First recorded (as “El manisero”) by Rita Montaner con Orquesta (1927).
Hit versions by Don Azpiazu & His Havana Casino Orchestra (US #1 1930), Louis Armstrong (US #15 1930), Red Nichols & His Five Pennies (US #5 1931), The California Ramblers (US #5 1931), Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (US #1 1947).
Also recorded by Stan Kenton (1956 |1959), by Stan Kenton & June Christy (1960).
From the wiki: “‘El manisero’, known in English as ‘The Peanut Vendor’, is a Cuban son-pregón composed by Moisés Simons. Together with ‘Guantanamera’, it is arguably the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician. ‘The Peanut Vendor'” has been recorded more than 160 times, sold over a million copies of the sheet music, and was the first million-selling 78 rpm of Cuban music. Its success was far-reaching, directly leading to the ‘Rumba craze’ in the US and Europe which lasted through the 1940s.
“‘The Peanut Vendor’ was first sung and recorded as ‘El mansiero’ by the vedette Rita Montaner in 1927 for Columbia Records. The biggest record sales for ‘El manisero’ came from the recording made by Don Azpiazú and his Havana Casino Orchestra in New York in 1930 for Victor Records. Other early ’30s versions that also charted, recorded in English as ‘The Peanur Vendor’, were performed by Louis Armstrong (1930), Red Nichols & His Five Pennies (1931), and the California Ramblers (1931).
“‘The Peanut Vendor’ had a second life on the ‘Hit Parade’ when Stan Kenton recorded it in 1947 with his big band for Capitol Records, and issued in album form on Stan Kenton’s Milestones in 1950. Because of its popularity, Kenton would, with or without a band, re-record ‘The Peanut Vendor’ three more times – most notably a stereo recording in 1956 for Kenton in Hi-Fi), in 1959 for the all-Latin album Viva Kenton!, and a performance released in 1960 featuring June Christy, backed by the Four Freshmen, on the live album Road Show.”
Don Azpiazu & His Havana Casino Orchestra, “El manisero” (1930):
Louis Armstrong & His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra, “The Peanut Vendor” (1930):
Red Nichols & His Five Pennies, “The Peanut Vendor” (1931):
The California Ramblers, “The Peanut Vendor” (1931):
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra, “The Peanut Vendor” (1947):
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra, “The Peanut Vendor” (1956):
Stan Kenton & His Orchestra with June Christy, “The Peanut Vendor” (1960):