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Moe Jaffe
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Moe Jaffe
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Moe Jaffe (October 23, 1901 – December 2, 1972) was an American songwriter and bandleader who composed more than 250 songs. He is best known for six: "Collegiate", "The Gypsy in My Soul", "If I Had My Life to Live Over", "If You Are But a Dream", "Bell Bottom Trousers", and "I'm My Own Grandpa".

His first success, Collegiate, is considered a "quintessential flapper song".[1] Premiering in 1925, it was a theme for Harpo Marx as the Professor in Animal Crackers; played by Chico Marx in the movie Horse Feathers; and covered by Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians.

Early life and education

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Jaffe was born into a Jewish family in Vilna in the Russian Empire (now Vilnius, Lithuania). Shortly after his birth, the family emigrated to America and settled in Keyport, New Jersey.

After graduating from Keyport High School, Jaffe worked his way through the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School (class of 1923) and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (class of 1926) by playing piano and leading a campus dance band, Jaffe's Collegians.

Career

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It was the band's theme song, "Collegiate", that turned him toward Tin Pan Alley.

First success: "Collegiate"

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Written by Jaffe and fellow student Nat Bonx, "Collegiate" was well known on the campus when Fred Waring (a Pennsylvania State grad) brought his "Pennsylvanians" to play at the university's annual Ivy Ball. Waring received so many requests for the song that he assumed it was published. When he learned that the writers were students, he arranged to meet them.

On April 4, 1925, Waring recorded "Collegiate" at the Victor Talking Machine Company studios in Camden, New Jersey. It was one of the first electrical recordings of a song, using an electrical microphone instead of an acoustic horn. Lee Morse recorded his song "Bolshevik".[2]

On August 18, 1925, the song achieved notoriety when interpolated with the Gay Paree musical revue which opened in the Shubert Theatre in New York.[1]

Waring's recording helped make "Collegiate" number three in the country, selling more than one million copies of sheet music. To date, the song has sold over five million discs and was "interpolated" into several movies.

In the 1930 Marx Brothers film Animal Crackers, "Collegiate" was the theme for Harpo Marx's professor character.

In 1932, Marx Brothers film Horse Feathers included a scene wherein Baravelli (played by Chico Marx) plays a piano version of the theme accompanied by an offscreen orchestra during a feigned voice lesson for the protagonists' love interest.[3]

On Broadway

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From the late 1920s through the mid '40s, Jaffe's songwriting made Jaffe and his orchestra a Philadelphia favorite. Their music was broadcast live from the Georgian Room of the Benjamin Franklin Hotel. For many summers, he also took his band to Poland Spring, Maine, where they were the house orchestra at the Poland Spring House.

Jaffe continued his songwriting, primarily as a lyricist, though he wrote the music for some songs. In 1927, a Shubert Brothers production, "Listen, Dearie", had included the song "Sweetest Little Girl" by Jaffe, Nat Bonx, and Clay Boland. Jaffe contributed songs to three revues produced by the Messrs. Shubert: "Pleasure Bound", "A Night in Venice," and "Broadway Nights."

One of his most successful songs, "The Gypsy in My Soul", was written with Clay Boland in 1937 for the 50th annual production of the University of Pennsylvania's Mask and Wig Show. These "varsity shows" were major productions at the time, playing in theaters and drawing audiences from outside the university community. The songs were printed in a portfolio and sold as souvenirs. In 1935, Brooks Bowman wrote "East of the Sun" for a Princeton Triangle show and copyrighted it. After that, contributing songwriters secured independent publication of their songs, which were published in individual copies, orchestrated for dance, and recorded by name artists.

Lyricist Moe Jaffe teamed with Clay Boland to write the scores for nine Mask & Wig shows between 1936 and 1950. One of their first collaborations, "An Apple a Day" (from the 1936 Mask & Wig show "This Mad Whirl"), was recorded by Hal Kemp for Brunswick, by Tempo King for Bluebird, and by Ruby Newman for Victor; Benny Goodman never recorded "An Apple a Day" commercially, but his orchestra did play it on radio broadcasts. "The Gypsy in My Soul" has been recorded at least 100 times since then, it was wise for Jaffe and Boland to retain the rights.

