Gus Arnheim’s orchestra was the most popular dance band on the West Coast in the late 1920s and early ‘30s, and they were the house band at the posh Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles. With vocal honors by vocalist Donald Novis, Arnheim’s version of “Sweet and Lovely” scored a prime spot in the charts for 14 weeks in 1931. Other versions of the song also charted:
Gus Arnheim and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra (1931, Donald Novis, vocal, #1) - Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians (1931, #2)
- Bing Crosby (1931, vocal, #9)
- Ben Bernie and His Orchestra (1931, #12)
- Russ Columbo (1931, vocal, #19)
- Bing Crosby (1944, #27)
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Tunes with the ambiguous “words and music by” followed by a listing of several names beg the question: who wrote what? In the case of “Sweet and Lovely,” it’s an easy mystery to solve. First, Harry Tobias was the lyricist. Second, Gus Arnheim was a bandleader and shrewd businessman--not a songwriter. So the tune’s composer was Charles N. Daniels. But the original sheet music lists him under one of his pseudonyms, “Jules Lemare.” (His other pen name was “Neil Moret.”)
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Once Arnheim’s ensemble began performing the number, it became increasingly popular, eventually becoming the band’s theme song. Vocalist Donald Novis recorded the tune with Arnheim in the summer of 1931, but it’s likely that Arnheim’s previous vocalist, Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby, also sang the tune with the band.
Crosby joined Arnheim’s band in 1930, which, coupled with live radio broadcasts and recordings, brought him more recognition, and by mid-1931 he was on his way with a solo career. He recorded a stunning version of “Sweet and Lovely” in September, 1931.
Russ Colombo began his vocal career under Arnheim’s aegis, too. Originally a saxophone player in the group, he began singing with the band after Crosby’s departure, eventually moving on to a solo career, which, for a short time, vied for popularity with Crosby. Sadly his life was cut short as the result of a gun accident in 1934.
“Sweet and Lovely” made a return appearance in 1944 in the film Two Girls and a Sailor, and Crosby did a remake of his 1931 hit, again making the charts.
The lyrics, written from a male perspective, extol the virtues of a woman “sweeter than the roses in May.” There is a marvelous rhythmic figure toward the end of the bridge that Crosby used to great effect on his 1931 recording, utilizing a crescendo when singing the words “taunting me, melody, haunting me” and then quickly dropping his volume back for a reprise of the tune’s title.
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