Wallie Herzer Explained

Wallie Herzer
Birth Name:	Walter Henry Herzer
Birth Date:	15 April 1885
Birth Place:	San Francisco
Death Place:	Redwood City, California
Years Active:	1908–1942

Wallie Herzer (né Walter Henry Herzer; 15 April 1885 San Francisco – 15 October 1961 Redwood City, California) was an American composer of popular music, music publisher, and pianist. Herzer flourished in music prior to and during World War I.

The Columbia recording of his 1912 composition, "Everybody Two-Step" — performed by ragtime pianist Mike Bernard on December 2, 1912, in New York City — is the first recording of ragtime music. It became a hit and coincided at the start of a renewed craze for ragtime and dance — fifteen years after William Krell's "Mississippi Rag" had been published, the first known published music with "rag" in the title.

Herzer composed three other hits — a 1913 piano rag, "Tickle the Ivories" – which also became hit as a vocal arrangement; a 1914 foxtrot song, "Get Over, Sal"; and a 1916 Hawaiian waltz song, "Aloha Land". Other compositions — including his 1908 piano ragtime two-step and barn dance, "The Rah-Rah Boy", and his 1913 rag turkey trot, "Let's Dance" — were internationally distributed.

Career

Of the 13 compositions by Herzer in the United States copyright records, there are 8 extant musical scores in national, academic, civic, and private libraries. The piano rolls and recordings of 4 of those works far exceed the number of compositions. As of 2014, at least 2 of Herzer's works are included in the repertoire of ragtime artists today.

Herzer published his music while working for insurance agencies in San Francisco. Beginning 1901, when he was 16, until about 1904, Herzer was a clerk for insurance agents Gutte & Frank (Isidor Gutte; 1833–1908; Julius Gutte; 1828–1900; and William Frank; 1839–19??). From 1904 to 1920, Herzer was an insurance adjustor and broker for Christensen & Goodwin (Charles H. Christensen; 1839–1921; & Benjamin Frank Goodwin; 1859–1945) at 241 Sansome Street — the same address as his publishing company. From 1920 to 1924, he was the manager of the city department (in San Francisco) for Bentley & Waterman (Leroy Vernon Bentley; 1883–1932; & Clyde Waterman; 1868–1950). In 1924, Herzer became the manager of the city department (in San Francisco) for Glens Falls Insurance Company, headquartered in Glens Falls, New York.

Music critic Winthrop Sargeant, in 1975, stated that the best ragtime came from outside New York and he cited Herzer & Brown, Wallie's first publishing company, as being among publishers of some of the best, earliest, and most imaginative rags. The title from Herzer's 1914 composition, "Get Over, Sal", was a turn-of-the-19th-century African-American expression for a slow-drag dance step that was incorporated in a variation of the fox trot. The expression had been published in an earlier song, "Music Hall Song", copyrighted 1879 — popularized by Jenny Hill, the 'Vital Spark':

You may get over water-butts,

You may get over fountains,

But I'll take particular notice

That you don't get over Sal.A song rendition of "Everybody Two-Step", published in 1913, became a popular hit in vaudeville. The solo piano and song versions of "Everybody Two-Step", his 1913 composition, "Tickle The Ivories", and his 1916 composition, "Aloha Land", were hits.

Selected compositions

"The Rah-Rah Boy"; ragtime two-step and barn dance, for solo piano

Jerome H. Remick & Co. (Remick), publisher (1908 & 1911);

Music Herzer, arranged by Eugene Brown

Cover: caricature of a male college student smoking a pipe with bulldog; illustrated by L.S. Morgan (né Leland Stanford Morgan; 1886–1981) (view)

"Rah-rah boy", in that era, was a reference to a college male. The class of '09 is illustrated on his pipe and sweater. One of the colors, blue, the bulldog, and the scull and bones insignia — taken as a composite — fits a profile of a Yale student.

