1924 popular song
Sheet music cover, 1924
"Hard Hearted Hannah, the Vamp of Savannah " is a popular song with words by Jack Yellen , Bob Bigelow, and Charles Bates, and music by Milton Ager .[ 1] The song was published in June 1924 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc., New York .[ 2]
"Hard Hearted Hannah" tells in humorous fashion the story of a sadistic "vamp" or femme fatale from Savannah, Georgia .
Popularized by vocalist Margaret Young ,[ 3] it also had early recordings by vocalists Lucille Hegamin [ 4] and Dolly Kay ,[ 5] Vernon Dalhart in 1924, Herb Wiedoeft 's band (1924)[ 6] and by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra .[ 7] A quarter century later Peggy Lee revived the song successfully for Capitol Records , and the Ray Charles Singers recorded a hit version for Decca .[ 8]
The song has been recorded numerous times by such performers as Patti Austin , Belle Baker , Jim Croce , Bobby Darin , Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards , Ella Fitzgerald , Sue Keller , Stacey Kent , Julie London , Turk Murphy , The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , Nancy Sinatra , Kay Starr , Pat Suzuki , The Temperance Seven , Toni Tennille , Mary Testa , Sophie Tucker , Margaret Whiting and Sun Ra .[ 9]
Memorable television or film performances of the song include those by Carol Burnett , Peggy Lee , Dorothy Loudon , Ella Fitzgerald (on Pete Kelly's Blues ), and Beatrice Arthur on Maude and The Golden Girls . The song was performed by vampire Bill Compton (played by Stephen Moyer ) in the sixth episode of the second season of the HBO series True Blood , also called "Hard-Hearted Hannah"; Dolly Kay's recording of the song plays over the final credits.[ 10]
In season 1 of American Idol , contestant Nikki McKibbin sang this song in the finals, in which she ended up in the Bottom 3.[ 11]
See also
References
^ Alexander, Shana (1995). Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister & Me . Doubleday. ISBN 0385418159 .
^ Catalog of Copyright Entries pt. III, n. s., v. 19, nos. 5-6, 1924, p. 8708 (no. 8693) , retrieved 2014-02-05
^ David Garrick. "Margaret Young" . Jazzage1920s.com. Retrieved 2022-02-14 .
^ [1] Lucille Hegamin at RedHotJazz.com
^ [2] Dolly Kay at RedHotJazz.com
^ "Herb Wiedoeft's Cinderella Roof Orchestra" . Red Hot Jazz . Retrieved 2010-10-13 .
^ [3] Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra at RedHotJazz.com
^ Shana Alexander, Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister & Me , New York: Doubleday, 1995.
^ [4] [permanent dead link ] List of performers who have recorded "Hard Hearted Hannah" at allmusic.com
^ [5] HBO True Blood
^ "Nikki McKibbin dies; starred in first 'American Idol' season" . The Mercury News . 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2022-01-27 .