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Creator
Davis, Buster
Call number
JPB 03-12
Physical description
6.60 linear feet (18 boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation

Buster Davis Scores, JPB 03-12. Music Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Music Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The Buster Davis Scores document his career as a composer, lyricist, vocal arranger, musical director, teacher, and writer. The collection dates from 1929 through 1987, and consists primarily of scores and lecture notes.

Biographical/historical information

Buster Davis (1918-1987), educated at Princeton University, was an active Musical Director and Vocal Arranger for Broadway theatrical productions from the 1940s through the 1980s. Buster Davis arranged and directed numerous productions composed by Jule Styne, including Funny Girland Bells Are Ringing. His musical Doctor Jazz, for which he wrote the music and lyrics and served as Musical Director and Vocal Arranger, had a short run on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1975.

Mr. Davis also wrote special material for many television shows, including the Bell Telephone Hour featuring the Buster Davis Singers and the Art Carney Show. In his later years Buster Davis taught courses on The American Musical Theatre and Vocal Arranging, where he shared his personal and musical knowledge of songwriters such as Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Jule Styne, Vincent Youmans, and many others.

Sources:

“Davis, Buster.” ASCAP Biographical Dictionary. 4th ed. New York: Jacques Cattell Press, 1980.

“Buster Davis.” The Internet Broadway Database. (accessed 27 July 2004),

Scope and arrangement

The bulk of the collection consists of scores of theatrical works and works written for television that Buster Davis wrote, arranged, directed, and/or studied. Also included are individual songs written by Mr. Davis and others, a group of scores composed and arranged for television broadcast, holograph manuscript lecture notes, and other writings. There is very little material in the collection documenting Buster Davis’s personal life.

The Buster Davis scores are arranged in three series:

  • Series I: Personal Papers
    1977 - 1987; undated
    5 folders

    This series presents very limited biographical information, financial receipts, press clippings, and correspondence.

  • Series II: Scores
    1929 - 1987 and undated
    14 boxes

    This series is the bulk of the collection, and consists of scores of theatrical works, songs, and works composed or arranged for television broadcast.

  • Series III: Writings,
    undated

    This series consists of lecture notes for the classes taught by Buster Davis at Santa Barbara (CA) Community College, and a limited number of other writings, including one chapter of Davis's unpublished autobiography.

Administrative information

Processing information

Processed by Karin Jarush; Machine-readable finding aid created by Karin Jarush.

