Little Sir Echo

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"Little Sir Echo"
Single by Multiple
Released1917, 1939
SongwritersLaura Rountree Smith, John Sylvester Fearis, Adele Girard, Joe Marsala

"Little Sir Echo" is a song originally composed in 1917 by John Sylvester Fearis with lyrics by Laura Rountree Smith. It became popular in the 1920s and 1930s as children's camp song. In 1939, Adele Girard and Joe Marsala wrote a revised version with a new arrangement and additional verse; the revised version was recorded by at least 22 artists in 1939, including versions by Horace Heidt, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Doris Day, Guy Lombardo, and other big bands. It became one of the biggest hits of 1939 and has since been covered by additional artists, including Jonah Jones with Roy Eldridge, Jerry Lewis, Louis Prima, Joe Williams, The Bonzo Dog Band, and The Wiggles.

Original version

John Sylvester Fearis, the original composer, came to Chicago from Iowa in the early 1900s and was known principally as the composer of hymns and sacred music. He composed "Little Sir Echo" in approximately 1917 with Laura Rountree Smith of Wisconsin writing the lyrics.[1] No known recordings have been found of the original version.[2] Fearis and his brother owned a music publishing firm and bought the rights to the verse from Smith. The Fearis brothers then published the song in a collection of "unison songs for Children."[1] It was also included in "The Song Book of the Y.W.C.A" in 1926,[3] and it became a popular camp song and sing-along in the 1920s and 1930s.[4][5][6][7]

Girard and Marsala adaptation

Swing harpist and songwriter Adele Girard remembered the song from her youth singing around the campfire as a Girl Scout in Massachusetts. In the late 1930s, Girard and her husband Joe Marsala, a swing clarinetist and the leader of the orchestra in which Girard played, collaborated on a "modernized" version of the song with a new arrangement and an extra verse. They introduced their new version of the song at the Hickory House in New York, and it was then published.[1][8][9] The new version was released in January 1939 by Horace Heidt and was covered the same year by multiple artists, including Bing Crosby, Guy Lombardo, Doris Day, Mantovani, Bebe Daniels, and Eddy Howard. Many of the 1939 releases were by big bands of the day, but there were also country music versions released by Gene Autry and Riley Puckett.[2][10][11]

By July 1939, 250,000 copies of the sheet music had been sold. It rose to No. 2 on Your Hit Parade in April 1939 and became one of the year's most popular ballroom and radio hits.[1][12] Autry's version reached No. 1 on the Billboard hillbilly chart and remained on the chart for 13 weeks. Crosby's version rose to No.3 on the Billboard pop chart.[13]

Foreign language versions were also released in Danish, Dutch, French, and German.[11] The song was later covered by many notable artists, including Jerry Lewis, Tony Randall, Louis Prima, The Bonzo Dog Band, and The Wiggles.

Lyrics

The song's lyrics represent a callout to a personified echo ("Little Sir Echo"). The singer asks "how do you do" and invites the echo to come over and play, noting that "you're always so far away."[5]

Notable recordings

Notable recorded versions include:

