SHOCKING
TRUE CONFESSION!
I was raised on a steady diet of
"white bread."
(Music that is.) With the exception of a few 45s
by Nat King Cole, my parents' record collection
consisted entirely of white artists singing
"moon...spoon...June" pop, jazz standards,
by Nat King Cole, my parents' record collection
consisted entirely of white artists singing
"moon...spoon...June" pop, jazz standards,
show tunes and country & western songs.
JIM "GREEN DOOR" LOWE DIED DEC. 12, 2016
As a child I spent countless hours down in
the basement game room sifting through
stacks of 45s, playing them and deciding
which ones were hot and which were not.
Among my early favorites were records
by The Fontane Sisters, a trio of singing
siblings from New Jersey that earned
the nickname "The Queens of Cover."
the basement game room sifting through
stacks of 45s, playing them and deciding
which ones were hot and which were not.
Among my early favorites were records
by The Fontane Sisters, a trio of singing
siblings from New Jersey that earned
the nickname "The Queens of Cover."
At that age I didn't know about covers or
their implications. I didn't realize that the
Fontane Sisters and other white artists
made a career out of interpreting for
middle class white audiences songs
their implications. I didn't realize that the
Fontane Sisters and other white artists
made a career out of interpreting for
middle class white audiences songs
that were originally recorded
by black artists.
by black artists.
Good music is good music, and I must
admit that the Fontanes had a terrific
girl group sound reminiscent of the
admit that the Fontanes had a terrific
girl group sound reminiscent of the
World War II years. The sisters did a
nice job covering "Hearts of Stone,"
waxed originally by an R&B group
called the Jewels, and covering
nice job covering "Hearts of Stone,"
waxed originally by an R&B group
called the Jewels, and covering
The Fontane Sisters also sang a dreamy rendition
of "Adorable," originally released by an R&B group called the Colts, a song covered with greater success by a much more popular black group, the Drifters.
"Adorable" was released on a Fontane Sisters single as the B side of their up tempo jitterbug number "Daddy-O."
"Daddy-O" - The Fontane Sisters
(Dec. 1955 to Jan. 1956,
highest chart pos. #11)
Now I'd like you to hear that exquisite
B ballad, "Adorable." To enhance your
listening experience I posted vintage
comic and romance magazine cover art.
Yessum, it's another "poor man's music
video," the kind that requires you to
scroll down the page as the song plays.
B ballad, "Adorable." To enhance your
listening experience I posted vintage
comic and romance magazine cover art.
Yessum, it's another "poor man's music
video," the kind that requires you to
scroll down the page as the song plays.
Just click below to start the "Adorable" song,
then scroll down, follow along with the lyrics
and feast your eyes on images that remind us
of the way we were back in the Fab Fifties.
then scroll down, follow along with the lyrics
and feast your eyes on images that remind us
of the way we were back in the Fab Fifties.
"Adorable" - The Fontane Sisters
(Dec. 1955, highest chart pos. #71,
B side of "Daddy-O")
You're adorable, sweet as can be
You're adorable, a dream boy to me
You're all that I hope my love would ever be
You're so lovable, here in my arms
You're so kissable, when I hold your charms
You're mine, you are so divine
My adorable one
You must have come from heaven
Because you thrill me so
Heaven starts at seven sharp
You start my heart to glow, glow, glow
You're so lovable, so warm, so nice
You're excitable, when kissed once or twice
And soon you'll be mine alone
You adorable one
You're so lovable, so warm, so nice
You're excitable, when kissed once or twice
And soon you'll be mine alone
You adorable one
Now, here's another Fontanes song for you
along with another "video." At the end of
this intro please click, scroll, follow the
lyrics and enjoy a few more of those
nostalgic pulp romance cover art pics.
along with another "video." At the end of
this intro please click, scroll, follow the
lyrics and enjoy a few more of those
nostalgic pulp romance cover art pics.
