I Ain't Got Nobody!

Like everyone else, I go through phases in the music I listen too. Through most of 2005 and 2006 I was crazy about music that I mostly found Vocal section of Tower Records (while they were still breathing). The Andrews Sisters, The Boswell Sisters and The Mills Brothers were my favorites. All of their recordings swing, jump, pop, and have a joy in the beat that still shines through after soooooo many long years.

I remember the Mills Brothers as a trio of old guys on Johnny Carson when I was a kid. They sang smooth old standards like their own hit "Paper Doll" and “Dinah.” It was clear that Carson had a real affection for the Mills Brothers from his youth.

A while back I read a biography of Bing Crosby called "A Pocketful of Dreams-the Early Years, 1903-1940." (Highly recommended if you like such things.) I never had much interest in Crosby's music (still don't really) but it was in that book that I kept reading about the The Andrews Sisters, The Boswell Sisters and The Mills Brothers being such a big influence upon him in addition to Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. I really liked THOSE guys so I decided to have a “look-hear” at the others.

Was I ever glad I did!

All three of those vocal groups were real eye-openers to me. The Mills Brothers started out as a bit of a novelty act. In their first recordings, they rarely even sang lyrics--they imitated instruments with their hands and mouths. The only real instrument they used was the guitar played by John Jr. who also sang bass/tuba. These numbers are quite hypnotic.

This piece of film (including genuine a genuine follow-the-bouncing-ball) gives you a taste of their music from the '30’s featuring the original Mills Brothers—Harry, Herbert, Donald, and John Jr.

Hang on ‘til the last minute of the clip and you will get a taste of how skillful they were at being their own amazing orchestra!

Elvis and The Penalty of Leadership

Now, it's well documented that The King of Rock and Roll had an infatuation with Cadillacs.
He liked to buy them and he liked to give them away.
Which made him a dang good customer of the Cadillac Company.

In 1967, Cadillac sent out scrolled facimile reproductions of the 1915 Penalty of Leadership advertisement to their current customer list. Because he was such a loyal consumer of Cadillac's automobile product line, Elvis recieved a copy of the 52 year old advertisement.

"When he read it, he said that even though the piece of paper had been written before he was born, the author could have just as well been writing about him.Elvis framed the scroll and hung it near the desk in his office at the mansion. It still hangs in Graceland today for visitors to see."

Just goes to show ya--great advertising is timeless--even if the language and typography can seem antiquated and dated.

Happy Jack Kirby Day!

Today would have been Jack Kirby's 90th birthday.

As Heidi writes in todays BEAT and Mark writes in POV:

Jack Kirby influenced EVERYONE!

Might I add--including even me.

It's Tantalizing Teaser Tuesday!

Today the Cuties are Boom'n on the steps of the Chowdown Pool
while the Chow Sol'jers are off on a Chow Raid.

(Rough pencils--but I think you know that)

Can The Circle Be Unbroken?

I've been listening to the original Carter Family lately.

A lot.

Not quite sure what their music is perculating in my imagination--but something is a-brewin' there--particularly concerning Beanish and Dreamishness.

So here it is Monday morning...and before I submerge myself back into a week full of toy business--I thought I'd share some Carter Family music with you.

Mother Maybelle's scratchy "pluck-strum-hammer" style of guitar picking is what attracts me to this music more than anything else.

I'm gonna write more about this later including their later incarnation, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters--but in the meantime give this classic recording from 1935 a good listen.