| HOME |
 |
Part one — which concludes when Frank Sinatra wins the best supporting actor Academy Award for "From Here to Eternity" — presents Sinatra as a surprisingly likable, rather eager, insecure (and skinny) singer from Hoboken, New Jersey, who enjoyed phenomenal success during the 1940s only to crash at the end of the decade. Part two finds Sinatra not so likable. His comeback and new image turned him into the rather arrogant, combative leader of a group of entertainers known as the Rat Pack. Originally adored by young women and disdained by men, Sinatra turned things around and became the cool guy all men envied. BUT THIS is not a review of an 11-year-old film; it's a rebuttal to a theory espoused in this documentary. The theory apparently was offered as an explanation for Sinatra's early 1950s slump that had folks convinced his career was over. The theory held that in the uncertainty that followed World War Two, especially during the Cold War after we learned the Soviet Union had the atomic bomb, Americans were insecure and frightened, and wanted to escape through silly songs instead of the romantic ballads Frank Sinatra preferred to sing. At this point, the documentary presented a brief clip of Patti Page singing How Much is That Doggie in the Window? That, I thought, was a cheap shot. The truth is American taste in popular music didn't change after World War Two, at least, not until 1956 when rock 'n' roll was born. That's a whole other story. Anyway, despite the fame Frank Sinatra enjoyed in the 1940s, he hadn't had many hit records. Big bands dominated the charts and Sinatra's early singing success was with bands led by Harry James and Tommy Dorsey. The usual big band recording featured the band for a minute or so before its vocalists — considered part of the band — began singing. (In 1942, songs by the Glenn Miller Orchestra topped the charts 24 times in 52 weeks.) And Sinatra emerged during World War Two, a period just as frightening as the Cold War. Yet one of America's most popular performers was Spike Jones, who led a band called The City Slickers. They specialized in silly songs, and silly songs kept Americans entertained during the war, as you can see on the lists below. ONE POP MUSIC change that did become noticeable in the 1950s was the decline of big bands, Even then, many of the hits through that decade were instrumentals, but successful singers, both male and female, no longer were on the road with big bands and credits on their records put their names first. (When Sentimental Journey became the big hit of 1945, the most popular version was credited to the Les Brown Orchestra with vocalist Doris Day; soon thereafter Ms. Day was on her own, cranking out hit after hit for Columbia Records.) Sinatra's slump had other causes. For one thing, he suffered a vocal cord hemorrhage in 1950 and for awhile was unable to sing. For another, his fans had primarily been young women. A decade had passed, Sinatra turned 35 in 1950, a new generation of teenagers preferred a younger singer, Eddie Fisher. Finally, Sinatra alienated many fans by leaving his wife, Nancy, and marrying Ava Gardner. While Gardner always claimed she loved Sinatra, she obviously didn't want to remain married to him. During the last half of their six-year marriage she flaunted her relationships with other men and made Sinatra look like a fool. (Fittingly, perhaps, the same thing would happen to Eddie Fisher when he dumped Debbie Reynolds and married Elizabeth Taylor.) Divorce was a much bigger deal to the public than it is now. Ingrid Bergman was one of our most popular movie stars in 1950, but while she was Mrs. Petter Lindström, she had an affair with director Roberto Roseliini, whom she married three months after her divorce. Fans deserted her. To a lesser degree, Sinatra faced the same backlash. NO DOUBT there were many novelty songs on the charts, though not enough to prevent Fisher, Perry Como, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett from having hit records, mostly with songs Sinatra could have recorded. In some cases, he did. He did a version of Nature Boy, a weird song that was a big hit for Cole. Most people were unaware there was a recording with Sinatra's name on it. It certainly didn't help that Sinatra was under contract to Columbia Records where his boss was Mitch Miller, who said this about Sinatra records: "I couldn't give them away." Miller was very much tuned into what the public and promoted songs Sinatra disdained, though the singer did record a few of them. He made a version of Goodnight Irene (with the Mitch Miller Singers), but the public much preferred the record made by The Weavers. More and more Miller turned to a previously unknown singer whose name was changed by Miller from Al Cernik to Guy Mitchell (because Miller had a habit of referring to men as "guys" and his given first name was Mitchell). Guy Mitchell's voice was richer and more boisterous than Sinatra's, and better suited for such songs as My Heart Cries for You, The Roving Kind, Heartaches by the Number and Sparrow in the Treetop, written by Bob Merrill, who had a knack for turning out offbeat tunes that had catchy melodies and memorably amusing lyrics. (His Cleo and Meo begins, "There's Cleo and Meo and a baby crocodile; they live on the Allegheny River, Pittsburgh's 'bout a mile." Merrill also wrote There's a Pawn Shop on the Corner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, recorded by Columbia Records and one of the era's most popular groups, The Four