Dick Robertson
Dick Robertson (New York City, July 3, 1903 – 1979) was an American popular big band singer and songwriter of the 1930s and 1940s. He sang for many bandleaders such as Leo Reisman and Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra, and was on the artist roster at Banner Records. In fact, he was one of the most prolific New York based vocalists (along with Irving Kaufman, Chick Bullock, Scrappy Lambert, Elmer Feldkamp, Paul Small and Smith Ballew) on scores of records from late 1928 through the mid 1930s. A series of records issued on Melotone/Perfect/Banner/Oriole/Romeo, Crown, Bluebird from 1930-1934 were issued under his name or are listed in the 2010 edition of "American Dance Bands on Record and Film (1915-1942)" by Richard J. Johnson and Bernard H. Shirley as being under his nominal leadership. His last recording session as a singer was in 1949. He also used the pseudonym Bob Richardson for some recordings on Mayfair Records. As a songwriter his biggest hit was "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)" in 1940. The Sinatra version of the song was re-released on The Song Is You (album) and again on Frank Sinatra & the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Jukebox Ella: The Complete Verve Singles, Vol. 1 |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 3, 1903 (New York City), Died 1979
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor vocal, leader, songwriter, vocalist, speaker, lyricist, arranger, composer
Notes: Sometimes billed as "The Radio Jester."
See Also: Donaldson Quartet
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 897 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-49220 | 10-in. | 12/3/1928 | Then came the dawn | Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-49932 | 10-in. | 2/7/1929 | I'm thirsty for kisses, hungry for love | Dick Robertson ; Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-49989 | 10-in. | 2/23/1929 | Wedding bells (Are breaking up that old gang of mine) | Gene Austin ; Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-50901 | 10-in. | 2/28/1929 | Something to live for | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-50902 | 10-in. | 2/28/1929 | You're perfect! | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-50919 | 10-in. | 3/7/1929 | Don't do that to the poor puss-cat | Dick Robertson ; Ed Smalle | Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-63360 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Hittin' the bottle | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-63361 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | That Lindy hop | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-63362 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | You're lucky to me | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-63363 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Memories of you | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-64378 | 10-in. | 11/26/1930 | What good am I without you? | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-64623 | 10-in. | 11/18/1930 | That's where the South begins | Red Nichols and his Big Ten ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-64624 | 10-in. | 11/18/1930 | I'm tickled pink with a blue-eyed baby | Red Nichols and his Big Ten ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-67489 | 10-in. | 3/5/1931 | One little hour with you | Irving Mills Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-69609 | 10-in. | 5/13/1931 | That's my desire | Dick Robertson ; Wooding’s Grand Central Red Caps | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-69683 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | Thumpin' 'n' bumpin' | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-69684 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | Little girl | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-69685 | 10-in. | 6/3/1931 | My blue days blew over (When you came back to me) | Eubie Blake’s Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-69910 | 10-in. | 11/25/1931 | Home | Peter Van Steeden Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70140 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Oh, it looks like rain | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70141 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Sweet music | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70142 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | My sweet tooth says I wanna | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70143 | 10-in. | 7/31/1931 | Malinda's weddin' day | Connie’s Inn Orchestra ; Fletcher Henderson ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70187 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Waiting for the moon | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BRC-70188 | 10-in. | 8/27/1931 | Red-headed baby | Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Robertson, Dick," accessed October 15, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
Robertson, Dick. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/107135.
"Robertson, Dick." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 15 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Robertson, Dick, 1903-1979 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n94083523
Wikidata: Dick Robertson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q16008787
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/1322149108402068780002
MusicBrainz: Dick Robertson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/279a134f-f0bb-479a-8c67-5dbbd95ba25b
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