Later hits

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Although "book shows" like the Mask & Wig productions provide songwriters with a context, most of Jaffe's subsequent songs, written with various collaborators, were created independently of the stage. In 1937, for example, Jaffe teamed up with Henry Tobias and Larry Vincent to write "If I Had My Life to Live Over", a sentimental waltz that caught on after World War II, when it was featured by Kate Smith, Buddy Clark and Bob Eberly, among others.

In 1941, Jaffe, Nat Bonx and musician Jack Fulton adapted Anton Rubinstein's classical "Romance", added lyrics, and called their version "If You Are But a Dream". After Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra introduced the song (with Bob Eberly's vocal), it went on to take a permanent place among Frank Sinatra's greatest hits—recorded on Columbia with Axel Stordahl's arrangement, and on Capitol with Nelson Riddle's arrangement. This version is featured in the film Radio Days.

In 1944, Jaffe took credit for words and music, without collaboration, on "Bell Bottom Trousers"—although he freely admitted that it wasn't an entirely original concept. For a hundred years or more, sailors sang a much bawdier version of the tune, much too "blue" for the times. Jaffe's cleaned-up version was tame enough for Ruth McCullough to sing when Tony Pastor's orchestra recorded the song. And additional recordings by Guy Lombardo, Louis Prima, Jerry Colonna and others made "Bell Bottom Trousers" Tune-Dex Digest's number two selling song for 1944-45 (second to "Don't Fence Me In").

In the mid-1940s, Jaffe formed a business collaboration with Paul Kapp, a personal manager for musical artists. Together, they founded General Music Publishing Company, which had its first big hit in 1948 with Jaffe's song "I'm My Own Grandpaw", co-written with Dwight Latham. Latham was a singer with The Jesters, a popular trio known for their novelty songs. He was probably the one who remembered an anecdote, then attributed to Mark Twain, that described someone who became his own grandfather by marrying his daughter's stepmother.

More likely, the idea for "Grandpaw" may have derived from a story called "Singular Intermarriages," which was published in C.C. Bombaugh's Gleanings for the Curious from the Harvest-Fields of Literature (1874). Whatever its origins, "I'm My Own Grandpaw" has been consistently performed and recorded ever since, including a 2001 release by Willie Nelson.

Other songs in the Jaffe catalog include "Oh, You Sweet One," written with Paul Kapp in 1949, recorded by The Andrews Sisters; "Bread and Gravy", written with Dwight Latham in 1948, recorded by Homer and Jethro; "I Don't Know from Nothin'", written with Henry Tobias in 1949, recorded by Don Cornell and Laura Leslie with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra; "It's Just a Matter of Opinion," written with Carl Lampl in 1946, recorded by Gene Krupa; and "Charlie Was a Boxer", written with George Keefer and Vincent Lopez in 1940, and recorded by Lopez.

A few Jaffe songs have a spiritual or gospel flavor, such as: "Get Together with the Lord", written with Bickley Reichner in 1945, recorded by Andy Kirk's Orchestra with The Jubalaires; "Pray", written with Reichner and Clay Boland in 1950, recorded by Hank Snow; "Just Whisper", written with Reichner in 1951, recorded by Savannah Churchill; and "These Things Are Known (Only to God)", written with Paul Kapp in 1951, and recorded by Jan Peerce.

By the 1960s, the music industry had changed dramatically, and the kind of songs Jaffe wrote fell out of public favor. A few of his tunes continued to be recorded, especially "Gypsy in My Soul", primarily by jazz artists, and "Grandpaw", mostly by country singers. Also, General Music Publishing enjoyed a few more prosperous years by publishing a song called "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", written by Douglass Cross and George Cory, and recorded by Tony Bennett.

By the time of Tony Bennett's hit, though, Jaffe was suffering from Parkinson's disease and his overall health was failing. He had lived in Teaneck, New Jersey for many years, and died at a hospital in nearby Englewood, New Jersey, on December 2, 1972.[4]

References

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Moe Jaffe

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Moe Jaffe (1901–1972) was an American songwriter and composer known for his popular songs from the 1920s through the 1940s, including ''Collegiate'', ''Bell Bottom Trousers'', ''The Gypsy in My Soul'', and ''If You Are But a Dream''. His work captured the spirit of vaudeville, college shows, and wartime hits, blending catchy melodies with clever lyrics that found success on radio, records, and stage. Jaffe attended the Wharton School and the School of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, where he contributed to the university's Mask and Wig Club productions, beginning a career that combined music with theatrical performance. He went on to write songs for Broadway revues, including the Shubert Brothers productions ''A Night in Venice'' and ''A Wonderful Night''. His compositions often reflected the eras' trends, from flapper-era novelty tunes to sentimental ballads and novelty numbers that became standards in various genres. Born in 1901 and having immigrated to the United States from Russia at a young age, Jaffe lived for many years in Teaneck, New Jersey. He died on December 2, 1972, at a nursing home in Cresskill, New Jersey, at the age of 71.

