As most long-time music fans know, early rock and roll was filled with examples of cutting-edge music being reissued in less 'threatening' versions, the intent being to make them accessible to a wider audience. Even though there were sometimes other factors, the key component in the process was usually the race of the performers. One … Continue reading Sh-Boomin’ Up The Charts
Tag: Music History
Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
I've always enjoyed listening to jazzed-up versions of classical pieces, especially those as performed during the big band era. Even if purists might have dismissed the practice, it did offer the music of the ages to many people who would otherwise have shied away from what they called 'long-hair' music. (A term that has certainly … Continue reading Freddy Martin Introduced Tchaikovsky To Millions
Choosing Crooning Over Medicine – Eddy Howard
He could have been a doctor, it would seem. But Eddy Howard, who dropped out of Stanford Medical School in the early 1930s to pursue his musical dream, would instead become one of the most-loved crooners of his era. The California-born Howard began his professional career as a big band singer, first appearing with Dick … Continue reading Choosing Crooning Over Medicine – Eddy Howard
Laughing At The Cowhand
My Swiss cheese memory occasionally surprises me by turning up a useless little nugget of info amidst all those empty holes. A good example would be what happened today when I ran across an old song, "I'm an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande)." It was written by Johnny Mercer for a 1936 Bing Crosby … Continue reading Laughing At The Cowhand
When Ricky Nelson Followed Little Peggy
As most of us know, a cover version of a song is one that features a new or different performer following in the footsteps of someone who had earlier success with that particular piece. Sometimes a few changes are required, as was the case when Ricky Nelson followed Little Peggy March, turning her signature song, … Continue reading When Ricky Nelson Followed Little Peggy
Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Although I've written a number of pieces about crooners, I don't think I've ever covered one quite like Johnny Hartman. He would certainly qualify as a crooner of the first rank, but he just might be more remembered for his collaborations with a musical legend, saxophonist John Coltrane. The Chicago-born Hartman first began drawing attention … Continue reading Johnny Hartman – Crooning With Coltrane
Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
I first learned the meaning of 'segue' while working as a young radio DJ in the early 1960s. The veteran broadcaster who was my boss would explain how the process of smoothly flowing from the end of one record into the beginning of the next would help avoid 'dead air', a forbidden sin for radio … Continue reading Segue To Sweet Swing Sounds
Eddie Peabody Will Now Play For You
Remember those 'bloopers' records that were popular back in the 1950s? A guy named Kermit Schafer had a lot of success by compiling entire albums of bloopers -- mostly from radio in the early days, but later from TV too. The slightly naughty nature of some of the excerpts probably helped make them more popular, … Continue reading Eddie Peabody Will Now Play For You
The Heritage Of Andy Russell
Although it's much less common now, the music world has always been filled with performers who have 'Anglicized' their birth names, and a lot of those artists have been featured here. I won't even try to list them all, but one large grouping was explored in an earlier post, the Quintessential Italian Crooner. Some of … Continue reading The Heritage Of Andy Russell
The Hidden Side Of Stevie Wonder
There's not much doubt that Stevie Wonder has reached iconic status as an innovative performer and composer in his long career. The multiple Grammy-winner, who is now 60 years old, has been a force in music since he was 'Little Stevie Wonder' in the early 1960s, and along the way he's covered just about every … Continue reading The Hidden Side Of Stevie Wonder
Geezer Music Club 