Vintage Las Vegas Standards – Classic Guitar Songs

Here you’ll find easy acoustic guitar lessons for classic songs like the 1920s Medley featuring Ain’t She Sweet, Bye Bye Blackbird, and Five Foot Two, along with heartfelt favorites by Bobby Goldsboro, including Autumn of My Life, Honey, I Wrote This Song, and I’m a Drifter.

This page also includes memorable vintage recordings such as Henry Burr’s I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight, Jerry Butler’s soulful version of Moon River, three standout Pat Boone hits,

Sol Bloom’s early-era The Streets of Cairo, and the retro swing charm of The Lucky Duckies’ Buona Sera. Each lesson provides chords, strumming guides, rhythm tips, and background notes to help bring these classics to life on your acoustic guitar.

1920s Medley ...  This is just a medley of 1920s songs, Ain't She Sweet, Bye Bye Blackbird and 5 foot 2 that I put together in case you ever need some oldies, real oldies to play on the acoustic. No official recording of this by any artists I'm aware of.

Autumn Of My Life released in 1968, appears on Bobby Goldsboro’s album Word Pictures. Issued as a single, it reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

The gentle arrangement and reflective lyrics made it one of Goldsboro’s most personal recordings. No official music video existed, but the song was performed on several TV specials.

It has been covered by a few country artists over the years, though none charted. Goldsboro wrote the song as a sequel of sorts to “Honey,” capturing the emotional recovery period following the earlier hit’s tragic storyline.

Honey was released in 1968 and became Bobby Goldsboro’s signature hit and appeared on the album Honey. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and reached No. 1 in the UK, becoming one of the decade’s biggest sellers.

No music video existed, but Goldsboro performed it extensively on television. The song has been covered by dozens of artists, including Andy Williams and Dean Martin.

Songwriter Bobby Russell wrote “Honey” in just 30 minutes, but Goldsboro recorded it in one take — and the raw emotion in that performance became the master used for release.

I Wrote A Song recorded in 1973, was released as a single from Goldsboro’s album Brand New Kind of Love. Although it didn’t chart as high as his 1960s hits, the song reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 and performed better on Adult Contemporary radio.

No official video was produced. Goldsboro often performed it on TV variety shows, helping it gain modest recognition. The song reflects Goldsboro’s growing focus on songwriting and storytelling, marking a transition toward the more reflective style he embraced in the 1970s.

I'm A Drifter came out in 1969, appeared on Goldsboro’s album Today. The single reached No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 and climbed to No. 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Its narrative style and folk-influenced melody made it a fan favorite.

No music video existed, but Goldsboro performed it on TV and in concert frequently during the late ’60s. The song’s arrangement prominently features Nashville session musicians from the “A-Team,” giving it a polished, radio-friendly sound.

I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight recorded by Henry Burr in 1925, was issued as a popular single during the acoustic-era recording boom. Though it never appeared on a formal album (albums were uncommon at the time), the song charted highly on sheet-music sales and early radio play.

No video exists, and the recording predates most modern archival footage. The tune was covered extensively in the 1920s dance-band scene with versions by George Olsen and His Orchestra and the California Ramblers.

The song became a favorite among early Charleston-style dancers due to its upbeat tempo.

Moon River hit the airwaves from Jerry Butler in 1961, was released as a soulful interpretation of the Henry Mancini classic.

Butler’s version reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the R&B chart, giving the song early crossover success even before Andy Williams popularized it. It appeared on Butler’s album Moon River & Other Great Movie Themes. No official video exists, but the song was heavily promoted on TV.

Butler recorded his version so quickly after the film Breakfast at Tiffany’s premiered that his single hit radio before most listeners had heard the movie rendition.

Gone Fishin was first recorded back in 1950 by Arthur Godfrey,  Pat Boone recorded his version in 1960, was included on his album Moonglow. Boone released it as a lighthearted single that received modest radio play, though it didn’t chart nationally.

No video existed, but Boone performed it on several family-friendly TV shows. The song was originally made famous by Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby in 1951, and Boone recorded it as an homage to the earlier duet.

Boone often included it in live shows because it aligned with his wholesome image and easygoing stage personality.

Moody River was written by Chase Webster and was first performed as a rockabilly tune. Boone's release in 1961, was one of his biggest hits and appeared on the album Moody River.

The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, displacing Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man.” No official video was produced, but Boone promoted it on TV variety shows.

Boone later admitted he recorded the song in a single evening after hearing it just once.

Speedy Gonzalas released in 1962, appears on Pat Boone’s album Pat Boone’s Golden Hits. The single reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of his most recognizable novelty songs.

No music video was made, but Boone performed it widely. The version features Mel Blanc — the voice of the cartoon character — delivering comedic interjections.

Boone joked that the song was so popular overseas that fans thought he was a comedian rather than a pop singer.

The Streets Of Cario has also been called the Arabian Riff song or the Snake Charmers song or The Poor Little Country Maid. Some have dated the song back to the 1890s but not totally sure.

Sol Bloom revived the song in the early 1900s but never copyrighted the song and was involved in music publishing in Chicago. How exactly he got involved in recording the song, I'm not sure.

Buona Sera  recorded by The Lucky Duckies as part of their retro swing catalog, is a modern revival of the Italian-American classic popularized by Louis Prima in 1956. Their version appears on the album Songs for Lovers and captures the vintage nightclub feel the group is known for.

It was not released as a charting single, but it remains a fan favorite within the European swing lounge scene. No official video exists, though live performances are common. The Lucky Duckies often use old-school ribbon microphones and analog recording techniques to recreate an authentic 1950s sound. The band is based out of Portugal.