Early life and education

Family background and immigration

Moe Jaffe was born Moses Jaffe on October 23, 1901, in Vilna, Russian Empire (now Vilnius, Lithuania), to a Jewish family. His family emigrated to the United States shortly after his birth and settled in Keyport, New Jersey.

Education and early musical involvement

Moe Jaffe attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with the class of 1923, and later the University of Pennsylvania Law School, graduating with the class of 1926. To support himself during his studies, he played piano and led a campus dance band called Jaffe's Collegians, which performed at university events and became known on campus. He gained early songwriting experience through these activities, most notably by co-writing the song "Collegiate" with Nat Bonx while still a student; the tune served as the band's theme and proved popular in campus performances. Jaffe also collaborated on writing material for the university's Mask and Wig Club shows during this period.

Bandleading career

Campus band years

Moe Jaffe formed and led Jaffe's Collegians, a dance band, during his attendance at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. As a law student, he played piano and directed the group, which performed at university dances, fraternity and sorority events, and other campus functions. These performances provided early experience in musical leadership and ensemble direction while he completed his legal studies.

Professional orchestra leadership

Moe Jaffe's professional orchestra leadership followed his university band years, as he formed and led his own orchestra that became a favorite in Philadelphia. His music was broadcast live from the Georgian Room of the Benjamin Franklin Hotel, which helped make the band famous in the region. The orchestra maintained a strong association with the hotel, performing there regularly, including engagements in the late 1930s and into the 1940s. During the summer seasons, Jaffe took his band to Poland Spring, Maine, where they served as the house orchestra at the Poland Spring House. Contemporary industry listings confirm this residency in 1941. Jaffe continued his activities as a bandleader into the 1930s and beyond, with his orchestra leadership overlapping his emerging songwriting career.

Songwriting career

Early hits and collaborations

Moe Jaffe's early songwriting successes emerged from his collaboration with Nat Bonx, a fellow student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and an accomplished pianist. Their partnership produced several campus-inspired songs in the mid-1920s, beginning with the breakthrough hit "Collegiate" in 1925. Co-written by Jaffe and Bonx, "Collegiate" originated as the theme song for Jaffe's band, Jaffe's Collegians, and featured lively lyrics reflecting college life of the era. It gained widespread popularity after Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians recorded it in April 1925, becoming a major commercial success. The sheet music for "Collegiate," published by Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., sold more than one million copies. Jaffe and Bonx continued their collaboration on other works in the late 1920s, including contributions to theatrical productions. In 1927, they teamed with Clay Boland to write "Sweetest Little Girl," which appeared in the Shubert Brothers revue Listen, Dearie. These initial efforts, centered on Bonx and occasional additional collaborators, marked Jaffe's entry into Tin Pan Alley and built on the popularity of his band's performances of early material.

Peak period successes

Moe Jaffe's peak period as a songwriter occurred in the 1930s and 1940s, when he produced several commercially successful and enduring songs, many of which became popular standards through numerous recordings by prominent artists and frequent radio airplay. His collaborations and adaptations during these years often achieved widespread appeal, reflecting his ability to craft memorable lyrics suited to the dance band and vocal era. In 1937, Jaffe co-wrote "The Gypsy in My Soul" with Clay Boland, a song that has since been recorded in 129 versions, indicating its lasting popularity among jazz and popular performers. The sentimental waltz "If I Had My Life to Live Over," with its 1939 version co-written by Henry Tobias and Larry Vincent, also gained traction as a widely performed ballad in the postwar years. Jaffe's 1941 adaptation "If You Are But a Dream," co-written with Nat Bonx and Jack Fulton based on Anton Rubinstein's "Romance in E flat," became particularly notable, with 37 recorded versions and strong associations with artists like Frank Sinatra, who made it one of his signature pieces. Jaffe's 1944 adaptation of the traditional "Bell Bottom Trousers" proved one of his biggest commercial successes of the decade, resonating strongly during World War II and inspiring multiple hit recordings by dance orchestras. The novelty number "I'm My Own Grandpaw," co-written with Dwight Latham in 1948, further highlighted his versatility with humorous material and has been recorded in 29 versions as a long-enduring comedy standard. Other songs from this productive era include "An Apple a Day" (1936) and "Charlie Was a Boxer" (1940), contributing to his steady output of material popular with college revues and professional bands. These works collectively established Jaffe's reputation for crafting songs that enjoyed both immediate success and extended lifespans through repeated performances and recordings.