As a boy I never had an opportunity to hear
the original version of "Seventeen," written
and performed by Rockabilly Hall of Famer
Boyd Bennett. The version of "Seventeen"
that I remember from childhood, the one
my folks brought into the house on a 45,
the one I played over and over again on
my tiny tinny turntable, was the version
the original version of "Seventeen," written
and performed by Rockabilly Hall of Famer
Boyd Bennett. The version of "Seventeen"
that I remember from childhood, the one
my folks brought into the house on a 45,
the one I played over and over again on
my tiny tinny turntable, was the version
by the Fontane Sisters. I say if you're
gonna do a cover, then do it right,
and the fabulous Fontane Sisters
rock around the clock... making
"Seventeen" my Fontanes fave!
gonna do a cover, then do it right,
and the fabulous Fontane Sisters
rock around the clock... making
"Seventeen" my Fontanes fave!
Click and scroll!
"Seventeen" - The Fontane Sisters
(Aug. 1955, highest chart pos. #3)
Seventeen, seventeen, she's a solid seventeen
Young enough to dance and sing
Old enough to get that swing
Past sixteen just been kissed
Graduated and got that twist
Kind of love you can't resist
At seventeen
Now sloppy shirt, old blue jeans
Dirty shoes by all means
Patch of blonde, peroxide hair
Jukebox baby ain't no square
Seventeen, she's the queen
Cutest gal you've ever seen
All the boys are really keen
On the hep cat doll of seventeen
(23 second instrumental bridge)
Seventeen, seventeen, she's a solid seventeen
Young enough to dance and sing
Old enough to get that swing
Past sixteen just been kissed
Graduated and got that twist
Kind of love you can't resist
At seventeen
Now sloppy shirt, old blue jeans
Dirty shoes by all means
Patch of blonde, peroxide hair
Jukebox baby ain't no square
Seventeen, she's the queen
Cutest gal you've ever seen
All the boys are really keen
On the hep cat doll of seventeen
The Fifties...a nice place to visit
and, the more I think about it,
I really would want to live there.
Have a Shady day!
Hi, Shady,
ReplyDeleteMy dad was born in 1955 and after looking at pictures, I think I would like the 50s too. When Nan used to talk about the decade, everything seemed much simpler. I would go for a simple life now.
I've heard of the Fontaine Sisters. I can't say Nan owned any records, but I probably saw them on TV. They're pretty good for cover artists, though I still prefer the original. :)
Have a great Wednesday, dear friend!
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for being the early bird on this emotional day in your life. I appreciate it, dear friend!
It is interesting that your father was born in 1955 when The Fontane Sisters were at their peak. He's not much younger than Shady!
Life in the 50s was a lot simpler, but we need to remember that discrimination against women and minorities was institutional. Movies and television shows were dominated by white people with blacks relegated to small roles as maids, porters and drivers.
As cover artists the Fontane Sisters did a fine job of taking black R&B songs and turning them into highly listenable, danceworthy records in their own right.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Jessica Marie!
Hi, Shady!
DeleteThat's true. I remember Nan always talking about the discrimination at the time - Nan was always liberal and I think she was ahead of her time period.
I might have to as dad if he ever listened to the Fontaine Sisters! My dad is more into the Nelson's, doo woo, and some motown.
Have a great weekend, dear friend!
Hi again, Jessica Marie!
DeleteI have found that only a few years difference in age can make a big difference in the music, movies and TV series people remember from childhood. Your dad is 5 years younger than Shady and it makes sense that he was exposed to late 50s/early 60s doo-wop and 60s Motown. The Fontane Sisters were throwbacks to the WWII era and were of greater interest to people my parents' age, but I couldn't help liking their sound, too.
Thanks again for the visit, JM, and have a wonderful weekend!
I love your poor man’s music videos—lol!
ReplyDeleteI am too young to remember these songs by the Fontane Sisters-- but I really like them. It is a refreshing change to go way back to the mid 50’s. These girl group songs and romance comic covers take us there. The Fontanes have a great sound-- I would think that they appealed to teenagers as well as their parents. Thank you for reminding us that many white singers owed some of their success to black artists who did the songs originally. This was a fun post-- a flashback to the Fabulous Fifties with the Fontane Sisters and comic book romance!