"My Portola Maid"; song

Herzer, publisher (1909);

"Everybody Two-Step"

Remick, New York, Detroit, publisher (1911);

Cover: caricature of a jolly minstrel or busker banjoist with one or two missing teeth, seated in morning dress: single-breasted black frock coat with notched red-trimmed lapels, red, white, and black-striped top collar, red-trimmed sleeves, lined with single white French-cuffs; white vest; black-and-white checkered bow-tie with matching black-and-white checkered trousers trimmed with white gaiters; gemstone centered on upper shirt- or vest-front below the bow tie; black cap-toe dress shoes with white-stitched welts, topped with red, white, and black striped spats that match the top collar; black top hat with red patterned hat band on ground, brim up, casting a shadow; red background, black lettering, white base — illustrated by L.S. Morgan, 1910 (view) (2nd view)

Remick, New York, Detroit, publisher

Cover: full-page, center, ornamental stemmed cocktail glass (pseudo early-art deco), illustration by Starmer?? (

5 view

)

Remick, publisher (1911);

For dance orchestra

Arranged by Ribe Danmark, pseudonym of J. Bodewalt Lampe, staff arranger for Remick

Remick, publisher (1912);

Cover: portrait of Miss Nellie Beaumont is by Starmer; "As sung by Miss Nellie Beaumont in A Lucky Hoodoo", a musical review directed by Billy B. Van that toured nationwide between 1911 and 1912 (view)

"Tickle The Ivories", Rag

Remick, publisher (1913)

Solo piano version

Cover: man playing piano, illustrated by Starmer (view)

Remick, publisher (1912);

Song version

Music by Herzer, words by Earle C. Jones (1878–1913)

Remick, publisher (1913);

Music by Wallie Herzer; arranged by James C. McCabe (who sometimes used the pseudonym, Emmet Balfmoor); staff arranger for Remick

"Let's dance"; a rag turkey trot

Remick, publisher (1913);

Cover: 5 couples dancing, yellow, blue, and black colors, illustrated by Starmer (view)

"Get Over, Sal"; fox trot, one-step, two-step

Remick, publisher (1914);

Cover: black, orange and white colors – eleven couples dancing with a waiter carrying cocktails, illustrated by L.S. Morgan

Charles N. Daniels, San Francisco, publisher (1914);

Cover: black, orange, and white – eleven couples dancing with a waiter carrying cocktails, illustrated by L.S. Morgan (view)

"Dance With Me"; hesitation waltz

Wallie Herzer, publisher (1914);

Cover: purple and white colors – man and woman (in pantomime dress) dancing, illustrated by L.S. Morgan

"Aloha Land"; Hawaiian waltz song

Words by W. Eager, music by Herzer

Cover: illustrated by Wesley Raymond De Lappe (1887–1952) (view)

Music by Herzer, arrangement by Julius Lee Burbeck (1870–1949)

"Woman's Ways"; a musical satire

Piano score

Book by Sue Conly Posner (Susan Conleigh; 1886–1976), music by Herzer

"Come On To San Francisco"

"Sky Rocket, Boom, Ah", song

Unpublished

"Now and Always"; song

Wallie Herzer, publisher

"Dish It Out"

Walter Herzer, San Francisco

Lyrics & Music by Herzer

Selected piano rollography

"Everybody Two-Step"

Angelus 25963 (matrix) (65 note roll)

Angelus 90912 (matrix) (1912) (audio)

Connorized Music Co. 2173 (matrix)

Connorized Music Co. 3829 (matrix)

Full Scale 14923 (matrix)

Kimball F-6263 (matrix) (m), Popular Song Hits #2

Kimball C-6164 (matrix)

QRS 31027 (matrix)

Rhythmodik B-5252 (matrix) Fred A. Schmitz

Royal 4300 (matrix)

Supertone 695418 (matrix) (65 note roll)

Supertone 845418 (matrix)

Universal 99845 (matrix)

Universal 94505 (matrix) (m), "Rag Medley #11"

US Music 65500 (matrix) (m), "States Medley #5"

US Music 64518 (matrix)

Virtuoso 81014 (matrix)

Vocalstyle 1530 (matrix)

"Aloha Land"

Pianostyle 46198 (matrix)

Selected discography

"Everybody Two-Step", (instrumental version), Mike Bernard, piano (1912);

Columbia A-1266

38467-1 (matrix)

