Teddy Stauffer—”Hurry Home” (1939)

Swiss-born violinist Heinrich "Teddy" Stauffer (1909-1991) was a popular bandleader in the pre-war German Reich. He had formed a 15-piece jazz orchestra, known as The Teddies. The band reached international fame, even though it's swing music and jazz arrangements brought Teddy Stauffer into frequent disputes with the Reichsmusikkammer.

"Hurry Home," recorded by Teddy Stauffer and his Original Teddies for the Telefunken label, at the Deursche Grammophone Gesellschaft studios, Alte Jakobstrasse in Berlin, March 28, 1939. The studio was destroyed in an allied air raid in 1945.

Teddy Stauffer directing: Carl "Saeckel" Hohenberger, Maurice Gigaz, and Casi Bonjour-trumpets; Walter Dubschinski and Albert Wollenhaupt-trombones; Ernst Höllerhagen and Herbert Mueller-clarinets and alto saxophones; Omer De Cock-clarinet and tenor saxophone; Denis Chappelet-clarinet, alto and tenor saxophones, and hot violin; arranger Jack Trommer-first piano; Hans "Buddy" Bertinat-second piano; Billy Toffel-guitar; André Schuster-double bass; and Polly Guggisberg-drums.

When war broke out in September 1939, The Teddies were in Switzerland and all the German band members, except Höllerhagen, had to leave the outfit. In 1941, Teddy Stauffer himself left the band and after a cruise ship engagement he decided to remain in New York. Eventually Teddy became a film composer in Hollywood, until trouble with his papers forced him to move to Mexico. He decided to open a discotheque in Acapulco, which had only 8,000 inhabitants at the time. He was also the manager of the Hyatt Regency and the Villa Vera, and really put Acapulco on the map.

"Hurry Home" is one of the lesser known songs written by Californian Joseph Meyer (1894-1987), and the New Yorkers Henry "Buddy" Bernier (1910-1983) and Robert D. Emmerick (1891-1948). Meyer most famous composition are "California Here I Come" and "If You Knew Suzy." Bernier had worked as a pianist and arranger with the Tommy Dorsey band, and also wrote "Poinciana" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes." Emmerick's contributions to the American songbook include "The Song Is You" and "Like Someone In Love."