Hi, Kathryn!
DeleteThanks for joining the discussion as I flash us back to the Fab Fifties with the Fontane Sisters, one of the acts that made a big impression on 5 and 6 year old me.
There's a good chance that some teenagers bought Fontane Sisters' records, but savvy DJs like Moondog Alan Freed turned teens on to black music, and once they went black, they never went back. Acts like the Fontane Sisters mainly appealed to parents and grandparents because their sound harked back to the girl groups of the World War II years.
Yessum, when I was a boy I assumed that the recordings my parents brought into our home by artists like the Fontane Sisters, Georgic Gibbs and Pat Boone were originals. It took until I was in my twenties for me to learn about the black R&B groups that recorded the songs originally. In the years that followed I amassed a decent collection of recordings by black doo-wop bird groups.
I'm glad you appreciated my romance comic artwork and my "poor man's music videos." Thanks for playing along, Kathryn, and have a great day!
Amazing how many artists back then covered other musicians' songs. Remakes happen now, but I think it was more common back then.
ReplyDeleteHi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for coming by, good buddy!
The music scene is wide open today with all the sampling going on. In the 50s and early 60s white covers, many of them "pale" imitations of the black originals, often became bigger hits. Think of all the songs the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Led Zeppelin and other Brit bands borrowed from American R&B, soul and blues artists and recorded with much greater success.
Thanks again for joining the discussion, good buddy Alex, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Talk about timing! Just last night i was listening to a DJ on the drive home talk about how he detested Pat Boone because he was a thief. He would remake songs originally done by a black singer. I didnt know that and had not heard about this at all.
ReplyDeleteI was born in the 60's but i had a record player in my room and a huge collection of 45's. I loved listening to my records. They weren't childrens songs either. My mom started me early on songs played on the radio.
I absolutely adore all those book and comic covers. So cute!!
Hi, Holliwood N Vine!
DeleteThank you very much for dropping in, dear friend!
I'm happy to know that you and I are in sync. Yessum, artists like Pat Boone, Georgia Gibbs and the Fontanes specialized in "translating" black songs for white middle class listeners. This often meant whitewashing the songs - cleaning them up - substituting bland, polite, innocent lyrics for the sexually suggestive ones found in the black recordings and using arrangements that were more familiar and more acceptable to white audiences. I have done some reading on the subject and, in defense of Pat Boone and other white cover artists, they often had no choice in the matter. Their record companies gave them the material and required them to make the covers whether they wanted to or not. I read that Pat Boone did not feel comfortable making some of those recordings.
Your childhood seems a lot like mine, Holli. I listened to children's records, but I also had the opportunity to listen to the records my parents and big brother owned. My mom and dad's collection was almost pure white - Eddie Fisher, Perry Como, Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, the late Jim Lowe and singers of that ilk, along with lots of big band sounds. My older brother bought the cooler stuff by solo artists like Fats Domino, Elvis, Buddy Holly and Ricky Nelson, and groups like the Del-Vikings and Five Satins.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the comic art and I thank you again for being here, dear friend Holli!
Living in the 400 block of S. Duke St. in York had a lot to do with me actually listening to all the originals. Either having some in my collection or hearing those of a neighbor in the hood. I remember watching "Hit Parade" on TV and laughing at some of the covers of Black R and B hits attempted by the white cast. Living close to the Quintones and some of the original Delchords defined my taste to original groups and not covers. There are some exceptions such as Forever Young by Meat Loaf, Whole Lotta Love by Led Zepplin, and United by the Jive Five. Of course there were quite a few Doo Wop hits that were issued by multiple black or mixed groups. In most cases I liked all the versions. Of course the Mag Men did some covers that I enjoyed and some that I didn't. In any case, I enjoyed the post. Jerre
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerre!
DeleteThanks for swinging over, good buddy. I was hoping you'd come!
