Clay Smith (1877-1930)
Last updated: 07.11.24
All that can presently (December 2023) be gleaned about Clay Smith from sheet music covers and by Internet searching is that he was American vaudeville performer and composer born in Batesville, Arkansas. He had some 23 works published between 1912 and 1925 many of which were for and with his wife and partner Lee White. They made popular tours both in the UK and Australia.
Smith is featured on works by other composers published between 1908 and 1916.
Of ragtime interest is The Ragtime Engineer (1912) published by Jos. W. Stern & Co., New York, USA.
His portrait together with Melnotte Twins on the left is taken from I've Got To Make Love To Somebody (1908) , words & music Thomas S. Allen and published by Thos. S. Allen, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Surfers are welcome to contribute any further information about this composer/performer.
| Websites: | |||
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DAHR: Clay Smith | List of 23 historic recordings from 1912 to 1924. |
| Title (Release Year) | Composer | Performers | Issue |
|---|
 |
Cheep - Selection Part 1 (1917) | C. Smith | Columbia: 75893 | |
|
Cheep - Selection Part 2 (1917) | C. Smith | Columbia: 75894 | |
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Drifting to You (1924) | C. Smith | Marcia Freer Lewis James |
Victor: B-30503 |
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Drifting to You (1924) | C. Smith | James J. Sheridan | Brunswick: 13318-13320 |
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Give Me the Isle of Cuba (1920) | C. Smith | Ralph Bingham | Victor: [Trial 1920-05-24-02] |
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Maid of the West (1924) | C. Smith | Bernard Ferguson | OKeh: S-72431 |
 |
Maid of the West (1923) | C. Smith | Walter Van Brunt as Walter Scanlan | Edison: 9265 |
|
Maid of the West (1924) | C. Smith | Lambert Murphy | Victor: B-29421 |
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Maid of the West (1923) | C. Smith | Allen McQuhae | Brunswick: 12105-12107 |
|
Shoot the Rabbit (1917) | C. Smith | Beatrice Lillie | Columbia: 75923 |
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Sorter Miss You (1917) | C. Smith | Charles W. Harrison | Victor: B-20309 |
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Sorter Miss You (1918) | C. Smith | Frances Davis Alda | Victor: B-21770 |
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Sorter Miss You (1917) | C. Smith | Vernon Stiles | Columbia: 47462 |
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Sorter Miss You (1919) | C. Smith | Oscar Seagle | Columbia: 78571 |
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Sorter Miss You (1918) | C. Smith | Marie Morrisey | Edison: 6242 |
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When the Company's Gone (1920) | C. Smith | Lee White | Columbia: 76796 |
| as Performer | ||||
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Jingle Johnnie (1916) | J.W. Tate | C. Smith | Columbia: 6873 |
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Oh, Those Naughty Eyes! (1916) | J.W. Tate | C. Smith Lee White |
Columbia: 6870 |
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And They Called It Dixieland (1916) | R.A. Whiting | C. Smith Lee White |
Columbia: 6871 |
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 |
|---|
| Somebody's Coming to Tea | Clay Smith (music) R.P. Weston (words) Bert Lee (words) Lee White (perf.) Stanley Kirkby (perf.) Harry Hudson (perf.) |
| Title | Attribution | Instruments | Source | Remarks |
|---|
 |
Dear Little You (1921) | C. Smith (music) Roscoe Gilmore Stott (words) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP |  |
|
Maid of the West (1923) | C. Smith (music) Roscoe G. Scott (words) |
Piano, Voice | IMSLP | |
|
My Dream Baby (1919) | C. Smith (music) | Piano, Voice | Indiana | |
|
Sorter Miss You (1916) | C. Smith (w&m) | Piano, Voice | IMSLP | |
|
Wee Little Cabin (1922) | C. Smith (music) Russell J. England (words) |
Piano, Voice | Indiana | |
The peformer is featured on 6 sheet music/recording covers. It does not claim to be complete and represents only the number of items located. Keys: (w&m)
| Title | Composer | Attribution | Remarks |
|---|
 |
I've Got To Make Love To Somebody (1908) | Thomas S. Allen(w&m) | Clay Smith (perf.) |
|
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Oh, Those Naughty Eyes! (1916) | James W. Tate | F. Clifford Harris (words)
Clay Smith (perf.) Lee White (perf.) |
|
|
Jingle Johnnie (1916) | James W. Tate | F. Clifford Harris (words)
Clay Smith (perf.) |
|
|
And They Called It Dixieland (1916) | Richard A. Whiting | Raymond B. Egan (words)
Clay Smith (perf.) Lee White (perf.) |
|
This list is arranged in chronological order and contains 23 works by Clay Smith (1877-1930).
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 |
|---|
| Ragtime Engineer, The | 1912 | Sam M. Lewis (words) | |
| Sorter Miss You (w&m) | 1916 | Frances Davis Alda (perf.) Charles W. Harrison (perf.) Marie Morrisey (perf.) Oscar Seagle (perf.) Vernon Stiles (perf.) |
|
| Cheep - Selection Part 1 | 1917 | Bert Lee (co-author) R. P. Weston (co-author) |
|
| Cheep - Selection Part 2 | 1917 | Bert Lee (co-author) R. P. Weston (co-author) |
|
| Don't Blame Me | 1917 | R.P. Weston (words) Bert Lee (words) Clay Smith (perf.) Lee White (perf.) |
|
| I Shall See You To-Night (w&m) | 1917 | R.P. Weston (co-author) Bert Lee (co-author) Lee White (perf.) |
Pub. |
| Shoot the Rabbit | 1917 | Beatrice Lillie (perf.) | |
| Somebody's Coming to Tea | 1917 | R.P. Weston (words) Bert Lee (words) Harry Hudson (perf.) Stanley Kirkby (perf.) Lee White (perf.) |
|
| He's Coming Home | 1919 | |
|
| My Dream Baby | 1919 | |
|
| Oh, Johnny Callagan! (w&m) | 1919 | R.P. Weston (co-author) Bert Lee (co-author) Clay Smith (perf.) Lee White (perf.) |
Pub. |
| ⇑ We've Got a Servant | 1919 | Pub. | |
| Give Me the Isle of Cuba | 1920 | Ralph Bingham (perf.) | |
| When the Company's Gone (w&m) | 1920 | Bert Lee (co-author) R. P. Weston (co-author) Lee White (perf.) |
|
| When We've Company at Our House | 1920 | Pub. | |
| Winter Time | 1920 | Pub. | |
| Dear Little You | 1921 | Roscoe Gilmore Stott (words) | |
| Wee Little Cabin | 1922 | Russell J. England (words) | |
| Maid of the West | 1923 | Roscoe G. Scott (words) Walter Van Brunt as Walter Scanlan (perf.) Bernard Ferguson (perf.) Allen McQuhae (perf.) Lambert Murphy (perf.) |
|
| Plain, Li'l Cullah'd Boy | 1923 | Roscoe G. Scott (words) | Pub. |
| Drifting to You | 1924 | O. J. Gunnell (words) Al. Short (words) Marcia Freer (perf.) Lewis James (perf.) James J. Sheridan (perf.) |
|
| Egyptian Rose | 1925 | Fred Godfrey (words) | Pub. |
| Under the Blushing Moon | ? | Leo. Bennet (words) |