Charles Coborn (1852-1945)
Last updated: 26.04.24
According to the Internet source given below, Colin Whitton McCallum, stage name Charles Coborn, was an English music hall singer, songwriter and comedian born in Stepney, East London. He debuted on the Isle of Dogs in 1872 and was later billed at The Oxford Music Hall in London as "The Comic of the Day". He heard My Nellie's Blue Eyes (1876) by the American William J. Scanlan and rewrote it as Two Lovely Black Eyes (1886). This was a success and it became his signature song performing it regularly wearing a faded frock coat, carrying a battered umbrella and with two blackened eyes. Another success was "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1891) by Fred Gilbert - both songs are given in 60 Old-Time Variety Songs.
The latter became a staple of his act performing it on tour in different languages throughout the world.. Coborn later estimated that he had performed the song 250,000 times in the course of his career singing it in 14 languages. His I've Never Turned Money Away was controversial
He did charitable work in the First World War and later made efforts improving the conditions of music hall entertainers.
He died in London.
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Charles Coborn | Biography by wikipedia.org. |
Charles Coborn (1852-1945) has at least 5 item(s) at the Amazons which you can order on-line by clicking the item's order icon.
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I'm Rather Too Old For It Now Words and Music by: Charles Coborn. Performed by: Charles Coborn
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She Used to Push a Basinette Words and Music by: Charles Coborn. Performed by: Charles Coborn
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Should Husbands Work? Music by: Charles Coborn. Words by: George Thorn Performed by: Charles Coborn
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What's the Matter With -? He's All Right Comical Topcal Song Words and Music by: Charles Coborn. Performed by: Charles Coborn
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 Man That Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, TheMusic by: Fred Gilbert. Performed by: Charles Coborn
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| Title (Release Year) | Composer | Performers | Issue |
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| MP3 Files from Various Sources | ||||
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What Is It Master Likes So Much? (1911) | C. Coborn | B. Albert | Beka 485 |
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The Man That Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1924) | F. Gilbert | C. Coborn | Beltona 764 |
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Various Performers | Cockney Kings of the Music Hall |        |
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Various Performers | The Golden Age of the Music Hall | |
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Various Performers | Glory of the Music Hall Vol.1 | |
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Various Performers | Let's All Go To The Music Hall: Vol. 2 | |
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Various Performers | Your Own, Your Very Own: Stars of the Music Hall 1901-1929 | |
This list is derived from information provided by Monologues.co.uk which went down sometime in 2023.
The loss of this valuable resource is very sad and a mystery.
The loss of this valuable resource is very sad and a mystery.
| Title | Attribution | Remarks |
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| Borrow, Borrow, Borrow | Harry Dacre (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Come Where the Booze Is Cheaper | Charles Coborn (music) E.W. Rogers (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Four Fingers and a Thumb | Eldred Powel (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| He Knows the Werry Number on Yer Door | S.W. Carlysle (music) Alfred J Morris (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| He's All Right When You Know Him | Charles Coborn (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Hush! Hush!! Hush!!! Here Comes the Broker's Man | David Braham (music) George Dance (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| I'm Rather Too Old For It Now | Charles Coborn (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Man That Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, The | Fred Gilbert (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Off She Goes Again | Fred Gilbert (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Oh! the Jubilee | James Tighe (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Should Husbands Work? | Charles Coborn (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| ⇑That's the Way the World Goes Round | Eldred Powel (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
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| Two Lovely Black Eyes | Charles Coborn (words & music) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
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Come Where The Booze is Cheaper (1890) | A.E. Durandeau (music) Edward William Rogers (words) C. Coborn (perf.) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP |  |
The peformer is featured on 30 sheet music/recording covers. It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m)
ER
| Title | Composer | Attribution | Remarks |
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Why Do the British Love Their King? (1902) | Maxwell Barrett(w&m) | ||
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Hush! Hush!! Hush!!! Here Comes the Broker's Man (1890) | David Braham(w&m) | Warwick Williams (co-author) George Dance (words) |
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He Knows the Werry Number on Yer Door (1894) | S.W. Carlysle | Alfred J Morris (words) | |
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Our 'armonic Club (1890) | Albert Chevalier(w&m) | ||
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⇑Borrow, Borrow, Borrow (1889) | Harry Dacre(w&m) | ||
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English As She Is Spoke (1890) | George Dance(w&m) | ||
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Come Where The Booze is Cheaper (1890) | Augustus E. Durandeau | Edward William Rogers (words) | |
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Pierrot Inquisitive (1906) | Robert Ganthony(w&m) | ||
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Man That Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo (1892), The | Fred Gilbert | |
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Off She Goes Again (1894) | Fred Gilbert | ||
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Tain't the Way to Make Life Sweeter (1894) | Fred Gilbert | ||
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Oh! What an Alteration (1888) | Eldred Powel(w&m) | ||
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Four Fingers and a Thumb (1895) | Eldred Powel(w&m) | ||
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That's the Way the World Goes Round (1898) | Eldred Powel(w&m) | ||
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Young Man Who Used to Live Over the Way (1886), The | Joseph Tabrar(w&m) | ||
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⇑Rather More (1889) | Joseph Tabrar(w&m) | ||
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Oh! the Jubilee (1887) | James Tighe(w&m) | ||
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Bertie, the Pet of the Girls (1900) | Gilbert Wells(w&m) |
This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 14 works by Charles Coborn (1852-1945).
It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: ER
(w&m)
(w&m)
| Title | Year | Attribution | Remarks |
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| I'm Rather Too Old For It Now (w&m) | 1880 | Charles Coborn (perf.) |  |
| Come Where the Booze Is Cheaper (w&m) | 1885 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | |
| I Shan't Try It on Any More (w&m) | 1886 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | |
| Two Lovely Black Eyes (w&m) | 1886 | Charles Coborn (perf.)
arr.: Henry Forman |
Pub.  |
| He's All Right When You Know Him (w&m) | 1887 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | Pub. |
| What's the Matter With -? He's All Right (w&m) | 1889 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | Pub. |
| Life-Boat Crew, The (w&m) | 1894 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | Pub. |
| I've Never Turned Money Away | 1894c | ||
| E Was a Perfect Gentleman (w&m) | 1897 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | Pub. |
| Should Husbands Work? | 1898 | George Thorn (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
Pub. |
| So They All Came | 1900 | George Thorn (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
Pub. |
| ⇑ Onions | 1907 | G A Warriner (words) Charles Coborn (perf.) |
Pub. |
| She Used to Push a Basinette (w&m) | 1907 | Charles Coborn (perf.) | Pub. |
| What Is It Master Likes So Much? | 1911 | Ben Albert (perf.) | Pub. |