Lads. Ah, yes, The Four Lads. Great harmony, but a name that today seems straight out of a Saturday Night Live skit. They thrived under Mitch Miller. Among their records was one that had perhaps the best title of them all, Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen by the Sea. It's on my list below. Other Four Lads songs included Skokiaan, Standing on the Corner (Watching All the Girls Go By) and Istanbul, Not Constantinople. (For the best version of Istanbul, I suggest the one by They Might Be Giants, which was done many years later.) SO SINATRA wisely left Columbia and signed with Capitol Records where he teamed up with Billy May, then Nelson Riddle, whose musical arrangements changed Sinatra's style and his image. No longer was he a crooner who made women swoon; he became a swinger, a man's man. Meanwhile, Eddie Fisher would give way to Johnny Mathis, though all bets were off in 1956 when Elvis Presley made his first television appearances. With help from Riddle's arrangements, Sinatra's singing developed a certain swagger and bounce it hadn't had before. He became sort of an Elvis for grown-ups. His 1956 album, "Songs for Swinging Lovers," cemented Sinatra's new image. The songs included You Make Me Feel So Young, You're Getting to be Habit With Me, Too Marvelous for Words, Our Love is Here to Stay, I've Got You Under My Skin, and Anything Goes. Most of them were standards that would not wind up in the Top Ten. However, his albums were pure gold. There was a marked difference between the man who sang I Fall in Love Too Easily in 1944 and the one who sang The Lady is a Tramp in 1956 or I Wanna Be Around in 1964. He still recorded romantic ballads — perhaps no singer ever recorded so many songs covering such a wide variety of music — but when I think of him these days, I remember Fly Me to the Moon and I Get a Kick Out of You, as well as his love song to himself (My Way) and the love song to a city (New York, New York). Eventually, Sinatra became an established movie star and Las Vegas superstar. He even became a good actor and proved that winning a best supporting Oscar is not always a jinx. BACK TO weird, unexpected songs (plus songs with unusual titles). What follows is a year-by-year sample from 1939 to 1955. During those years, popular music was for all ages. Teenagers and their parents listened to the same songs. That all changed in 1956, but, as I said earlier, that's a whole other story. Some of the titles below are linked to videos, and some of these songs are instrumentals. I give thanks to Playlist Research for their incredible lists of yearly recordings. Believe it or not, all of the songs listed are real: |
| WARNING: These songs obviously are from another era; several came from Broadway shows and movies or were related to World War Two. Some of the songs may now be politically incorrect and offensive to those who take the time to listen to them. |
I didn't catch Alex Gibney's two-part, 2015 documentary, "Sinatra: All or Nothing at All," until it recently popped up again on HBO. This is the most interesting and informative program I've ever seen about the man who ruled the entertainment industry for many years. In a way, he still does, though he passed away in 1998.
| 1939 |
| Beer Barrel Polka South of the Border (Down Mexico Way) South American Way Three Little Fishies* Jeepers Creepers Little Sir Echo Gotta Get Some Shut-Eye Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead Ta Hu Wa Nu Wa (Hawaiian War Chant) Chew, Chew, Chew (Your Bubble Gum) Shabby Old Cabby I Ups to Her and She Ups to Me |
Sample lyrics: * Down in the meadow in the ittie bitty pool Swam the three little fishies and a mama fishie too "Swim" said the mama fishie, "Swim if you can" And they swam, swam, swam right over the dam |
| 1940 |
| The Woodpecker Song* Beat Me Daddy (Eight to the Bar) April Played the Fiddle Java Jive Five O'Clock Whistle Rhumboogie I Haven't Time to be a Millionaire Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me Tennessee Fish Fry Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)** If I Could Be the Dummy on Your Knee |
Sample lyrics:
|
| 1941 |
| Chattanooga Choo Choo Song of the Volga Boatmen Elmer's Tune Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy The Hut-Sut Song* The Muffin Man Bounce Me, Brother Little Man with a Candy Cigar** Scrub Me Mama, With a Boogie Beat The Booglie Wooglie Piggy I, Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi (I Like You Very Much) |
Sample lyrics: ** Little man with the candy cigar, |
| 1942 |
| I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo Jingle Jangle Jingle* Der Fuehrer's Face Deep in the Heart of Texas Juke Box Saturday Night** Cow Cow Boogie A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Girl) Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition Goodbye Mama (I'm Off to Yokohama) Clink, Clink, Another Drink Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else But Me) |
Some lyrics: ** Moppin' up soda pop rickeys |
| 1943 |
| Pistol Packin' Mama* Paper Doll Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer Mister Five by Five Shoo-Shoo Baby The Fuddy-Duddy Watchmaker The Sheik of Araby I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City Your Socks Don't Match** Why Don't You Do Right? Oh! By Jingo! I Dug a Ditch Murder, He Says |
Some lyrics: ** Your teeth have that pearly white |
| 1944 |
