Blue Steele
Eugene Staples, better known by the stage name Blue Steele (March 11, 1893 – July 1, 1971) was an American jazz singer, trombonist and bandleader. He also played mellophone. Staples was born in Arkansas and played in a hot jazz group called Watson's Bell Hops in the early 1920s. He put together an orchestra in the middle of the decade in Atlanta, and had his first engagement in Tarpon Springs, Florida soon after. The group became a popular territory band in Florida and the American South, later touring in the Midwest as well. Steele recorded around 20 songs for Victor Records during the period 1927-1930. His sidemen included Frank Martinez, Pat Davis, Joe Hall, Sammy Goble, Gene Gifford, and Kenny Sargent, all of whom later joined the Casa Loma Orchestra. Singers for the group included Kay Austin, Mabel Batson, Clyde Davis, George Marks, and Bob Nolan. Staples had a notoriously bad temper and was regarded by his bandmates as difficult to work with; big band historian Leo Walker wrote, "musicians, anxious to depart the Steele orchestra, had sometimes...been physically beaten by the bandleader." His popularity waned over the course of the 1930s, and by 1941 he was conducting a radio orchestra on Mexico City's XEW and leading smaller ensembles. In the 1950s he led a dixieland revival group known as the Rhythm Rebels, which included Elmer Schoebel as a sideman. |
Birth and Death Data: Born March 11, 1893 (Arkansas), Died July 7, 1971
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1930
Roles Represented in DAHR: director, composer, tenor vocal, trombone, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 36 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-39851 | 10-in. | 8/26/1927 | Girl of my dreams, I love you | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-39852 | 10-in. | 8/26/1927 | Sugar babe, I'm leavin'! | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | vocalist, tenor vocal, director | |
Victor | BVE-40353 | 10-in. | 10/26/1927 | Down-hearted blues | Blue Steele | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-40354 | 10-in. | 10/26/1927 | Let's forgive and forget | Blue Steele Orchestra ; Bob Nolan | Jazz/dance band, with trombone solo and male vocal solo | director, instrumentalist, trombone | |
Victor | BVE-40355 | 10-in. | 10/26/1927 | Betty Jean | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal, composer, director | |
Victor | BVE-40356 | 10-in. | 10/26/1927 | I'm drifting back to dreamland | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-40357 | 10-in. | 10/26/1927 | I've been saving for a rainy day | Blue Steele | Male vocal solo, with piano | vocalist, tenor vocal | |
Victor | BVE-41828 | 10-in. | 2/2/1928 | Though you went away (You can come back to me) | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-41829 | 10-in. | 2/2/1928 | Beyond the sunset | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | director | |
Victor | BVE-41862 | 10-in. | 2/7/1928 | Virginia Lee (Come back to me) | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, tenor vocal, composer, director | |
Victor | BVE-41865 | 10-in. | 2/8/1928 | Be my baby | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-41871 | 10-in. | 2/9/1928 | Thoughts | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trombone, director | |
Victor | BVE-41872 | 10-in. | 2/9/1928 | I knew I'd miss you | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trombone, director | |
Victor | BVE-41877 | 10-in. | 2/10/1928 | Because you are my dream girl | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with trombone solo and male vocal solo | instrumentalist, trombone, director | |
Victor | BVE-41892 | 10-in. | 2/13/1928 | Washington & Lee swing | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus | director | |
Victor | BVE-41893 | 10-in. | 2/13/1928 | Where has my old gang gone? | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | director | |
Victor | BVE-55526 | 10-in. | 9/16/1929 | Mistakes | Blue Steele Orchestra ; George Marks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-55532 | 10-in. | 9/17/1929 | Rock me to sleep in your arms | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | director | |
Victor | BVE-55533 | 10-in. | 9/17/1929 | Shadows of love | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter, director | |
Victor | BVE-55538 | 10-in. | 9/18/1929 | Searching | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, director | |
Victor | BVE-55539 | 10-in. | 9/18/1929 | Tennessee memories | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter, director | |
Victor | BVE-55544 | 10-in. | 9/18/1929 | Coronado (Brings memories of you) | Blue Steele Orchestra ; George Marks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, director | |
Victor | BVE-55549 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Another night of happiness | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter, director | |
Victor | BVE-55550 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Freddy's fog | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer, director | |
Victor | BVE-55551 | 10-in. | 9/19/1929 | Are you lonesome? | Blue Steele Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter, director |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Steele, Blue," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113047.
Steele, Blue. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/113047.
"Steele, Blue." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Steele, Blue - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006054466
Wikidata: Blue Steele - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q885891
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/46515629
MusicBrainz: Blue Steele - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4a779488-156d-439b-b44d-f768ff29cb09
ISNI: 0000 0000 4923 7624 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000049237624
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