Al Trace
Encyclopedia
Albert J. Trace was a prolific American
songwriter and orchestra leader of the 1930s, 40s and 50s whose peak of popularity was reached in the Chicago
area during the height of the Big Band
era.
A native of Chicago, Al Trace played professional baseball
before deciding on music as a career. His first jobs during the early 1920s included playing the drums and singing with various bands, until he formed his own band in 1933, the year his home city was celebrating its centennial with a World's Fair officially known as A Century of Progress International Exposition. The band's premiere engagement in May 1933 was at the Fair's French
pavilion and, when the Fair closed for the winter on November, he remained in Chicago, beginning a long engagement at the Blackhawk Restaurant
, followed by three years at the Sherman Hotel. Starting in early 1943 and continuing during and after World War II
, the Al Trace Orchestra, including vocalists Toni Arden
and Bob Vincent
, were familiar regulars on Chicago-based It Pays to Be Ignorant
, one of the most popular shows of the era referenced as the Golden Age of Radio.
Trace recorded for several record companies: Mercury Records
, MGM Records
, Columbia Records
, Damon Records
, Regent Records
and composed over 300 songs, some alone and others as a collaborator, most frequently with his ten-years-older brother, Ben
, while also writing a considerable number of songs using the pseudonym
s Clem Watts or Bob Hart. Among the Ben Trace/Al Trace collaborations was Al's most successful recording, "You Call Everybody Darlin'
", which became a #1 hit in 1948. Another very popular song was "If I Knew You Were Coming I'd've Baked a Cake". His other song collaborators included Al Hoffman
, Bob Merrill
, and Abner Silver
.
In 1975, shortly after his seventy-fourth birthday, he retired from active work as a songwriter and bandleader and joined with another ex-bandleader to form a booking agency in Scottsdale, Arizona
.
Al Trace died of a stroke in Sun City West, Arizona
at the age of 92.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter and orchestra leader of the 1930s, 40s and 50s whose peak of popularity was reached in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area during the height of the Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
era.
A native of Chicago, Al Trace played professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
before deciding on music as a career. His first jobs during the early 1920s included playing the drums and singing with various bands, until he formed his own band in 1933, the year his home city was celebrating its centennial with a World's Fair officially known as A Century of Progress International Exposition. The band's premiere engagement in May 1933 was at the Fair's French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
pavilion and, when the Fair closed for the winter on November, he remained in Chicago, beginning a long engagement at the Blackhawk Restaurant
Blackhawk (restaurant)
The Blackhawk was a restaurant in the Chicago Loop from 1920 to 1984. It served a menu of American cuisine, notably prime rib and a signature "spinning salad bowl," and was, in the early part of its history a nationally known entertainment venue for Big Band music...
, followed by three years at the Sherman Hotel. Starting in early 1943 and continuing during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Al Trace Orchestra, including vocalists Toni Arden
Toni Arden
Toni Arden is an American traditional pop music singer.-Biography:Arden became a big band singer in the 1940s, singing with Al Trace, Joe Reichman, Ray Bloch and Shep Fields...
and Bob Vincent
Bob Vincent
Bob Vincent was a big band singer and theatrical agent.Born Vincent John Cernuto, he started singing in bands in the 1940s. He was the featured vocalist on the song You Call Everybody Darling, as recorded by Al Trace in 1948. This recording peaked at # 13.Mr...
, were familiar regulars on Chicago-based It Pays to Be Ignorant
It Pays to Be Ignorant
It Pays to Be Ignorant was a radio comedy show which maintained its popularity during a nine-year run on three networks for such sponsors as Philip Morris, Chrysler, and DeSoto....
, one of the most popular shows of the era referenced as the Golden Age of Radio.
Trace recorded for several record companies: Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
, MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, Damon Records
Damon Records
- Original :Damon was headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Damon used musicians and singers who were not members of the American Federation of Musicians labor union to make recordings during the ban on Union recordings ordered by James Petrillo....
, Regent Records
Regent Records (US)
The first Regent Records was a mid-20th century United States label based in Newark, New Jersey and was a subsidiary of Savoy Records from 1947 until 1964...
and composed over 300 songs, some alone and others as a collaborator, most frequently with his ten-years-older brother, Ben
Ben Trace
Ben L. Trace was an American songwriter who, from the 1910s through the 1950s, in collaboration with his ten-years-younger bandleader brother, Al, composed hundreds of lyrics to popular songs....
, while also writing a considerable number of songs using the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s Clem Watts or Bob Hart. Among the Ben Trace/Al Trace collaborations was Al's most successful recording, "You Call Everybody Darlin'
You Call Everybody Darlin'
"You Call Everybody Darlin" is a popular song. It was written by Sam Martin, Ben Trace, and Clem Watts and published in 1946.Several versions were recorded that charted in 1948 : by Al Trace , Bob Vincent, Jack Smith, The Andrews Sisters, Jerry Wayne, and Jack...
", which became a #1 hit in 1948. Another very popular song was "If I Knew You Were Coming I'd've Baked a Cake". His other song collaborators included Al Hoffman
Al Hoffman
Al Hoffman , a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1984, was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today...
, Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill
Bob Merrill was an American songwriter, theatrical composer, lyricist, and screenwriter.Merrill was born Henry Merrill Levan in Atlantic City, New Jersey and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following a stint with the Army during World War II, he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a...
, and Abner Silver
Abner Silver
Abner Silver was an American songwriter who worked primarily during the Tin Pan Alley era of the craft. He was born on December 28, 1899, in New York....
.
In 1975, shortly after his seventy-fourth birthday, he retired from active work as a songwriter and bandleader and joined with another ex-bandleader to form a booking agency in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
.
Al Trace died of a stroke in Sun City West, Arizona
Sun City West, Arizona
Sun City West is a census-designated place in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The population was 26,344 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sun City West is located at ....
at the age of 92.
External links
- Al Trace Orchestra and the hit tune, "Mairzy Doats" ("Music: That Song", Time, February 7, 1944)
- Al Trace, "born in Chicago 44 years ago", is enjoying great success performing with his band at the city's Blackhawk Restaurant, while his "You Call Everybody Darlin'" is the nation's number one song ("Happiest Band in the Land", Time, September 13, 1948)