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Strike Up the Band (song)

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"Strike Up the Band"
Single by Red Nichols and His "Strike Up the Band" Orchestra
B-side"Soon"
Published1927 (1927)
Released1930 (1930)
RecordedJanuary 17, 1930 (1930-01-17)
GenreTraditional pop, show tune
LabelBrunswick
ComposerGeorge Gershwin
LyricistsIra Gershwin and Millie Raush
George Gershwin ca. 1929

"Strike Up the Band" is a 1927 song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin with the collaboration of Millie Raush. It was written for the 1927 musical Strike Up the Band, where it formed part of a satire on war and militaristic music. Although the musical was not successful, the instrumental version of the song, titled the "March from Strike Up the Band", has become quite well known. The song was also used in the Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney 1940 film Strike Up the Band.

UCLA version

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In 1936, UCLA students were looking for a new rally tune. George and Ira Gershwin had moved from New York to Beverly Hills to work in Los Angeles on RKO's Astaire-Rogers movie Shall We Dance. Maxson F. Judell, a music industry contact, approached them about contributing a song to UCLA.[1] The Gershwins made a gift of the song to the University of California, Los Angeles. Ira Gershwin revised the lyrics and called the new version "Strike Up the Band for UCLA".[2]

The new-lyrics song was announced as early as 14 September 1936.[3] The composition was ceremonially “accepted” by the UCLA student body at two late September campus functions. One was its 26 September football game in Westwood.[4] The other, on 28 September, was the campus “All-University Sing,” with George also appearing as pianist.[5] The latter event was at Royce Hall, with an audience of 3000; the Gershwin brothers presented the original manuscript copy of the song to Robert Schroeder, UCLA’s associated students President.[6][7] “According to Schroeder, the idea for the preparation of the song for the university was conceived by Maxson F. Judell.”[8]

On 2 October 1936 bandleader Andre Kostelanetz broadcast the new song coast-to-coast from New York as part of his weekly radio program; it was “piped-in” to the UCLA campus’s pre-football-game rally that Friday evening.[9][10][11] Performing with Kostelanetz’s ensemble was Kay Thompson and her Rhythm Singers.[12]

In a later, February 1936 “presentation ceremony,” the Gershwin brothers—along with Judell[13]—were presented with blue-and-gold UCLA football sweaters by the university.[14]

The song was recorded by Jan Garber’s orchestra and singers for Los Angeles’s Capitol Records in 1948.[15] UCLA’s band debuted a new arrangement early in 1952.[16] The piece was played and sung on 26 July 1952 at the Hollywood Bowl’s yearly Gershwin concert, with Judell’s 1936 role in the song’s creation recounted in the press.[17] In the early 1950s Ira Gershwin was still collecting his “royalty” from UCLA for the song—a pair of season tickets for its football games.[18]

The Gershwin brothers' contribution even served as the leitmotif and rally song for the school teams until "Sons of Westwood" and later "Mighty Bruins" became school songs.[1] The UCLA Band currently plays an arrangement of "Strike Up the Band for UCLA" as part of each UCLA Bruins football pregame show and previously played the song at home basketball games.[1]

In recognition of the Gershwins' gift, The George and Ira Gershwin Award for lifetime musical achievement is presented annually at UCLA during Spring Sing.[19]

Notable recordings

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References

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  1. 1 2 3 Gordon, Larry - At 81, tune is a hit at Big Dance. Los Angeles Times, March 20, 2008. George and Ira Gershwin originally wrote the tune for 'Strike Up the Band for UCLA' in 1927.
  2. ↑ "Strike Up the Band". UCLA History Project. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012.
  3. ↑ Skolsky, Sidney. “Flim-Flam.” Hollywood Citizen-News, 14 September 1936, 7.
  4. ↑ ”Uclans to Accept New Official Song at Sagehen Game.” The Progress-Bulletin (Pomona, CA), 24 September 1936, 6.
  5. ↑ ”Bruin Student Body Song Due.” Hollywood Citizen News, 26 September 1936, 9.
  6. ↑ ”Bruins Applaud Rally Song Gift.” Hollywood Citizen News, 20 September 1936, 11.
  7. ↑ “Sings.” Southern Campus, 1937 (UCLA yearbook), 170.
  8. ↑ ”Bruin Student Body Song Due.” Hollywood Citizen News, 26 September 1936, 9.
  9. ↑ ”Radio Programs.” Star-Tribune (Arcadia, CA), 2 October 1936, 3.
  10. ↑ Frogley, Kenneth. “New Bruin Song Gets National Airing Today.” Illustrated Daily News (Los Angeles), 2 October 1936, 18.
  11. ↑ Palmer, Zuma. “On the Air.” Hollywood Citizen News, 2 October 1936, 16.
  12. ↑ ”Varied Radio Programs To Be Heard Friday, Saturday.” The Lima (OH) News, 2 October 1936, 27.
  13. ↑ ”M.F. Judell Presents Song to Calif. College.” The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, 12 February 1937, 7.
  14. ↑ ”Sweaters Given Song Writers by University.” Hollywood Citizen News, 9 February 1937, 7.
  15. ↑ “College Medley” album, Capitol CD-95. See Porter, Mary. “Platter Chatter.” The Lima (OH) News, 26 September 1948, 7.
  16. ↑ Sullivan, Ed. “My Secretary, Africa, Speaks.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, 17 March 1952, 14.
  17. ↑ “Tomorrow: Gershwin Concert Set For Bowl.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, 25 July 1952, 9.
  18. ↑ “Tomorrow: Gershwin Concert Set For Bowl.” Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, 25 July 1952, 9.
  19. ↑ "Gershwin Award". UCLA Alumni. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015.
  20. ↑ "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  21. ↑ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
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