A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)

[Wilson Gray]

"Across the alley from the Alamo
"Where (or "When"?) the summer sun decides to settle low
"A fly sings an Indian 'hi-de-ho'
"To the people passing by."

I remember my late stepfather pointing out that dad had joined the
group after the death of one of the brothers. In those days, "the
aptly-named," according to a source that I've now forgotten - Downbeat?
New Yorker? Saturday Review? - Paul Whiteman, "The King of
Jazz?/Swing?" had his own TV show. No wonder that TV was called "a vast
wasteland"!

-Wilson Gray

On Mar 31, 2005, at 10:46 AM, George Thompson wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       George Thompson <george.thompson at NYU.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> At the least the date 1924 is wrong.  Crosby first came to some
> prominence in 1926 as a member of a singing group with the Pual
> Whiteman orchestra.  The eldest (or second eldest) of the Mills
> brothers was born in 1912.  One of the four brothers died young, in the
> mid 30s, and was replaced by their father.  Those of us who remember
> seeing the Mills Brothers on television or wherever are old codgers,
> but anyone who remembers them when they were really the four brothers
> is a danged old codger.
> This information is from the Grove Dictionary of American Music.
>
> GAT
>
> George A. Thompson
> Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
> Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> Date: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 6:23 pm
> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>
>> On Mar 31, 2005, at 7:46 PM, Robert Fitzke wrote:
>>
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>> -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------
>>> --------
>>>
>>> My folks used to have some of Bing's stuff. I don't remember ever
>>> hearing
>>> him do "Shine" but I do have a recollection of a multiple 78
>> disc set
>>> that
>>> was some kind of historical/patriotic thing in which he sings/talks
>>> about
>>> "We are endowed by our Creator wioth certain inalienable rights and
>>> among
>>> these rights ate LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS". I can
>>> still
>>> hear it my head. Also there were references to Chaim (?) Solomon and
>>> other
>>> Revolutionary figures. Stirring stuff to a kid in his single
>> digits. I
>>> used
>>> to think Bing was somewhat square until I heard him do some
>> stuff with
>>> Louis
>>> and then Ella. That changed my views. I also suspect he
>> recognized the
>>> in-your-face lyrics of Shine when he did his version.
>>>
>>> Bob
>>
>> That Der Bingle made a version of "Shine" with the Mills Brothers is
>> just something that I read in a message posted on some Web site in
>> Sweden. (No, I can't read Swedish. Fortunately, Swedes can write in
>> English.) I can't vouch for the accuracy of the claim. It sounds like
>> BS to me. I'm sorry that I didn't make that clear. FWIW, the date of
>> the Crosby/Mills Brothers version was given as 1924.
>>
>> "Where the blue of the night
>>  "Meets the gold of the day,
>>   "Someone waits for me."
>>
>> For some reason, I ain't never dug me no whole lot of Louis Armstrong.
>> However, Ella is another matter. For many years, my favorite Ella song
>> was "Wubba Dolly." This may have been the B side of "A-tiskit
>> A-tasket." I was very young, at the time. I remember for certain that
>> we had both songs, but I can't recall whether they were on different
>> platters or not.
>>
>> I recall learning a prescriptive rule to the effect that "or not" is
>> not to be used in conjunction with "whether," because "or not" is
>> redundantly implied by the use of "whether" or some such
>> justification.Does anyone else recall having to learn such a rule
>> a rule?
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, March 30, 2005 12:36 PM
>>> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Mar 30, 2005, at 9:18 PM, Robert Fitzke wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------
>>>>> --
>>>>> --------
>>>>>
>>>>> The Verse seems to support the notion the author was turning
>> lemons>>> into
>>>>> lemonade. Laine's version changes "Takes trouble...." to
>> "Always take
>>>>> my
>>>>> troubles with a great big smile" then "Just 'cause I'm always
>> handy,>>> Always
>>>>> feelin' fine and dandy, That is...."
>>>>>
>>>>> Did you get anything about the author?
>>>>>
>>>> Damn! I didn't think about that at all. Hm. I'll see what I can
>> find>> out. BTW, if I remember what I read correctly, way, way
>> back when,
>>>> Bing
>>>> Crosby did a version of this in which he was backed up by the Mills
>>>> Brothers. Der Bingle sang the "dirty" version, with the Brothers
>>>> backgrounding him with a cleaned-up version. Weird, even if not
>> true.>> *Really* weird, if true.
>>>>
>>>> -Wilson Gray
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Wilson Gray" <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
>>>>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 7:50 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> 1910 version of "Shine"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> VERSE
>>>>>>> When I was born they christened me plain Samuel Johnson Brown.
>>>>>>> But I hadn't grown so very tall, 'fore some folks in this town
>>>>>>> Had changed it 'round to "Sambo." I was "Rastus" to a few.
>>>>>>> Then "Chocolate Drop" was added by some others that I knew.
>>>>>>> And then, to cap the climax, I was strolling down the line
>>>>>>> When someone shouted, "Fellas, hey! Come on and pipe the shine!"
>>>>>>> But I don't care a bit.
>>>>>>> Here's how I figure it:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> CHORUS
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Well, just because my hair is curly,
>>>>>>> And just because my teeth is pearly,
>>>>>>> Just because I always wears a smile,
>>>>>>> Likes to dress up in the latest style.
>>>>>>> Just because I'm glad I'm livin',
>>>>>>> Takes trouble smilin', never whine.
>>>>>>> Just because my color's shady,
>>>>>>> Slightly different, maybe.
>>>>>>> That is why they call me shine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mar 27, 2005, at 3:14 PM, Robert Fitzke wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>>>>>> -----------------------
>>>>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>>>>> Poster:       Robert Fitzke <fitzke at MICHCOM.NET>
>>>>>>> Subject:      Re: A Diller, A Dollar (1955) (continued)
>>>>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------
>> ------
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> --------
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Dear Mr. Gray:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I'm a 79 year old semi-retired lawyer and long-time ADS
>> lurker. I'm
>>>>>>> also a
>>>>>>> long-time collector of jazz  records (since age 12) with
>> something>>>>> more than
>>>>>>> 1,000 albums. I recently bought a CD of Frankie Laine hits
>> (he was
>>>>>>> big
>>>>>>> in my
>>>>>>> late teens/early twenties) that includes a cut of "Shine". In
>>>>>>> listening to
>>>>>>> it I think I really heard the lyrics for the first time. The
>>>>>>> thought
>>>>>>> ocurred
>>>>>>> that there must be something more behind these lyrics than it
>>>>>>> appears
>>>>>>> from a
>>>>>>> casual listen. Specifically it seems as if the lyricist has
>> taken a
>>>>>>> collection of derogatory racial comments and turned them into
>>>>>>> compliments.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You seem to have an interest in music and a knowledge of these
>>>>>>> matters. Do
>>>>>>> you happen to know anything about the background behind this
>> song>>>>> or
>>>>>>> if my
>>>>>>> impression is on or off target?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Will appreciate your comments.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Bob Fitzke
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>