You're right. I cringe when I watch old clips from Your Hit Parade and hear those painfully bad covers of streetwise R&B records that the cast performed (with straight faces). The singers on that show made Tab Hunter look like James Brown and made Pat Boone look like Screamin' Jay Hawkins. :)
The Quintones? Never heard of 'em.
The Delchords? Never heard of 'em.
The Mag Men? Never heard of 'em. :)
Seriously, you were lucky to have grown up in the White Rose City in close proximity to some of the R&B/soul and gospel greats that our city produced in the 50s and 60s.
The original recordings are usually the best by far but, as you noted, there are a few exceptions. The Fontane Sisters took black material and gave it a white WWII era girl group sound that I found appealing as a child and still enjoy today, hence this tribute to the singing siblings from Jersey. Born in 1915, 1917 and 1921, all three of the sisters are now dead and gone. Wiki lists their death dates as follows: Geri, on September 13, 1993; Bea, on March 25, 2002; and Marge, on December 3, 2003.
I'm delighted that you enjoyed this post, Jerre. Your input is always appreciated. Thanks again for joining the fun, good buddy!
Gosh, this is so cool! And, I've read just bits of some of the comments on your post. It looks like most agree that the 50's was something special!
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the Fontane Sisters by name, but I did recognize the "Seventeen" song. Those girls were really good with their voices working off of each other-tight knit and wholesome!
I am more interested now in the background of an artist, or a song than I was years ago. We have learned over the years, that, as you said, Shady, many of the songs of white people were early works of black people, whether they were recordings or live performances in small clubs. It seems as though "House of The Rising Sun" was originally written for a black man, and, I did see that he played the song on piano and sang it. His version was so much something else! Then comes my man...Eric Burdon with his Animals, and takes the song to another plane! I just love that one! However, Kathryn is right in reminding us that some of the success of white singers came from early black entertainers. Elvis did adopt "Hound
Dog" from "Big Mama Thornton". And, you are correct in saying that once Alan Freed, and, also, Dick Clark turned teens on to black, we didn't go back!
I can't believe the artwork, Romance and teen comics you found to post! What a collection! I think my mom was really keeping tabs on my sister and I, because we never saw any of these with the Teen and "16" magazines, lol! I feel cheated! And, the covers are really cool at 10, 12 and 15 cents!
Thank you for this great, colorful post, Shady! Hope you're having a great week! Take care, dear friend! ♫ P.S. Thank you for your visit to Rock A Billy!
Hi, hello and howdy, Suzanne!
DeleteThanks so much for dropping by, dear friend!
I'm thrilled to know you liked the featured artists, The Fontane Sisters, as well as the colorful, nostalgic decorations I tacked up on the wall to transport us back to the Eisenhower 50s.
I was wondering, have you ever heard the rockabilly original of "Seventeen" by Boyd Bennett and His Rockets? I think Karo would have approved of it. See what you think:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tyF3c_FuvA
Yessum, the Brits borrowed and capitalized on the blues, R&B and soul recordings that originated in the U.S. Thanks to the enormous wave of Beatlemania and the British Invasion, those old songs, some of them obscure and forgotten, found new life and climbed high on the charts when given the Merseybeat treatment by The Beatles, Stones, Animals and other bands. Thanks for continuing Mrs. Shady's thread and giving "Hound Dog" as an excellent example of a white performer gaining a huge hit with a little known song originally by a black artist.
What? Your mother forbade you and your sister to read those mushy, melodramatic, trashy romance comics? Seems like she knew what she was doing because you grew into a sweet, kind, generous and sensible adult (terrific blog friend material). Yessum, the prices on those old mags seem very low by today's standards, but many kids in the 50s only got a quarter allowance, just enough to buy one or two issues of Secret Hearts. :) I wonder how much mint copies of those rags are worth today. I just saw one on eBay in FN- condition (two whole grades lower than Near Mint) being sold for close to $50.
I'm so pleased that you could join me today, dear friend Suzanne, and delighted that you had a good time. My week is going great thanks to wonderful friends like you.
See you soon!
