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Ted Weems & His Orch. - Blue Eyed Sally, 1924

4,323 views · Published 29 July 2012 · 2:55 · Indexed 4 November 2026

Channel: 240252 · 2012 · Music

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Ted Weems and His Orchestra -- Blue-Eyed Sally, Fox Trot (Al Bernard -- Russel Robinson), Victor 1924 (USA; accoustical recording)

NOTE: Ted Weems (originally Wemyes; b. 1901 in  Pitcairn, Pennsylvania -- d.1963) American bandleader & violinist. He started playing violin as a student in Lincoln College,  Pittsburgh, then he switched to trombone and, realizing his own limitations, had settled for a baton, organizina a school band. When his family moved to Philadelphia, young Weems continued leading the orchestra in West Philadelphia High School. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he and his brother Art organized a small dance band that became the "All American Band". The brothers sought the most talented college musicians for the group and soon, the All American Band started receiving offers to perform in well-known hotels throughout the United States. Weems, who had originally intended to become a civil engineer, found himself being attracted to a musical career. His band played at the inaugural ball of President Warren Harding. Going professional in 1923, Weems toured for the MCA Corporation, recording for Victor Records "Somebody Stole My Gal" -- their first  #1 hit in 1924. In 1928, they moved to Chicago, where the band gained enormous popularity making regular radio broadcasts. Weems was a Victor band from 1923 through 1933, he then signed with Columbia in 1934 and subsequently signed with Decca from 1936.

"Ted was a good businessman and a gentleman in every sense of the word — in his actions and in his dress and everything," recalls Perry Como, who became the bands's vocalist in 1936. " I don't think the man had a mean bone in his body". Weems very wisely never tried to compete with the big swingers. He concentrated on making the most out of what he had, even if it was something as simple as a whistler, a whistler who helped him create his band's biggest hit record (Ted Weems Orch. & Elmo Tanner, Hertaches, recorded in 1938 http://youtu.be/-f4FAny0d1c ). Rediscovered in 1947, the "Heartaches" revived in post-war era the Weems' career that had begun to fade like those of the other name bands. Ted Weems continued performing almost until his death. He passed away as one of the few bandleaders of his generation who had completed a successful band leading biography of one of the kindest men in the band business in USA.

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