Under a Texas Moon

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Under a Texas Moon (Ray Perkins) — The song was featured in the soundtrack of the 1930 film of the same title. It’s unclear whether the song was written for the film, as it was first recorded in November 1929, over four months before the film’s 1 April 1930 release, and recorded at least ten times prior to the release of the film. It’s true that most of the labels I’ve seen of recordings made before the first of April 1930 refer to the film, but this may be due to later pressings by record companies trying to capitalize on the film’s publicity.

Of the film, Wikipedia says:

It was the second all-color all-talking feature to be filmed entirely outdoors as well as being the second western in color and the first all-talking all-color western.

and, under the section titled Response:

New York Latinos led by Gonzalo González protested the film, characterizing it as “anti-Mexican” mainly because Frank Fay portrayed Mexicans as being liars and womanizers. Police brutalized the picketers, killing González. The murder sparked a pan-Latino protest, in which the Latino civil rights activist Luisa Moreno participated. She later told Bert Corona that the experience “motivated her to work on behalf of unifying the Spanish-speaking communities.”^[2]

Ted Fiorito and his Orchestra, vocal: Pedro Espino — recorded on 21 November 1929 in Chicago; issued on Victor 22252, b/w “I’d Like to Be a Gypsy”

Bob Haring and his Orchestra — recorded in December 1929, and issued on Brunswick 4680, c/w “Gypsy Dream Rose,” flip side recorded by the A&P Gypsies (Harry Horlick) — The video below displays the label of a Spanish Brunswick release, under the title “Bajo la luna de Texas,” with a not quite legible catalog number.

Hal Kemp and his Carolina Club Orchestra — recorded on 27 December 1929, and issued on OKeh 41360, c/w “I’m Following You,” recorded by Arthur Schutt and his Orchestra — The Kemp recording was also issued on Parlophone 34027, c/w “Rockin’ Chair,” recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra

Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, vocal: Carmen Lombardo — issued in 1930 on Columbia 2089-D, b/w “Can’t You Understand” (m. Victor Young, w. Jack Osterman)

According to the DAHR, two different takes, each assigned the same matrix number, of “Under the Texas Moon” were released on versions of Columbia 2089-D, as follows:

take 4, recorded on 1/7/1930
take 8, recorded on 2/11/1930

Bert Lown and his Loungers, vocal by Smith Ballew — recorded on 8 January 1930; issued on Harmony 1088-H, c/w “Do You Love Me,” recorded by Rudy Marlow and his Orchestra

audio file, VBR MP3 (2.7 MB), from the Smith Ballew Vocal Collection 1925-1935 page at archive.org:

Seger Ellis and the Tampa Blue Trio (featuring Eddie Lang on guitar) — recorded on 13 January 1930; issued on OKeh 41396; c/w “Should I?” — also issued on Odeon (US) 36066

The Clicquot Club Eskimos (under the direction of Harry Reser) — recorded on 15 January 1930; issued on Banner 570, b/w “When the Moon Shines Down on Sunshine and Me,” recorded by Dubin’s Dandies (A. Schubert)

audio file, VBR MP3 (2.4 MB), from the Clicquot Club Eskimos Collection 1925-1931 page at archive.org:

Chester Gaylord — recorded in February 1930; issued on Brunswick 4729, c/w “When I’m Looking at You” — In the verse, Gaylord twice refers to the loved one toward whom the words are directed as “my cúrry-dúh,” a mangling of “mi querida” (my dear), a phrase contained in the first line of the lyric in sheet music dated 1929. In the earlier 1930 recording by Seger Ellis and the Tampa Blue Trio, Ellis sings “mi” correctly, but mispronounces the endearment as “cárry-dúh.” Not to be outdone, in his later 1930 recording with his Hawaiians, King Nawahi mispronounces the phrase in yet a different way. This time it’s “me kéery-dúh. I don’t know how much the songwriter is to blame for this tendency for displacement of the accent from the middle syllable of “quer-í-da” in recordings of the song.

Bar Harbor Orchestra, vocal: Arthur Hall — issued in 1930 on the 78 rpm single Van Dyke 81837, b/w “Your Heart Was Meant For Me,” B-side recorded by The Melodist Four

The same two sides were issued on Grey Gull 1837, though credited, according to The Online Discographical Project (78discography.com), to “Bar Harbor Dance Orchestra.” The matrix number (3888B) matches on the Grey Gull and Van Dyke releases, and the Grey Gull 1500 – 1899 catalog number listing at 75discography.com indicates that the recording was made in February 1930.

Discogs.com indicates that Grey Gull was the parent label of the Van Dyke label, and says of the latter, “American label that operated from 1929 to 1930. They produced cheaply made records of Grey Gull recordings.”

Jack Hylton and his Orchestra, vocal: Pat O’Malley — recorded at Small Queen’s Hall, London, on 6 March 1930; issued on HMV B-5846, c/w “Watching My Dreams Go By”

Gene Austin — recorded on 15 April 1930; issued on Victor 22416, b/w “Telling It to the Daisies”

Lew White (organ) — recorded in April 1930; issued on Brunswick 4781, c/w “It Happened in Monterey”

Frank Ferera’s Trio — recorded on 5 May 1930; issued on OKeh 41420, c/w “It Happened in Monterey”

King Nawahi’s Hawaiians (King Bennie Nawahi) — recorded on 3 November 1930; issued on Columbia 2173-D, c/w “Hawaiian Love Bird”

Paramount Rhythm Boys, under the direction of Harry Hudson, vocal: Harold “Scrappy” Lambert — recording date unknown (1930); issued as the B-side of “The Stein Song,” on (UK) Edison Bell Winner 5134.

Rod Rudy’s Talkie Boys, under the direction of Harry Bidgood, vocal: Cavan O’Connor — recording date unknown (1930?); issued on (UK) Broadcast 2571