Scrappy Lambert
Harold "Scrappy" Lambert (May 12, 1901 – November 30, 1987, in New Brunswick, New Jersey) was an American dance-band vocalist who appeared on hundreds of recordings from the 1920s to the 1940s. At Rutgers University, he was a cheerleader and played piano for a jazz group, the Rutgers Jazz Bandits. In February 1925, fellow student Billy Hillpot and he formed a musical duo impersonating the Smith Brothers. They were discovered in 1926 by Ben Bernie, who signed them to perform with his orchestra. Lambert and Hillpot appeared on many recordings with the orchestra and remained under Bernie's employ until 1928. Other bandleaders who employed Lambert include Red Nichols, Frank Britton Wenzel, Fred Rich, and Sam Lanin. In the 1920s and early 1930s, Lambert was one of the most prolific "band vocalists" (hired to sing the vocal chorus on recordings by both performing orchestras and studio groups). His voice is featured on hundreds of recordings and a series of vocal solo recordings for Brunswick. In the 1930s, Lambert and Hillpot took their comedy routine to the National Broadcasting Company. In 1943, MCA offered Lambert a job overseeing their radio department in Beverly Hills, California. This marked the end of his singing career, and he worked for MCA until 1948. He was living in Palm Springs at the time of his death, in Riverside, California. "Cheerio, Cherry Lips, Cheerio", a 1929 vocal that Lambert recorded under the name Gordon Wallace, has been the closing theme of Dr. Demento's weekly radio broadcast since the early 1970s. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 12, 1901 (New Brunswick), Died November 30, 1987 (Riverside)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1926 - 1933
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, tenor vocal, composer
Notes: Also used pseudonym Burt Lorin.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 607 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-37534 | 10-in. | 1/11/1927 | Ya gonna be home to-night (Oh yeh? Then I'll be over) | Smith Brothers | Male vocal duet, with banjo and piano (takes 3-5); with banjo (takes 1 and 2) | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-37535 | 10-in. | 1/11/1927 | Who do you love? | Smith Brothers | Male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-37585 | 10-in. | 2/1/1927 | Hoosier sweetheart (Say who) | Smith Brothers | Male vocal duet, with piano | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-40162 | 10-in. | 10/10/1927 | Back where the daisies grow | Edwin J. McEnelly Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-40547 | 10-in. | 11/7/1927 | Rain | Jacques Renard Cocoanut Grove Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-40588 | 10-in. | 11/17/1927 | You came along | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal duet | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-41104 | 10-in. | 11/23/1927 | Among my souvenirs | Harold Lambert ; Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-41133 | 10-in. | 12/1/1927 | We'll have a new home (In the mornin') | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal chorus | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-41196 | 10-in. | 12/21/1927 | My stormy weather pal | Johnny Johnson ; Statler Pennsylvanians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-41520 | 10-in. | 1/5/1928 | After my laughter came tears | Virginians | Orchestra, with male vocal duet | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-41521 | 10-in. | 1/5/1928 | Away down south in heaven | Virginians | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-42402 | 10-in. | 2/2/1928 | Rain or shine | Harold Lambert ; The Troubadours | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-42403 | 10-in. | 2/2/1928 | Forever and ever | Harold Lambert ; The Troubadours | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-42411 | 10-in. | 2/6/1928 | Mary Ann | Billy Hillpot ; Jacques Renard Cocoanut Grove Orchestra ; Harold Lambert | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-42428 | 10-in. | 2/9/1928 | The beggar | Harold Lambert ; Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-43384 | 10-in. | 3/21/1928 | I'm more than satisfied | All Star Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-43385 | 10-in. | 3/21/1928 | Oh, baby! | All Star Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-43653 | 10-in. | 4/19/1928 | Dream house | Art Hickman's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-47747 | 10-in. | 10/15/1928 | My varsity girl I'll cling to you | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-47748 | 10-in. | 10/15/1928 | Blossoms that bloom in the moonlight | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-47775 | 10-in. | 10/22/1928 | I still keep dreaming of you | Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra | Orchestra, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-48286 | 10-in. | 12/24/1928 | Let's sit and talk about you | Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-48302 | 10-in. | 1/24/1929 | Sally of my dreams | Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-48531 | 10-in. | 1/2/1929 | Wait a little while, sweetheart | Edwin J. McEnelly Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist | |
Victor | BVE-48532 | 10-in. | 1/2/1929 | Do you? That's all I want to know | Edwin J. McEnelly Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lambert, Scrappy," accessed October 15, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/109632.
Lambert, Scrappy. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/109632.
"Lambert, Scrappy." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 15 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Harold "Scrappy" Lambert
Discogs: Scrappy Lambert
Allmusic: Scrappy Lambert
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Lambert, Scrappy, 1901-1987 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no93019432
Wikidata: Harold "Scrappy" Lambert - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7438797
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/233232258
MusicBrainz: Harold "Scrappy" Lambert - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/7e7570f0-f2f9-4713-b606-912473d4c2a8
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