You Were The First One (To Teach Me To Love)

 

 

 You Were The First One (Australian) HMV B766 Zonophone Twin 1562
Listen to a 1915
recording by
Clara Beck.

MP3
   
Image source:
National Library of Australia,
http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an6488650-s1-e-cd
    

 

Fred Godfrey, Ronald F. Wakley & Bennett Scott — London: Star Music; Melbourne: Dinsdales’, 1915.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

“Seldom has a new song so speedily come into popular favour as has ‘You Were The First One To Teach Me To Love’...Daisy Dormer introduced this number with success last week at the Empire, Leeds, and it has already made its mark in several revues as well as in the repertoires of individual artists. Isa Wise sang it at the Hippodrome, Cheltenham [London], last week, and it is being featured in the revue [Dare Devil Dorothy] at the Granville [Fulham, London] this week by Ida Conroy.”1

The song proved popular with many other Music Hall stars as well, including Lily Vine, Daisy West Collins, Dorothy Ward, Clara Beck, Ouida Macdermott, Cressie Leonard, Victoria Carmen, Myra Hammon, Nellie le Breton, Josie Delaine, and Maurice Arioso, “the well-known tenor from the Belgian Royal Opera.”2 It was also sung in Australia by Peggy Ross.

 

Recordings

Clara Beck (HMV B-766, 1915)

Black Diamonds Band, in “All The Hits” (Zonophone Twin 1571, 1915)

Olive Burton?

Harry Cove (Clarion 934, 1915; Clarion 949, 1916) [cylinders]

Murray Johnson (HMV B-551, 1915)

Stanley Kirkby (The Winner 2928, 1915; Clarion 124, 1916; Regal G7215, 1916)

Ernest Pike as “Herbert Payne” (Zonophone Twin 1562, 1915)

Ella Retford (Jumbo 1358, 1915; Scala 815, 1915?)

Lionel Rothery (Coliseum 908, 1916; Favorite 950, 1916; as “Dan Walker” (Jumbo 36435, 1916?)

 

Stage Performances

Sung by Fred Barnes, Hippodrome, Brighton (May 1916); Clara Beck in pantomime Humpty Dumpty, Opera House, Belfast (January 1916); by Betty Brown, Gaiety, Clydebank (December 1915); by Flora Carlton & Marion Scott in Florrie Forde’s pantomime Red Riding Hood, various theatres (January 1916); by Victoria Carmen in pantomime Dick Whittington, Empire, Edinburgh, and Empire, Sheffield (January 1916); by Ida Conroy in revue Dare Devil Dorothy, Granville Theatre, Fulham, London (1915) and South London Theatre (February 1916); by Josie Delaine in pantomime Jack And The Beanstalk, Alexandra, Birmingham (January 1916); by Daisy Dormer in Grand Order of Water Rats charity show, Holborn Empire (December 1915) and in pantomime Goody Two Shoes, Prince’s, Bristol (January 1916); by Florrie Elliston in pantomime Dick Whittington, King’s, Edinburgh (December 1915); by Marion James, Tivoli, Dublin (January 1916); by George Lawrence, Hippodrome, Exeter (December 1915); by Nellie Lewis, Palace, Nelson (January 1916); by Ouida Macdermott in pantomime Dick Whittington And His Cat, Gaiety, Dublin (January 1916); by May Mars, Palace, Bradford (January 1916); by Rita Moya, Grand, Derby (January 1916); by Myra Rosalind & Tiny Paasow in pantomime The Babes In The Wood, Theatre Royal, Glasgow (Decemeber 1915); by Lily Vine in pantomime Tom The Piper, Princess’s, Glasgow (December 1915); by Dorothy Ward, Grand, Leeds (January 1916); by Gladys Warren & Daisy May in pantomime Aladdin And The Wonderful Lamp, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne (December 1915); by Isa Wise, Hippodrome, Cheltenham (November 1915). Also interpolated in revue Ever Been Had?, Bedford, London (February 1916).

__________________

Notes

1  “Song Notes,” The Stage, 11 November 1915, p. 26.
2  “Song Notes,” The Stage, 20 January 1916, p. 26.