"The Billiken Man" is from the 1909 show The Midnight Sons.

The Billiken, made by toy designer E. I. Horsman, was a doll that created a sensation in 1908-1910 (actually there were three separate dolls, including Baby Billiken).

The doll, with Chinese features, supposedly brought good luck, as Cal Stewart indicates in the monologue "Uncle Josh and the Billiken" and as indicated in the song recorded by Ring.

Have you seen the latest mascot, the billiken man?

He's the greatest little mascot since the world began

Has that hypnotizing smile--
makes you cheerful all the while

Oh, the billiken man, oh, the billiken man!

Billiken, billiken, you funny creation.
You look so cute that you have real fascination.
Smile on me. I want to be lucky as I can.

Billiken, billiken, good luck you've brought to me.
'Cause you're the God of all things as they ought to be
Funny, sunny, want the money--the billiken man.

Anytime you want to marry
Get a billiken man
Really, girls, you shouldn't tarry
Get a billiken man

He never says one single word
About what he's seen or what he's heard
Try a billiken man!

Billiken, billiken, you funny creation.
You look so cute that you have real fascination.
Smile on me. I want to be lucky as I can.

Billiken, billiken, good luck you've brought to me.
'Cause you're the God of all things as they ought to be
Funny, sunny, want the money--the billiken man.

Every ladies' latest gown now
Since 'way last fall
Must be worn straight up and down now
No hips at all

If we cannot have hips, why, goodness knows
Fat girls can't wear any clothes
Like a billiken, like a billiken man

Composers are E. Ray Goetz and Melville J. Gideon

Blanche Ring was born on April 24, 1871, in Boston. Her father, James F. Ring, was an actor.

She first gained fame in 1902 in the musical comedy The Defender. The June 1903 issue of Everybody's Magazine suggests that Ring won fame in late 1902: "Blanche Ring's popularity with what is called 'the Broadway public' is merely a matter of six months' growth. She is the breezy maiden who, at the opening of Mrs. Osborn's Play House, bounded into favor with a song, 'The Belle of Avenue A,' which she sang with infinite spirit and humor."

During her many years on Broadway and in vaudeville, the stage entertainer was associated with several song classics, including "In the Good Old Summertime," which she performed to acclaim in The Defender in 1902, and "Bedelia," interpolated by Ring into The Jersey Lily.

She never recorded either--records of "In the Good Old Summertime" and "Bedelia" had sold well when sung by others, but the songs had gone out of fashion by the time she made her recording debut.

The public later identified her with "I've Got Rings on My Fingers," introduced in The Midnight Sons, which opened on May 22, 1909. She recorded it a month after the show opened.

She cut eleven titles--ten for the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1909-1910 and then, a decade later, one for the Pathé Freres Phonograph Company.

Victor issued only six of the ten numbers she recorded for the company: "Yip! I Adee! I Aye!" (5692), "The Billiken Man" (5731), "I've Got Rings on My Fingers" (5737), "Nora Malone" (60024), "The Top of the Morning" (60025), and "Come, Josephine, In My Flying Machine" (Victor 60032).

The first three songs, recorded in 1909, were originally issued in Victor's single-sided black label popular series. Victor introduced in February 1910 a new single-sided purple label series intended to give select artists a more prestigious label, and in mid-1910 the three Ring songs were reissued in the more expensive purple label series, a rare instance of previously issued Victor recordings being promoted to a more expensive series.

Two of her most popular numbers, "Yip! I Adee! I Aye!" and "I've Got Rings on My Fingers," remained in Victor's catalog until 1924 whereas the others were dropped by 1915. The two remained available on single-sided purple label discs through 1922, but beginning in early 1921 they were also available on double-sided blue label Victor 45188. The blue label series, introduced in late 1910 for imported operatic selections, was used increasingly by Victor as a substitute for the purple label series.

Some selections cut domestically by Victor Herbert's Orchestra were issued on the blue label as early as 1914, and it is curious that Victor waited another decade before using this series for Ring. In 1923 and 1924 only the double-sided disc was available, and this was dropped at the time Victor's 1925 catalog was printed.

A full decade passed before Ring made another, and final, recording: "Barney Come Over Here," written by Simpson and Ring, issued in November 1920 (Pathé Actuelle 022419, Pathé Sapphire 22419, Cleartone 819).

Ring died on January 13, 1961, in Santa Monica, California.

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