Born in 1903, Malneck's career as a violinist began when he was age 16. He was a member of the
Paul Whiteman orchestra from 1926 to 1937 and during the same period recorded with
Mildred Bailey,
Annette Hanshaw,
Frank Signorelli, and
Frankie Trumbauer. He led a big band that recorded for
Brunswick,
Columbia, and
Decca. and
Campana Serenade in 1942–1943. A newspaper article published September 19, 1938, noted that having only one brass instrument in Malneck's eight-instrument group was "unique for swing" as were the $3,000 harp and a drummer who played on "an old piece of corrugated paper box". The group played in the film
St. Louis Blues (1939) and ''
You're in the Army Now'' (1941). Malneck announced he was changing the group's name to Matty Malneck and His St. Louis Blues Orchestra. Malneck's credits as a songwriter have overshadowed his contributions as a performer. He composed songs which became hits, such as "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo" (1935) and "
Goody Goody" (1936; both with lyrics by
Johnny Mercer), "
I'll Never Be the Same" (1932; music by Malneck &
Frank Signorelli, lyrics by
Gus Kahn), and "
I'm Thru With Love" (1931; music by Malneck &
Fud Livingston, lyrics by Kahn). ==References==