Album Notes

BEN LIGHT (and his Surf Club Boys): This stride piano player from vaudeville toured with Cliff Edwards in 1938; both artists made risque party records in the 1930s and 1940s.

In the late 1940s and 1950s, Ben Light recorded fast-paced instrumental versions of pop standards for Tempo Records, Capitol Records and RCA. Ben died January 6, 1965 in Hollywood at the age of 72. Vocals for these comedy recordings were done by an unknown male vocalist using the name “Bob Tank.”

CLIFF “Ukelele Ike” EDWARDS: Best known to most people as the voice of Jiminy Cricket from the film “Pinocchio,” Cliff Edwards was also a popular singer who recorded many sides under the name "Ukelele Ike" in the 1920s. In the 1930s, he made risque party records such as heard here.

BRUCE RAEBURN: Unknown vocalist of many risque party records for Bang Records in the 1940s.

PURE AND SIMPLE: An unidentified male/female comedy team from the mid-1930s, who very likely worked in radio.

RAY BOURBON: Real name Hal Waddell; worked in vaudeville with Bert Sherry as "Bourbon and Sherry". His "Boys Will Be Girls" review was raided by the police during a 1932 radio broadcast. Club dates, arrests and recordings followed in the 1930s and '40's. Attempted to revive his career by announcing a (fake) sex-change operation in 1956. Died of a heart attack in 1971 while serving 99 years for murder.