Can we talk about WWII era music?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SITKOL'76, Apr 27, 2017.

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  1. raveoned

    raveoned Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ambler, PA
    There is a great one from RCA called The Only Big Band CD You'll Ever Need, which is really full of great songs (and all on one CD!)

    Also, Reader's Digest has done some 3-CD sets which have a lot of Big Band songs on them and don't cost a lot of money (plus can be found pretty easily!)
     
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  2. vivatones

    vivatones Forum Resident

    Songs like this were very popular -- the men were overseas, the women back in the States. Also, "I'll Be Seeing You," and "You'll Never Know (How Much I Miss You)"
     
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  3. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    No, we can't!


    Just kidding - I needed an excuse to have this thread show up in my feed as updated because I'd like to immerse myself in this era as well.

    Honestly, the only reference I've seen to music GIs would have been listening to in WWII is the mention of Django Reinhardt in "From Here to Eternity" (the book, I've never seen the movie).
     
  4. Trashman

    Trashman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    For Big Band, the essentials are:

    Artie Shaw
    Duke Ellington
    Benny Goodman
    Glenn Miller
    Count Basie

    For me, no other recorded screams out the sound of World War II than this track from Glenn Miller:


    His recording of "In The Mood" is also hugely popular, but I tend to like "American Patrol" just a bit more.
     
    greelywinger likes this.
  5. beccabear67

    beccabear67 Musical omnivore.

    Location:
    Victoria, Canada
    Individual songs that epitomize the WWII era for me are Straighten Up And Fly Right by Nat Cole and It's Been A Long Long Time by Bing Crosby with Les Paul on guitar.
     
  6. wildroot indigo

    wildroot indigo Forum Resident

    A huge event during that time was the American Federation of Musicians strike of 1942-1944, due to royalty disputes... In general, for all of 1943, no union musician could make a record for a major label:

    1942–44 musicians' strike - Wikipedia

    After the strike ends in 1944, jazz records become far more "modern." My favorite artist from the era is probably Ellington, and the changes his music from 1939-1945 are astounding. In the full recording-ban year of 1943, he premiered the ambitious "Black, Brown and Beige" suite live, really a dividing line between his early and late career.

    Other favorites:

    Louis Armstrong
    Big Sid Catlett
    The King Cole Trio
    Tiny Grimes
    Lionel Hampton
    Coleman Hawkins
    Billie Holiday
    Jelly Roll Morton (died in 1941, his 1939 solo piano sides are essential, issued in the 1940 album "New Orleans Memories")
    Fats Waller (died in 1943, his session for V-Disc that year was one of his best)
    Teddy Wilson
    Lester Young
     
  7. gd0

    gd0 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies

    Location:
    Golden Gate
    21st century hipsters take note...

     
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  8. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    Don't forget the last music star alive from that era, Dame Vera Lynn. She turned 100 last month.

     
    LarsO, royzak2000, JoeD and 7 others like this.
  9. tim_neely

    tim_neely Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Central VA
    This, combined with the war, helped bring the Swing Era to an end.

    The major labels stockpiled new recordings in the weeks leading up to the strike deadline (August 1, 1942) and then released them in dribs and drabs as long as they could. Capitol and Decca were the first to settle with the Musician's Union, in late 1943, because they didn't have the depth of back catalog that Victor and Columbia did. Then, when the two newer labels dominated sales in 1944, the older ones finally acquiesced to most of the union's demands.

    However, singers who didn't play instruments were not covered by the union. Some of them (e.g., Frank Sinatra, Perry Como) recorded during the ban, but with vocal groups backing them up.

    The big exception were for recordings made for the troops, which the union allowed during the ban. These were called V-Discs, and once the war was over, all of them were supposed to be destroyed. Fortunately, most, if not all, survived in some form.
     
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  10. Egg Crisis

    Egg Crisis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, England
    A little over a year before WWII, but of that era. A letter sent to a magazine. It just shows that decades pass by but nothing changes.

    STOP MURDERING CLASSICS

    One of the greatest crimes in broadcasting to-day is the way the lovely old melodies are murdered by the majority of dance-bands and orchestras. Surely the younger generation and those who prefer that type of music are already well catered for, without taking away something precious from those who appreciate the beautiful melodies that were written by the great masters and which will never die.

    From: Mrs Sheppard, Bromley, Kent

    Radio Pictorial, 26th Aug 1938
     
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  11. seed_drill

    seed_drill Senior Member

    Location:
    Tryon, NC, USA
    Several years ago we played a memorial show of WWII era material to commemorate those who'd gone through Camp Croft (an Army basic training facility) here in Spartanburg. They even brought in a professional crooner.
     
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  12. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Jason W likes this.
  13. strummer101

    strummer101 The insane on occasion aren't without their charms

    Location:
    Lakewood OH
    Essential.

    Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman (1941-1947, mostly from 41-42).
    [​IMG]

    This one features a jazz quintet (1946-1949). 2 guitars, piano, bass and drums.
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Mal likes this.
  15. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    Same pic as the Mosaic box and seems to be the same music as the Mosaic.

    [​IMG]

    This would be considered gray area, but I flipped one on Amazon with no buyer complaints, probably a copy of the Mosaic box.


    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2017
    melstapler likes this.
  16. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
  17. PsychGuy

    PsychGuy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Albuquerque
    I think the big-band/'40s station on satellite radio does a great job. Best thing on there. My (twentysomething) son and I listen to it far more than the by-the-numbers rock stations on there.
     
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  18. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
  19. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    Perry Como's 'Til The End Of Time' has kind of been slaying me this past week.




    It was the #1 song in America when the Soldiers were returning and war was over.
     
  20. SITKOL'76

    SITKOL'76 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Colombia, SC
    Also this songs is really good even though the lead singer voice and it's subject matter kind of scare me.

     
  21. strummer101

    strummer101 The insane on occasion aren't without their charms

    Location:
    Lakewood OH
    Yeah, nice box set!
    Unfortunately, 5-disc limited edition packages are never in my budget.
     
  22. mrgroove01

    mrgroove01 Still looking through bent-backed tulips

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    100! Amazing. :goodie:
     
  23. Malina

    Malina Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC
    I got the cd's still sealed without box and booklet on Ebay for 35 bucks and here is a complete set that looks like it sold for about 40. Save a search on Ebay and be patient, a cheap one will slip through. You can also flip the June Christy if you don't want them.

    Peggy Lee Mosaic | eBay
     
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  24. mrgroove01

    mrgroove01 Still looking through bent-backed tulips

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    How about some Cow Cow Boogie from Ella Mae Morse.

     
  25. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist


    Doris Day is still with us:

     
    Tord likes this.
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