Separated material

Published piano/vocal sheet music

  • Ace Of Clubs (Chase Me Charlie, Sail Away)
  • Alladin (I Adore You)
  • Allegro (Come Home)
  • Anchors Aweigh (I Begged Her)
  • Androcles And The Lion (Don’t Be Afraid Of An Animal, No More Waiting, Strangers, Velvet Paws)
  • Anyone Can Whistle (Come Play Wiz Me, I’ve Got You To Lean On, A Parade In Town, See What It Gets You, There Won’t Be Trumpets)
  • Anything Goes (Buddie Beware)
  • The Band Wagon (I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan, That’s Entertainment, Triplets)
  • Bells Are Ringing (Better Than A Dream, I Met A Girl, Mu-Cha-Cha)
  • Broadway Melody Of 1940 (I’ve Got My Eyes On You)
  • Can-Can (Allez-Vous-En, Go Away, C’est Magnifique, Come Along With Me, I Love Paris, It’s All Right With Me, Live And Let Live)
  • Candide (What’s The Use)
  • Carnival In Flanders (For A Moment Of Your Love, Here’s That Rainy Day, I’m One Of Your Admirers, The Sudden Thrill, The Very Necessary You)
  • Cavalcade (20th Century Blues)
  • Cinderella (Cinderella Waltz, Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?, A Lovely Night, Stepsisters’ Lament, Ten Minutes Ago)
  • The City Chap (No One Knows)
  • The Cocoanuts (A Little Bungalow)
  • Come On Strong (Come On Strong)
  • Company (Another Hundred People, Being Alive, Company, Side By Side By Side, Someone Is Waiting, Sorry - Grateful, You Could Drive A Person Crazy)
  • Conversation Piece (Regency Rakes)
  • Dance A Little Closer (Dance A Little Closer)
  • Dancing Lady (Rhythm Of The Day)
  • Darling Of The Day (Not On Your Nellie, Under The Sunset Tree)
  • The Day Before Spring (God’s Green World, I Love You This Morning, A Jug Of Wine, My Love Is A Married Man, This Is My Holiday, You Haven’t Changed At All)
  • Dearest Enemy (Bye and Bye)
  • Do I Hear a Waltz? (Here We Are Again, Moon In My Window, Perhaps, Stay, Take The Moment, Thank You So Much, Two By Two)
  • Doll Face (Dig You Later (A Hubba-Hubba-Hubba) )
  • Evening Primrose (I Remember)
  • Every Night At Eight (Every Night At Eight, I’m In The Mood For Love)
  • Fade Out - Fade In (Fade Out - Fade In, You Mustn’t Feel Discouraged)
  • Follies (Losing My Mind)
  • The Firebrand Of Florence (A Rhyme For Angela, Sing Me Not A Ballad, You’re Far Too Near Me)
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Comedy Tonight, Do Like You, Love, I Hear, Love Is In The Air, Lovely, That’ll Show Him)
  • The Gay Life (Why Go Anywhere At All?)
  • Gay Purr-ee (Little Drops of Rain, Mewsette, Paris Is A Lonely Town, Roses Red - Violets Blue)
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Sunshine)
  • The Girl Who Came To Supper (Come Be My True Love, Here and Now, I’ll Remember Her, I’ve Been Invited To A Party, London, Lonely, This Time It’s True Love)
  • The Goldwyn Follies (I Love To Rhyme, I Was Doing All Right)
  • Guys and Dolls (Fugue For Tinhorns)
  • Hallelujah, Baby! (Being Good Isn’t Good Enough, Hallelujah, Baby!, My Own Morning, Not Mine, Talking To Yourself)
  • Hazel Flagg (How Do You Speak To An Angel?, Salomee (With Her Seven Veils)
  • High Society (Now You Has Jazz, True Love, Well, Did You Evah, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire)
  • Higher and Higher (A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening)
  • I Could Go On Singing (I Could Go On Singing)
  • I’d Rather Be Rich (Where Are You?)
  • It Happened In Brooklyn (The Brooklyn Bridge)
  • It’s Always Fair Weather (Thanks A Lot But No Thanks)
  • Jumbo (The Circus On Parade)
  • The King And I (The March Of Siamese Children, My Lord And Master, Something Wonderful, We Kiss In A Shadow)
  • Kiss Me, Stupid (All The Livelong Day, I’m A Poached Egg, Sophia)
  • Knickerbocker Holiday (It Never Was You)
  • Lost In The Stars (Stay Well, Trouble Man)
  • Ladies First (The Real American Folk Song)
  • Ladies’ Man (I Gotta Gal I Love (In North and South Dakota))
  • Lady In The Dark (Girl Of The Moment, Jenny, My Ship, One Life To Live, This Is New)
  • The Laughing Husband (You’re Here and I’m Here)
  • Les Girls (Why Am I So Gone (About That Gal?), You’re Just Too, Too)
