Here are scans of rare vintage sheet music, as well as sound files from old 78’s and original arrangements.Print the music, and listen to follow along.
Hannah Open That Door. A ragtime novelty recorded by Sam and Kirk McGee.
Ukulele Lady. When this was first recorded, it was with violin! No uke at all, by Vaughn De Leath and later a great version by the Kweskin Jugband.
Hard Hearted Hannah, recorded by Ukulele Ike and others in the 20’s.
Here’s a recording by Ukulele Ike, where you can really hear one of his innovative strumming patterns clearly: thumb drags, rolls, triplets.
Take Me To That Land Of Jazz, recorded by Lowe Stokes, fiddler from the Skillet Lickers.
Button Up Your Overcoat. A 1922 Broadway hit, with a great ukulele arrangement, sung by Helen Kane, the model for Betty Boop!
Baby Rose was an early Tin Pan Alley composition recorded before WWI, and later reworked into an Old Timey classic by Charlie Poole and his North Carolina Ramblers circa 1930.
The original version by Billy Murray
The Old Timey way by Charlie Poole
I’ll See You In My Dreams, recorded by Cliff Edwards, aka, Ukulele Ike.
Yaaka Hula Hickey Dula….speaks for itself. Written and recorded in 1916.
Christopher Columbus. A novelty song that is a natural on the uke. Recorded by Django, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman….to name a few. Here is the original music.
The very speedy version by the amazing Kweskin Jug Band.
Another jazzed up song from the Tin Pan Alley Era, by Lowe Stokes.
Here’s the tune. Sailin’ Down The Chesapeake.
And the Tin Pan Alley, pre WWI recording.
Sunday, a song about the days of the week from the jazz era.
A You’re Adorable….1949, the best alphabet song out there. The recording by Perry Como is the definitive version, and in spite of being too sugary sounding, this translates well to the uke.
That’s My Weakness Now. This has lots of extra verses and uke chords.
I Aint Nobody’s Darling, which was recorded as a jazz standard by Fats Waller, and others, and also as an old timey song called Took My Gal Out Walking.
After You’ve Gone, a classic jazz song covered by a wide range of performers and styles, from the 20’s divas to Texas Swing. This piece has the ukulele chords.
Dinah, a classic jazz song, recorded by countless singers and played as an instrumental by Django, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti…. here’s the 20’s music with ukulele arrangement.
When The Red Red Robin Goes Bob Bob Bobbin’ Along, first made famous by Al Jolson, and than recorded by many others. The sound file is Cliff Edwards, where you can clearly hear his ukulele part.
Lazybones, written in 1933, and here’s sheet music with the ukulele arrangement.
Here’s one of the few bands, (called Lazybones!), that recorded the entire song.
My Own Iona, a novelty Hawaiian song from 1916, that was also recorded as an old timey tune by the Scottsdale String Band, featuring a mandolin highlight.
Here’s the original 1916 version.
The later (1930’s) version in the Western Old Time Hawaiian style?