more centered.

From Julie’s perspective, this song will be about 160 years old. We just happen to be at the halfway mark right now.

I wish I knew the story behind this next song because it was written so long ago, but it's so appropriate pretty much every day in Appalachia. Here is "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!"

As for the story, it’s quite a long one with a couple of details still missing.

For the original story, step over here for the original 1942 recording made during the height of WWII and a naval chaplain uttering a quick prayer becomes immortalized in song.

For the next part of the story, as is not uncommon here, let me take you down the garden path 20 years later when the Swinging Sixties were trying to bring the swing bands back.

Billboard clipping from April 14, 1962 reviewing the newest Kay Kyser album, without Kay Kyser...

By 1950, bandleader Kay Kyser had largely retired from show business. A combination of the cancellation of his NBC TV show, arthritis, and the death of his mother led him to devote more time to his family and Christian Science.

Rising expenses with personnel and the various strikes and recording bans throughout the 1940s also contributed to the demise of the big bands after WWII.

Swing had swung.

A selection of album covers from Capitol Records between 1955-1961 of artists and bandleaders re-performing their hits in newly recorded hi-fi and stereo. Note the similarities in cover designs.

The end of the war brought changing tastes, but also new technology. The newly invented vinyl long-playing record (LP) could hold up to 22 minutes of uninterrupted music per side compared to the standard shellac 78′s 3 minutes per side. Then came the advent of the stereo record where stereophonic sound could come out of two speakers at the same time to give the feeling of hearing a live orchestra right in your living room. Trying to capitalize on the new stereo music invention, Capitol Records invited bandleaders to recreate their big bands of the 1930s and 1940s in hi-fi and in stereo. Dozens of freshly manufactured multi-track tape recorders whirled (a far cry from recording on wax discs to make masters) and took down the hits of Harry James, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombard, Stan Kenton, Glen Gray, Freddy Martin, Fred Waring, Charlie Barnett and many others. 20 years later and their hits would have that fresh new stereo sound.

To the modern ear, this early stereo effect can be off-putting and exaggerated with instruments on one side and vocals on the other. Recording in stereo was still in its infancy and the novelty was often too great to pass up.

In 1961, Capitol approached Kay Kyser for a new album. He declined after having being out of the music business for 10 years, but did not object to former members bringing the band back together. 

Photos from the recording session from the back cover, left to right: Gloria Wood, Harry Babbitt, Ginny Simms, Ish Kabibble, Sully Mason, Trudy Erwin.

And so, Babbitt, Michael Douglas, Erwin, Ish, Jack Martin, Mason, Simms, and Wood rejoined in the famed recording studios at the Capitol Records building on Hollywood and Vine for several sessions in August and September of 1961.

Though not all of them played instruments, each lent their voices to recreate their hit songs on various tracks complete with falsetto from Ish Kabibble and Sully Mason.

Cover art illustration for the Capitol Records albums Kay Kyser’s Greatest Hits and Jimmy Lunceford in Hi-FI by Jon Jonson. Neither were present for the recording of the new albums (Lunceford had died in 1947 following a collapse). Compared to contemporary photos of the bandleaders, perhaps Mr. Jonson has stylized the covers a bit with cleft chins. Billy May also recreated the orchestra for the Lunceford album.

For this Kay Kyser album, famed Capitol arranger Billy May is believed to have conducted the orchestra for this presumably filled with more session musicians to fill out the big band.

He is uncredited on the sleeve. The Lunceford album also moved his conducting credit to the back cover.

The track listing for the album is as follows with the addition of the original recording dates:

Side One:

Ma (He’s Making Eyes at Me) [Columbia 35411, 1940]

Woody Woodpecker [Columbia 38197, 1948]

Why Don’t We Do This More Often [Columbia 36253, 1941]

Three Little Fishies [Brunswick 8358, 1939]

The Old Lamplighter [Columbia 37095, 1946]

Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition! [Columbia 36640 , 1942]

Side Two:

Who Wouldn’t Love You [Columbia 36526, 1942]

Playmates [Columbia 35375, 1940]

(I Got Spurs) Jingle Jangle Jingle [Columbia 36604, 1942]

Strip Polka [Columbia 37962, 1947]

Pushin’ Sand [Columbia 36676, 1942]

Thinking of You [Columbia 36106/Brunswick 8320, 1939]

As Columbia Records retains the bulk of the Kay Kyser catalog, it is curious that the end credits for Fallout 76 mention using the Columbia version even though other Capitol Records songs have been licensed. Perhaps the licensing fees are going to the wrong company for the wrong version.

