Patriotic kitsch? Of the musical kind? Here? At this place?
Rudy says, "Ah-yup." Well, I'm not sure it all falls into the kitsch category. Most of it, yes. But all of it?
I mean, for instance, there's.... There's.... Um....
Yeah.
On to the music.
We begin with George Schweinfest on the piccolo, 1901-style--this one sure took some EQ'ing. And some click splicing. Sonic surgery of the roughest sort. But I guess the miracle is that a 106-year-old disc would even play in the first place:
Medley of American National Airs--George Schweinfest, 1901. From Columbia 78.
This swinging version of Jimmie Driftwood's Battle of New Orleans (the big hit for Johnny Horton) is Countrypolitan-smooth. I've always wanted to type "Countrypolitan-smooth":
Battle of New Orleans (Jimmie Driftwood)--Floyd Cramer.
This next one was produced by Charles (The Thing; Never Been Kissed) Grean. I wonder how many takes this took? ("Takes this took"?) The words are a mouthful:
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (Bob Davie)--Buddy McCoy, 1959.
If I knew Sousa like I should know Sousa, I'd be able to I.D. this march right away. Alas....
Assuming it is Sousa:
American Eagle Polka--The Polkateers.
A cute number for kids:
The Spirit of '76 (White)--Marni Nixon.
Now for a toe-tappin', flag-rippling, Heritage-honoring ditty by George (I Ran All the Way Home) Weiss and Jule (People; It's Magic) Styne:
Johnny Freedom (G. Weiss-J. Styne)--Johnny Horton, 1960.
Next, Tennesse Ernie Ford's bitter version of Woody Guthrie's joyous statement abou.... Er, maybe I got that backwards. Great rendition, anyway:
This Land Is Your Land (Guthrie)--Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Elevator Americana from the 101 Strings, though I could swear I hear 104 on the first track:
John Henry--101 Strings.
Cornbelt Symphony--Same guy.
More patriotic pulse-pounders, including Ferde Grofe's Desert Water Hole movement (from Death Valley Suite), featuring a wonderful Stephen Foster medley. Henry Van Dyke's 1909 poem, America for Me, appears all over the 'Net, though the credit doesn't always go to Henry. Amazing, how some public-domain works end up being rewritten, word for word, by other people decades after the fact. For a good laugh, do a Google look and find the poem's "other" authors.
"A Google look"? Did I coin a new phrase? (Hm. Only five matches for "A Google look" on Google):
America--Our Heritage (Helen Steele)--Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians; arranged by Hawley Ades, 1954.
You're a Grand Old Flag (Cohan)--George M. Cohan, Jr., 1948.
Semper Fidelis (Sousa)--Ferrante and Teicher, 1952.
Desert Water Hole (Ferde Grofe, from Death Valley Suite)--National Symphony Orch., cond. by Howard Mitchell, circa 1962.
America for Me (Henry Van Dyke)--Vincent Price.
More "Let Freedom Ding" to come! (That sounded strange....)
Lee and Rudy, your hosts
5 comments:
Lee,
Thanks for these. I really enjoy the patriotic music that you post.
Glad you like. More to come, once Rudy gets it ready.
Rudy feels I'm working him like a cat. I said, "You mean, like a dog." "Whatever," he replied.
Lee
Hi, Than you very much, newly.
Health and long life Lee
Esteban
I don't know whether this is the right spot to adress you, Mr. Hartfeld, because what I have is a question. Do you know where I could go to obtain a copy of "Musical Americana", a four 78 rpm set issued by RCA around the early 40s? I did manage to get one, but the idiots of the store who sent it through eBay wrapped the album in brown paper (brilliant), and the 78s arrived broken.
Thanks.
E.Renard
Enrique,
I'm afraid I don't have that one (used to, if it's the one I'm thinking of--Paul Robeson and Nat Shilkret?).
All I can suggest is waiting for another eBay appearance, or checking GEMM's website.
There might even be a CD reissue out there. Robeson is pretty popular right now....
Lee
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