1927 Henry Burr - Are You Lonesome Tonight?

Early 20th Century recording star Burr sings one of several 1927 releases of this new ballad. The familiar added narrative passage didn’t appear on record until 1928 (by Stanley Kirkby) and was later included in the Blue Barron (1950) and Elvis Presley (1960) hit versions.
The original 78rpm was issued on Victor 20873 - Are You Lonesome To-Night? (Turk-Handman) by Henry Burr, orchestra conducted by LeRoy Shield, recorded in NYC August 5, 1927
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[@marias4775]

Grazie ELVIS per averlo recuperato e reso immortale!!

[@J.M.Chadwick6]

How wonderful to hear a song sung the way it was written and intended to be sung. A beautiful recording that will live forever!

[@Asphaltsquadron]

I was today years old (57) when I found out this was actually the original.

[@courtneycook7910]

Charles Hart did the original

[@Jamesfrancosdog]

Yeah Elvis literally just stole music for his whole career.

[@shantanu.t]

🥂 I’m 37.

[@marias4775]

​@@Jamesfrancosdogma che dici?! Elvis è un INTERPRETE, non ha rubato niente a nessuno. Ha interpretato. Diresti che Joe Cocker ha rubato ai Beatles? No. E poi le ballate gliele sceglieva il regista dei film.

[@dennisferrara6940]

Henry Burr was indeed The "The Greatest of Ballad Tenors! After losing his Victor recording contract, he appeared on Brunswick and Columbia discs as well as at least one OKEH disc - (1929); a great and well-trained voice.

[@Records_N_Stuff]

I really wish I had this record

[@philippesauvie639]

Where have I heard this before?😉 no seriously, creativity and art does not occur in a vacuum. This song is beautiful!

[@billbammerlin4666]

Elvis

[@cha5]

Al Jolson

[@kenk7165]

Elvis remade it

[@Helen-b5y]

Omg I love this. Found the music in my grammar piano music....am learning on piano thanks for posting original.

[@the78prof72]

My pleasure!

[@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193]

Well it looks like I get to be the 57 billionth person to say that I had no idea this was a cover. My mind is blown.

[@Digalog]

Beautiful song

[@georgedabrowski6900]

This is beautiful. Burr was trained to be a church singer, but he did credit to Irving Berlin's songs. "Stay down here where you belong" is a lot of fun for an anti-war (WWl) song, and though I have "Old Pal", a touching song (which Googling only brings up "Old Pal, Why Don't You Answer Me"), I hope someone will put it on a site soon.

[@michaeloleary1867]

I have the record-I love it!!

[@cristofarosaraceno1313]

I like this version too

[@GuruRasaVonWerder]

Are you lonesome tonight, Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart? Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day When I kissed you and called you sweetheart? Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there? Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again? Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight? I wonder if youre lonesome tonight You know someone said that the worlds a stage And each must play a part. Fate had me playing in love you as my sweet heart. Act one was when we met, I loved you at first glance You read your line so cleverly and never missed a cue Then came act two, you seemed to change and you acted strange And why Ill never know. Honey, you lied when you said you loved me And I had no cause to doubt you. But Id rather go on hearing your lies Than go on living without you. Now the stage is bare and Im standing there With emptiness all around And if you wont come back to me Then make them bring the curtain down. Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again? Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

[@erikcarmichael3300]

Original song 💯

[@WorthlessDeadEnd]

*Lyrics:* Verse 1: Tonight I'm downhearted For though we had parted, I love you and I always will And while I'm so lonely, I'm writing you only To see if you care for me still *Chorus: Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart? Does your memory stray To a bright, summer day When I kissed you and called you "sweetheart"? Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there? Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again? Tell me, Dear: Are you lonesome tonight?* Verse 2: I hold with affection The fond recollection The romance of days now gone by And often I wonder If I made a blunder By letting you bid me good-bye (Repeat chorus)

[@KuznVinny]

I'm very surprised this was so good. He was one artist Tiny Tim highly valued, and I was ready not to take Mr. Burr seriously. But he was excellent!

[@johnnyp8979]

TINY TIM ! What a memory from when my youth

[@ruje6058]

Yes, I am.

[@daltmonte3503]

Dos ótimos tempos de Amores Respeitosos em Família Estáveis e Totalmente Fraternas.....Saudades....

[@Zoey__frantiele]

The very first version was by Charles Hart

[@chicahippie6053]

Ya 94 años de esta canción

[@karlsonkab51]

You must be using "Victor Needles" to extract so much music and to suppress surface noise. What amplifiers and typically now much power did they have in those early days of cutting lathes ? I assume they were "single-ended" and not terribly powerful compared to cutting systems of the 1950s. (oh - imo Jolson did that song best)

[@jasonnstegall]

So, like Stardust, this song has an opening lyric (almost) no one sings anymore.

[@rickeyzinn5135]

See! Elvis was right! Are You Lonesome Tonight?really was recorded in 1927 ORIGINALLY.1.

[@marias4775]

Elvis non ha mai detto di averlo scritto. Lo ha INTERPRETATO e fatto uscire dall'oblio.

[@FranciscoCorbachoMoscosio]

... !!

[@Lesbosac]

I love Henry burr's better Elvis is okay I just love the original it has the longer lyrics

[@Cyrus_got_verified]

@@Billy219 only if you ask nicely

[@nickdryad]

There was a trend in the fifties and sixties to take the older Tin Pan Alley songs and omit the pre verse. The Everly Brothers did that with Don’t Blame me and there are versions of September song and The Very Thought of You with pre verses omitted

[@MichaelJ44]

@@Cyrus_got_verified ha!

[@Cyrus_got_verified]

@@MichaelJ44 yeah roasted

[@chrismulwee4911]

@@nickdryad Pat Boone did that with Love letters In The Sand, which was written in 1931

[@unlud792]

püh püh ilk yorum

[@canman5060]

This song is dated back to the American Civil War.

[@zechking4936]

Clearly this time traveler has stolen Elvis's classic hit song

[@f.e.wright]

😂🥂

[@dimiterstefanov2543]

X

[@christymcdaniel3906]

Elvis did not do this first

[@Naldo4real]

Clearly 😒 it's says 1927 and if I'm correct Elvis was born in 35. That's a 8 year gap

[@marias4775]

Elvis non ha mai detto di essere stato il primo.

[@jaredvaughan1665]

Elvis sings it better

[@thetickedoffpianoplayer4193]

That's probably because you're used to hearing it with the Elvis singing style instead of the classical style they used in the 20s. It sounded weird to me at first too, but actually I think it's cool that one piece of music can be interpreted in different ways.