Who Were You With Last Night?
Listen to
Mark Sheridan’s
1912 recording.
Fred Godfrey & Mark Sheridan — London; New York: Bert Feldman; Melbourne: Stanley Mullen, 1912; ASCAP lists publisher as Glenwood Music.
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Music Hall historian Peter Gammond (1980, 242) calls Who Were You With Last Night?
one of the finest “rattling good choruses” in the music-hall repertoire. Its melody is absolutely right for the personal attacking approach on the audience who are being asked the question....It goes at a rattling pace with its raggy characteristics emphasised by the linking riffs in the piano accompaniment.
Fred Godfrey recalled that every music publisher in London at first turned down Who Were You With Last Night?:
That long “Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah” in the middle of the song just frightened them off, and the singers didn’t want any part of it, either! Then one day Mark Sheridan asked me if I had any ideas for a good chorus song. I sat down and played Who Were You With Last Night? Good old Mark put it on at the London Pavilion. And it was a success from the start. A “tenner” I got for it — and glad to get rid of the song, too!
The January 4, 1913, issue of The Era remarked,
Mark Sheridan, who is this week making his first appearance at the Palace, Southampton, is scoring all along the line. He sings, in his own breezy style, “Colonel Nutt” [a Godfrey song]...and one of Feldman’s latest novelties, “Who were you with last night?” which is already being whistled all over the southern seaport. The engagement of the genial Mark is bringing gust to the Palace, for the building is packed out at every performance.
Who Were You With Last Night? became one of Mark Sheridan’s greatest hits. Arthur (2001, 20) notes that the song’s chorus was still “extremely popular...with soldiers at the beginning of [World War One].”
The song is heard on the soundtrack of the 1948 film of Terence Rattigan’s
play The Winslow Boy, starring Robert Donat.
Recordings
Mark Sheridan (Regal G-6506, 1912; Columbia-Rena 2066, 1913); reissued
on compact disc “The Golden Years Of Music Hall” (Saydisc
CD-SDL 380, 1990)
Jack Charman (Albion 1309, 1912; Dacapo 428, Famous 196; Invicta 106; John Bull B69, 1913; Marathon 133, 1912 [vertical cut disc]; Scala 221; The Winner 2250, 1912)
Bert Courtney (Cinch X-2-42594, ?)
Arthur Lovell (Coliseum 281, 1912)
Harry Fay (Zonophone Twin 1013, 1912)
Harry Cove (Polyphon 5560)
Stanley Kirkby (Pathé 8648, 1912; Edison Blue Amberol 23129, ? [cylinder])
Albert Whelan (Jumbo 903, 1912; Jumbo 1092, 1913)
Arthur Leslie (Columbia-Rena 2003, 1912; Phoenix 344)
Bob & Alf Pearson, 1930s; reissued on cassette tape “Bob & Alf Pearson” (Evergreen Melodies E27, 2002/03 catalogue)
Harry Davidson & His Orch., 1930s; reissued on compact disc & cassette tape “Harry Davidson” (Evergreen Melodies C77 [disc], E77 [tape], 2002/03 catalogue)
Debroy Somers’ Band, in “It’s A Lovely War” (Columbia DX-199, 1930)
Four Happy Tommies and Charles “Nat” Star & His Band, in “Songs Of The Western Front” (Sterno 614, 1930)
[unidentified], in “Old Time Music Hall Successes” (Eclipse 711, 1933)
Don Porto’s Novelty Accordion Band, in “Recollections Of 1914–1918” (Eclipse 813, 1933)
Bertha Wilmott and Fred & Leslie Douglas, with André Astan & His Orch., in “A Radio Parade — Comedyland” (Sterno 1440, 1933)
Larry Brennan & His Winter Gardens Band, in “Comedy Land” (Regal Zonophone MR-1341, 1934)
Columbia Light Opera Company, with orch. cond. by Charles Prentice, in “Drury Lane Pantomime Memories” (Columbia DX-640, ca. 1934)
Primo
Scala & His Banjo & Accordion Band, with The Keynotes (London
448, 1949); reissued on LP “Remember When...Volume 2” (Ace
of Clubs London ACL 7923, ca. 1960)
——— (medley version); reissued on cassette tape “Primo Scala” (Evergreen Melodies D53, 2002/03 catalogue)
Reginald Dixon, in “Dixon Request Medley” (Rex 8771)
———, on LP “Sing Along At The Tower” (Odeon SCX 3542, 1964)
———, on compact disc “Reginald Dixon At The Wurlitzer Organ Of The Tower Ballroom, Blackpool” (EMI CDP 7 96076 2, 1991 [rec. 1963])
———, reissued (version unknown) on compact disc & cassette tape “Reginald Dixon” (Evergreen Melodies CY9 [disc], SY9 [tape], 2002/03 catalogue)
Winifred Atwell, in “Make It A Party” (Decca F10796)
Ribton & Richards, with the BBC Variety Orch. & the Palace of
Varieties Chorus (BBC radio broadcast, December 26, 1948)
The Coronets, in EP “Make It A Party” (Columbia SEG 7617)
Terance Casey (organ solo), in “Father’s Favourites, No. 2” (Columbia DB249)
Mammoth Fair Organ, in “Fun ‘O The Fair — Selection” (Regal MR-434)
Margery Manners, in 7-LP set “Palace Of Varieties — Old Time Music Hall” (BBC CN-1426, 1976 reissue of recordings made 1952–58)
Betty Huntley Wright, in 7-LP set “Palace Of Varieties — Old Time Music Hall” (BBC CN-1426, 1976 reissue of recordings made 1952–58)
[unidentified community singing], on LP “Singing In Public House” (BBC Recorded Programmes Library LP-23203; rec. in “The Lilliput”, Jamaica Road, London, June 7, 1956)
Verdi and Jimmy Silver & His Music, on LP “Party Time At The Astor Club” (Decca LK-4290, 1958)
Chorus arr. & cond. by Alan Paul, on LP “BBC Scrapbook For 1914” (Philips International Series 6382 045, 1964)
Mrs. Gladys Mills, on LP “Everybody’s Welcome At Mrs. Mills’ Party” (Capitol ST-6055, 1964)
Celia Hunt, on LP “The Entertainers” (London TW-91359, 1964)
The Gaiety Playboys, on LP “The Good Old Days, From The Famous City Varieties Music Hall — Leeds” (CBS 63077, 1967)
Tommy Trinder, on LP “You Lucky People” (Silverline DJSL-037, 1974)
Beryl Reid, on LP “Music Hall Singalong” (Music for Pleasure MFP-50174, 1974)
Glen Daly, on LP “Memories of the Music Halls” (Pye NSPL-15079, 1976?)
Phil Kelsall, on LP ”Phil Kelsall’s Blackpool Sing-Song” (Note NTS-196, 1980)
Original BBC-TV Cast Recording, on LP “EastEnders Sing-Along” (BBC REB-586, 1985)
Geoff Love’s Singalong Banjo Party, on LP “The Best of British” (Music for Pleasure DL-41-1074-3, 1985)
Hallmark of Harmony, on LP “Your All-Time Barbershop Favourites” (Music for Pleasure MFP-5793, 1987)
Film Interpolation
The Winslow Boy (1948)