At the Devil's Ball
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = At the Devil's Ball
| cover = File:At the Devil's Ball 1.jpg
| caption = Cover of the song's sheet music
| alt =
| type = song
| artist =
| album =
| released = 1913
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre =
| length =
| label = Columbia Records{{cite book|last=Rust|first=Brian|date=1999|title=The Columbia Master Book Discography, Volume II: Principal U.S. Matrix Series, 1910–1924|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTp4ngY8v34C&pg=PA530|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|page=530|isbn=978-0313308222}}
| writer = Irving Berlin
| producer =
}}
"At the Devil's Ball",{{sfn|CPO|1912|p=3818, 4205}}{{cite web|url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47da-52ed-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99|title=At the devil's ball|website=DigitalCollections.NYPL.org|publisher=New York Public Library|access-date=June 6, 2022}} also spelled "At the Devils Ball",{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100004625/|title=At the devils ball|website=LOC.gov|publisher=Library of Congress|access-date=June 6, 2022}} is a song composed by Irving Berlin. There are three published editions of the song's lyrics{{cite book|editor-last1=Kimball|editor-first1=Robert|editor-last2=Emmet|editor-first2=Linda|date=2001|title=The Complete Lyrics of Irving Berlin|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ArxJGmmIQR8C&pg=PA62|publisher=Applause Theatre & Cinema Books|page=62|isbn=978-0679419433}}—the first was registered for copyright on November 14, 1912;{{sfn|CPO|1912|p=3818}} the second and third editions were registered on December 17, 1912,{{sfn|CPO|1912|p=4205}} and January 8, 1913,{{cite book|last=|first=|date=1913|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=czTQAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA6|publisher=Library of Congress Copyright Office|page=6|access-date=June 6, 2022}} respectively. The song's lyrics are written in first person,{{cite book|last=Kaplan|first=James|author-link=James Kaplan|date=2019|title=Irving Berlin: New York Genius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42-1DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA56|publisher=Yale University Press|page=56|isbn=978-0300180480}} and convey a dream about a visit to a formal dance party in Hell, hosted by the Devil.
"At the Devil's Ball" has been recorded several times by different artists, most notably the version by the Peerless Quartet and Maurice Burkhart, which was recorded and released in 1913.{{cite book|last=Hamm|first=Charles|date=1997|title=Irving Berlin: Songs from the Melting Pot: The Formative Years, 1907–1914|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qTrnCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA244|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=244|isbn=978-0195071887}}
Recordings
Several recordings of the song were produced in 1913. These include a version by the vocal group Peerless Quartet and singer Maurice Burkhart recorded in January 1913 and released in April, as well as a version by Victor Military Band also recorded in January and released in April; the latter recording was performed as part of a medley with another Berlin tune, "When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam".
Reception
Biographer James Kaplan referred to "At the Devil's Ball" as "sheer, surrealistic genius," and wrote that the song "[derives] its great good humor from the brilliantly homely details: a coat check at the entrance to hell; the cute Mrs. Devil in her beautiful fireman's hat; and the masterstroke, the mother-in-law dancing with Old Nick himself."
In popular culture
The recording of the song featuring vocals by Maurice Burkhart was included on the soundtrack of the 2019 horror film Candy Corn.{{cite web|url=https://burningwitchesrecords.bandcamp.com/album/candy-corn-original-motion-picture-soundtrack|title=Candy Corn – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|website=Bandcamp|publisher=Burning Witches Records|access-date=June 6, 2022}}{{Additional source needed|date=June 2022}}
The song was feature in the floor show of The Boulet Brothers' Dragula season 5 episode 3 titled Ghosts of the Gatehouse. The Boulet Brothers indicated this was one of their favorite songs both in the episode and in their recap podcast Creatures of the Night.
References
{{Commons category}}
{{Reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book|last=|first=|date=1912|title=The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights and Trade Marks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fsI6AQAAMAAJ|publisher=Canadian Patent Office|ref={{harvid|CPO|1912}}|access-date=June 6, 2022}}
{{Irving Berlin}}