Monday, May 9, 2022

Music Mondays: (I've Got Spurs that) Jingle Jangle Jingle, performed by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra

May 9
"(I’ve Got Spurs that) Jingle Jangle Jingle," Written by Joseph J. Lilley and Frank Loesser; performed by Kay Kyser and his Orchestra (1942)

This song is an example of “western swing” music, which peaked in popularity in the early 1940s, at the same time that country music as a genre was really gaining in popularity, as well. Eventually, western swing would be grouped into the broader label of country music, but it had a pretty different sound from the popular country music of the day. This song has been used in various media over the years, including a popular video game, so there’s a good chance people have heard it before. I enjoy the smooth sound of Harry Babbitt, one of the lead singers of Kay Kyser’s orchestra, on this particular version.

Kay Kyser was an extremely popular band leader in the 1930s and 40s, but he abruptly retired in 1950. Due to his abrupt retirement, his band is not as well known among younger people today as some of the other big bands of the time, like Glenn Miller from last week. However, he definitely made a name for himself in the 1930s and was known to have a great sense of humor, incorporating that into his orchestra’s performances. He even created his own character, “The Ol’ Professor,” and incorporated musical knowledge quizzes to further entertain his audiences.

Take a listen to this catchy tune here:

 


Resources
About the song: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingle_Jangle_Jingle
About Kay Kyser and his orchestra: 
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Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Music Mondays: A String of Pearls, performed by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra

May 2
"A String of Pearls," Composed by Jerry Gray and Eddie deLange, Performed by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra (1941)

With a new month, we’re swinging right into the era of Big Band and swing with the 1940s. One can hardly talk about the Big Band era without talking about Glenn Miller and his orchestra, a sound and style which defines the genre for many. Miller created his own unique sound by having a clarinet play the melodies, with a tenor sax playing the same melody an octave lower and other saxophones playing harmonies. This instrumentation gave his band a unique sound that is still identifiable today. Some criticize him for “watering down” jazz music, but he ignored his critics, focusing on creating music that listeners would enjoy. In late 1942, Miller decided to join the US army as a band leader to help the war effort and helped boost troop morale through 1944. Sadly, his plane was lost at sea in 1944 (when Miller was only 40 years old), so we will never know what other musical treasures he could have created with his musicians. War is a terrible thing. 

This particular song made it to number 1 in the charts, knocking off another Glenn Miller hit, “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”

Here's the top 80 list for 1942: https://playback.fm/year/1942

The song:


Resources
About Glenn Miller:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Glenn-Miller
http://glennmiller.com/biography/
About the song:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_String_of_Pearls_(song)
https://www.colorado.edu/amrc/glenn-miller-archives/gma-studies/string-pearls
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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Music Mondays: All of Me, performed by Louis Armstrong

April 25
"All of Me," words and music by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, performed by Louis Armstrong

Let’s end the month with the incredibly talented and possibly most well-known jazz musician, Louis Armstrong, performing a song that made it to number one in the charts and has been recorded by other greats as well, “All of Me.” The song was written in 1931, and first performed by Belle Baker. It really took off, however, with a late 1931 recording by Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra, followed by this early 1932 recording by Armstrong.

Louis Armstrong was already a popular musician when this song was recorded, having struck out on his own as a performer in the mid-1920s. In fact, he performed in Europe for the first time in 1932, so his popularity was definitely growing around the world in this time period. You can also hear an example of his scatting style in this song, which is honestly impressive, as he goes seamlessly back and forth from scatting/singing to playing his trumpet. If you’re interested in learning more about Armstrong’s life, I would definitely take a look at the biographies I linked below - I did not really know much about his early life, and it was interesting to learn. He is one of the stories of American rags to riches, as he grew up in a rough neighborhood in New Orleans, known as The Battleground, but was able to go on to become one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time.

The song:


Resources
About the song: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_of_Me_(jazz_standard)
https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-0/allofme.htm
About Louis Armstrong: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Armstrong
https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/biography/
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Monday, April 18, 2022

Music Mondays: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, performed by Bing Crosby

April 18
"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?," performed by Bing Crosby, music by Jay Gorney, lyrics by Yip Harburg (1932)

I can hardly talk about the 1930s without featuring a song by the inimitable Bing Crosby, who actually went solo in 1931. It’s likely that everyone who reads this has heard at least one song by Crosby, most likely the Christmas hit, “White Christmas,” which is still the best selling single of all time. I don’t want to spend loads of time talking about Crosby, but if you want to know more about him, the Wikipedia link below has tons of info. I also included a link to his biography.com entry, in case you’r not a fan of Wikipedia. 

Today, the song is just as interesting as the singer and may ring true for people today as it did when it was written during the Great Depression. It was written for the musical, Americana, which actually did not do very well, but this song became a hit. It differed from the norm of popular songs at the time, in that it features a minor key and directly confronts the feelings many Americans had during the Depression. Many (or most) popular songs at the time were upbeat and focused on being happy, while this song unabashedly discussed the frustrations of seeing the American Dream that so many had believed in come crashing down around them with the stock market crash of 1929 and ensuing long-lasting financial depression. Honestly, I feel like I know people who would relate with these same sentiments in today’s economy. So this week, take a few minutes to listen to a great song, with an unfortunately enduring sentiment, sung by a great singer.

Lyrics 
Once I built a railroad, made it run 
Made it race against time 
Once I built a railroad, now it's done 
Brother can you spare a dime? 
Once I built a tower to the sun 
Brick and rivet and lime 
Once I built a tower, now it's done 
Brother can you spare a dime? 
Once in khaki suits 
Gee, we looked swell 
Full of that yankee Doodle De Dum 
Half a million boots went slogging through hell 
I was the kid with the drum 
Say don't you remember, they called me Al 
It was Al all the time 
Say don't you remember, I'm your pal! 
Brother can you spare a dime? 
Once in khaki suits 
Gee, we looked swell 
Full of that yankee Doodle De Dum 
Half a million boots went slogging through hell 
I was the kid with the drum 
Say don't you remember, they called me Al 
It was Al all the time 
Say don't you remember, I'm your pal! 
Brother can you spare a dime? 
Buddy can you spare a dime? 

The song:


Resources
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Monday, April 11, 2022

Music Mondays: River Stay 'Way from My Door, performed by Kate Smith

April 11
"River, Stay ‘Way from My Door," performed by Kate Smith, Music by Harry M. Woods, Lyrics by Mort Dixon (1931)

Today’s song was number 13 on the top 60 chart of 1932. There are actually two versions that appear in this chart, but this one, sung by Kate Smith, ranked higher. I mostly chose this one because Kate Smith was one of the few (only) women listed in the top 60 for 1932. When I started this project, I wanted to be sure to include at least one female artist for each decade. Of course, the first song I highlighted featured the female vocalist Ivie Anderson, but the song itself was billed as Duke Ellington. (And to be fair, Ellington composed the song and led the band and singer.) Anyway, Kate Smith was a contralto who became so popular that she became known as “the first lady of radio.” She had a popular radio show called, “Kate Smith Sings” on CBS from 1931-1947. During that time, Irving Berlin also granted her exclusive on-air rights to sing the popular patriotic song, “God Bless America.” You might have heard her voice singing this patriotic song during the 7th inning stretch at a Yankees game, though she has become somewhat controversial in recent years for racist songs she recorded during her career. This particular song is somewhat sultry and provides a great vehicle to hear her contralto voice.

The song:


Resources 
About Harry M Woods (composer): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_M._Woods 
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