1939 recordings

Later recordings

References

  1. "'Little Sir Echo' Re-Echoes Song of Old". Rochester Times-Union. Associated Press. July 22, 1939. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Little Sir Echo". Second Hand Records. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  3. The Song Book of the Y.W.C.A. The Woman's Press. 1926. pp. 34–35.
  4. "Little Sir Echo". Pasadena Star-News. November 3, 1925. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ""Little Sir Echo" A Camp Favorite". The St. Catharines Standard. October 5, 1926. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "With the Girl Guides". The Ottawa Journal. February 27, 1932. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Music Appreciation". The Robeson County 4-H Camper. September 19, 1938. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Holyoke Girl Helped Revive Song Hit "Little Sir Echo": Adele Girard Aided in Writing Modernized Version of Song Once Chanted by Children". The Springfield Union. July 21, 1939. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Adele Girard: Her prominent niche in jazz is assured". The Desert Sun. July 11, 1986. p. E1 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "1938 sheet music for the Horace Heidt version". Bregman, Vocco and Conn, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  11. "Little Sir Echo by Bing Crosby". Second Hand Record. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  12. Bruce C. Elrod. Your Hit Parade: April 20, 1935 to June 7, 1958, American Top 10 Hits, 1958-1984. pp. 34–36.
  13. "Songs from the Year 1939". Tsort. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
  14. "Horace Heidt And His Musical Knights – Little Sir Echo / Let's Stop The Clock". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  15. "Little Sir Echo by Horace Heidt and His Musical Knights - Vocal Chorus Emily Stevenson Larry Cotton & Bob McCoy". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  16. "Bing Crosby – Little Sir Echo / Poor Old Rover". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  17. "Little Sir Echo by Bing Crosby with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  18. "Gene Autry – I Just Want You / Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  19. "Little Sir Echo by Gene Autry". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  20. "Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians – Little Sir Echo / I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  21. "Little Sir Echo by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians - Vocal Chorus by Carmen Lombardo". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  22. "Riley Puckett – Little Sir Echo / Dream Train". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  23. "Little Sir Echo by Riley Puckett". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  24. "Little Sir Echo by Fin Olsen with The Master Melodists". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  25. "Harry Roy & His Orchestra –Begin The Beguine / Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  26. "Little Sir Echo by Harry Roy & His Orchestra". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  27. "Jan Savitt And His Top Hatters – Little Sir Echo / I Want My Share Of Love". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  28. "Little Sir Echo by Jan Savitt and His Tophatters - Vocal Chorus by Bon Bon". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  29. "Little Sir Echo". Apple Music. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  30. "Little Sir Echo". Doris Day (radio broadcast). Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  31. "Little Sir Echo by Mantovani and His Orchestra". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  32. "Little Sir Echo by Billy Cotton and His Band". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  33. "Little Sir Echo by Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon with The Three Ginx and Orchestra directed by Jay Wilbur". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  34. "Little Sir Echo by Ambrose and His Orchestra (Vocal Chorus by Vera Lynn & Denny Dennis)". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  35. "Little Sir Echo by Dick Jurgens and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus Eddy Howard". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  36. "Little Sir Echo by Herman Darewski & His Band". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  37. "Little Sir Echo by Geraldo and His Orchestra". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  38. "The Uncollected Gray Godon and His Tic-Tok Rhythm Orchestra". Amazon. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  39. "The Ucollected Gray Gordon and His Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra". Apple Music. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  40. "Dick Todd – Little Sir Echo / I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  41. "Little Sir Echo by Dick Todd with Orchestra and "The Three Reasons"". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  42. "Rina Ketty – Little Sir Echo / Sérénade Près De Mexico". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  43. "Little Sir Echo by Rina Ketty - Acc. d'orchestre, direction Marcel Cariven". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  44. "Joe Loss And His Band – Little Sir Echo / Small Town". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  45. "Little Sir Echo by Joe Loss and His Band". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  46. "Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra* / Wayne King & His Orchestra* – Only When You're In My Arms / Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
  47. "Little Sir Echo by Les Allen". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  48. "Les Allen – Small Town / Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  49. "Strand, New York". Billboard. July 29, 1939. p. 20.
  50. "Lille Herr Ekko by Teddy Petersen og hans Orkester - Refrain: Valdemar Davids". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  51. "The Keynote Jazz Collection auf 11 CDs". JPC. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  52. "Little Sir Echo by Jimmy Boyd with Paul Weston & His Orch". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  53. "Little Sir Echo by Betty Wells & Jimmy West with The Peter Pan Orchestra". Secondhand songs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  54. "Various - Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  55. "Max Bygraves – Bygraves Boogie / Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  56. "Little Sir Echo by Max Bygraves". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  57. "Rex Stewart & Dickie Wells – Chatter Jazz". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  58. "Chatter Jazz". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  59. "Little Sir Echo (Little Miss Echo) by Floyd Robinson". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  60. "Floyd Robinson – Little Sir Echo (Little Miss Echo)". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  61. "Jerry Lewis - Big Songs for Little People". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  62. "More Jerry Lewis/Jerry Lewis Sings for Children". AllMusic.com. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  63. "Tony Randall (3) – Tony Randall". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  64. "Anne Lloyd, Ralph Nyland And The Sandpipers (2) With Mitch Miller And His Orchestra* – Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  65. "Noeleen Batley – Rendezvous With Noeleen Batley". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  66. "Little Sir Echo by Noeleen Batley". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  67. "Sammy Turner – Little Sir Echo / Love Keeps Calling". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  68. "Sammy Turner - Little Sir Echo (Song)". irish-charts.com. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  69. "Sammy Turner - Little Sir Echo". 45cat. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  70. "Forrie Cairns & The Clansmen – Little Sir Echo". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  71. "Little Sir Echo by Forrie Cairns and The Clansmen". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  72. "Forrie Cairns And The Clansmen - Little Sir Echo". 45cat. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  73. "Marty Allen And Steve Rossi (3) – Little Sir Echo / Hello Dere". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  74. "Marty Allen And Steve Rossi - Little Sir Echo". 45cat. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  75. "Gia Maione – Little Sir Echo / Imagination". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  76. "Little Bobby Spina – Little Sir Echo / That's What I Like". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  77. "Little Bobby Spina 7" Singles Discography". 45cat.com. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  78. "Max Cryer & The Children – Town Cryer". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  79. "Town Cryer". Amazon Music. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  80. "The New Sounds of The Louis Prima Show". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
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  82. "We All Live Together". Greg and Steve. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  83. "Little Sir Echo". Fernwood 2Night. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  84. "Little Sir Echo by The Suprises". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  85. "Various - Holland Amerika Story". Discogs. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  86. "Sing A to Z". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  87. "Her's to Life". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  88. "Anthropology". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 17, 2026.
  89. "Stardust". cherandgeneklosner.com.
  90. "Wiggle House". AllMusic.com. Retrieved April 16, 2026.
  91. "Little Sir Echo music video". The Wiggles channel on YouTube. Retrieved April 17, 2026.