| Swinging on a Star G. I. Jive Besame Mucho Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra (Irish Lullaby) The Trolley Song Dance With a Dolly With a Hole in Her Stocking* One Meatball Mairzy Doats** Babalu His Rocking Horse Ran Away The Patty Cake Man Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet*** It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That) Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me Straighten Up and Fly Right |
Some lyrics ** Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey *** Been jumping on the swing shift all night, |
| 1945 |
| Rum and Coca Cola Caldonia* On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive Chickery Chick** Cocktails for Two Don't Fence Me In Bell Bottom Trousers Stuff Like That There Five Salted Peanuts *** Please No Squeeza Da Banana Who Threw the Whiskey in the Well? Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma Tico, Tico |
Some lyrics: ** Oh, chickery chick chalachala Checkolaromy in a bananaca Polaka walaka can't you see Chickery chick is me *** I put a penny in the slot |
| 1946 |
Get Your Kicks on Route 66 |
Some lyrics: ** Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy *** A puddle o'veet! concrete |
| 1947 |
| Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette Open the Door, Richard Chi-Baba, Chi-Baba (My Bambino Go to Sleep) Too Fat Polka* The Whiffenpoof Song Across the Alley from the Alamo Feudin' and Fightin' Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens A Gal in Calico Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo) ** How Are Things in Glocca Mora? Here Comes Santa Claus Save the Bones for Henry Jones ('Cause Henry Don't Eat Meat) Kokomo, Indiana *** Ragtime Cowboy Joe So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed |
Some lyrics: ** Bongo, bongo, bongo *** Wish I were back again |
| 1948 |
| Nature Boy* I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth Buttons and Bows Woody Woodpecker ** Toolie, Oolie, Doolie Blue Tail Fly Pass That Peace Pipe Caramba! It's the Samba Laroo, Laroo, Lili Bolero Cuanto La Gusta A Tree in the Meadow The Thousand Islands Song You Came a Long Way from St. Louis. |
Some lyrics: ** Ha ha ha ha ha, ha ha ha ha ha |
| Oodles of Boodle and Batches of Scratch would be on the list except I never heard it on the radio. It was a 1948 hipster's lament over how being rich messed up his love life. Years later — can't remember exactly when — my mother, who obviously thought little of my taste in music — decided to help me build my record collection by taking advantage of a deal — six records for 99 cents. I do not recall five of those records, but the sixth was Oodles of Boodle by the Ernie Felice Quartet. Lyrics sample: "I'm a millionaire says the latest dispatch, but you think I'm ready for the squirrel hatch, 'cause life isn't always a strawberry patch when you've got oodles of boodle and batches of scratch." |
| 1949 |
Ghost Riders in the Sky* |
Some lyrics: ** You don't have to pay the usual admission If you're a cook, or a waiter, or a good musician So if you happen to be just passin' by Stop in at the Saturday Night Fish Fry |
| 1950 |
| Goodnight, Irene Mona Lisa Third Man Them Music, Music, Music Rag Mop The Cry of the Wild Goose* The Thing** Chattanoogie Shoe-Shine Boy I Said My Pajamas (and Put on my Prayers) Tzena, Tzena, Tzena Hoop-Dee-Doo A Bushel and a Peck Bonaparte's Retreat Cincinnati Dancing Pig Frosty the Snowman Peter Cottontail |
Some lyrics: ** While I was walking down the beach one bright and sunny day |
| 1951 |
| How High the Moon Come On-a My House Cry On Top of Old Smoky Aba Dabba Honeymoon The Little White Cloud That Cried* Shrimp Boats** Mockin' Bird Hill Old Soldiers Never Die Mister and Mississippi Sparrow in the Treetop I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat Hey Good Lookin' Down Yonder |
Some lyrics: ** Shrimp boats is a-comin' |
| 1952 |
| The Glow Worm Wheel of Fortune Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart Jambalaya* The Monkey Song There's Pawn Show on the Corner in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus High Noon Sugar Bush Botch-a-Me** The Blacksmith Blues Takes Two to Tango |
Some lyrics: ** Bee-oo, bye-oh, bee-oo, boo
Won't you botch-a-, botch-a-me
Bee-oo, bye-oh, bee-oo, boo
When you botch-a-me
I a-botcha you and ev'rything goes crazy |
| 1953 |
| Vaya Con Dios That's Amore* The Doggie in the Window Crazy Man, Crazy Dragnet Oh! My Papa Cleo and Meo She Wears Red Feathers The Typewriter Ricochet Romance** Eh, Cumpari Istanbul, Not Constantinople Santa Baby 40 Cups of Coffee Chicka Boom*** |
Some lyrics: ** I don't want a ricochet romance *** Chicka-boom, chicka-rack |
| 1954 |
| Sh-Boom* Shake, Rattle and Roll Mambo Italiano Papa Loves Mambo They Were Doin' the Mambo The Kid's Last Fight** The Little Shoemaker Hernando's Hideaway Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen by the Sea Mr. Sandman Skokiaan The High and the Mighty Steam Heat |
Some lyrics: ** Come on, Kid, come on, Kid
Let's hit 'em with a left and a right
Go on, Kid, go on, Kid
But how were they to know |
| 1955 |
| Earth Angel Ain't That a Shame Sixteen Tons* Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White Maybelline Dance With Me, Henry The Yellow Rose of Texas, The Ballad of Davy Crockett The Shifting Whispering Sands** Tweedle Dee Ko Ko Mo (I Love You So) The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane, Whatever Lola Wants The Crazy Otto Daddy-O Chee Chee-oo Chee (Sang the Little Bird) Mambo Rock |
Some lyrics: ** Where was everyone |
| Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellenbogen by the Sea |
| HOME • CONTACT |