[Dixielandjazz] Re: Charlie/propaganda swing

Bill Haesler bhaesler at nsw.bigpond.net.au
Mon Jun 2 10:56:53 PDT 2003


Dear Anton,
Regarding: >Finally a request. Who remembers a WW2 song called "You're a sap,
Mister Jap (to mess with Uncle Sammy)"? 
I have the barest memory of it and have the feeling that it may have been sung
by an Andrews Sisters type group.<

I am not surprised that Don Ingle replied so promptly regarding this propaganda
song.
"You're a sap, Mister Jap" (James Cavanaugh, John Redmond & Nat Simon.  Arr. by
Jimmy Dale. Mills Music Inc., NYC, 1941.) with vocal by the 'Boys in the Back
Room', was recorded by Spike Jones' City Slickers for Standard Transcription
Library at NBC, Hollywood, on 20 April 1944.
(This happens to be Hitler's birthday. And mine too.)
Personnel: Spike, d; Don Anderson, t; King Jackson, tb; Del Porter, cl; Stan
Wrightsman, p; Luther Roundtree, bj; Hank Stern, tu; vclists: Del Porter, King
Jackson, Carl Grayson, Luther Roundtree.
Reissued on CD. Harlequin HQCD 01 and a new Collectors' Choice 3CD set of many
of the Standard transcriptions CCM-329 called '(Not) Your Standard Spike Jones
Collection'. It is also on the 4CD Proper Box 'Spike Jones' set.
At this time the Spike Jones' City Slickers recorded numerous 'patriotic' songs
including some  with altered  lyrics.
Examples include the celebrated Der Fuehrer's Face plus 48 Reasons Why, Little
Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep, Pack Up You Troubles, You Can't Say No To A Soldier,
Come Josephine In My Flying Machine and GI Haircut.
Yes1 I have 'em all.   
Other recorded versions of "You're a Sap, Mister Jap" include Carl Hoff & His
Orch, Dick Robertson & His Orch and The Murphy Sisters (You were close Anton!). 
So there! Much more than you probably wanted to know.
8>)
Kind regards,
Bill.



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