Back to the Future

As we press on from WWII on into the 1950s music not only develops into a new style called Rock ‘n’ Roll but earlier genres continue to maintain popularity. In this mix of songs we have swing, crooning, blues and rock. Thus the 1940s and 1950s truly take us back to the future.

Nancy (with the Laughing Face),
music & lyrics by Jimmy Van Heusen and Phil Silvers;
performed by Frank Sinatra with the Alel Stordahl Orchestra (1945)

Frank Sinatra performs this piece with vocal agility that fits the lush orchestral arrangement to a tee. The laid back feel allows Sinatra to stretch out phrases for maximum effect. True to form, we hear long vocal phrases which add to the intimate nature and fluidity of the song. This Tin Pan Alley 32 bar AABA form was written for the birth of Sinatra’s daughter, Nancy. No doubt both the implied romantic feeling along with the reason for conception only adds to the popularity and charm of the song.

Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie
music and lyrics by Milt Gabler, Denver Darling, and Vaughan Horton;
performed by Louis Jordan’s Tympany Five (1946)

Combinding the verse/refrain Tin Pan Alley form, a 12 bar blues verse, and an upbeat swing boogie-woogie and you get a tremendous upbeat song. The predictability of the song along with the masterful arrangement by Louis Jordan brings delight to this song. We hear the train coming into the station in the introduction and the lyrics remind us of those who had to hop the train in search of work during the great depression. What could be a setting for a depressing ballad instead gives us hope for a bright ending. Choo Choo Ch’ Boogie topped the charts for eighteen weeks and reached number seven on Billboards pop hit list.

Maybellene
music & lyrics by Chuck Berry;
performed by Chuck Berry and His Combo (1945)

With this performance we can clearly hear the dawning of a new era in music history. This is partly due to the use of the electric guitar with distortion and partly due to the simple instrumentation of the group; drums, guitar, bass, piano & percussion. The form is the typical verse/refrain form, each part being 12 bar blues poetic phrasing with the chord changes overlooked at the verses. The story that Berry tells reminds us of the British ballad tradition. Barry becomes the bandleader, lead guitarist and head vocalist all in one rock icon.

Long Tall Sally
music & Lyrics by Entros Johnson, Richard Penniman and Robert Blackwell;
performed by Little Richard and unidentified band (1956)

Little Richard posses much of the ebullient personality that Louis Armstrong presented years earlier and it comes through in the extra exclamations and vocalizations. This song is a twelve bar blues progression with the last four bars becoming the repeated chorus. This form becomes a standard for the pop music of the time as we will see in the next two songs. The stop time feel in the beginning of each verse allows for clarity in the vocal line so that the listener can hear the story easily while still maintaining a sense of forward motion.

Don’t Be Cruel,
music & Lyrics by Otis Blackwell and Elvis Presley;
performed by Elvis Presley with the Jordanaires (1956)

Toping the charts for 11 weeks late in the summer of 1956, Don’t Be Cruel maintains the blues form like Long Tail Salley with the last 4 bars become the repeated chorus. The use of the Jordanaires provides a sweetening of the sound as they provide both rhythmic support and harmonic depth to the simple instrumentation. Elvis’ style is evident early with the “hiccupping” effect that identifies the singer to the listner. In this recording we also begin to hear electronic effects, reverb, being applied to mimic natural auditory phenomena. Presley breaks the strophic form after the first chorus by adding the extension to the blues phrasing.

Charlie Brown,
music & Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stroller;
performed by the Coasters with King Curtis, sax (1958)

Our last song reminds us that by this point music was being targeted to teens and young adults as they purchased more than a third of the recordings. With the cartoon reference and the “yackety sax” it is little wonder why this song was so popular. The song is high energy, with spoken cat calls and the repeated iconic phrase, “why is everybody always pickin’ on me?” For being a 12 bar blues form it is noticeably lacking in blue notes—save the saxophone. The use of stop time in the verses again leaves us to hear the words of the verses clearly. The Coasters add a B section to add contrast and dynamic tension to the song.

With the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll behind us we press on and see how the form solidifies during a time of exploration and political tension during the 1960s. American Pop, the British Invasion, Urban folk and Rock take center stage as the music industry diversifies and multiplies.