This post was colorful and fun! I was born in '53 so I don't remember these songs but for some reason when listening (and reading!) Seventeen I was reminded of the movie "Bye Bye Birdie"...maybe it was the sloppy shirt and jeans part! Anyway, thanks for bringing some 50's to us and introducing the Fontane Sisters to me! Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThank you for coming over, dear friend!
Yessum, if you were born in '53 then it stands to reason that you do not remember these Fontane Sisters records from 1955 and 1956. On the other hand, I was just old enough to remember playing them in my basement at age 5 and 6. I love the lyrics to "Seventeen" which include:
Now sloppy shirt, old blue jeans
Dirty shoes by all means
Patch of blonde, peroxide hair
Jukebox baby ain't no square
It's a great song and works well as a girl group recording, I think.
I'm excited to know that you enjoyed this introduction to the Fontanes and riding in the time machine back to the Fabulous Fifties.
Thanks again for your kind visit and comment, dear friend YaYa!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThe fifties is a nice place to visit and it would be a better place if we could all live there. People were different. I enjoyed The Fontane Sisters' style and loved how you put old romance magazine covers with the lyrics. I remember vaguely my mom reading True Confessions or something similar. I always thought it was something dirty and I'd imagine it was a bit racy for the times. I got sucked into the Harlequin Romances as a teen. My best girlfriend LOVED to read and she shared her library with me. I was a slower reader as a kid, so this helped a lot but I never developed a deep love for literature and then after kids I lost my mind figuratively and literally speaking. lol Oh well, I just loved your post this morning and it certainly made me smile. The song, "Seventeen" had a line that I really liked it went "On the hep cat doll of seventeen". It should be..."On the hep CAThy doll of seventeen", don't you think? Did I ever tell you the first time DH paid serious attention to me, he called out to me, "Hey Doll!" making me blush and laugh. :D Have a good day and thanks for sharing the nostalgia, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteI am very happy to see you, dear friend. Thank you very much for swinging over this morning to immerse yourself in nostalgic mewsic (correct kitty spelling) and vintage romance comic book artwork.
Yessum, people surely were different back in the mid 50s. At the very least, it seems a greater percentage of the population followed the rules and acted toward others in a more respectful manner. That's how I remember it anyway.
Yessum, True Confessions and the other pulp rags on display here were pretty trashy and racy for their day, a guilty pleasure for female readers who wanted to experience vicarious thrills w/o suffering the consequences, I suspect.
I love the lyrics and the sound of the Fontanes' version of "Seventeen." I listened to the rockabilly original by Boyd Bennett & the Rockets and it is a gem of that genre, but the Fontane Sisters nailed it and recorded a girl group classic of their own. I like your idea of how to change the lyric. :) It's cool that DH called out to you with those particular words and that you gave the guy a break and took it as the intended compliment. Good for you!
I'm delighted that you had fun here today, dear friend Cathy. Thanks again for coming to the party and enjoy the rest of your week!
Tom, I'm an old-fashion girl at heart. If I'm so lucky to get a whistle, a gent opens the door, or turn a head then I'm flattered. Why do women today detest it when a man shows them attention? I don't get it. DH says women are to be treasured and set on a pedestal. He thinks women are special creations of the Master and they should be treated with love and respect. I know not all women deserve such treatment and not all men possess the ability to be kindhearted to women but a good man does what's right, as well a good woman reciprocates his gestures warmly. Have a good weekend, my friend!
ReplyDeleteHi again, dear Cathy!
DeleteThanks for popping in to continue our thread. You and I disagree on a few things, but I am in complete agreement with you about mutual love and respect . Zero tolerance is a policy that does not allow any flexibility. If a man gives a woman an admiring glance and pays her a respectful compliment, he should not get a knee to the groin. DH is lucky to have a wife like you.
