On today’s episode we’re talking electronic music…and the importance of a thorough resume. You’re on the Sound Beat. Miklos Rosza had long considered using electronic music in a film. He got his chance when director Alfred Hitchcock and producer David O. Selznick approached him about scoring 1945’s Spellbound. Wanting to add an atmospheric, contemp…

Why did Governor Dewitt Clinton build a giant ditch across New York state? To get to the other side. From the time the first shovel went into the ground in 1817, critics blasted the Erie Canal project, dubbing it Clinton’s Ditch. But it would go down in history as an engineering marvel. When finished, it stretched three hundred and sixty three mile…

The American B-24 Bomber Lady Be Good departed a Libyan Air Base on a bombing raid in April 1943. She did so into a sandstorm, and disappeared for 15 years. World War II raged, and then ended. Still, the whereabouts of the Lady Be Good remained unknown. It was thought the men had crashed into the Mediterranean, but in 1958 the nearly-intact bomber …

You’re listening to the Carter Family’s rendition of “Honey in the Rock”, a Coral Record from 1949, and you’re on the Sound Beat. Frederick A. Graves originally wrote the song in 1895, but his version was a bit, well, heavy…A.P. Carter then rewrote it in 1937 to better fit the Carter Family’s repertoire. In short, he focused more on the “honey and …

You’re listening to one of the most distinctive signature sounds in all of recorded music, and… You’re on the Sound Beat. That telltale whoop belongs to Sonny Terry, one of the most influential harmonica players of all time. Blind, but not from birth, Terry lost his sight one eye at a time, first in early childhood, and the second in his late teens…

Holiday was born Eleanora Fagan, and nicknamed Lady Day. This 1946 recording of “Big Stuff” represents something of an anomaly in her career. It emerged only multiple, vigorous recording sessions. Her difficulties in the studio seemed to mirror those in her personal life, as Holiday was struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. The song itself was co…

For those who celebrate it, the big day is here. Many parents are bleary-eyed and sipping coffee while the kids riot in merry madness. But short as it was, your night was probably more restful than old Ebenezer Scrooge’s. Our gift to you: Scrooge’s Awakening, an Edison Blue Amberol cylinder released in 1914. And for your stocking: listen to the who…

The story goes like this: Fats Waller, the great stride pianist, is playing in a club when he spots Art Tatum walk through the door. Waller stops, turns to the audience and announces: “I just play the piano, but God is in the house tonight.” Perhaps no pianist before or since has equaled Tatum’s technical and rhythmic mastery, harmonic imagination,…

Niccolo Paganini was the Jim Morrison of his day. He partied, drove the ladies wild, and was even rumored to have dabbled in the occult. Paganini was a violin virtuoso. He could play three octaves across four strings. Ask your local fiddler; that’s all but impossible. Paganini’s seemingly supernatural talents made him a celebrity, but also inspired…

It’s that age old tale of love and marriage…and money. You’re listening to the Opening Overture of Franz Lehar’s 1910 operetta Der Graf von Luxemburg. We are often our own harshest critics; before it’s debut, Lehar called the piece ‘Sloppy work, completely useless.’ Despite his opinion, the play ran for 299 straight performances in its original run…

Considered one of the most influential saxophonists in history, Lester “Prez” Young succeeded Coleman Hawkins at the height of the swing era. You’re on the Sound Beat He’s backed by his quintet on the piece, as he plays over the standard 12 bar blues. But much like his famous predecessor’s breakthrough recordings, the song lacks a clear lead melody…

Waltzing Matilda is one of Oz’s best loved songs and a common refrain at national sporting events. Peter Dawson is another Aussie favorite; the bass-baritone’s recording career spanned half a century. A Matilda, in this case, is a bag or sack, and to “Waltz Matilda” is to travel the countryside, or the bush, with a bag in tow. The song involves a h…

