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Brown's Around - August
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The idea for this month’s article came about during some research I was carrying out for my Broadband music programme on Heartland FM. The research involved finding out more about women songwriters from the end of the 19th century up to around 1960. In my ignorance, I was aware of only two successful female songwriters - both lyricists, both named Dorothy - over that period, and decided to dig deeper. Let’s go back to the early days of pop music (remember that pop music is simply short for popular) when there were no gramophone recordings, and sales of sheet music was the indicator of success. The predominant image of women in music was seated at the piano performing rather than making music. Indeed it was something of a requirement that women of those days play piano or some other instrument for the purpose of entertaining both visitors and family at home. Writing music was not considered “woman’s work,” and women who attempted to compose were often discouraged. |
It was in the United States that the breakthrough came, in the shape of immigrants. These immigrants are generally classed in the history books as “English”, though “English-speaking” is more accurate, as we all know that settlers from Scotland, Ireland and Wales, too, played their full part in the development of the USA.
An annoying development in publishing works by women composers emerged around 1825 when it became fashionable to describe the writers anonymously, such as “A Lady of Maryland” or “A Lady of Baltimore”, but one of the best known in the 19th century was an “English” singer named Mary Ann Pownall who was among the first Americans to compose and publish popular songs. She wrote a song called Jemmy Of The Glen, and it is one of the earliest compositions by a woman published in America. The lyrics may be interesting to readers:
Where gently flows sweet winding Tay
The valleys gladdening with its stream,
O’er every copse and every brae
I mourn, and Jemmy is my theme.
He left my cot last Whitsun Eve
And vowed he’d soon be back again
But ah poor Mary he’ll deceive
I ne’er shall see the lad again, bonny Jemmy.
Did Mary Ann Pownall have any connections with the Tay? Or - as in quite a few folk songs - is it easier to find a rhyme for Tay than, for example, Nith, Almond or Forth and Clyde Canal? Does the use of Jemmy for Jamie indicate a non-Scot? Or is this a misspelling such as in so many Scots-American surnames? Any information on Mary Ann will be gratefully received.
And the two Dorothys? First there was Dorothy Donnelly, who in 1921 collaborated with composer Sigmund Romberg on an adaptation of a Viennese operetta Das Dreimaederlhaus - Blossom Time - for which she wrote book and lyrics. They followed this with one of their greatest successes, The Student Prince, in 1924, again with Dorothy writing both book and lyrics. It was subsequently filmed featuring the voice (but not the too ample figure) of Mario Lanza.
The other Dorothy - Fields - was one of the best-known and sophisticated lyricists of the 20th century. She supplied the words for songs such as The Way You Look Tonight, I’m in the Mood for Love, I Can’t Give You Anything But Love Baby, Pick Yourself Up, On the Sunny Side of the Street, A Fine Romance, Exactly Like You, If My Friends Could See Me Now and Big Spender.
When Dorothy Fields was asked why there weren’t more women writing songs, she replied that simply not enough women have the time for careers. “The woman has enough to do as the homemaker, wife and mother. Yes, I do think song writing is a man’s game. It requires push, energy, movement, mixing; and it is a field that is and has been dominated by men. No, I do not think men have more talent.”
The advent of the female singer/songwriter spearheaded by the likes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell changed songwriting for ever, but - as ever - it’s worth remembering the unsung heroines of the past.
Alan Brown
