NRR Project: Leon Metcalf Collection of recordings of the First People of Western Washington State
Recorded 1950-1954
Well, here’s one I have no idea about. Fortunately, Jay Miller has written all about it; you can find his excellent notes on this selection here.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Dust My Broom.
NRR Project: “Tennessee Waltz”
Music by Pee Wee King; lyrics by Redd Stewart
Performed by Patti Page
Recorded November, 1950
3:01
This song has an interesting history.
First, read Ryan Dooley’s excellent essay on this piece at the National Recording Registry.
It was conceived by two country-music practitioners, Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart. On tour with their Golden West Cowboys in 1946, they heard Bill Monroe’s classic, the “Kentucky Waltz,” over the radio. King had written a waltz with no name; King and Stewart scratched out the lyrics that Monroe’s song inspired in the truck they were driving.
The Golden West Cowboys version sold well, and was covered shortly afterwards by Cowboy Copas. In 1950 Erskine Hawkins produced an R & B- flavored rendition. It was this iteration of the tune that caught the attention of reviewer Jerry Wexler, who brought it to manager Jack Rael. Rael, who was developing the career of singer Patti Page, though it would be an excellent idea to set the tune in a lush orchestral arrangement.
And, for the first time ever, a singer was overdubbed. Page had an excellent idea for a harmony vocal, but the money for a backup singer was not forthcoming. So, Page herself recorded both tracks – recording directly onto the acetate recording surface (multiple-track recorders not being utilized yet). The result is a haunting, wistful song that laments the loss of a lover while dancing with the singer’s friend during the song of the title.
The song was wildly popular and spurred a multitude of covers. Page’s career was made, and this became her signature song.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Leon Metcalf Collection of recordings of the First People of Western Washington State.
NRR Project: “Teardrops from My Eyes”
Written by Rudy Toombs
Performed by Ruth Brown
Recorded 1950
2:55
Everything you need to know about this cut is present in Steve Bergsman’s excellent essay on the piece at the National Recording Registry.
It’s interesting that this song should be considered a precursor to rock ‘n’ roll. This song, if sung slowly and with expressiveness, plays out like any ballad; the difference here is that Ruth Brown, the “Queen of R & B,” takes the song at a jaunty, blistering pace, making it a song you can move to, that lifts you up out a state of neutrality. If that’s one definition of rock, so be it.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Patti Page sings Tennessee Waltz.
NRR Project: “Mambo No. 5”
Written by Perez Prado
Performed by Perez Prado and His Orchestra
Recorded 1949; released 1950
2:10
First, read Gustavo Perez Firmat’s expert essay on this selection at the National Recording Registry.
Few can understand the enormity of the mambo craze. EVERYBODY made a mambo recording. If you have ever gone through your great-grandparents’ LP collection, the odds are good that you will find some old mambo albums there. This dance for two is relatively simple, and it swept the country like proverbial wildfire. It was exuberant, flashy. It matched the mood of the times, when America ruled the free world and nightclubs proliferated across the landscape.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Teardrops from My Eyes.
NRR Project: “Jesus Gave Me Water”
Written by Lucie E. Campbell
Performed by the Soul Stirrers
Recorded 1950
2:50
The Soul Stirrers were a venerable gospel quintet, but what really set them on fire was the contribution of the 19-year-old Sam Cooke.
The group was founded in 1926 in Texas. Soon member R.H. Harris took over the leadership of the group, and it prospered over the ensuing decades. Harris quit the group in 1950, citing bad business practices and immoral behavior. To replace him, the group first hired Paul Foster, and then youngster Sam Cooke.
Cooke had been singing gospel music from the age of 6. He joined the Highway Q.C.’s when he was 14. In 1950, he was hired on with the Soul Stirrers. The success of “Jesus Gave Me Water” made the group superstars in the gospel genre. Cooke’s rich tenor voice and dynamic phrasing energized the material, making it irresistible. Cooke sang with the group until 1956, when he embarked on a meteoric solo career that ended with his premature death in 1964.
Cooke’s elaborate vocalizations, grasp of dramatic delivery, and sheer charisma resulted in him being considered the “Father of Soul.”
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Mambo No. 5.
NRR Project: “How I Got Over”
Written by W. Herbert Brewster
Performed by Clara Ward and the Ward Singers
Recorded 1950
2:55
To get the full skinny on this gospel hit, read Don Cusic’s excellent essay at the National Recording Registry.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: Jesus Gave Me Water.
NRR Project: “Guys and Dolls”
Original Broadway cast recording
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows; music and lyrics by
Frank Loesser
Recorded 1950
41 min.
It’s one of the greatest musicals in history, endlessly catchy in the song department. You should read Laurence Maslon’s excellent explanatory essay on it at the National Recording Registry.
To it I can only add that it’s a great show. It’s based on the short stories of journalist/writer Damon Runyon’s concerning tough Manhattan types, sentimental gangsters and easily shocked floozies, all gifted with a twisted English that’s a combination of street slang and a highfalutin’ sensibility of Baroque proportions. Their wordy adventures skirting the law are inherently funny, and the script largely due to comedy writer Abe Burrows cooks along. Frank Loesser’s lyrics and music are snappy and evocative.
Surprisingly, and unusually, the songs for the show were written first, and the play cohered around them, making for a strong and classic approach to crafting a long-lasting, award-winning creation such as this. Featuring Robert Aalda (Alan’s father), Stubby Kaye, Sam Levene, and Vivian Blaine. The score is still infectious. Give it a listen.
The National Recording Registry Project tracks one writer’s expedition through all the recordings in the National Recording Registry in chronological order. Next time: How I Got Over.
