Songs Flashcards
St. Louis Blues
Artist: Bessie Smith (& Louis Armstrong) Decade: 1920s Genre: Classic Blues Form: Twelve-bar blues Significance: Early racial crossover hit, one of the first hit blues songs. Race record.
Black Snake Moan
Artist: Blind Lemon Jefferson Decade: 1920s Genre: Country Blues Form: Significance: Jefferson as the first country blues star, sexual imagery in the text. Race record.
Blue Yodel No. 2
Artist: Jimmie Rodgers Decade: 1920s Genre: Hillbilly record Form: Twelve-bar blues? Significance: Artist's image as footloose wanderer, and most influential early country artist. Adapted blues styles for crossover success.
Taking A Chance on Love
Artist: Benny Goodman and His Orchestra Decade: 1940s, Swing era Genre: Swing Form: AABA in vocal section Significance: Benny Goodman's (The King of Swing) career was boosted by promoter John Hammond. The song is an orchestrated Tin Pan Alley song.
Caravan
Artist: Duke Ellington
Decade: 1930s, Swing era
Genre: Swing
Form: 32-bar AABA form (begins with drum section)
Significance: Features Spanish-tinged rhythm and other inspiration from Jazz era. Example of African-American influence in swing.
Brazil
Artist: Xavier Cugat
Decade: 1940s, Swing era
Genre: Swing
Form: Syncopated, ABCD form. Opens with freeform Portugese lyrics.
Significance: Cugat (the Rhumba King) played ballroom dances with Latin rhythms & lyrics. Example of Latin influence in swing era.
Nancy (with The Laughing Face)
Artist: Frank Sinatra Decade: 1940s, postwar era Genre: Form: 32-bar AABA Significance: Features string instrument-dominated accompaniment, a change from his Swing era recordings
Mambo No. 5
Artist: Damaso Perez Prado
Decade: 1950s
Genre: Mambo (Latin dance music)
Form: Modular, constructed of rhythmic building blocks
Significance: An example of the short-lived Mambo craze, up-tempo polyrhythmic band music. This recording abolishes the two-part montuno form.
Choo Choo Ch’Boogie
Artist: Louis Jordan (and Tympany Five) Decade: 1940s Genre: Jump Blues Form: Verse-chorus Significance: An example of jump blues, a small combo playing hard-swinging boogie-woogie party music. Louis Jordan later worked with record producer Milt Gabler and recorded numerous crossover hits.
(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man
Artist: Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield)
Decade: 1950s
Genre: Chicago electric blues
Form: 16-bar blues
Significance: Composed by Willie Dixon, Chess Records’ songwriter. Song features use of distorted electric guitar, extending the Delta Blues tradition.
Hound Dog
Artist: Big Mama Thornton Decade: 1950s Genre: R&B Form: 12-bar blues Significance: One of the most influential female R&B singers. Lyrics project image of female power.
It’s Mighty Dark To Travel
Artist: Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys Decade: 1940s Genre: Bluegrass Form: Verse-Chorus? Significance: Bill Monroe is the pioneer of bluegrass. Features "high lonesome" sound like the Carter Family.
Mystery Train (Little Junior)
Artist: Little Junior's Blue Flames Decade: 1950s Genre: Rock n roll (R&B) Form: Twelve bar blues Significance: Features Herman "Little Junior" Parker and his Blue Flames, performing in the country blues tradition. They originally recorded this song (before Elvis covered it) and received little attention.
Mystery Train (Elvis)
Artist: Elvis Presley Decade: 1950s Genre: Rock n roll Form: Irregular Significance: Covered original R&B song, changing the lyrical intent, tempo, and instrumentation.
Maybellene
Artist: Chuck Berry Decade: 1950s Genre: Rock n roll (vocal-based R&B) Form: Verse-Chorus Significance: Chuck Berry's first pop music hit. Novel synthesis of explosive tempo, electric guitar, and humorous lyrics.