In the 1920s and 30s, boxing was one of the most popular sports in the country. It and other forms of entertainment provided cheerful moments of respite from the gloom the Depression cast over the nation. In the movies and on radio, the public clamored for heroes like Superman and the Lone Ranger. But in the boxing ring, James Braddock proved himse…

You’re listening to “the Cajun national anthem”, sung and…fiddled…by Harry Choates on a Modern Music 78, and… You’re on the Sound Beat. Choates initially recorded “Jole Blon” (translated as “pretty blonde”) in 1946 for Gold Star records. It served as the B side, but when a Houston-area DJ played it instead of the A side, Basile Waltz, the rendition…

You’re listening to Edward M. Favor who recorded Mary and the Lamb to cylinder in 1892. But…it wasn’t the first recording of the poem…as a matter of fact, Edison himself used the first couplet as the first test recording on his phonograph invention, in 1877. The famous nursery rhyme was published in 1830, written by New Hampshire schoolteacher Sara…

Ledbetter, better known as Leadbelly, was twice convicted: once for trying to kill a man, and once for following through with it. After the first, he wrote a song of appeal to the governor of Texas, Pat Neff. Neff, incidentally, had vowed never to grant a pardon as governor. He did though, in 1925, but he might not have bothered. Less than 5 years …

You’re listening to Big Maceo, a pioneer of Chicago Blues, and you’re on the Sound Beat. Big Maceo, also known as Maceo Merriweather, recorded Worried Life Blues in 1941. It was released by Bluebird Records. He’s accompanied by the legendary Tampa Red on guitar. As is often the case, this traditional song was inspired by an earlier one, Someday Bab…

Two strums…two strums were all it took to make music history. An electric pulse hits the listeners’ ears twice. Let’s hear it again: Few people at the time had heard the sound recorded. The year was 1938, and when trombonist and guitarist Eddie Durham recorded his arrangement of “Moten Swing” with the Kansas City Five, it was one of the first jazz …

Most Atomic-era records seem to achieve, or at least attempt, a bit of humanistic fraternity…a “we’re all in this together” sort-of-vibe. Not so with this decidedly un-P.C. tune. It recounts the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with mention of the “cruel old Japs” and naming the bomb “the answer to our fighting boy’s prayers.” It was one of the e…

Fred Astaire was one of the greatest film stars and dancers of all time, but there was only one partner who really filled his dance card. The 1936 film “Swing Time” featured Ginger Rogers and Astaire. Hardly remarkable in itself, as it was one of their ten films for RCA. This tune though, written by Jerome Kerns and Dorothy Fields, won an Oscar for…

Alright, excuse us for a bit of poetic license. The swimsuit had more to do with atomic bombs than rockets. The Bikini Atoll is a small island chain in the South Pacific. In July of 1946 it served as an atomic test site, and the symbol of a dawning age. The awesome and terrifying display of power had been implanted in the social consciousness…exten…

Buschmann gets credit for inventing the harmonica and, according to some experts, the accordion. (Imagine your neighbor learning the instruments, now imagine them inventing both). The accordion is actually a member of the harmonica family, and is popular with street performers, polka bands, and of course, Weird Al Yankovic. You’re listening to 1915…

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With high energy shows, slightly tawdry lyrics and a style that blended Dixieland, blues and jazz, the Harlem Hamfats were just… born at the wrong time. You’re listening to the ironically named Harlem Hamfats in 1936. First of all, no one in the band was from anywhere even close to New York. And hamfat is a low-cost filler used in cooking recipes…a…

This song is a bridge of sorts between two others. It started with Helen Hume’s Be-Baba-Leba, recorded in 1945. From there, the lyrics changed into the “Hey! Baba-Re-Bop” that you hear…right here: Gene Vincent and his Blue Caps put their twist on the lyrics with “Be-Bop-a-Lula” in 1956. The biggest hit of the three: you guessed it..this one, which …

