"It's a Long Way to Tipperary" is a British music hall song written in 1912 by Jack Judge and Henry James "Harry" Williams.
In fact it had been written 3 years earlier, and then put aside as "It's A Long Way To Connemara", a ballad to appeal to the Irish emigrants, who were missing their homeland.
Here's a photograph of the 2 composers Judge (left) and Williams (right):
The song was allegedly written for a 5-shilling bet in Stalybridge on 30 January 1912 and performed the next night at the local music hall. Jack Judge, who took the bet, fished out "Connemara" from the original song and rewrote it as a marching song.
Now commonly called "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", the original printed music calls it "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary."
Here's the sheet music
First sung on the British music hall stage in 1912 by Jack Judge at the Grand Theatre in Stalybridge and later popularised by the music hall star Florrie Forde.
In 1914 it became popular among soldiers in the First World War and is remembered as a song of that war.
According to the Alan Kelly Archive, the first recording of the song was only 1 month after it was published. The Alan Kelly Archives can be consulted here: Simple Search
(o) Harry Fay (1913) (as "It's A Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded November 15, 1912
Matrix: y 16010 e (X-2-42505)
Released July 1913 on Zonophone 1070
SEE PAGE 66 IN THE NEXT CATALOGUE:
Listen here (many thanks to John from Geelong for uploading it on YT)
(c) Ted Yorke (=Jack Charman) (1913) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded ca May 1913
Matrix 3610 (fact # 636)
Released June 1913 on The Winner label # 2482
In 1914 the exact same recording was re-released on The Winner # 2702
Listen here:
In 1915, when the song became world-famous, one of the 2 composers, Jack Judge, also recorded a version on the The Winner label.
(c) Jack Judge (1915) (as "It's A Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded ca. August 1915
Matrix: 4712-2 (fact # 1689)
Released October 1915 on The Winner label # 2875
Listen here (many thanks to Norman Field for uploading it on YT)
(c) Stanley Kirkby (=James Baker) (1913) (as "It's A Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded ca March 1913 in London
Matrix 28490
Released June 1913 on Columbia 2163
Re-released in May 1914 on Regal G 6671
Also released in 1914 in the USA on Columbia # A 1608
Listen here: It's a Long Way to Tipperary - Stanley Kirkby.mp3
Or here:
And re-released in the USA on Oxford 28490
Stanley Kirkby also recorded the song for the Jumbo Record label in 1913
Matrix A23706
Released on Jumbo Record cat# A281
SEE ALSO: Jumbo
Listen here:
The same recording was also released on the Scala Record label
Scala Record # 609
SEE: Scala
(c) Mr. Will Thompson (1913) (as "Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Matrix 102
Released after September 1913 on Invicta # 275
Listen here:
Also recorded in 1914 on Clarion Cylinder # 825
(c) Bob Cannon (=Alf Gordon) (1913) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded November 11, 1913
Matrix X-2-42798 (ak 17168 e)
Released January 1914 on Cinch 5160
During the First World War, Daily Mail correspondent George Curnock saw the Irish regiment the Connaught Rangers singing this song as they marched through Boulogne on 13 August 1914 and reported it on 18 August 1914. The song was quickly picked up by other units of the British Army, who even recorded it.
(c) Descriptive Record (1914) (as "British troops passing through Boulogne")
Medley incorporating soldiers singing "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary".
Recorded August 28, 1914 in Hayes, Middlesex, England
Matrix ak 18232 e
Released on His Master's Voice 9473 in the UK
SEE PAGE 207 OF THE HMV CATALOGUE:
This same version was also released in the USA on Victor 17696.
(c) Cecilian Quartette (1914) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Cecilian Quartette = Pike, Wilde, Gardner, Howe
Recorded September 25, 1914 in London
Matrix: ak18269e
Released on His Master's Voice 2-4206
SEE PAGE 113 OF THE NEXT CATALOGUE:
In the USA the song was also a big success with 2 versions topping the US charts.
(c) American Quartet (1914) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
No. 1 US Hit
Recorded September 15, 1914 in Camden, New Jersey
Released on Victor 17639
Or here:
(c) Albert Farrington (1915) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
No. 8 US Hit
Recorded September 29, 1914
Released on Edison Blue Amberol # 2487
Also released on Edison Disc # 50184
Recorded September 16, 1914
Listen here: AlbertFarrington-ItsaLongLongWaytoTipperary1915a.mp3
(c) John McCormack (1914) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
No. 1 US Hit
Recorded November, 23, 1914
Released on Victor 64476
John McCormack's version is also featured in the Collectors Anniversary Edition of the soundtrack "Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture" (2012).
(c) Willem Kila and Josephus (Jopie) Schouten (1914/1915)
Released on Jumbo Record # 16685
(c) Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers (1927) (as "It's A Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded October 31, 1927 in Atlanta, Georgia
Released on Columbia 15249-D
Listen here:
In 1927 the Universal Dance Orchestra (in fact the Grey Gull Studio Orchestra) recorded a reworking of "It's A Long Way To Tipperary", using "Connemara" as the place of destination.
And as we saw above "Connemara" was in fact the place used in the very first incarnation of the song.
(c) Universal Dance Orchestra (1927) (as "Carry Me Back To Connemara")
During the Second World War "Tipperary" was again a big support for soldiers far from their homes.
(c) Bob Crosby's Bob Cats (1942) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded January 29, 1942 in Los Angeles
Released on Decca 18355
(c) Dinah Shore and Bing Crosby (1943) (as "It's A Long, Long Way To Tipperary")
Recorded fall 1943
Released on V-Disc # 24B
(c) Lt. (USMC) Bob Crosby and his V-Disc Bob-Cats (1945)
Released December 1945 on V-Disc # 554B
Listen here (at 4 min and 25 sec in the YT below)
(c) Jimmy Dorsey and his Original "Dorseyland" Jazz Band (1950)
Recorded Mar. 7, 1950
Released on Columbia 38879
Listen here:
A piano version of the song is performed by Schroeder in TV's "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" (1966) in which Snoopy dances when the song is played jauntily, but cries and sobs (and howls) when the song is played sadly and mournfully or wistfully.
Watch it here
(c) Tiny Tim (1969)
with Harry Roy and his Band recorded on the David Frost TV show.
Listen here:
In 1977 Bill Caddick wrote a song about the history of "the writing of Tipperary", incorporating a version of "It's A Long Way To Tipperary"at the end.
It's the last track on his album "Sunny Memories".
Listen here:
(c) Pete Townshend (1983) (as "Tipperary")
Listen here:
In 2000 June Tabor covered Bill Caddick's version.
(c) June Tabor (2000)
Listen here:
In 2003 the Rolling Stones sang "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" during a live performance in the Point Theatre in Dublin.
There was always a bit of a debate over who acually wrote the song, but nowadays Henry James "Harry" Williams is officially credited as co-composer of the song.
I'd like to thank Norman Field for supplying me with some data in this post, and John from Geelong for uploading the Harry Fay YT
More versions here:
And here:
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