Thank you again for your kind visit, dear friend Cathy, and have a safe and happy weekend!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteCan't say as I've ever heard of the Fontane Sisters, but I'm fairly certain my aunt would have had them in her collection. "Seventeen" perfectly reflects both the era and my aunt ;-)
I grew up with a variety of musical tastes such as Louie Armstrong, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole - thanks to great g-ma. Of course for grandma it was Andy Williams, Hank Williams, Roger Miller and Marty Robbins. On 'cleaning' days classical arrangements by Ferrante & Teicher, and Liberace were (sneaked) on the record player by the Rose - probably to keep us calm on 'cleaning' day ;-)
The images you provided depict such innocent affection and mutual respect, it's astonishing how vastly different the mindset on relationships is today. It makes me wistful for a time I never really knew but surely would have loved.
Thanks, dear friend, for another captivating post!
Hi, diedre!
DeleteThank you very much for coming over and sharing your own memories with me. You're such a great friend!
My parents had a few Nat King Cole records but, for some reason, they avoided Ray Charles, and so did my big brother. It wasn't until I was around age 20 that I discovered Ray's great early jazz and rhythm and blues recordings from the late 40s thru mid 50s, his best years in my opinion. In their determination to steer me clear of rock 'n' roll, my parents bought me a Roger Miller album when I was 15. To my surprise I enjoyed every song on it, but it didn't diminish my interest in rock and soul music. I went to see a Liberace show at the Hershey (PA) arena circa 1983. (My girlfriend dragged me there.) A consummate showman, Liberace dazzled the audience and I must admit that I enjoyed seeing him.
I agree with your last paragraph and that is why I ended the post the way I did. As I remember the 50s, there was tacit agreement in our society that good manners, proper etiquette and mutual respect mattered. Somewhere along the line those things became optional to the point where they are sorely neglected in today's American culture.
I'm thrilled to know you enjoyed the post, dear friend diedre. Thank you again for joining me today and have a great weekend!
Lovely post, Mr Shady ... much appreciated, although completely foreign to me as at dat time I strongly suspect was still swimmin in dat "frog pond" ... anyway, I will be away from blogger postin 4 a while ... but sure will continue 2 check on U. if U don't mind ... :) Love, cat :)
ReplyDelete"As I remember the 50s, there was tacit agreement in our society that good manners, proper etiquette and mutual respect mattered. Somewhere along the line those things became optional to the point where they are sorely neglected in today's American culture." ... well said, friend Shady ... tears. Love, cat.
DeleteHi, kitty cat!
DeleteHow R U dear feline friend? Thank you very much for coming down to read this week's post and listen to the tuneage of The Fontane Sisters.
Yessum, the mid 50s were light years before you were even conceived, but I have some vivid memories of the period. I wish you could have experienced the "kinder, gentler" Fifties. I felt safe back then. Today? Not so much. You are a very sweet friend for quoting Mr. Shady Del Knight in your second comment. If you are going to be absent from blogging for a while I will miss you and hope you will come to see me whenever possible. Are you going on another junket to a South Seas isle? :) Please take good care of yourself, dear cat, and know that I am thinking about you often. :)
:)
DeleteBali, friend Shady ... have Bali on ma mind :) Love, cat.
DeleteHi, cat!
DeleteWOW, you certainly are a globetrotter, aren't you? You travel to more exotic places than anybody else I know. I am very happy you get the opportunity for such interesting travels.
Hey, do me a favor. In 1963 I lost my comb on a beach in Bali. If you happen to find it, please mail it back to me. :)
Have a wonderful time, dear feline friend, and remember that Shady's bloggy lubbins are here waiting for you! :)
Yeah the 50's sounds like a great time but they had no internet and I like my internet and mobile phones and microwave ovens just saying
ReplyDeleteHi, Jo-Anne!
DeleteHow are you, my dear Aussie friend? Thanks for popping in for a look and a listen!
You have a point. The internet and other modern technological miracles did not yet exist in the 50s, but we didn't and couldn't miss what we never had. We were happy with our relatively low tech lives. We knew and helped our neighbors and didn't feel the need to lock our doors at night. I miss those days! I wish you could experience that Fifties lifestyle for just one day for the sake of comparison just saying... :)
Thank you again for joining the fun, dear friend Jo-Anne, and have a great weekend there in Australia!
What a fun post Shady! I really enjoyed scrolling through all the romance rag covers!
