From the Back Room: Anita Ellis in the 40s, Vol. 1

One of the surprises in my recent post of "Buster's Back Room" of unrealized projects was the interest in vocalist Anita Ellis. So today we start a three-part series covering her work in the 1940s, with almost all of the material derived from non-commercial releases.

This first volume comes from three sources: Lang-Worth Transcriptions, a V-Disc and several Personal Albums from the Armed Forces Radio Service. There are 21 songs in all.

For these "From the Back Room" items, the transfers, etc., are prepared with the usual care, but my seemingly endless commentary may be mercifully abbreviated.

About Anita Ellis

Ellis (1920-2015) was born in Montreal but moved to Hollywood at a relatively early age. Her parents both sang (her father was a cantor), instilling a love for vocalizing in both her and her brother, Larry Kert.

Anita was singing on local radio before age 16, went to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory, and before long began singing there on a local station. She discovered her crippling stage fright during a brief period as a dance band vocalist. Thereafter the radio studio was her haven. She did quite well there, a regular both on the Personal Album programs and on the Red Skelton show, while making the transcriptions also heard in this collection.

Eventually she would work as a vocal double for the movies. That aspect of her art will be sampled in the next volume.

There's more about Ellis on James Gavin's site.

Lang-Worth Transcriptions

Anita made at least two sets of Lang-Worth Transcriptions with Mitchell Ayres' orchestra in 1945. These were all well chosen songs from the period - "Stardust," "My Heart Sings," "Stormy Weather," "You Always Hurt the One You Love," "More and More" and "Strange Music."

This collection also includes two of my own favorites: "Invitation to the Blues," by Allan Roberts, Arthur Gershwin and Doris Fisher, and "Sleigh Ride in July," by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. Both are rueful songs of misbegotten romance, the type of material that Ellis with her simplicity and sincerity did so well.

Mitchell Ayres

Her Only V-Disc

Although Anita did several Personal Albums for the AFRS, she recorded only one V-Disc. The V-Disc Discography speculates that this material was taken from 1945 appearances on New York's WNEW with the Merle Pitt ensemble.

The two numbers were both popular at the time - "He's Home for a Little While" by Kermit Goell and the irredeemable "Good Good Good" by Allan Roberts and Doris Fisher. (I liked their work above but not this time.)

Songs from Personal Albums

We also have 11 songs derived from various iterations of the AFRS Personal Album programs that sometimes featured Ellis.

Dennis Morgan and Anita Ellis
recording for AFRS (Morgan is not heard here)

Based on the material, my sense is that these programs date from 1944-46. I don't have any details on the accompanists.

1945 ad

The lesser-known songs are "Tonight I Shall Sleep with a Smile on My Face" by Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon and Mercer Ellington, and Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around" - and the latter is not all that unknown.

Otherwise we have "I'm in the Mood for Love," "Shoo Shoo Baby," "I Never Mention Your Name," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Blue Skies," "Can't Help Lovin' That Man of Mine," "More Than You Know" and "Summertime."

Anita is in excellent voice throughout these programs, and sings all numbers with a high degree of artistry. 

After some tinkering, the sound through this set is quite good, regardless of source. That said, the pitch from the transcriptions and Personal Albums was often questionable; I've adjusted it.

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