TIGHAR
Chatterbox => Extraneous exchanges => Topic started by: John Balderston on August 05, 2012, 06:00:54 PM
-
What might we have heard on the radio in the summer of 1937 (Northern hemisphere summer, that is :)) as we pondered what became of AE and FN? Here's my first entry - "One O'Clock Jump" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__EH1-U3dCg), Count Basie Orchestra.
(Photo of Zenith 12U158 console radio courtesy of "Tuberadioland.com") (http://www.tuberadioland.com/zenithmain_alt1.html)
-
Hi John. I went to your link - see where the recording was made July 7th - just a few days after the disappearance (but not on the radio until sometime after release in August. The radio was all we had at home - no TV until years after that - had to go to the movies to see any news. :D
-
Thanks Monte. I'm a huge fan of early jazz and I listen to a ton of this music. I seem to remember the record released on 8/8, but I can't find the reference. At any rate great music!
Here's another - Billie Holiday "They Can't Take That Away From Me (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ehMx12dSF6w)", recorded in April 1937. Odds are Betty was listening to this version when she wrote down the lyrics in her notebook (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Notebook/page38.html).
I can relate to your story about the radio. Although in our house it was the Zenith B&W TV and rabbit ear antenna. :).
-
And one more for your listening pleasure - "Carelessly" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWxbZ0p03ec), recorded by Teddy Wilson and his Orchestra, March 1937; Billie Holiday on vocals. Lyrics to this song also written in Betty's notebook (http://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Documents/Notebook/page35.html).
Although a sample size of two does not not a valid statistic make :), one can jump to the conclusion that Betty liked Billie Holiday, which would mean Betty had excellent taste in music. ;)
For anyone wanting to give Billie Holiday a try, may I recommend "The Essential Billie Holiday: The Columbia Years" (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Billie-Holiday/dp/B0042OZDPW/ref=sr_1_25?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1344365676&sr=1-25&keywords=billie+holiday) (link to U.S. Amazon store for convenience; available just about anywhere). The set lives up to its "essential" moniker - Billie's very best 78's from 1936 through the early 1940's recorded on Columbia's "Brunswick" and "Vocalion" labels. In 1936 Billie was 21 years old, and had already lived a lifetime. I agree with the critics/historians that say 1936-38 was the apex of her career. In this time period pianist Teddy Wilson would set up many BH recording sessions with key players from Count Basie Orchestra - soloists Lester Young (tenor sax), Buck Clayton and Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpets), Dickie Wells (trombone) and rhythm section - Walter Page (bass), Freddie Green (guitar) and Jo Jones (drums) (However, "Carelessly" players are from Duke Ellington Orchestra - Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Cootie Williams, etc. - of course GREAT as well). In these sessions Billie would run through a stack of sheet music; the group had no problem keeping up, sometimes recording on the first take - incredible extemporaneous playing. Every recording on here is a gem, and IMHO excellent background music while conducting AE research. Enjoy!
-
Yes. Billie Holliday was very popular. Many pop singer in the US during that time have been influenced by her. I have a couple of her work, but in 1939. Nothing in 1937. We have the interest in 30s music in common . I have almost everything done by Glenn Miller - but that starts in 1938 to his disappearance in 1944. Everything I now have is digital - well, except a couple of examples of what a 78 rpm record looks like. Did you know that before the Frisbee there was the 78? We used to toss worn-out/unwanted 78s - see how far we could get them to go. The hard rubber they’re made of doesn’t stand up well to impacts! :D And needles in those days were hell on records - lots of wear outs. ;D
-
Did you know that before the Frisbee there was the 78?
Huge LOL ;D