Deep in the cold of winter, Valentine's Day in the USA brings the warmth of love and friendship. It is a time for people to take the time to tell their sweetheart, spouse, lover and friends that they care about them.
Of couse music has always been one of the greatest ways to express love and the emotion that goes with it. I have a personal theory that music is a language of emotion and can express feelings where spoken and written language fails.
For February we are featuring a number of great love songs with beautiful covers from the collection that have not been published before on our site. Snuggle up with someone you care about and warm up with these wonderful old love songs.
This month we are also introducing MIDI songs crafted using Cubase. Cubase is a powerful program that allows us to add a dimension of expression to MIDI that more closely approximates a "live" performance. The result are MIDI sequences with more nuance and a more realistic performance. As we get better with the program, we hope to bring you the highest quality of performance and authenticity possible. Let us know what you think, or if you notice any difference.

Melody of Love 1903 Music by: H. Engelmann Lyrics by: Various Cover artist: Unknown This cover is, in my opinion, one of the most artistic of the collection. The colors and quality of the painting make it a fascinating piece of art. It is unfortunate that the artist's name cannot be found for he or she surely is one of the great sheet music artists of that period. The music within is also quite good. Without lyrics, this song seems to focus more on the emotional message within the music. It is classical in form and has moments of drama that add to the overall shape of the music. The composer, Engelmann, is well represented in the collection. He wrote many popular piano solo pieces during the early century, many of which are published as children's etude works. This piece demonstrates that Engelmann certainly had great talent beyond simple works. Enjoy this classic turn of the century song.

The Angel of Love 1911 Music by: W. C. Powell Cover Artist: unknown Another "song without words", this work is titled as a Reverie. Reveries are typically emotional, dreamy sort of works that recall a time or place. In this case the subject is love and the composer has given us a nice lyrical waltz that could bring to mind a couple whirling around the dance floor, arm in arm. The piece has a certain stately elegance to it. Certainly, the work is reflective of the music of the period, formal, well organized and always, always proper. Waltz with the Angel of Love

Pretty Baby 1916 Music by: Tony Jackson & Egbert Van Alstyne Lyrics by: Gus Kahn Cover artist: Starmer Who else but the team of Van Alstyne and the great Gus Kahn could come up with a timeless classic like "Pretty Baby"? This song figured prominently in the film biography of Kahn starring Danny Thomas and Doris Day. The cover says; "Originally introduced in the Schubert production, The Passing Show of 1916". Of couse this song, like so many other of Kahn's songs has become a standard. It is hard to believe that this song was written 83 years ago! The cover artist, Starmer was perhaps the most prominent music artist of the period and this cover is reflective of his style and talent. Hear this classic love song.

When God Gave Me You, I Know I Got More Than My Share 1916 Music & Lyrics by: Grant Clarke & Howard Johnson Cover artist: Unknown What a great title, and what a great line for those of you looking for a good one. Can you image the swoons that this line and the song must have brought on? The song and words are excellent and make for a very nice ballad. The heartfelt expression of love and the melody combine into a nearly hymn-like experience. "God gives the wise men their wisdom, Sends all the poets their dreams To father and mother their love for each other we all get a share so it seems I thought I was forgotten, My life was an empty affair But he thought of me too, and when God gave me you, I know I got more than my share." I want to dedicate those thoughts to my wonderful wife for this Valentine's day. I really have enjoyed this song, it is very expressive. (RR) Listen to this beautiful hymn to love.

Just An Old Sweetheart of Mine 1912 Music by: J.S. Zamecnik Lyrics by: J.R. Shannon Cover artist: Jim West This song has that lilt and melody line that seems to be sterotypical of the period it was written. It is a ballad that through its lyrics seems to imply a love gone wrong or a one sided love. The lyrics recall a time when a couple were together and memories of what once was. "By the hearthstone I ponder 'till the embers burn down low Bringing back in memory a dream-face of the past amid their glow" That is some heavy emotion! The cover artist, Jim West is only represented in the collection by this one work.His work is good and I would like to see more from him. Listen to this old ballad.

There's a Girl In The Heart of Maryland (With A Heart That Belongs To Me) 1913 Music by: Harry Carroll Lyrics by: Ballard MacDonald Cover artist: Starmer Here is another great Starmer cover from the teens. This song is a pretty upbeat one. The lyrics tell of the story of a man in love with a woman who is away from him and the anticipation of being together later after marriage. "As I told her of my love, the oriole above," Sang from the old apple tree;" "Then Maryland was Fairyland" "For she promised my bride she'd be" The old songs had such great lyrics. So innocent and so corny, but great. Hear this love song.

Be sure to visit this month's gallery for more songs from our collection.