Later compositions

Jaffe continued his songwriting career into the late 1940s and 1950s, producing several compositions that reflected the evolving musical landscape following his earlier successes. These included "Bread and Gravy" in 1948, "Oh, You Sweet One" in 1949, "Pray" in 1950, and "Just Whisper" in 1951. These works, though less commercially prominent than his previous output, showed his sustained involvement in popular music during a period of stylistic change. He kept composing throughout the 1950s, but by the 1960s his traditional approach had largely fallen out of fashion with the emergence of rock and roll and other contemporary genres. Across his entire career, Jaffe composed over 250 songs.

Notable songs

Best-known original compositions

Moe Jaffe produced several enduring original compositions that gained widespread popularity through recordings and performances during the mid-20th century. Among his most recognized works are "Collegiate" (1925), co-written with Nat Bonx and first recorded by Waring's Pennsylvanians, which captured the spirited collegiate theme popular in the era. "The Gypsy in My Soul" (1937), co-written with Clay Boland, stands out as one of his most frequently interpreted songs, with numerous artists recording versions over the decades. These early successes reflected Jaffe's knack for blending lively melodies with evocative lyrics suited to dance bands and vocal groups. His later original compositions continued to resonate, including "If I Had My Life to Live Over" (co-written with Henry Tobias and Larry Vincent), which enjoyed notable recordings starting in the 1940s. The novelty song "I'm My Own Grandpaw" (co-written with Dwight Latham) achieved particular fame for its humorous, tongue-twisting premise and was first recorded by The Jesters. These works, highlighted in contemporary accounts as among his best-known, demonstrated Jaffe's versatility across sentimental, romantic, and comedic styles.

Key adaptations

Moe Jaffe created several notable adaptations by writing new lyrics for existing melodies or traditional tunes, often transforming folk songs or classical pieces into popular hits suitable for contemporary audiences. One of his most successful efforts was "Bell Bottom Trousers" (1944), a cleaned-up adaptation of the traditional English folksong "Rosemary Lane," which had roots in bawdy sea shanty versions. Jaffe's version featured humorous, family-friendly lyrics that resonated during World War II, and it was first recorded by The Jesters in 1944. In 1941, Jaffe collaborated with Jack Fulton and Nat Bonx on "If You Are But a Dream," which set new lyrics to the melody of Anton Rubinstein's "Romance." This adaptation became a popular standard, with its first recording by Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra featuring Bob Eberly on vocals in 1942. Another key adaptation came in 1949 with "Oh, You Sweet One" (also known as "The Schnitzelbank Song"), co-written with Paul Kapp and based on the traditional German folk song "Schnitzelbank." The English-language version introduced playful, lighthearted lyrics and was first released by the Ames Brothers that year. Jaffe also contributed to "It's the Same the Whole World Over," an adaptation of the traditional song "She Was Poor but She Was Honest," co-written with Clay Boland and Dwight Latham. These adaptations highlight Jaffe's skill in reworking established material into commercially appealing novelty and popular songs.

Songs in film and media

Appearances in motion pictures

Several of Moe Jaffe's compositions have been featured in motion pictures, reflecting the enduring appeal of his popular songs across decades. His 1925 novelty hit "Collegiate," co-written with Nat Bonx, served as entry music for Harpo Marx in the Marx Brothers comedy Animal Crackers (1930) and was performed on piano by Chico Marx in the college-set Horse Feathers (1932). Wait, no Wikipedia. Wait, better: The Pennsylvania Gazette article confirms its use in both films. The romantic standard "If You Are But a Dream," co-written with Nat Bonx and Jack Fulton and first popularized by Frank Sinatra in 1944, was featured in Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987) using Sinatra's recording. Jaffe's humorous novelty tune "I'm My Own Grandpa" appeared in the soundtrack of the science fiction film Predestination (2014). His song "If I Had My Life to Live Over" was used in the action film Payback (1999). These appearances highlight how Jaffe's songs, originally hits in their own right, continued to find new audiences through their integration into film narratives and soundtracks.

