oh, james

Vocals: Michael Johnson
Piano: Michael Johnson
Drums & Vibes: Derrick Trost
Bass: Nate Halloran
Trumpet: Cory Gray

Recorded in 2002 at Type Foundry in Portland, OR. Engineered and mixed by Adam Selzer. Mastered by Michael Johnson and Chad Crouch.

The earliest song in this collection to appear in the States, "Oh, James" comes from an English comic opera entitled The Butler Did It, which had its premier on June 10, 1892 at the London Statehouse in Williamsburg, Virginia. In this scene, a young nobleman sings to his servant on the morning after bringing home the "daughter of Lord What's-his-name.” As the curtain rises, the young fellow awakes to find that, much to his befuddlement, but also to the apparent delight of the butler, his quarry has slipped away in the night. A satire of English class relations, the play was especially popular because of Ivan Novella, a strapping young actor who not only played the leading role, but who had also composed the entire score. In his mature years, Novella became a silent film actor, having moved to Hollywood in 1924. Sadly, a younger, more handsome English actor/composer named Ivor Novello had already secured a foothold in Hollywood, and Novella faded into obscurity. Some notable Novella numbers from this period include “Tally, Ho”from the show A Buck For a Lucky Lady, and "Dowdy Is As Dowdy Does."