Does anyone remember when some of the famous big bands would be taken over by a relatively unknown leader when the star retired or died? An example that comes to mind is when Glenn Miller was lost over the English Channel in 1944 and saxophonist/vocalist Tex Beneke took over. It was billed as Tex Beneke … Continue reading Ghost Bands Could Be Scary Good
I'm sure I can remember hearing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" on our record player while I was growing up, and that's entirely possible because the song is older than me -- it has been a popular holiday song for almost eight decades. One reason for that popularity might be that parents loved the … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – Holiday Edition
Sometimes you can pretty clearly identify transitional events in music history, or at least a moment when an old favorite becomes something newer. A good example occurred in 1960, when a doo-wop singing group known as the Chimes had a big hit with an updated version of an old standard, one that had been a … Continue reading Dorsey’s Hit Got A Doo-Wop Makeover
I've probably written about this before, but I was thinking today about all the good records that have passed through my hands and moved on, maybe even ending up in platter heaven. (Which creates the question; do bad records go in the other direction?) I guess it started when I ran into a 50-year-old picture … Continue reading In Memory Of Platters Long Gone
Geezer Music Club 