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Don Raye

Don Raye (born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr., March 16, 1909 – January 29, 1985) was an American songwriter, best known for his songs for The Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", "The House of Blue Lights", "Just for a Thrill" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." The latter was co-written with Hughie Prince.

While known for such wordy novelty numbers, he also wrote the lyrics to "You Don't Know What Love Is," a simple, poetic lament of unusual power. He also composed the song "(That Place) Down the Road a Piece," one of his boogie woogie songs, which has a medium bright boogie tempo. It was written for the Will Bradley Orchestra, who recorded it in 1940, but the song was destined to become a rock and roll standard, recorded by The Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Foghat, Amos Milburn, Harry Gibson, and countless others. In 1940, he wrote the lyrics for the patriotic song "This Is My Country".

In 1985, Don Raye was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 16, 1909 (Washington, D.C.), Died January 29, 1985

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-98364 10-in. 12/9/1935 (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes Clambake Seven ; Tommy Dorsey ; Edythe Wright Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-98497 10-in. 1/6/1936 (If I had) Rhythm in my nursery rhymes Little Ramblers ; Eddie Lloyd Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-035782 10-in. 4/24/1939 Why begin again (Pastel blue) Three Reasons ; Dick Todd Male vocal solo, with female vocal trio and jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-036840 10-in. 5/1/1939 Why begin again? Jack Leonard ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-037137 10-in. 5/22/1939 Well all right! (Tonight's the night) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra ; Edythe Wright Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-037636 10-in. 6/13/1939 The shoemaker's holiday Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-037637 10-in. 6/13/1939 Well all right (Tonight's the night) Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-037638 10-in. 6/13/1939 Danger! Men blasting Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-040692 10-in. 8/29/1939 The monkeys have no tails in Pago Pago Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-041148 10-in. 7/31/1939 Just for a thrill Bob Chester Orchestra ; Kathleen Lane Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-041530 10-in. 8/10/1939 It's the tune that counts Fats Waller and his Rhythm Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-041591 10-in. 8/21/1939 Just for a thrill Gray Gordon ; Cliff Grass ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-044312 10-in. 12/4/1939 Yodelin' jive Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-044636 10-in. 1/18/1940 I love you much too much Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-047727 10-in. 2/29/1940 Let's have another one Tony Pastor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-048677 10-in. 4/9/1940 I love you much too much Blue Barron ; Russ Carlyle Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-049582 10-in. 3/28/1940 Sadie Hawkins' Day Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-050536 10-in. 5/8/1940 Rhumboogie Delta Rhythm Band ; Evelyn Poe ; Bob Zurke Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-051843 10-in. 7/11/1940 Rhumboogie Bob Chester Orchestra ; Al Stuart Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056107 10-in. 9/12/1940 Beat me Daddy, eight to a bar Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-056161 10-in. 9/23/1940 Ready, get set, jump Tony Pastor Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-058210 10-in. 12/3/1940 Scrub me mama, with a boogie beat Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-058892 10-in. 1/20/1941 Boogie woogie bugle boy Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Tommy Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-058894 10-in. 1/20/1941 You're a lucky fellow, Mr.Smith Mitchell Ayres ; Fashions-in-Music ; Mary Ann Mercer ; Tommy Taylor Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-060437 10-in. 1/21/1941 Do you call that a buddy Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Butch Stone Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-061630 10-in. 9/11/1941 You were there Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-061712 10-in. 10/5/1941 I'll remember April Bob Carroll ; Charlie Barnet Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-062791 10-in. 3/31/1941 Music makers Marilyn Duke ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-063841 10-in. 5/2/1941 Music makers Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey ; Rhythm Reys Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-067759 10-in. 9/8/1941 Watch the birdie Harriet Clark ; Sonny Dunham Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-068371 10-in. 11/27/1941 You dont know what love is Jan Savitt ; Top Hatters Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Victor BS-068379 10-in. 12/1/1941 Pig foot Pete Dawn Patrol Boys ; Dolly Dawn Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-068400 10-in. 11/17/1941 The boy with the wistful eyes Earl Hines Orchestra ; Madeline Green ; Earl Hines ; Three Varieties Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo and male vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BS-068403 10-in. 11/17/1941 You don't know what love is Earl Hines Orchestra ; Billy Eckstine Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-068442 10-in. 11/28/1941 The boy with the wistful eyes Mitchell Ayres ; Meredith Blake ; Fashions-in-Music Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor PBS-072560 10-in. 7/30/1942 (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy Dinah Shore ; Paul Wetstein Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-074717 10-in. 6/30/1942 (Nobody knows better than I) He's my guy Bob Chester Orchestra ; Betty Bradley Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-075401 10-in. 7/1/1942 He's my guy (Nobody knows better than I) Jo Stafford ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Victor D9VB-715 10-in. 8/19/1949 Cuddled in your arms Fran Warren Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor E1VB-0055 10-in. 1/9/1951 I love you too much Hugo Winterhalter Orchestra ; Fran Warren Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
Victor E1VB-1786 10-in. 4/16/1951 Sidewalk shuffle Steve Gibson ; Original Red Caps (Steve Gibson) Male vocal quartet, with instrumental quintet songwriter  
Victor D4AB-0069 10-in. 3/22/1944 Milkman, keep those bottles quiet Four King Sisters Female vocal quartet, with male vocal solo and songwriter  
Victor D5VB-1149 10-in. 11/12/1945 I'm not having any (this year) Russ Case Orchestra ; David Street Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1082 10-in. 10/16/1947 A song was born Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong All-Stars ; Jack Teagarden Male vocal duet, with jazz sextet songwriter  
Victor D7VB-1808 10-in. 10/22/1947 Daddy-o (I'm gonna teach you some blues) Lillian Lane ; Page Cavanaugh Trio Female vocal solo, with male vocal trio, guitar, bass, and piano songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2126 10-in. 11/26/1947 It's watcha do with watcha got Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Glenn Hughes ; Martin Men Male vocal solo, with male vocal group and instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor D7VB-2169 10-in. 12/8/1947 Your red wagon Count Basie Orchestra ; Jimmy Rushing Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor D7VB-2594 10-in. 12/5/1947 Love that boy! Cathy Allen ; Louis Prima Orchestra Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor D8VB-3740 10-in. 5/11/1948 Judaline Stuart Foster ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Dub from film: Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band songwriter  
Decca 67615 10-in. 4/23/1940 Hit the road Vic Schoen Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 67616 10-in. 4/23/1940 Serenade to the stars Vic Schoen Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 67617 10-in. 4/23/1940 Of maestro and men Vic Schoen Orchestra vocalist  
Decca 67618 10-in. 4/23/1940 Arabian nights Vic Schoen Orchestra vocalist  
Decca DLA 2470 10-in. 6/27/1941 Pig foot Pete Freddie Slack and his Eight Beats vocalist  
Decca DLA 2471 10-in. 6/27/1941 That place down the road a-piece Freddie Slack and his Eight Beats vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Raye, Don," accessed November 19, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.

Raye, Don. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 19, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090.

"Raye, Don." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106090

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