As for differences between the Capitol and Columbia versions the overall tone is different in a way that’s admittedly hard to describe. Perhaps on the phrase “...son of a gun of a gunner was he. Shouting...”, in the original 1942 Columbia version the line is shouted loudly, but the 1962 Capitol Records version rather weakly shouts “shouting” in comparison with the male voices almost doing a voice crack. For the track on “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” Harry Babbitt is credited this time as the lead vocal role, perhaps weakly shouting. In general, the entire song is sung as a chorus. Ish Kabibble (trumpet), Jack Martin, and Sully Mason (saxophones) are also present on both recordings serving double duty on instruments and vocals as needed.

Trudy Erwin was also present at the original July 31, 1942 recording session.

Michael Douglas, Ginny Simms, and Gloria Wood were not at the 1942 recording session, but had sung with the Kay Kyser orchestra on other sessions and likely provided the backing vocals on this Capitol Records session as it is a rather loud track.

Kay Kyser himself is not present. While Stan Freberg did imitations of the “Ol’ Professor’s” voice for this record, he did not make an introduction for this track.

There is unfortunately very little else about the recording session that seems to have survived. In an interview with Harry Babbitt’s son, Chris, he recalled attending several of the recording sessions and recognizing more former band members, but he was too young to remember their names.

The album was indifferently reissued in 1989 on cassette tape and CD.

The liner notes are more or less an exact copy of those found on the LP. The cover art was not modified to fit the cassette box. Both the CD and the cassette retain the extreme hard panning of the instruments. However, most of Stan Freberg’s song introductions have been removed and he no longer calls the vocalists by name in an imitation of Kay Kyser.

Listen to the original 1942 recording of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” here.

Song: (I’ve Got Spurs) Jingle Jangle Jingle / Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!

Artist: Former members of Kay Kyser’s band - vocals by Trudy Erwin, Harry Babbitt and Chorus

Conductor: Billy May (uncredited)

Record Album: Kay Kyser’s Greatest Hits

Record Label: Capitol Records ST 1692

Recorded: August 25, 1961

Released: 1962

This 1962 stereo version of “Jingle Jangle Jingle” is mostly included for completeness. This re-recorded version of the song is sometimes mistaken for the original 1942 recording which was used in Fallout: New Vegas. Coincidentally, the same album also contains the re-recorded version of “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” used in Fallout 76.

This stereo record features a very hard panning of the instruments and vocals.  The female vocal, clapping, backing vocals, and saxophones are on the left. The male vocal, jingling, percussion, trumpets, and trombones are on the right. More modern mixes have reduced this effect to be more centered.

As for differences between the Capitol and Columbia versions, the phrasing of the first line “no wedding bells” is an easy indicator. The original 1942 Columbia version says the line smoothly while the 1962 Capitol Records version stops briefly at the word “no”.

As for credited personnel, Harry Babbitt does reprise his lead vocal role. Ish Kabibble (trumpet), Jack Martin, and Sully Mason (saxophones) are also present on both recordings serving double duty on instruments and vocals as needed.

Julie Conway is not present on the Capitol Records version, substituted by Trudy Erwin who however was present at the original May 21, 1942 recording session. Conway had left the band by January of 1944 to pursue her own radio show.

Michael Douglas, Ginny Simms, and Gloria Wood were not at the 1942 recording session, but had sung with the Kay Kyser orchestra on other sessions and likely provided the backing vocals on this Capitol Records session.

Kay Kyser himself is not present. While Stan Freberg did imitations of the “Ol’ Professor’s” voice for this record, he did not make an introduction for this track.

