Artist: Edison Symphony Orch.
Author: John W. Bratton
Label: Edison
Year: 1908
As an instrumental, copyrighted the year before, still in the slipstream of President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt's affair with bears: On a hunting spree near Onward, Mississippi, the president was offered to finish off a tied up and visibly beaten up pup, which he refused. He was of course caricatured by gun lobbied press, but his refusal to shoot won the hearts of many future female voters, triggering a brilliant idea on the side: a New York toy manufacturer started a line of so-called 'Teddy Bears', an absolute bestseller making it 'the father of all pet toys' on the spot.
Covers:
Will Dodge [as Polar Bears Picnic]
Henry Hall [first vocal version (lyrics: Jimmy Kennedy), millionseller UK; later used in tv-series The Singing Detective]
Lords [without Rob De Nijs]
Paragon Ragtime Orch. [following resurfaced Arthur Pryor songsheet]
Later Jimmy Kennedy also wrote lyrics to Red Sails In The Sunset.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)