When British army bandmaster Lieutenant FJ Ricketts was stationed at Fort George in Scotland, he…did as the Scots do, and played a fair amount of golf. The story goes that he came across a certain nicknamed colonel who, rather than yell “Fore” to warn others of his wayward shots, would whistle…a descending minor third. It stuck in Rickett’s mind li…

So impressed was Beethoven that when he composed his Symphony Number 3 in E Flat Major, he dubbed it “Bonaparte”. But as the story goes, he became enraged when Napoleon named himself Emperor of the French. Scratching out the title, he renamed it “Eroica”, Italian for “heroic”. You’re listening to Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchest…

Valentine’s Day is the one day of the year where even the most restrained of suitors demonstrate their affection, wearing their hearts on their sleeves, if you will. Hey, where does that saying come from, I wonder? (Excellent segue.) Some say it comes from medieval Valentine’s Day celebrations. A town’s young and available singles (sorry, maidens a…

Johnny Mercer first made his way to New York with dreams of becoming an actor. But he’d catch on as a singer and songwriter, his first break coming during a “Youth of America” audition. Conductor Paul Whiteman picked Mercer to perform with his Orchestra on NBC radio. Years later, Mercer, Glen Wallichs and Buddy DeSylva started up a little outfit ca…

Arthur Sullivan was one of Britain’s most important composers, one half of a little theatrical team known as Gilbert and Sullivan. But in his own words: “I have composed much music since then, but have never written a second Lost Chord.” Arthur Sullivan composed The Lost Chord in 1877, at the bedside of his dying brother. Sullivan was known for his…

You’re listening to Ralph Young and the Ray Charles Singers with The Legend of Wyatt Earp, a 1955 Decca 78. The mark of authenticity Earp brought to a film set in the 20’s must have been invaluable. Especially to the young actor who befriended him, fetching cups of coffee in exchange for firsthand tales of the West from one of its central figures. …

You’re listening to Johannes Brahms and the Banda de Estado Mayor de Mexico. That’s right, a Hungarian danza by a Mexican banda. You’re on the Sound Beat. Brahms composed 21 danzas, basing them on Hungarian folk themes. Mostly…in fact, he thought this one, number 5, was based on a folk song, but that song turned out it to be an original composition…

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One of the most revered and renowned recordings in music history. You’re listening to Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground by Blind Willie Johnson. Music historians cite the song as a retelling of Christ’s crucifixion. Hard to be completely sure, though, with Johnson’s characteristic humming, and moaning in place of lyrics. There’s a parallel to…

You’re listening to the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University sing Peter on the Sea, from 1927, and you’re on the Sound Beat. Fisk University struggled financially from its very founding just six months after the end of the Civil War. On the verge of closure, the Jubilee Singers began a series of fund-raising tours in 1871. By appearing in many venues…

What kind of music comes mind when you think of college-aged musicians hanging around a coffeehouse? Probably some acoustic folk, maybe some bongo-based “world” music? How about…classical cantatas? You’re on the Sound Beat. That’s Bach you’re listening to, the piece composed when he was the head of the Collegium Musicum of Leipzig, Germany. They we…

Youre listening to Sitting On Top OfThe World, recorded by The Sheiks in 1930. The song graced the Grateful Dead’s eponymously-titled first album, released in 1967. The Dead were sitting on top of the Haight-Ashbury scene at the time, where they established a dedicated following. Their followers would eventually come to be called deadheads, followi…

You’re listening to La Mer, a Columbia 78 from 1948 and you’re on the Sound Beat. A man as prolific as Charles Trenet (850 songs published over a 60 year career) probably doesn’t rest much, even on the train. It was on one such trip that he wrote this song La Mer, in 1943, basing the music on the contemporary hit and piano student standby “Heart an…

