Walter G. Samuels

Walter Samuels was an American songwriter, composer, and musician. He often collaborated with Leonard Whitcup and Max Rutchik and is behind several hits such as "I Gotta Have You", "Fiesta", "True", and "Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle".

Samuels wrote, or co-wrote, several songs in the 1930s and 1940s that were recorded by several famed musicians of the day, including Leonard Whitcup, Ray Noble, Henry Busse, and Billy Cotton. His tracks have also been included in the soundtrack for many movies.

Walter G. Samuels was born in New York City, New York, on February 2, 1903.

Samuels began his professional music career in the late 1920s. His composition of "I Gotta Have You (Quiero Tenerte A Mio Lado)" with the duo "Mac and Lennie" (Leonard Whitcup and Max Rutchik) was recorded on September 13, 1929, by The Midnight Airedales—Glenn Miller (trombone); Fud Livingston (clarinet, saxophone); Henry Whiteman, Maurice Goffin (violin); Rube Bloom (piano); Joe Tarto (bass); Gene Krupa­ (drums); Red McKenzie (vocals); and Red Nichols, Mickey Bloom, Tommy Thunen (trumpet). In October of 1929, it was recorded by Julie Wintz & His Mayflower Orchestra with tenor vocals by Irving Kaufman (as "Jim Andrews").

In 1929, Samuels composed music for Ned Wayburn's Broadway musical Ned Wayburn's Gambols (lyrics by Morrie Ryskind).

His composition of "Gypsy Dream Rose", co-written with James Kendis and Meyer Gusman, was recorded by Rudy Vallee And His Connecticut Yankees (1930).

In 1931, Samuels and Whitcup composed "Fiesta" with lyrics by Armin L. Robinsonof Austria and Robert Gilbert of Germany. It was recorded by Germany's John Brigs Und Sein Jazzensemble on Kalliope Records.

"Fiesta" (also titled "Bianca") was recorded by several musicians, including:

• The British New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, conducted by Ray Noble and vocals by Al Bowlly (1931)
• California Ramblers, directed by Wallace Theodore "Ed" Kirkeby with Red Nichols (trumpet), Jimmy Dorsey (saxophone), Tommy Dorsey (trombone), and Adrian Rollini (piano, vibraphone) (1931)
• Jack Payne And His B.B.C. Dance Orchestra (1931)
• Henry Busse And His Orchestra (1931). In 1963, Busse's version was featured in Federico Fellini Italian film 8½.
• Durium Dance Ensemble with Arthur Lally (conductor) and Sam Browne(vocals) (1932)
• Central America Marimba Band (1933)
• Original Rumba Orchestra (1933)
• Louis Katzman's The Castilians (1937)

Samuels and Benjamin Boretz composed "So Shy", which was recorded in 1933 by Lew Stone And His Band. In December 1933, it was recorded by Isham Jones Orchestra, with Fred Erdman (session supervisor) and Eddie Stone (vocals and violin). The following year, the track was covered by Billy Cotton's band, with Harold "Chips" Chippendall and Mick Burberry (saxophone); Frank Kenyon (clarinet, alto saxophone); Frank Barnes (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Joe White (double bass); Arthur Baker (drums); Clem Bernard (piano); Ellis Jackson, and Tommy Ward (trombone); Bruts Gonella, Eddie Fearn, and Teddy Foster (trumpet); Phil Phillips (violin); and Laurie Johnson (banjo).

"True", a composition by Samuels and Whitcup was recorded by Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians (1934); Jack Payne And His Band (1934); Al Bowlly (1934); Chick Webb And His Orchestra (1934, with vocals by Taft Jordan); Enric Madriguera Orchestra (1934, with vocals by Tony Sacco).

In March 1934, Samuels and Whitcup's "Infatuation" was recorded on Victor Records by Isham Jones Orchestra (with vocals by Joe Martin) and George Hall's Hotel Taft Orchestra (vocals by Barry Wells).

"Hot Dogs and Sarsaparilla" (with Whitcup) was recorded in June 1934 by Sid Peltyn and his Orchestra [a.k.a Tom Berwick Orchestra] with Dick Robertson (tenor vocal) and Eli E. Oberstein (session supervisor).

"I Couldn't Believe My Eyes", co-written by Samuels, Leonard Whitcup, and Teddy Powell), was recorded in 1935 by Julius La Rosa.

