“I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” is a popular American song written in 1918, released in late 1919, becoming a number one hit for Ben Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra. It has been revived and adapted over the years, serving as the anthem of Premier League club, West Ham United. The music was composed by John Kellette in 1918. The lyrics are credited to “Jaan Kenbrovin” — actually a collective pseudonym for the writers James Kendis, James Brockman and Nat Vincent, combining the first three letters of each lyricist’s last name. The number debuted in the Broadway musical, The Passing Show of 1918, and it was introduced by Helen Carrington. The copyright to “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” was registered in 1919 by the Kendis-Brockman Music Co. Inc. It was transferred later that year to Jerome H. Remick & Co. of New York and Detroit. James Kendis, James Brockman, and Nat Vincent all had separate contracts with their own publishers, leading them to use the name Jaan Kenbrovin for credit on this song. James Kendis and James Brockman were partners in the Kendis-Brockman Music Company. The waltz was a major Tin Pan Alley hit, and was performed and recorded by several singers and bands in late 1919 and 1920. Ben Selvin’s Novelty Orchestra held number one for four weeks late in 1919, and ranked number 6 for the year. The Original Dixieland Jass Band recording of the number is an unusual early example of jazz in 3/4 time. The writer Ring Lardner parodied the lyric during the Black Sox scandal of 1919, when he began to suspect that players on the Chicago White Sox (a United States-based baseball team) were deliberately losing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. His version began: “I’m forever blowing ballgames”.
Songs with Banjo from Harold Hagler