Listen to the in-game version of the original 1942 recording of “Jingle Jangle Jingle” here.

Song: Rockin’ at the Roundhouse / Forty Miles of Bad Road

Composer: Bert Weedon

Record Label: Fontana Records 6007 012

Released: 1970

Location: Black Mountain Radio, Mojave Music Radio

What we have here is another library music instrumental played on all but Mr. New Vegas’ station.

This time however, we know quite a bit more about the song since it saw commercial release on a major UK record label before being re-titled as we know it as “Roundhouse Rock”.

Unfortunately, unlike Fallout 3′s end credits, Fallout: New Vegas’ end credits features the licensed music from the standard record labels, but omits all of the radio tunes from APM including the instrumentals save for a brief mention of  “Additional Music Courtesy of APM Music”.

Although with most pieces of library music, finding artist and recording information is extremely difficult as these songs were never meant to be sold to the public, instead being exclusively used for the film and TV industry. What follows is an attempt to extricate this information.

Note: Library music is typically identified by composer or emotion. However, since the song actually was commercially released we are able to confirm a little more than usual about the musicians who performed on the recording.

About the composer

Studies in incongruity: To the left is the original 1970 Fontana Records issue of the album featuring covers of 1950s rockabilly hits. A young woman is dressed in the height of punk rock fashion complete with Hell’s Angel shirt, leather bike jacket, and chain.

To the right is a slightly later Contour Records reissue featuring Bert Weedon himself sporting a very Tom Selleck-esque mustache. Both covers try to reconcile the look of the 70s with the songs of the 50s.

Born in 1920 as Herbert Weedon in London, he grew up playing the guitar at twelve before a whirlwind set of gigs playing in the big bands of the 30s. Working with the likes of Ted Heath and Mantovani, he became performing with the BBC Show Band and as a session musician for the burgeoning rock and roll scene.

As the first guitarist from the UK to hit the UK SIngles Chart with his guitar instrumentals, his “Guitar Boogie Shuffle” would help pave the way for the twangy rockabilly sound. He recorded an early demo of “Apache” which would later become inspire The Shadows’ hit version. In addition, his Play in a Day set of guides would help shape many a British musician’s guitar work including the Beatles and Led Zeppelin.

By the early 70s, rock and roll had declined in the UK, but was undergoing a revival. “Rockin’ at the Roundhouse” was the title track from the eponymous album. In the liner notes Bert Weedon gives a description of performing at the Roundhouse, “a few months ago” in 1970:

“Everyone was a little nervous after so long an absence from Rock shows, but as soon as I went out there I felt great - the audience were calling out for my old hits, and the more I played the more they called out for more. There was a tremendous atmosphere there and the rockers and the hippies were joined together by the music of rock and roll. I played rock instrumentals as opposed to rock songs that were being sung all evening, and it was probably this that helped to make the success of my appearance that night. I enjoyed it tremendously, playing all the old rock numbers, for a musician can really get swinging into those kind of numbers - it was just great”.

The notes go on to describe how “Rockin’ at the Roundhouse” was written especially for the show and Fontana records were thrilled to turn the single into an entire LP.

Alas, little more is known about this concert. However, the biography Marc Bolan: The Rise And Fall Of A 20th Century Superstar mentions Marc attending the show in March of 1970 which had the headliners of Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Tommy Bruce, Frankie Lymon, Lonnie Mack, Link Wray, and “the original king of the fumbling wires Bert Weedon”. Further details down below.

About the recording

Liner notes on the back cover of the album.

Without the tight-lipped or perhaps negligent nature of library music, here’s a refreshing case of giving musician credits. The LP record label gives the names for this track as Derek Collins (tenor sax), Maurice Placquet (drums), Ron Prentice (bass guitar), Les Thatcher (rhythm guitar), and of course Bert Weedon for lead guitar.

As for the recording date, the record gives a date of ℗ 1970. A handwritten label on the radio station promotional version of the 45 is given as May 15, 1970, whether or not this intended as a date of receipt.

The Roundhouse concert venue in 1968.