"Take Me Back To My Boots And Saddle" (co-written with Whitcup and Teddy Powell) was another hit that several musicians recorded:

• Jimmy Ray Orchestra (1935)
• Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (vocals by Cliff Weston) (1935)
• Carroll Hollister + John Charles Thomas (1935)
• The Girls of the Golden West (Mildred Fern Good and Dorothy Laverne Good) (1935)
• Tex Ritter
• Riley Puckett (1940)
• Gene Autry (1950)
• The Ray-O-Vacs (1951)
• Bing Crosby
• Laureanne Lemay (1959)
• Ambrose And His Orchestra
• The Ramrods (1961)

The Saddle song was also in the soundtrack of David Howard's comedy thriller The Border Patrolman (1936) starring George O'Brien and Polly Ann Young.

"March Winds And April Showers" (co-written with Whitcup and Powell) was recorded by:

• Teddy Joyce And His Orchestra (1935)
• Ruth Etting (1935)
• Abe Lyman And His California Orchestra, with vocals by Barry Wood (1935)
• Phyllis Robins (The B.B.C. And Vaudeville Star) (UK, 1935)
• Victor Young And His Orchestra (1935)
• Harlem Hot Shots (1936)

In 1937, Samuels, Whitcup, and Powell wrote "Heaven Help This Heart of Mine" for Frank Hummert and Anne Hummert's soap opera Backstage Wife. Later, it was also recorded by Mildred Bailey (1937) and Buddy Clark.

"Spring Cleaning" (co-written with Whitcup and Powell) was recorded in March 1937 by Fats Waller and his Rhythm. In April, it was recorded on Bluebird Records by Ted Mack Orchestra with Murray F. Sokoloff (drums); Eddie O'Connor (guitar); Archie Troskin (string bass); Harold Hemingway, Dick Galati, and Herman Schwartz (saxophone); Ted Foglis (piano); Sam Genuso (trombone); and Armand Egrini, and Vincent Badalamento (trumpet).

Samuels' notable compositions in the 1940s:

• "The Swiss bellringer" (April 1941) — Freddy Martin Orchestra with Eddie Stone (vocalist); Jack Fina (piano); George Green (string bass); Glenn Hughes and Charles Probert (trombone); Russ Klein, Chris Richardson, and Archie Rosati (saxophone); Charles Bealick, Eddie Bergman, and Mischa Russell(violin); Bob White (drums); Norm Bailey and Harry McKeehan (trumpet).
• "It isn't a dream anymore " (September 1941) — Alvino Rey Orchestra with Alyce King (vocalist); Sandy Block (string bass); Buddy Cole (piano); Danny Vanelli, John Fallstitch, and Paul Fredricks (trumpet); Charles Brosen, Jerry Sanfino, Skeets Herfurt, and Kermit Levinsky (saxophone); Eddie Julian (drums); Dick Morgan (guitar); and Bill Schallen (trombone).
• "It isn't a dream anymore" (September 1941) — Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Jo Stafford (vocalist); Clark Yocum (guitar); Sid Weiss (string bass); Al Stearns, Charles Peterson, Ziggy Elman, and Jimmy Blake (trumpet); Heinie Beau, Manny Gershman, Don Lodice, Fred Stulce, and Bruce Snyder (saxophone); Jimmy Skiles, Dave Jacobs, and George Arus (trombone); Buddy Rich (drums); and Joe Bushkin (piano).
• "There's nothing the matter with me (that a kiss can't cure)" (August 1946) — Herbie Fields Orchestra, with Marianne Dunne (vocalist) and Eli E. Oberstein (session supervisor)
• "It Isn't A Dream Anymore" (1942, co-written with Charles Newman) — Jack Leonard

Film and TV

• "Rollin' Plains" — soundtrack for Albert Herman's Western music drama Rollin' Plains (1938): starring Tex Ritter, Karl Hackett, White Flash
• "On To Victory" — soundtrack for Edward Sedgwick's comedy The Gladiator (1938): starring Joe E. Brown, June Travis, Dickie Moore
• "Cheer for the Team" — soundtrack for Arthur Dreifuss' comedy Little Miss Broadway (1947): starring Jean Porter, John Shelton, Ruth Donnelly
• "Lazy Old Moon" — soundtrack for Ethan Coen and Joel Coen's comedy Hail, Caesar! (2016): starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich
• "Heaven Help This Heart Of Mine" — soundtrack for Eddie Murphy's comedy Harlem Nights (1989): starring Murphy, Richard Pryor, and Redd Foxx

Samuels was married to Ruth Altschul Samuels (1907–2004)

Samuels died in Los Angeles, California, on June 3, 1994, at age 91.