You’re listening to Nat Wills with “If a Table at Rector’s Could Talk” from the 1913 Ziegfield Follies. In 1850, there were 19 millionaires in the US. But by the Gay Nineties, there were over 4,000. The champagne flowed and extravagant shows of wealth were par for the course. Charles Rector opened his restaurant in Manhattan in 1899. It became popu…

You’re listening to the Palestrina Choir on a Victor 78 from 1927 And, you’re on the Sound Beat! The choir is singing the Hymn to Apollo, one of the Homeric hymns: a collection of thirty-three anonymous ancient Greek hymns celebrating individual gods. It’s thought to have been written in 522 BC. Apollo is the son of Zeus, God of the Sun and light. …

Mr. Theodore G. Bilbo was a US senator, and not a good one. A member of the Ku Klux Klan, he once proposed a bill that would deport 12 million African-Americans to Liberia… in an effort to save on unemployment costs. He accepted illegal contributions, among them excavation of a lake for… creating…his…own…island? And, just when you think he couldn’t…

Well, unless you’re in an ice cave on Hoth, you probably recognize this one. It’s “The Story of Star Wars” and… You’re on the Sound Beat. Fall in love with a movie nowadays, you can watch it pretty much whenever you want; ask any parent of a Frozen fan. WHEN-EV-ER. But for a rabid Star Wars fan in 1977, your options were limited. You went to the mo…

The iconic pianist and bandleader hopped around the early jazz hotspots…Harlem, Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis. He put together the Count Basie Orchestra in Kansas City and, with the help of radio broadcasts at KC’s Reno Club, they became one of the premier big bands of the era. They recorded “Aint It The Truth”, a Columbia 78, in 1942. While thei…

The song you hear ”Let Me Call You Sweetheart” by Bing Crosby with Georgie Stoll and His Orchestra was recorded in 1934 on the Decca label. You’re on the Sound Beat. “Let Me Call You Sweetheart“ was originally written by Leo Freidman and Beth Slater Whinston in 1910. The song was a big hit for Author Clough in May 1911 and a #1 hit for Henry Burr a…

The opera is based on the play El Trobador, or The Troubador, by Antonio Garcia Gutierrez. Verdi became so engrossed with the character Azucena, that he nearly named his version “La Vendetta”, (The Revenge) and “La Zingara”, The Gypsy. Either would have been suitable; The plot revolves around the gypsy Azucena, and the revenge she seeks for her mot…

Like Slim Gaillard said, “The Atomic Cocktail” is “the drink that you don’t pour”…until Las Vegas bartenders made it one. You see, in 1951, the government announced Nevada would be home to new bombing test sites. There was, understandably, heightened tension in the area…but then, Vegas knows a thing or two about relieving tension. Hotels and bars e…

Sure, marshmallows are great. But it’s a special kind of campfire when someone breaks out the chocolate and graham crackers. Put all three together (carefully) and you get S’mores, that sticky sweet summer treat that’s been burning mouths and fingers since the first quarter of the 20th century. It’s thought that the recipe originated with the Campf…

The U.S. Coast Guard was officially established in 1915, but its roots go back to the late 18th century . In 1790, Congress allowed for the building of 10 cutters, medium-sized ships charged with enforcing tariff laws. It was given the no-frills name The Revenue Cutter Service, and the first cutter, the USRC Massachusetts, hit the water in 1791. Pe…

You’re listening to an Edison Blue Amberol Cylinder from 1914, featuring William Davidson and the words of “Scotland’s favorite son”. And, You’re on the Sound Beat. Robert Burns was also known as “the Ploughman Poet” and, in Scotland, simply, “The Bard”. This song, Afton Water, was based on his poem “Sweet Afton” and set to music by Jonathan E. Spi…

Store owner Morton Savada had a policy of never selling the last copy of a recording, which we collectors can identify with. Morton’s son Eli sai “He was running a business, but he knew he had an important archive here and he had a responsibility to maintain it.” After 30 years in business, and distinguishing itself as a landmark for collectors wor…