ReplyDeleteI loved the male backup singers in Adorable. And Seventeen: very fun song.
The 50s were before my time but I can imagine that if I had been growing up in those years, I probably would've been reading romance stories while listening to the Fontane Sisters :)
Have a great weekend!
Michele at Angels Bark
Hi, Michele!
DeleteHow are you and your hounds, dear friend? Thanks for coming over!
I'm happy to know you enjoyed my "poor man's music videos" using those mushy romance comics. Issues that are in fine to near mint condition fetch a pretty penny on eBay these days.
Yessum, you are way too young to remember these mid 50s recordings by The Fontane Sisters. I'm glad you enjoyed their vintage girl group harmony and the male backing vocals. I can picture people jitterbugging to "Daddy-O" and "Seventeen."
It would be nice if everyone, myself included, could hop in the Timeless time machine and visit the 1950s for a while just to remember what life was like back then.
I hope your weekend is going swell, Michele. Thanks again for joining the party, dear friend. I'll chat with you again soon!
I forgot to mention that I hope your dear mother back east is doing AOK these days, dear Michele. I am keeping her in my thoughts and prayers.
DeleteOh thanks Tom! I appreciate you thinking about my Mom. She's doing pretty good. I'm going to see her next month...
DeleteYour thoughts and prayers are much appreciated! XOXO
Thanks for letting me know, Michele. I'm happy to know your mother is doing better. I'm sure she will be delighted to see you next month. :)
DeleteGod bless!
Ahhhh! The good old days when you could listen to the music and actually understand the lyrics, not to mention enjoy the dance beat and the harmony. I really enjoyed listening to the Fontane Sisters music clips.
ReplyDeleteAs in all facets of the '50s, racism was inherent in music. Was it Elvis who broke the barrier between black and white music, and really stirred things up in the music industry?
Hi, Cheryl!
DeleteHow are you, dear friend? Thanks for coming by and offering such a great comment today!
I'm pleased to know that you enjoyed flashing back to the Fab Fifties with The Fontane Sisters.
Yessum, prior to 1963, being able to understand the words to a song was considered important. In late 1963, a band called The Kingsmen changed the rules with their hit "Louie Louie." Suddenly it was fashionable for artists, groups and bands to make records that required audiences to speculate about the lyrics. Remember "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"?
I don't know if Elvis single-handedly broke the barrier between black and white music, but he certainly helped. Legendary DJ Alan Freed was another important figure. As Wiki reminds us, "He (Freed) helped bridge the gap of segregation among young teenage Americans, presenting music by African-American artists (rather than cover versions by white artists) on his radio program, and arranging live concerts attended by racially mixed audiences."
In the mid 60 a white band from my neck of the woods calling themselves The Magnificent Men did their part to bridge the racial divide by playing an authentic brand of soul music on their recordings and in live appearances at concert halls that typically showcased black artists.
Thank you again for your visit and comment, dear friend C-Lee, and have a super week ahead!
I am so sorry for my long delay...I had to find the time to listen to the music and I finally did! They are so very much of the 1950's and I wouldn't even think this music comes from the Black community since this seemed to be...white washed, if I dare say:) they had great voices are are so in sync! I like how you placed in these "racy" magazines covers with the music because everything seemed so different ted to love and love triangles, stealing a man all the while wearing one of those torpedo bras:) it was great to look at the comic books of those times. I hope you have a great week ahead and may the music keep ringing forth.
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit!
DeleteI am very happy to see you, dear friend, and glad that I found your comment today on my Page 2. Thank you very much for coming!
Yessum, the Fontane Sisters had a way of making songs their own including ditties that were originally waxed by black artists and groups. These gals might have white washed the songs, but not as much as did Pat Boone. Georgia Gibbs and the cast of the TV series Your Hit Parade. I'm happy to know that you enjoyed the comic book art I tacked up on the wall to add to the nostalgic effect. I remember my female cousin reading those rag/mags back in the day.
Thank you again for dropping by, dear friend BB, and enjoy the rest of your week!