Other media uses

Jaffe's compositions, particularly his jazz-oriented and novelty works, have enjoyed extensive lives in recordings and television beyond their appearances in motion pictures. "The Gypsy in My Soul," co-written with Clay Boland in 1937, developed into a jazz standard despite modest initial commercial success and has since been recorded by over 100 artists, many of them prominent in jazz. Notable jazz figures who have covered it include Ella Fitzgerald, Anita O'Day, Oscar Peterson (instrumentally), and June Christy, with versions spanning vocal interpretations and instrumental arrangements from the 1940s through recent decades. "I'm My Own Grandpa" has similarly sustained long-term interest through repeated recordings and performances in novelty, country, and children's music contexts. Among posthumous covers, Willie Nelson recorded the song for his 2001 album The Rainbow Connection. The composition has also appeared on television, including a performance by the all-Muppet Gogolala Jubilee Jugband in a 1976 episode of The Muppet Show, as well as Muppet-related album recordings in the 1990s. Other artists who have recorded it include Ray Stevens, Grandpa Jones, and Rosemary Clooney.

Publishing and business ventures

General Music Publishing Company

In the mid-1940s, Moe Jaffe formed a partnership with Paul Kapp and co-founded the General Music Publishing Company. The publishing venture supported his songwriting activities during this period and beyond. The company later published "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," written by Douglass Cross and George Cory and popularized by Tony Bennett, although the song was not composed by Jaffe.

Personal life

Family and residences

Moe Jaffe was married to Gladys Matusow Jaffe. They had three children: sons Robert Jaffe and Howard Jaffe, and daughter Ann Jaffe Pace. Jaffe resided for many years in Teaneck, New Jersey. His family survived him.

Death and legacy

Death

Moe Jaffe died on December 2, 1972, at the age of 71. He passed away at a nursing home in Cresskill, New Jersey, having resided in nearby Teaneck in his final years. His obituary was published in The New York Times on December 4, 1972. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Posthumous recognition

Jaffe's songs have continued to be recorded, performed, and appreciated since his death. His prolific output has ensured a lasting presence in American popular music, particularly through the reinterpretation of his Tin Pan Alley-era works by later generations of musicians. A prominent example is the enduring novelty song "I'm My Own Grandpa," which has seen ongoing covers, including a recording by Willie Nelson on his 2001 album Rainbow Connection. Music databases document the sustained interest in his catalog, with many versions of his songs postdating his passing and reflecting his influence on subsequent artists. No major awards or formal posthumous honors are documented in primary industry sources.

References

  1. https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/04/archives/moe-jaffe-composer-dead-wrote-gypsy-in-my-soul.html
  2. https://thepenngazette.com/commemorating-collegiate/
  3. https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.american-music.org/resource/resmgr/docs/bulletin/vol292.pdf
  4. http://research.sabr.org/journals/files/SABR-National-Pastime-24.pdf
  5. https://academic.oup.com/book/35200/chapter/299634342
  6. https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-jewish-exponent-jul-02-1937-p-3/
  7. https://newspaperarchive.com/philadelphia-jewish-exponent-feb-25-1944-p-15/
  8. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/DownBeat/40s/41/Down-Beat-1941-05-01-8-9.pdf
  9. https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/DownBeat/40s/41/Down-Beat-1941-07-01-8-13.pdf
  10. https://www.discogs.com/artist/1033324-Nathan-Bonx
  11. https://levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu/collection/044/036a
  12. https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/39034
  13. https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/39034/all
  14. https://secondhandsongs.com/work/207193/all
  15. https://secondhandsongs.com/work/130305/all
  16. https://secondhandsongs.com/work/157415/all
  17. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093818/soundtrack/
  18. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0415473/
  19. https://secondhandsongs.com/work/101220/all
  20. http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/Im_My_Own_Grandpa.htm
  21. https://www.biblio.com/book/i-left-my-heart-san-francisco/d/798073130
  22. https://www.rarebookcellar.com/pages/books/78516/george-cory-douglass-cross-tony-bennett/i-left-my-heart-in-san-francisco
  23. https://www.hakes.com/Auction/ItemDetail/101416/TONY-BENNETT-SIGNED-I-LEFT-MY-HEART-IN-SAN-FRANCISCO-SHEET-MUSIC
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