Lewis James "A Dream Of Your Smile" BIOGRAPHY OF LEWIS JAMES Revelers Shannon Four

• published: 01 Mar 2015
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Lewis James lived from July 29, 1892, to February 19, 1959. He did not have an important stage career. Born in Dexter, Michigan, Lewis Lyman James attended the State Normal School and the University of Michigan, where he was a track and baseball star. While studying engineering at the Ann Arbor campus, James was persuaded to forego his appointment to the Naval Academy in favor of vocal studies. He married Jeanette Wallace of Detroit and they had a daughter, Janet. James sang in churches and did concert work with such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra. He began his recording career with Frank Croxton's help, making his debut with Columbia using the nom de disque Robert Lewis. The song was Clarke's "I Know I Got More Than My Share," which was backed on Columbia A2108 by Vernon Dalhart's first recording for a major company, Van Alstyne's "Just A Word of Sympathy." It was an interesting coupling since the two unknown tenors--James and Dalhart--would go on to enjoy great success in the 1920s as record artists. The disc was issued in December 1916. Other companies used the name Robert Lewis for him, including the Grey Gull Record Company in the 1920s. Columbia's January 1917 supplement announced the formation of a new group, the Knickerbocker Quartet, which consisted of first tenor George Eldred, second tenor Robert Lewis, baritone William Morgan, and basso Glenn Howard. In the World War I era he made many Pathé records as a solo artist, beginning with Head's "Sometime You'll Remember" (20193), issued in late 1917. Various pseudonyms were used for James--not only Robert Lewis but Harold Harvey, Robert Bruce, Bruce Wallace, Howard Clarke, even Uncle Lewis on a series of seven-inch discs for children. In addition, a quartet of which he was a member, the Shannon Four, was usually listed as the Lyric Male Quartet on Edison Diamond Discs and Blue Amberol cylinders. Pathé called the ensemble the Acme Male Quartet and named the Crescent Trio--consisting of James, Charles Hart and Elliott Shaw--the Apollo Trio. Using his own name, he was on a Columbia disc for the first time with the release of "My Little Gypsy Wanda" (A2618) in November 1918. His Victor debut, "All Aboard for Home, Sweet Home" (18441), was issued in May 1918. In announcing the disc, Talking Machine World and Victor's supplement for that month give his name as "Louis James" though the label for Victor 18441 spells the name correctly. He was assisted by the Shannon Four, whom he joined by the spring of 1918. A full-page Paramount Records advertisement in the May 1918 issue of Talking Machine World includes a photograph of the Shannon Four, and James--with his distinctive moustache--is among the four singers, replacing original second tenor Harvey Hindermyer. His first Edison record as a solo artist, Blue Amberol 3706, features "Show Me the Way to Your Heart," issued in April 1919. Billy Jones replaced James as second tenor of the Shannon Four around 1922 for many sessions. In November 1921, Okeh issued Lewis James and the Shannon Four singing "When the Autumn Leaves Begin to Fall" (4410), and James seems to have stopped performing with the group shortly thereafter though it appears that he returned to the quartet by the end of the year, when the Aeolian Company issued "The First Noel" on Vocalion 14438, credited to "Lewis James and the Aeolian Male Quartet." In April 1922 Columbia issued on A3556 a new trio consisting of Charles Hart, Elliott Shaw, and tenor Everett Clarke--James was unavailable for a Crescent Trio session or had briefly stopped being a member. In 1922 James continued to record with Shaw, their versions of "Old Kentucky Moonlight" being issued on Pathé 20796 and Emerson 10544 in September 1922. He made a number of recordings in Montreal for Victor's Canadian affiliate, using his real name but also at times "Harold Harvey." Six of his Montreal sides were issued in the United States as "Songs For Little People" (Victor 22133, 22134, 22135). The Shannon Four became The Revelers in mid-1925, with Ed Smalle functioning in its first couple of years as pianist, arranger, and vocalist. Making records as the Merrymakers for Brunswick and as the Singing Sophomores for Columbia, the Revelers was an influential vocal group, enjoying great popularity in the U. S. and abroad, via records, live appearances and the radio well into the 1930s. In the 1940s manager Wilfred Glenn formed a new quartet and used the old name. James had attacks of claustrophobia which affected his career. Quentin Riggs reported that the tenor suffered one attack when the Revelers were gathered for a radio broadcast, and tenor Charles Harrison substituted for James that day. He relocated to Chicago in 1940 after his singing career ended, his health having deteriorated. He worked as a production manager at WGN radio in Chicago's Tribune Tower until his retirement in 1957.