HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 13-8 – THE LEGACY OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG

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Today’s show features Louis at the peak of his fame, when he was a national celebrity with his name (and nicknames) quickly becoming a ‘household word’. That didn’t necessarily mean that life was easy, though, as the details of his life from this era convey. It was a good time to let the music do the talking, so we do our best to abide by that rule ourselves.

Songs featured include;

1) Black and Blue

2) Dinah

3) Tiger Rag

4) Standing on the Corner – Jimmie Rodgers

5) I’m a Ding Dong Daddy

6) If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight

7) Body and Soul

8) Sweethearts on Parade

9) Just a Gigolo

10) Shine

11) When It’s Sleepy Time Down South

How Music Changed, Part 13-7 – Louis Armstrong

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Today’s show covers a time span from December 1928 thru December 1929 – one short year in contemporary history, but a year fraught with social change brought on by the collapse of the stock market, and significant stylistic change for Louis Armstrong. As 1928 faded away, Louis was drifting away from the New Orleans playing style that had defined his sound, and toward a more sleek, streamlined and ‘citified’ sound. It was also the time period when Louis decided to leave Chicago once again and return to New York City in his quest for fame and fortune. It was a move that was essential if Louis was to survive the shifting tastes of popular culture, and this show captures that transition as it happened.

Songs include;

1) Save It, Pretty Mama

2) Weather Bird

3) Muggles

4) Tight Like This

5) Knockin’ a Jug

6) I Can’t Give You Anything But Love

7) S’posin (edited) – Seger Ellis

8) How Do You Do It That Way (edited) – Victoria Spivey

9) Ain’t Misbehavin’

10) Ain’t Misbehavin’ (edited) – Seger Ellis

11) Dallas Blues

12) St. Louis Blues

13) Rockin’ Chair

DECEMBER 1969

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Today’s show features music from forty years ago, December 1969. The music speaks for itself, hopefully, so does the show.

Songs include:

1) I Want You Back – The Jackson Five

2) Whole Lotta Love- Led Zeppelin

3) It Came Out of the Sky – CCR

4) Street Fighting Man – Rod Stewart

5) Compared to What – Les McCann & Eddie Harris

6) Gimme Shelter – The Rolling Stones

7) Let It Bleed – “

8) You Can’t Always Get What You Want – “

How Music Changed, Part 13-6 – Louis Armstrong

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Our 6^th episode featuring the music of Louis Armstrong captures the artist at the absolute peak of his powers. Not yet 30 years old, Louis had the energy of a young man and a talent that was incomparable to anyone. This period in his career dating from 1927 to 1928 captures Armstrong at the top of his game. He would continue to cause critics and audiences to marvel at his abilities for his entire life, but he would never be quite as dazzling as he is on these recordings – and neither would anyone else. These are, quite simply, some of the most monumental performances in the history of recorded music.

Featured titles include;

1) Melancholy

2) S.O.L. Blues (edited)

3) Gully Low Blues

4) That’s When I’ll Come Back to You

5) Struttin’ with Some Barbecue

6) Hotter Than That

7) Skip the Gutter

8) A Monday Date

9) West End Blues

10) Two Deuces (edited)

11) Symphonic Raps

12) Basin Street Blues

A Premature Autopsy...

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The following was taken from the Idaho Evening Statesman, dated 50 years ago (December 5, 1959);

One of the most significant results of the continuing disc jockey scandals is the demise of rock and roll. Although the entire credit cannot be given to revelations of payoffs to sponsors of junk which had no chance otherwise, public disgust at the methods of promoting primitive noises on records has hastened the decline of this fad.

Surveys of record companies, movie makers and distributors and promoters of both mediums taken after the payola investigations began have been unanimous in their conclusions that gyrating dancers and shimmying guitar players are on the decline. It is a decline which began early in the year, as evidenced by scanning lists of the top 10 tunes at various periods in the year...Rock and roll is but another experience, fading into the oblivion from whence it came.

There are few mourners. Many, like the musician (my emphasis – ed.) who is head of Columbia Records popular recording department, Mitch Miller, are openly rejoicing. Long an opponent of the style, Miller’s comment on its decline was, “I refused to make that trash.”

To the cynical mind, accustomed to one musical fad giving way to another more extreme, it is soothing to note the replacement for rock and roll has been the ballad…Looking back on it now, it is easy to see why the bubble burst. But there was a time when music lovers didn’t think they would survive the noise. Peace and quiet – it’s wonderful.

At the time, the article was less humorous than you may think, as evidenced by the top 40 charts. Today’s show features songs that appeared on the pop charts during the week this article went to publication, including;

1) My Favorite Things – Mary Martin (The Sound of Music)

2) I’m Movin’ On – Ray Charles

3) Tear Drop – Santo and Johnny

4) Unforgettable – Dinah Washington

5) Reveille Rock – Johnny & the Hurricanes

6) Dance With Me – The Drifters

7) Way Down Yonder in New Orleans – Freddie Cannon

8) Be My Guest – Fats Domino

9) El Paso – Marty Robbins

10) The Big Hurt – Toni Fisher

11) So Many Ways – Brook Benton

12) We Got Love – Bobby Rydell

13) Why – Frankie Avalon

14) In the Mood – Ernie Fields

15) Heartaches by the Number.