2010-11-03

Gerald Adams and The Variety Singers - Daisy Bell

Artist: Gerald Adams and The Variety Singers

Song: Daisy Bell

From Wikipedia:

"Daisy Bell" was composed by Harry Dacre in 1892. As David Ewen writes in American Popular Songs: “When Dacre, an English popular composer, first came to the United States, he brought with him a bicycle, for which he was charged duty. His friend (the songwriter William Jerome) remarked lightly: 'It's lucky you didn't bring a bicycle built for two, otherwise you'd have to pay double duty.' Dacre was so taken with the phrase 'bicycle built for two' that he decided to use it in a song. That song, Daisy Bell, first became successful in a London music hall, in a performance by Katie Lawrence. Tony Pastor was the first one to sing it in the United States. Its success in America began when Jennie Lindsay brought down the house with it at the Atlantic Gardens on the Bowery early in 1892.”

It is said that the song was inspired by Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, a British socialite and mistress of King Edward VII.

From the site Dance Band Encyclopedia:

Gerald Adams was a trained singer (a tenor) who was called upon occasionally to provide vocals on dance bands recordings for house bands, though he was much more at home singing ballads than “pop” tunes. He recorded a handful of vocals for Stan Greening at Regal (issued as Lido Dance Orchestra or Raymond Dance Band) and also at Edison Bell with their house band.

The same site reports that Stan Greening began recording at Regal Records in 1925 as well as the following information:

In the 1920s Stan Greening was responsible for hundreds of dance band recordings for a number of different record labels, such as Imperial, Columbia, Regal, Mimosa, HMV, Parlophone, Edison Bell Winner and Duophone.

There is a flower within my heart
Daisy, Daisy
Planted one day by a glancing Dad
Planted by daisy bell
Whether she loves me or loves me not
Sometimes it's hard to tell
Yet I am longing to share the lot
A beautiful daisy bell

CHORUS:
Daisy, Daisy give me your heart to do
I'm half crazy, hopeful in love with you
It won't be a stylish marraige
I can't afford the carriage
But you look sweet upon the street
On a bicycle built for two

We will go tandem as man and wife
Daisy, Daisy
Peddling our way down the road of life
I and my daisy bell
When the roads and we both dispise
Please men the lambs as well
There are bright lights in those dasling ice
A beautiful daisy bell

REPEAT CHORUS

I'll stand by you in wear or well Daisy, Daisy
You'll be the bell we'll try to rip you know
Sweet little daisy bell, You'll take the lead in each trip we take
And if I dropped out, I will say here's the drink by beautiful daisy bell

REPEAT CHORUS (x2)

But you look sweet upon the street
On a bicycle built for two
On a bicycle built for two
On a bicycle built for two
For two, For two, For two, For two

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