As said above, the liner notes mention “Rockin’ at the Roundhouse” was written for a Rock Revival show held at the titular building. The Roundhouse was originally built as a railroad roundhouse before being decommissioned and opening as a performance space in 1964.

There was a rock ‘n roll revival in the UK at the time in the early 70s, though like the covers suggest, 50s rockabilly was about to give way to 70s punk rock. The same Roundhouse building would hold concerts later in the decade for the likes of David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Elton John, and Fleetwood Mac to name a few.

As little additional information appears to have surfaced about Bert Weedon’s Rock Revival concert at the Roundhouse in March 1970, it may have went gently rockin’ into the good night.

While Bert Weedon made a number of traditional compilation albums and numerous singles, "Rockin’ at the Roundhouse” was unusually reissued on a library music CD in 2003, Bert Weedon Gold KPM 543. It was re-titled as “Roundhouse Rock” as track No. 1 with the description:

Classic rock & roll featuring guitar and saxes (original title: ‘Rockin’ at the Roundhouse’ 1960)

The 1960 recording date appear to be a typographical error compared to the original record’s date of 1970.

The CD also contains the other two Bert Weedon songs heard in Fallout: New Vegas, which were also re-titled:

“Lazy Day Blues”, originally known as “Big Note Blues” (1958)

“Happy Times”, originally known as “China Doll” (1961)

Renaming aside, the recording dates given are consistent with the original record labels.

Listen to the flip side “Forty Miles of Bad Road” here.

Other library music records used in Fallout:

Jazzy Interlude/Jazz Interlude - Billy Munn - CBL 37

Swing Doors - Allan Gray - CBL 37

Rhythm for You - Eddy Christiani & Frans Poptie - CBL 40

I’m Tickled Pink - Jack Shaindlin - CMR 406

Song: Forty Miles of Bad Road / Rockin’ at the Roundhouse

Composer: Bert Weedon

Record Label: Fontana Records 6007 012

Released: 1970

Some of you may recognize Duane Eddy’s version of this song on our affiliate station Empire Central Radio.

Though an instrumental, the title apparently originates from a rather glib remark.

This time, Duane Eddy returns the compliment on the back cover LP saying, “Bert is a great guitar man”.

Song: I’m Tickled Pink

Composer: Jack Shaindlin

Record Label: Cinemusic Inc. CMR 406

Recorded: ca. 1954

Released: 1968

Location: Galaxy News Radio

Here’s a cute little ditty about being in love and seeing life through rose-colored glasses. As with our previous library music tunes, Three Dog does not name this song when introducing it on the radio, if he does at all.

Unusually for library music, this song is listed right alongside the other more familiar vocal tunes in Fallout 3′s end credits. However instead of the plethora of copyright information, artist name, and record labels, all of that is replaced with “Courtesy of APM Music, Inc.” In contrast to the other APM tunes, this song is one of two on GNR that uses sung lyrics.

APM Music is one of the well known providers of production music, combining various music libraries and underscoring countless cartoons, films, and TV shows, yet almost anonymously.

Curiously, of the music reprised from GNR in Fallout 3 into DCR in Fallout 4, the ones that didn’t make the jump all came from APM Music.

More on that later.

The full track list of the 1968 release is as follows:

Side A

Dramatic Tension - Suspense - Mystery

1. Rhythmic Apprehension

2. Jungle Periphery #1

3. Jungle Periphery #2

4. Jungle Periphery #3

5. The Hunted

6. Stalagmites

7. Spooks, Incoporated

8. Witch’s Tail

Side B

Special Situations (Direct Cues)

1. Christmas Medley

2. Good Morning Dear Teacher

3. Long, Long Ago

4. For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow

5. Hail to the Chief

6. I’m Ticked Pink (Vocal)

7. Turn Out the Light (Vocal)

As is the case with library music, finding artist and recording information is extremely difficult as these songs were never meant to be sold to the public, instead being exclusively used for the film and TV industry. What follows is an attempt to extricate this information.

Note: Library music is typically identified by composer or emotion. Very little can be confirmed about the musicians who performed on the recording.

