Topic: Blind Willie McTell 'Baby It Must Be Love' Publisher

[mderning]

I'm including this song on an upcoming CD and haven't been able to locate the publisher. Any ideas where to look?

Thanks,

Michael

[Rivers]

LoC? Just guessing.

[mderning]

LoC? Just guessing.

Don't see it there

[Rivers]

I've seen an alternate title of "King Edward's Blues", might be worth a shot.

[Stuart]

"King Edward blues" is the 1940 LoC title. cf. the LoC card:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/afc9999005.12072.0

--But maybe not. "blues" is in lower case with a line through it. Genre indication, perhaps?? And later added to the title?

"Baby, It Must Be Love," is the title given to his 1956 recording.

n.b Ragtime Dorian Henry's YT upload of his own 78:



He has the 78, so he might know:

https://ragtimedorianhenry.com/

BTW, Roy Book Binder recorded it under both titles.

[TonyGilroy]

I can't remember who by but it was a popular song in the 1930s featured by some of the big white swing bands. It's not a McTell original.

[mderning]

I can't remember who by but it was a popular song in the 1930s featured by some of the big white swing bands. It's not a McTell original.

Yeah, thanks, I can see that now.

Michael

[mderning]

I can't remember who by but it was a popular song in the 1930s featured by some of the big white swing bands. It's not a McTell original.

Baby and It Must Be Love performed by Bob Howard & His Orchestra written by Aletha Dickerson/Hill
Publisher: UNIVERSAL-MCA MUSIC PUBLIS OBO UNIVERSAL

Thanks again,

Michael

[TonyGilroy]

Bob Howard was a Fats Wallerish performer who apparently, had a New York TV series in the late 40s/early 50s.

Ironically, like McTell he had a single issued by Atlantic in their very early days. Dickerson and Hill were hokum performers.

[Stuart]

Thanks for the additional info. Here are a few links FYI:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Howard_(singer)

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-howard-mn0001764474/biography

https://www.amazon.com/gp/entity/default/B001LH7DK6

[jtbrown]

Someone has posted the Bob Howard version on YouTube. The lyrics are a little different from McTell's in a couple of places – notably, he sings "Is this love or heart disease?" where McTell sings "Is my lover hard to please?" and "Made that man give up his crown" instead of "Made King Edward give up his crown."



And according to Discogs, that's Teddy Bunn on guitar!