  • A Little Night Music (A Little Night Music, Remember?, Send In The Clowns)
  • Look, Ma, I’m Dancin’! (The Way It Might Have Been)
  • Love In The Rough (Go Home And Tell Your Mother)
  • Love Life (Is It Him Or Is It Me, Love Song, Mr. Right, Susan’s Dream, This Is The Life)
  • Lollipop (Tie A String Around Your Finger)
  • Love Me Tonight (The Poor Apache)
  • Me And Juliet (Keep It Gay)
  • Meet Me In St. Louis (Skip To My Lou)
  • Merry-Go-Round of 1938 (I’m In My Glory, More Power To You, You’re My Dish)
  • Mexican Hayride (Girls, I Love You)
  • Mr. Imperium (Let Me Look At You)
  • The Most Happy Fella (Warm All Over)
  • Navy Blues (You’re A Natural)
  • Night And Day (Rosalie, You’re The Top)
  • No, No, Nanette (bound vocal score)
  • No Strings (Be My Host, Eager Beaver, La-La-La, Loads of Love, Look No Further, Love Makes The World Go, Maine, The Man Who Has Everything, No Strings, Nobody Told Me, The Sweetest Sounds, You Don’t Tell Me)
  • O I Say (I Know And She Knows)
  • Oh, Please (Nicodemus)
  • Oklahoma! (Pore Judd)
  • One Touch Of Venus (That’s Him)
  • Pacific 1860 (Bright Was the Day, This Is a Changing World)
  • Park Avenue (For The Life Of Me, Good-Bye To All That, There’s No Holding Me)
  • The Pirate (Be A Clown, Mack The Black, Nina, You Can Do No Wrong)
  • Riviera Revue (Lost In A Fog)
  • The Road To Reno (Tonight Is The Night)
  • Romance On The High Seas (Put ‘Em In a Box)
  • Sadie Thompson (Poor As A Churchmouse, Sailing At Midnight, When You Live On An Island)
  • Seesaw (Seesaw)
  • Set To Music (Three White Feathers)
  • Show Boat (I Have The Room Above, It Still Suits Me, Life Upon The Wicked Stage)
  • Silk Stockings (Paris Loves Lovers, Silk Stockings)
  • Skyscraper (Ev’rybody Has The Right To Be Wrong!, I’ll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her, More Than One Way, An Occasional Flight Of Fancy, Opposites, Run For Your Life!)
  • State Fair (It’s The Little Things In Texas, More Than Just A Friend, Never Say “No”, Our State Fair, This Isn’t Heaven, Willing And Eager)
  • Step Lively (As Long As There’s Music)
  • Street Scene (A Boy Like You, Lonely House, We’ll Go Away Together, What Good Would The Moon Be?)
  • Strike Up The Band (Hangin’ Around With You, I Mean To Say, I Want To Be A War Bride)
  • Sweater Girl (I Don’t Want To Walk Without You)
  • Sweet Adeline (The Sun About To Rise)
  • Swingin’ the Dream (Swingin’ the Dream)
  • Thank Your Lucky Stars (I’m Ridin’ For A Fall, Love Isn’t Born, They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old)
  • They Met In Argentina (Cutting The Cane)
  • Threepenny Opera (Mack The Knife)
  • The Time, The Place and The Girl (Oh, But I Do)
  • Top Of The Town (That Foolish Feeling)
  • Treasure Girl (I Don’t Think I’ll Fall In Love Today, Oh, So Nice, What Are We Here For?)
  • Two By Two (An Old Man, I Do Not Know A Day I Did Not Love You, Something Doesn’t Happen, Two By Two)
  • Two Guys From Texas (I Wanna Be A Cowboy In The Movies)
  • Up In Arms (Tess’s Torch Song (I Had A Man))
  • Walking Happy (How D’Ya Talk To A Girl?, If I Be Your Best Chance, I’ll Make A Man Of The Man, Use Your Noggin’, Walking Happy)
  • Where Do We Go From Here? (All At Once, If Loves Remains)
  • Where’s Charley? (Lovelier Than Ever, Make A Miracle, The New Asholean Marching Society And Students Conservatory Band, Pernambuco, Where’s Charley?)
  • The Wildflower (If I Told You)
  • Words and Music (The Lady Is A Tramp, Something To Do With Spring, Where’s That Rainbow)
  • You Said It (Sweet and Hot)
  • You’ll Find Out (Don’t Think It Ain’t Been Charming, Like The Fella Once Said)
  • You’ll Never Get Rich (Dream Dancing)
  • You’re Never Too Young (Love Is All That Matters)

Songs include:

  • Can’t Do Anything At All (Coward) Hay-Straw (Youmans/Hammerstein) Hi-Ho! (Gershwin) Manhattan (Rodgers/Hart) Matelot (Coward) Nice To Be Near (Kern/Fields) The Nina, The Pinta, The Santa Maria (Weill/Gershwin)

Using the collection

Location

Music Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Music Division, The New York Library for the Performing Arts.