Ted Weems


Ted Weems publicity photo

Background information
Birth name: Wilfred Theodore Wemyes
Also known as: Ted Weems
Born: September 26, 1901; Pitcairn, Pennsylvania
Origin: Philadelphia
Died: May 6, 1963 (aged 61); Tulsa, Oklahoma

Wilfred Theodore Wemyes, known professionally as Ted Weems (September 26, 1901 – May 6, 1963), was an American bandleader and musician. Weems's work in music was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Biography

{snip}

In 1936, the Ted Weems Orchestra gave singer Perry Como his first national exposure; Como recorded with the band (on Decca Records), beginning his long and successful career. Among Weems's other discoveries were whistler-singer Elmo Tanner, sax player and singer Red Ingle, Marilyn Maxwell, who left the band for an acting career; and arranger Joe Haymes, who created the band's unique jazz-novelty style. Weems also signed 14-year-old ventriloquist Paul Winchell to a contract, after seeing him with one of the Major Bowes touring companies. The first season of the Beat the Band radio show (1940–1941) included Weems and his orchestra as part of the cast.

In 1940, Weems and his orchestra were featured on Beat the Band on the NBC-Red radio network.

In November 1942, Ted Weems and his entire band enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine, directing the Merchant Marine Band. Reorganizing his big band in 1945, he made records for Mercury, including the hits "Peg O' My Heart" and "Mickey". However, the biggest hit of Weems's career was a reissue on his former Decca label: the Weems Orchestra's 1938 recording of "Heartaches" topped the national charts for 13 weeks.


Ted Weems (right) with William P. Gottlieb,
WINX Studio, Washington, D.C., ca. 1940.

For his August 4, 1933 session, Weems recorded six tunes, including "Heartaches". Since Victor wanted the recording made quickly, Weems and his band had time for only one rehearsal session prior to this. Weems did not like the song at first, and decided to have Elmo Tanner whistle rather than use a vocalist. While rehearsing, someone came up with the idea of trying the song at a faster tempo than it was written for. The fast-tempo recording attracted very little attention after its release.

In 1938 Weems recorded a new "rhumba fox trot" version of "Heartaches" for Decca Records. This version again featured Elmo Tanner's whistling, and the tune was played briskly but not at the breakneck tempo of the 1933 version. In 1947 an overnight disc jockey named Kurt Webster, at station WBT in Charlotte, North Carolina, found the 1938 version in a box of old records he had recently received. He played it on the air and the radio station's phones never stopped ringing; the callers wanted to hear the song again. The calls continued, now joined by record stores wanting to know how to order copies of the record. Other radio markets began playing the song, prompting Decca to press new copies. Since the Weems orchestra had also recorded "Heartaches" for Victor, that company decided to re-release its own version of the song. Both labels shared credit on the charts. "Heartaches" topped the Hit Parade on April 19, 1947; nine years after it was recorded. In a 1960 interview, band member Elmo Tanner related that he and Weems received nothing for the reissue as both men had let their contracts expire while they were in the Merchant Marine.

The new-found popularity of the 1938 "Heartaches" came at a time when Weems was struggling to re-form his band; many former members had other music-related jobs, others were no longer interested in performing. Two of his band members were killed in World War II. Weems was then able to recruit new band members and was again being asked to play at the same venues as before the war. Ted Weems made front-page news in 1947 when he publicly repaid his debt to disc jockey Kurt Webster, who had revived "Heartaches" and thus Weems's career. Weems staged a benefit performance by his band on June 6, with all proceeds going to war veteran Webster. Decca cashed in on Weems's new popularity by reissuing another oldie, "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" with vocals by Perry Como, which became another major chart hit.

Despite this sudden surfeit of popularity, the hits dried up after 1947. Weems toured until 1953. At that time he accepted a disc jockey position in Memphis, Tennessee, later moving on to a management position with the Holiday Inn hotel chain. Perry Como played host to his old boss, Elmo Tanner, and three other Weems band members on his Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall show of October 18, 1961.

{snip}

1947 HITS ARCHIVE: Heartaches - Ted Weems (Decca reissue of 1938 version--a #1 record)
23,088 views May 14, 2019

the78prof
20.2K subscribers

Heartaches (Klenner-Hoffman) by Ted Weems & his Orchestra, whistling by Elmo Tanner

A big surprise hit of 1947 was this revival of Weems’ up-tempo arrangement of the early ‘30s ballad “Heartaches”....and in two different* reissued Weems versions. It was this 1938 Decca recording (not the earlier 1933 version as incorrectly documented elsewhere) that initially exploded due to its exposure on a Charlotte NC radio station, resulting in Decca hurriedly re-distributing the track and RCA Victor following with their own newly-labeled Bluebird release from 1933. Both were combined into a single ranked listing on the Billboard charts, spending 13 weeks atop the juke box listings and 12 weeks at #1 in sales....each selling over a million copies.

{snip}

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Single by Ted Weems and His Orchestra, vocal by Perry Como
B-side: "Ollie Ollie Outs in Free"
Released: January 1942
Recorded: December 9, 1941, Los Angeles
Genre: Country & western
Length: 2:42
Label: Decca
Composer(s): Don Swander
Lyricist(s): June Hershey

"Deep in the Heart of Texas" is an American popular song about Texas.

The 1941 song features lyrics by June Hershey and music by Don Swander. There were no fewer than five versions in the Billboard charts in 1942. "Deep in the Heart of Texas" spent five weeks at the top of Your Hit Parade in 1942 during its twelve weeks stay.

Notable recordings

1942 chart recordings

• Alvino Rey and his Orchestra (vocal by Bill Schallen and Skeets Herfurt), recorded November 21, 1941, Bluebird 11391) – this topped the Billboard charts in 1942 during a ten-week stay.
• Ted Weems and His Orchestra (vocal by Perry Como – recorded on December 9, 1941 for Decca Records in Los Angeles, California. It was a single release (4138 A) on the flip side of the song "Ollie Ollie Out's in Free". This also charted with a peak position of No. 23.
• The Merry Macs – recorded December 23, 1941 for Decca Records, catalogue No. 4136.[8] Chart position peak No. 11
• Bing Crosby with Woody Herman and his Woodchoppers (recorded January 18, 1942,[9] Decca 4162) This reached the No. 3 spot in the charts in 1942.
• Horace Heidt's Musical Knights – recorded January 28, 1942, Columbia 36525[12][11] – this achieved a top position of No. 7.

{snip}

1941 Ted Weems - Deep In The Heart Of Texas (Perry Como, vocal)

The78Prof
50.7K subscribers

2,494 views Dec 13, 2022
This was Perry’s last recorded title as a member of the Weems Band. See also popular versions by Alvino Rey

• 1942 HITS ARCHIVE: Deep In The Heart ... Bing Crosby/Woody Herman

• 1942 HITS ARCHIVE: Deep In The Heart ... and Horace Heidt

• 1942 HITS ARCHIVE: Deep In The Heart ...

CD audio, original 78rpm issue on Decca 4138 - Deep In The Heart Of Texas (Don Swander-June Hershey) by Ted Weems & his Orchestra, vocal by Perry Como, recorded in Los Angeles December 9, 1941 .

{snip}