A sample of Colin Hancock’s Discographical Ramblings from VJM 203, our Autumn 2025 issue
We’ve got another great issue of the Discographical Ramblings column this fall, with a ton of excellent submissions from a bunch of folks!
FATS WALLER AND HIS BUDDIES - A LONGSTANDING DEBATE by Mark Berresford
For many years collectors and discographers have pondered over the two "Fats Waller and His Buddies” titles from the March 1, 1929 Victor session, as to whether they are mislabelled, or to be precise, mistitled. The Minor Drag is taken at breakneck speed whilst Harlem Fuss is a slow blues. Brian Rust, in his 1969 edition of Jazz Records, 1897-1942 emphatically states “The above two titles are reversed on all issues, i.e., the side labelled HARLEM FUSS plays THE MINOR DRAG, and vice versa”. Laurie Wright, in his Fats Waller bio-discography “Fats” in Fact, addresses this issue and concludes that the labels are correct, commenting that The Minor Drag is indeed in a minor key (G minor), and that the Australian HMV issue has part of the under label engineer’s handwriting showing “The….” on The Minor Drag side. However, there is no need for such caution; my Victor Test pressing of The Minor Drag has the engineer’s handwriting more clearly defined, and “The Minor …rag” is plain to see. The negative photo below shows it clearly.
Thank you for reading and as always, please feel free to send any editions for future issues, answers to inquires, corrections to past ramblings, or questions for readers to me at [email protected].
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