Home (When Shadows Fall)
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The song was published in 1931. Early sheet music covers credit the songwriting to Peter van Steeden, Harry Clarkson, and Jeff Clarkson. There is a copyright entry for the song, under the title Home, dated Aug. 8, 1931, in the 1931 edition of the Catalogue of Copyright Entries, Part 3: Musical Compositions, published by the Library of Congress, Copyright Office, in 1932. The entry credits the music to P. Van Steeden, Jr. and Jeff Clarkson, and the words to Frank Clarkson. In this instance, “Frank” might be a typographical error.
Without citing its source, Wikipedia claims “Van Steeden’s contribution was administrative and he was compensated by being given writer credit.”
An early recording, possibly the first, by Van Steeden and his Orchestra was issued under the title Home, according to Second Hand Songs. However, in the same year sheet music bearing the subtitle When Shadows Fall was published (above right).
In addition to Van Steeden, who else has recorded Home (When Shadows Fall)?
- 36 artists, Wikipedia
- 19 artists, Database of Popular Music
lyric:
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Peter van Steeden and his Orchestra, vocal by Dick Robertson — recorded on 25 November 1931, and issued in December 1932, titled simply Home, on the Victor 78 rpm single 22868, b/w I Promise You (Little Jack Little)
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Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees, vocal: Rudy Vallée — recorded in January 1932, New York
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Henry Hall & His Gleneagles Hotel Band, vocal: Maurice Elwin — 1932?*
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Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra — recorded on 27 January 1932 in Chicago, Illinois (Okeh 41552)
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Dick Haymes — B-side of the 78 rpm single I’ll Keep the Lovelight Burning (In My Heart), Decca 24715, issued in 1947
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Nat King Cole — recorded on 19 May 1950; released in 1950 as Capitol 45 rpm single 1133, b/w Tunnel of Love
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Nat King Cole & the Trio — The clip is from a 1951 Snader Telescription (#5207) — Nat King Cole (piano and vocal), Trio: Irving Ashby (guitar), Joe Comfort (bass), Jack Costanzo (conga drum)**
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Gordon MacRae — from the 1959 album Songs for an Evening at Home, (US) Capitol Records T-1251
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Helen Humes — from her 1961 LP Swingin’ with Humes, Contemporary Records M3598
Helen Humes (vocals), Teddy Edwards (tenor saxophone), Joe Gordon (trumpet), Wynton Kelly (piano), Al Viola (guitar), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Frank Butler (drums)
MP3 (3.6 MB) audio file, from archive.org (defective player replaced on 12 July 2017):
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Johnny Crawford — live 1985 performance, accompanying himself on guitar
The YouTube provider, John Ernest Crawford, attaches the following note:
Vocal with guitar – This 1985 video is dedicated to David Huffman (1945-1985). A brilliant film and stage actor as well as a dear friend and a war veteran, his life ended tragically while we were appearing at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre in Steinbeck’s play, Of Mice and Men. Sadly, we lost him before the end of the run because he was, in fact, a real hero. Jc
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Dixie Warsaw Jazzmen — c. 2011(?)
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Jeremy Cookes tribute — Grampians Jazz Festival at Halls Gap, Victoria, Australia — 9 February 2012
Also from the description by the provider, Jane La Scala:
- A group of friends play a tribute to ragtime pianist, Jeremy Cookes, who died in January 2012.
- The band — Trumpets: John Vanderkoogh & Ken Hill (Adelaide); Trombone: Vern Egel (Adelaide); Clarinet: Geoff Beauchamp (Melbourne); Piano: Tony Feehan (Melbourne via Ireland); Bass: Rob Brook (Adelaide); Drums: Don Best (Adelaide); Soprano Saxophone: Graeme Hallam (Hamilton).
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* The Decca catalog number (F-2777) given by a commenter at Youtube appears to be an error. The label and description of an item for sale at eBay indicate that Decca F-2777 is the 78 rpm single “Come Ye Back to Bonnie Scotland”/”Just One of My Dreams,” by the same band, recorded in London in January 1932.
** From the Nat King Cole biography by William Ruhlman for AllMusic:
In February 1949, Cole added percussionist Jack Costanzo to the group, which thereafter was billed as “Nat ‘King’ Cole & the Trio.” As of the spring of 1950, Cole’s recordings were being credited simply to “Nat ‘King’ Cole.”