About the composer

Jack Shaindlin on a 1963 broadcast of the Today Show promoting the silent film compilation 30 Years of Fun and his work on the music scoring.

Of Russian extraction, Jack Shaindlin was born in 1909 and kickstarted his future in music vamping on the piano to provide accompaniment for silent movies. He quips that he cued up music based on whether the figure on screen wearing a white hat was the good guy while the villain wore a black hat; though sometimes they wore no hats at all, necessitating some sheet music shuffling.

However his best known work is with film and TV, scoring newsreels, movies, and cartoons. The silver screen included Windjammer and Cinerama Holiday. The small screen includes Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw, Rocky and Bulwinkle and many others either working directly with the production or through his library music service. His library continues to the present day through APM in the likes of Ren & Stimpy and Spongebob Squarepants.

Rare amongst such composers, Shaindlin founded a number of library music companies which provided records including Harmonic Langlois (in partnership with Brull-Harmonic), Langlois Filmusic, and finally Cinemusic in 1965.

More on Cinemusic down below.

About the recording

Given his work in film scoring, it should not come as a surprise that the earliest known use for “I’m Tickled Pink” is a 1952 film noire about a Communist sleeper cell nestled in Boston, Massachusetts.

Opening title for Walk East on Beacon! with optical soundtrack. On-screen credit for Jack Shaindlin for Musical Direction.

Some Reader’s Digest product placement during a secret exchange.

Scenes showing the titular name drop for Walk East on Beacon!, namely Professor Kafer tries to find news from the Communist spy ring about his captured son by walking east at the street intersection of Clarendon and Beacon by holding an empty cream jar in his right hand and an umbrella in his left. The rest of the film features a number of such convoluted exchanges.

Below, a 16mm print of the “I’m Tickled Pink” scene occurring approximately an hour and 9 minutes into the movie. The optical soundtrack is visible for your viewing pleasure and personal edification. To avoid further lengthening this post, more detail is given in the video description regarding the context of why two men are suspiciously sitting together in a bar while a cheery song plays in the background.

Waveform representations of “I’m” in the sung lyric “I’m tickled pink”; Top: Variable area optical soundtrack from 16mm film strip; Middle: Inverted color and stretched version; Bottom: Digitization of waveform into audible signal.

The optical soundtrack was digitized courtesy of the AEO-Light program. The song seems tailor-made for film scenes since it comes in at almost a minute and a half, shorter than most commercial songs and good for short cuts and stingers.

An advertisement for Cinemusic Inc. in the December 1, 1969 issue of the trade magazine, Broadcasting: The Businessweekly of Television and Radio. “I’m Tickled Pink” is listed under the LP for CMR 406 B.

Packing slip for Set No. 3 Cinemusic LPs 

Unlike the previous library music records featured here, this record actually has a printed date of 1968, though the film is dated to 1952. Perhaps it’s another instance of library music catalogs stretching the recording date as convenient to avoid sounding “dated”.

This is an unusual instance where a film composer has retained the rights to his score and is able to repackage and reissue it.

“I’m Tickled Pink” was reissued in 1998 on a CD, Cinemusic Dance Orchestra CINE004. It is only one of two vocal tracks present on the CD, the rest being instrumentals. As track No. 20, its description is given as:

Barbershop vocal with light rhythm

However, the recording on the CD is in significantly better quality than the LP and less echo-y. If the song was recorded for the 1952 film Walk East on Beacon!, then the Cinemusic release was in 1968 or 16 years later. The Cinemusic track sounds similar in to quality to 1970s vinyl LP reissues of old film scores which previously did not have an official release.

These were often dubbed directly from the optical soundtracks with little alteration, sometimes including the dialogue and sound effects. Perhaps the optical soundtrack was scanned in much better quality for the CD reissue of this song.

Other library music records used in Fallout:

Jazzy Interlude/Jazz Interlude - Billy Munn - CBL 37

Swing Doors - Allan Gray - CBL 37

Rhythm for You - Eddy Christiani & Frans Poptie - CBL 40