"Crazy Blues" is a song, renamed from the originally titled "Harlem Blues" song of 1918, written by

Perry Bradford Perry Bradford (February 14, 1893, Montgomery, Alabama – April 20, 1970, New York City) was an African American composer, songwriter, and vaudeville performer. His most notable songs included "Crazy Blues," "That Thing Called Love," and "You C ...

. Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds recorded it on August 10, 1920, which was released that year by

Okeh Records OKeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name originally was spelled "OkeH" from the init ...

(4169-A). The stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith appeared in photographs associated with the recording session, although Bradford claimed to have played piano on the recording (albeit buried in the mix). Within a month of release, it had sold 75,000 copies. MamieSmith

Although there were many recordings made of songs with blues in the title during the previous decade, this recording is considered a landmark as the first significant hit recording in the blues genre ever issued. Another claim is that it was the first recording with a blues title by a black artist. The record made Smith the first African American female popular singer to lead a commercial recording. The success of "Crazy Blues" opened up the

race record Race records is a term for 78-rpm phonograph records marketed to African Americans between the 1920s and 1940s.Oliver, Paul. "Race record". Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 13 Feb. 2015. They primarily contained race music, comprising v ...

market, for the first time major record companies started producing records with an African American buyer in mind. "Crazy Blues" was entered into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

in 1994, and later entered into the

National Recording Registry The National Recording Registry is a list of sound recordings that "are culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant, and inform or reflect life in the United States." The registry was established by the National Recording Preservation ...

of the United States Library of Congress by the

National Recording Preservation Board The United States National Recording Preservation Board selects recorded sounds for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. The National Recording Registry was initiated to maintain and preserve "sound recordings tha ...

in 2005. The 1920 Mamie Smith version of the song was used in episode 10 of season 1 of '' Boardwalk Empire'' in 2010.

References

External links

* from ''" Paradise in Harlem"'' (1939) 1920 in music 1918 songs 1921 singles Okeh Records singles United States National Recording Registry recordings Blues songs {{blues-song-stub