Rapture Records

Song: “Murder”, He Says / Something to Remember You By

Artist: Dinah Shore with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra

Record Label: RCA Victor Records 20-1525

Released: 1943

Location: KTI Radio

Now I don’t pretend to think that everyone in Los Angeles talks like this, but then again people are more relaxed around there.

This is novelty jive number from the 1943 Paramount film “Happy Go Lucky” about unsavory slang. It was introduced by Butty Hutton in the film, but as a more raunchy and explosive rendition.

Oddly, Dinah Shore low-key and honey-voiced version was the one that caught the public’s ear, peaking at #4 on Billboard, beating out Helen O'Connell and Peggy Mann.

Most people remember Dinah Shore as the blonde TV personality full of Southern charm and encouraging people to “See the USA in your Chevrolet” with a friendly kiss.

But she first got her start in radio, and as a brunette, while entertaining the troops for the USO. Born Frances Rose Shore, she earned her stage name by often auditioning with the song “Dinah”. She was unsuccessful at obtaining a position as a vocalist with the Goodman and Dorsey Orchestras, but was able to make a hit career by pioneering the field of solo artists.

She obtained major hits with “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”, “Yes, My Darling Daughter”, and “I’ll Walk Alone”.

Gordon Jenkins is a triple threat as a composer, arranger, and conductor for the likes of Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Louis Armstrong. Some of his best known songs include “P.S. I Love You”, “Goodbye” (written after his wife’s death), and “When a Woman Loves a Man”.

Listen to the flip side “Something to Remember You By” here.