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1. Theatre Music
The plays were in reality
musicals. There were three songs in the early authorized plays. Here is
that early sheet music. The lyrics were written by the author of the
play, Charles Felton Pidgin and the music was by Chas. D. Blake. This
item contains the "Peck's Bad Boy" song. This song has eight verses. As
you can see, this music cost 35 cents and was copyrighted in 1884.
A second piece of sheet music is for the five verse "Only a Boy" which
was written by George W. Heath with music by Lillie May White. This
song was copyrighted in 1901 and sung in Peck's Bad Boy plays
thereafter.
Here is the sheet music for an 1883 copyrighted Peck's Bad Boy Song.
The words are by George Cooper and the music by J. P. Skelly. The first
authorized plays had music that was written by Charles Felton Pidgin.
Thus, this song which was written before the first authorized play must
have been written for an unauthorized production.
Several other Peck's Bad Boy sheet music scores have been seen. I do
not personally own these items. They are from the Library of Congress.
This one was composed by Fred Lyons in 1883. Clearly unauthorized by
Peck.
This score was composed by Sigmund Kahn in 1884. Again it is likely
that this music was for a pirated play.
Here is more sheet music. Again without mention of Atkinson's
Comedy Club, Charles Pidgin or George W. Peck, it would appear this
music was for an unauthorized Peck play.
2. Music for the Peck's Bad Boy Movie in 1921
This music by Paul M. Sarazan and copyrighted in 1921 by Irving Berlin
was "dedicated to Jackie Coogan". It was based on the 1921 movie but
was not part of the film in anyway. Below is the sheet music published
in New York and in London.
The lyrics:
There's a man named Henry Peck, He lives in my home town. He goes to
church and minds the law and leads a simple life. And no one ever heard
him say a mean world to his wife. But Henry Peck's notorious he's known
for miles around. He's got a reputation that he can't live down: When
they missed the curfew bell, They all blamed Peck's bad boy. He never
missed a chance to give his sister's beau a shock. He stuck pins in the
big settee and hid inside the clock. And when someone discovered that
his cow was painted red. He used some awful language, then laughed and
said. Chorus Because of Peck's Bad Boy too young to read or write; but
Peck's Bad Boy, was scheming day and night, to get real joy, When he
could play most all his pranks and get away with out his spanks. Not
one red cent , and still he got inside the circus tent. He used to hang
around the grocery store, and eat the profits of a day or more. The
grocer used to roar at Peck's Bad Boy, Just like a bag of tricks, was
Peck's Bad Boy, When he was in a fix he'd say Oh! Boy, I'm gonna fall
like Troy. Altho' the neighbors said he was a pest, they really wished
that they'd been bless'd with Peck's Bad Boy, That's what they always
call'd him, Peck's Bad Boy.
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3. Peck's Bad Boy Songsters
Several Peck's Bad Boy Songsters have been seen. These do not seem to
have any relationship to Peck's Bad Boy books, movies, etc.
Tony William's Peck's Bad Boy Songster is a 64 page collection of
humorous songs which was published by the New York Publishing Company.
It does include music for Atkinson's Peck's Bad Boy Company. It was
published in the 1880's.
Another Peck's Bad Boy Songster was published by the New York
Publishing Company. It had 28 pages. Details of this item are unknown.
F. B. Haviland Company published this one. It include the music for a
number of songs, lyrics for other songs, a page of jokes and some
advertising. It is twenty pages.
F. B. Haviland Publishing Company (1904-1932) succeeded Howley,
Haviland and Company in 1904. F. B. Haviland (1868-1932) was a major
sheet music producer during these years. The peck's bad Boy Songster
appears to have been published in approximately 1906.
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Frederick Benjamin Haviland
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This Peck's Bad Boy Songster was published by the Harold Rossiter Music
Company. This item is 16 pages long and includes sheet music, lyrics,
ads for magic tricks, and other pages for "how to books and the like".
There are no songs or lyrics related to Peck's Bad Boy. The songster
was published in approximately 1923.
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