78 RPM: Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - Victor V-38021

South

written by Bennie Moten and Thamon Hayes

performed by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra

She's No Trouble (Sweetheart)

written by Thamon Hayes

performed by Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra

Bennie Moten - piano

Ed Lewis, Booker Washington - cornets

Thamon Hayes - trombone

Harlan Leonard, Jack Washington, Woody Walder - reeds

Leroy Berry - banjo

Vernon Page - bass

Willie McWashington - drums

By far, this has to be Bennie Moten's most popular record.  It may seem hard to believe but, "South" stayed in print, as a single, for, at least, 70 years.  If you consider all the compilation albums and other extended play releases, in any format over the years, "South" has never been out of print!

Originally released as part of Victor's race series (V-38021), the pairing of "South" and "She's No Trouble" stayed in Victor's catalog for around 20 years.  In 1935, Victor phased out their race series.  Since it was still in their catalog, Victor V-38021 was "reissued" on their main series, as Victor 24893.  Over the years, this 78 RPM release could be found with the scroll label design (as it was originally), double ring and single ring varieties, monogrammed label design, and under both the "Victor" and "RCA Victor" banners. It even became a big jukebox hit, in the late 1940s, when it was, again, given a new catalog number (RCA Victor 44-0004).

With the advent of the 45 RPM, RCA Victor reissued "South," again, with Bunny Berigan's "Frankie and Johnnie" (47-2956). Lastly, as part of their "Gold Standard Series" (447-0880), "South" was paired with Earl Hines' "Boogie Woogie On The Saint Louis Blues." That release stayed in their catalog until RCA stopping making vinyl records!

Both sides recorded in Camden, NJ, 7 September 1928 and released as Victor V-38021, circa March 1929.