Unidentified song & singer in Rio Rita

[entredeuxguerres]

It's the one first heard as an instrumental when the title appears. It reappears near the end of the scene at the inn in which Gen. Ravinoff is inviting everyone to his hacienda; the next scene (flawless segue) is at the hacienda, Ravinoff is still bloviating, and when he finishes, dancers in long "Spanish" dresses take the stage, all this while the same lilting melody is sung in the background. It ends when another group of dancers in short skirts replace the first chorus.

Listening to it countless times hasn't enabled me to make out enough words even to guess at the title. It's not included in the list of songs at IMDB, perhaps because the singer isn't on-screen. Tried finding it in the IBDB song list for the 1927 musical, but there are so many differences between the stage & film repertoire that I failed. The singer might be presumed to be Bebe Daniels, but I'm not entirely sure; if so, her voice was in exceptionally fine form.

[Rick Lanham]

Neithor the Shazam nor the SoundHound apps on my iPhone could identify either the instrumental or vocal versions.

Rick

[Lamar]

Here's what's listed in the book "Hollywood Song" by Ken Bloom for the 1929 version:
Jumping Bean; Kinkajou; Sweetheart; River Song; Rio Rita; Opening Mesa Franceisca; Espanola; Are You There?;
The Rangers Song; You're Always in My Arms, But Only in My Dreams (only song written for the picture); Beneath Your Silken Shawl; When You're in Love You'll Waltz; Over the Boundary Line; Sweetheart We Need Each Other (also in The Vagabond Lover); Spanish Dance; Following the Sun Around.

[entredeuxguerres]

Here's what's listed in the book "Hollywood Song" by Ken Bloom for the 1929 version:
Jumping Bean; Kinkajou; Sweetheart; River Song; Rio Rita; Opening Mesa Franceisca; Espanola; Are You There?;
The Rangers Song; You're Always in My Arms, But Only in My Dreams (only song written for the picture); Beneath Your Silken Shawl; When You're in Love You'll Waltz; Over the Boundary Line; Sweetheart We Need Each Other (also in The Vagabond Lover); Spanish Dance; Following the Sun Around.

Since the song previous to the one in question (ignoring a couple of brief instrumental interludes) is "You're Always in My Arms," it must be "Beneath Your Silken Shawl"...not that I can make out any of those words among the sung lyrics. As for the singer, Bebe is the obvious candidate, but (as a Bebe-connoisseur) I'd like to know for sure, because this number could have been added post-production from a recording. (Would recordings have been made of the stage performance?)

[drednm]

In the show, that song comes well into the 1st act.... Maybe it's "Siesta Time" as sung by the chorus???

[entredeuxguerres]

In the show, that song comes well into the 1st act.... Maybe it's "Siesta Time" as sung by the chorus???

You must be referring to "Spanish Shawl." IBDB doesn't list "Beneath the Silken Shawl" among the numbers in the '27 production; don't know what to make of that...either these two titles both apply to the same piece, OR a new song was added by Radio.

[drednm]

Barrios doesn't mention any new musical material written for the film ... or rewritten.

[odinthor]

I can at least confirm that it's not the song "The Kinkajou," which (unfortunately!) is mostly cut from the movie; but that ("Kinkajou") is the tune a few minutes into the show in the background as we see the bank's vault being pilfered, and it's what the customers are dancing to at the same time at the saloon (which is I guess where we're hearing it from in the bank). I have the sheet music for it. It's a fun piece to play on the piano!

[entredeuxguerres]

You must be referring to "Spanish Shawl." IBDB doesn't list "Beneath the Silken Shawl" among the numbers in the '27 production; don't know what to make of that...either these two titles both apply to the same piece, OR a new song was added by Radio.

By knowing, now, what words to listen for, I finally recognized "silken shawl" as the last two words sung at the end of the slow tempo dance number; the very next up-tempo number must be "Spanish Shawl"--a shawl of some ethnicity is what's being twirled around.

Identity of singer?

[Lamar]

Apparently Spanish Shawl and Beneath the Silken Shawl are the same song:
http://guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_r/rio_rita.htm

[drednm]

As I suspected......

[entredeuxguerres]

Apparently Spanish Shawl and Beneath the Silken Shawl are the same song:
http://guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_r/rio_rita.htm

Can't be any further doubt about it. What's curious & unusual is that it appears to be (judging from the film, not the stage musical) a song with two distinct movements, one slow & waltz-like, the other fast & upbeat.

Rio Rita sheet music is all over ebay, sometimes at give-away prices due to its mediocre artwork; the much better designed British Rio Rita song-sheet illustrated at the above site is one I've never seen before.

[odinthor]

Just a heads-up to avert possible confusion in searches: There is also a (more famous) Spanish Shawl song, dating to 1925 and by Elmer Schoebel (with Billy Meyers and Walter Melrose). It (Schoebel's) was frequently in the repertoire of the era's jazz bands (Fletcher Henderson, etc.).

[entredeuxguerres]

Just a heads-up to avert possible confusion in searches: There is also a (more famous) Spanish Shawl song, dating to 1925 and by Elmer Schoebel (with Billy Meyers and Walter Melrose). It (Schoebel's) was frequently in the repertoire of the era's jazz bands (Fletcher Henderson, etc.).

Found several recordings of this unrelated tune on YouTube while trying to identify one in film.