Reissues (i) Vintage Jazz Mart (Europe) VLP2 & (ii) Smithsonian Folkways RF24

Recorded in New York City December 2, 1912

"Everybody Two-Step", Victor Military Band;

Victor Records B-12779 (matrix)

Recorded January 9, 1913 (audio)

"Everybody Two-Step"

Billy Murray, vocalist

Edison cylinder (1912) audio on YouTube

"Everybody Two-Step"

Chrysanthemum Ragtime Band, Dancing on the Edge of the World, Stomp Off Records (1987);

Recorded at Bay Records, Berkeley, California

Re-released by Stomp Off Records, The Preserves, Vol. 1 (1992);

"Everybody Two-Step"

Johnny Maddox, Très moutarde: Johnny Maddox Plays Rags, Blues, Waltzes, and Ballads, Paragon Productions SG-102 (1977);

Recorded in 1975 in Denver, Colorado

Re-released by Crazy Otto Music, Sunflower Slow Drag (CD) (2005);

"Aloha Land"

6229-A-4-10 (matrix);

Waikiki Hawaiian Orchestra, with Helen Louise & Frank Ferera

Edison 50635

"Aloha Land"

G07326 (matrix);

Frank Ferera & Anthony Franchini (Hawaiian guitars), George Hamilton Green (xylophone)

Gennett 9000 Series 9076A

Recorded July 1920

Addresses

Publishing Company

Wallie Herzer, 241 Sansome Street, San Francisco

Residences

1917–1937: 2360 Vallejo, San Francisco (Pacific Heights)
1944–1955: 1801 Carmelita Avenue, Burlingame, San Mateo County, California
1955–1961: 759 Roble Avenue, Menlo Park, California

Social and professional affiliations

The Olympic Club, San Francisco

Wheelman (competitive bicyclist)

1921: Fire Underwriters' Association of the Pacific
1919: Plate Glass Underwriters Association of California, executive committee
1902: Herzer was an amateur competitive tennis player

Family

ParentsWallie Herzer's father, Hugo Herzer, Sr. (1845–1921), was born and raised in Bavaria, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1865. His mother, Elizabeth (née Ulrich; 1855–1923) was born and raised in France, and emigrated to the United States in 1860. Hugo, Sr., among other things, was engaged in civic service for the City of San Francisco, namely as Deputy Tax Assessor from about 1891 to 1901, then City Cashier in 1902 of the License Department of the Tax Assessor, and in 1905, Expert Searcher, Tax Office of San Francisco. Hugo, Sr., was also a member and officer of the Turners; and, also was a member of the German-American Republican Club of San Francisco, and the Grant and Wilson Club.

SiblingsWallie was the youngest of five siblings. One of his two brothers, Hugo G. Herzer, Jr. (1879–1921), was an operatic vocal instructor, first in Honolulu, in various capacities, including a position at the Honolulu School of Dramatic Art, from about 1902 to 1918. Hugo studied voice with Francis W. Stuart (1865–1939) at The King Conservatory of Music (Frank Louis King; 1854–1914) in San Jose in 1899. Hugo was a pedagogical of Francesco Lamperti. Hugo married Agnes Lovell Lyle (maiden; 1887–1951) on March 2, 1907, in Honolulu. Agnes was a soprano, pianist, and piano teacher. In 1918, they both resettled in San Francisco. After the death of Hugo, Jr., in 1921, Agnes remarried Robert Montgomery Gehl (1888–1971).

SpouseWallie married Sylvia (née Scalmanini; 1885–1955) in San Francisco on May 4, 1910. Sylvia's father, Carlo Scalmanini (1820–1891), had been a California Forty-Niner, a major vineyard owner-winemaker, co-owner, with Baptiste Frapolli (Italian spelling, Battiste; 1821–1890), of the Swiss Republic Restaurant at 19 Long Wharf, and, with Frapolli, a wholesale and retail grocer. Wallie and Sylvia had one child, a daughter — Harriett C. Herzer (1911–1999) who married Colin Arthur Moreton (1910–1991).

References

Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3 Musical Compositions, New Series, Library of Congress, Copyright Office

Original copyrights

Copyright renewals

Inline citations