[Dixielandjazz] Parade of the Wooden Soldiers vs. Parade of the Tin Soldiers

[David Richoux]

Hi all,

This morning on my radio show I played several versions of the song  
"Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" credited to Leon Jessel.  I played a  
Red Nichols 5 Pennies version from around 1958, a Pee Wee Erwin take  
from about the same time and one from the Hollywood Bowl Symphony.  
That last album said it was written for a 1922 Broadway review. Also,  
a web site mentions a Max & David Fleischer Betty Boop cartoon of 1933.

The question comes from this version:  "Parade of the Tin Soldiers"  
as done by the Palm Court Theatre Orchestra of England. That album  
lists the music by Leon Jessel in 1912!  All of the versions are  
about the same (no lyrics) so I am wondering if this was one of those  
"change the name for publishing rights" or a UK vs US legal situation.

BTW, I also played "March of the Toys" by Billy May's Orchestra that  
did not credit Jessel, and "Parade of the Wooden Toy Soldiers" by the  
Bourbon St. Irregulars (of San Francisco, mid 1970s)  but they were  
all just about the same as the others.

I did not have a version of "March of the Toy Soldiers" by Duke  
Ellington and Billy Strayhorn available but I would have played that  
too!

Anyway, anybody know more about this little bit of trivia?

Dave Richoux