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WXDU 88.7 FM
PO Box 90689
Duke Station
Durham, NC 27708
919-684-2957
wxdu@duke.edu
WXDU 88.7 FM
PO Box 90689
Duke Station
Durham, NC 27708
919-684-2957
wxdu@duke.edu
Artist | Song | Album | Label | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Benny Goodman Orchestra v/ Martha Tilton | Once In a While | Madhattan Room Nov 1937 | otr-cat.com | Divaville Lounge Wayback Machine: 1937 |
Benny Goodman Trio | More Than You Know | Madhattan Room Nov 1937 | otr-cat.com | a review of the year 1937 in popular music! |
Benny Goodman Orchestra | Life Goes to a Party | Madhattan Room Nov 1937 | otr-cat.com | cowritten by Goodman & Harry James, this was James' theme song when he founded his own band |
Benny Goodman Orchestra | Swingtime in the Rockies | Madhattan Room Nov 1937 | otr-cat.com | Goodman's swing music was *the* music style of the day |
Benny Goodman Quartet | Limehouse Blues | Madhattan Room Nov 1937 | otr-cat.com | Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Teddy Wilson & Lionel Hampton |
Judy Garland | Dear Mr. Gable, You Made Me Love You | The Complete Decca Recordings | MCA/Decca | this performance in "Broadway Melody of 1938" was Judy's big break |
Bing Crosby | The Moon Got In My Eyes | Bing! His Legendary Years | MCA | Bing had been the most successful singer in the US since about 1932 |
Hal Kemp and His Orchestra | This Year's Kisses | The Golden Age of American Sweet Bands | Jasmine | typical of the "sweet" dance orchestra that was popular in the 30s & forgotten today |
Larry Clinton Orch v/ Bea Wain | True Confession | The Very Best of Larry Clinton | Collector's Choice | Clinton had been Tommy Dorsey's arranger before starting his own band |
Tommy Dorsey Orch v/ Edythe Wright | The Dipsy Doodle | The Seventeen Number Ones | RCA Classics | Dorsey (with his brother Jimmy) was a talented hot jazz musician in the 20s/early 30s, then he "sweetened" his style and achieved popular success in the late 30s |
Artie Shaw & His Orchestra | Whistle While You Work | Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah | Columbia/Legacy | Shaw was just starting out in 1937, by 1939 he rivaled Goodman for the title "King of Swing" |
Henry King Orchestra v/ Joe Sudy | The Lady Is a Tramp | The Golden Age of American Sweet Bands | Jasmine | like Hal Kemp, King was popular at the time but obscure today |
Django Reinhardt | The Sheik of Araby | The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order | JSP | Reinhardt was at the top of his form in '37, before the war split up the Quintette |
Ella Fitzgerald o/ Chick Webb | Love and Kisses | Stomping at the Savoy | Proper UK | Ella's first ever recording, she was "discovered" at an open talent competition at the Apollo and hired by Webb |
Count Basie Orch v/ Jimmy Rushing | Boogie Woogie (I May Be Wrong) | Complete Decca Recordings | Verve | in '37 Basie made his first recordings under his own name, previously he had worked with Bennie Moten in Kansas City |
Billie Holiday o/ Teddy Wilson | I'll Never Be the Same | Lady Day | Sony | one of Holiday's first recodings with Lester Young, they worked together for many years |
King Cole Trio | On the Sunny Side of the Street | Nat King Cole 1936-1940 | Classics | King Cole Trio was formed in 1937, Nat King Cole and Oscar Moore were one of the great partnerships of jazz. there are no recordings from '37, this is one of their first recordings from 1940 on Ammor label |
Louis Armstrong | On the Sunny Side of the Street | 1937-38 | Classics | Armstrong recorded this song twice in 1937, this one was exploring a somewhat new style for him |
Jimmie Lunceford | For Dancers Only | Swingsation | Jazz Heritage | Lunceford had a powerful orchestra that didn't translate as well to studio recordings so didn't achieve as much commercial success as similar bands |
Duke Ellington Orchestra | Caravan | Fitch On the Air | otr-cat.com | live broadcast from the Cotton Club, March 1937. Duke had just written "Caravan" (with Juan Tizol) and the song was unfamiliar to listeners of the day |
Duke Ellington Orchestra v/ Ivie Anderson | One, Two, Button Your Shoe | Fitch On the Air | otr-cat.com | this broadcast was several years after the Cotton Club's heyday, they had closed their Harlem location and reopened in midtown |
Andrews Sisters | Bei Mir Bist du Schoen | 50th Anniversary Collection | MCA | breakout hit for the Andrews Sisters |
Xavier Cugat | Habanera | Hits 1935-1940 | Dayl | Cugat was the first to popularize Cuban music in the US. Machito moved to New York in 1937 & one of his first jobs was working in Cugat's orchestra |
Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys | Playboy Stomp | Doughboys, Playboys and Cowboys | Proper UK | in 1937 Milton Brown had just died, leaving Bob Wills the undisputed leader of western swing |
Hank Williams | Alexander's Ragtime Band | The Legend Begins | Time Life Entertainment | rec. 1938 Williams was only 15 years old! He began his singing career in 1937 |
Bessie Smith | Gimme a Pigfoot and a Bottle of Beer | The Essential Bessie Smith | Sony | Smith died in 1937, this was from her last recording session in 1933 for Okeh. Session included Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden |
Robert Johnson | Hellhound on My Trail | King of the Delta Blues | Sony | this was one of the top charting songs of 1937, according to Wikipedia which is never wrong |
RKO Radio Studio Orchestra | Promenade (Walking the Dog) | Shall We Dance OST | RKO Radio Pictures | composed by George Gershwin who died in 1937 |
Fred Astaire | Slap That Bass | Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at RKO | Rhino | from "Shall We Dance" Gershwin's use of engine noise as percussion was ahead of its time |
Maxine Sullivan | NIce Work If You Can Get It | Say It With a Kiss | Jasmine | Sullivan did "cool jazz" before it was a genre |
Fred Astaire | A Foggy Day | Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers at RKO | Rhino | from "A Damsel in Distress" costarred Joan Fontaine |
Red Nichols Orch v/ The Three Songies | They All Laughed | The Golden Age of American Dance Bands | Jasmine | from "Shall We Dance" |
Bunny Berigan and His Orchestra | I Can't Get Started | Best of Jazz: An Introduction | feat. Benny Goodman, Georgie Auld, Bud Freeman, Tommy Dorsey, Jack Teagarden, Ray Conniff & Fats Waller | |
Bing Crosby | Sweet Leilani | Bing! His Legendary Years | MCA | from movie "Waikiki Wedding" one of the top 5 hits of 1937 acc. to Wikipedia |
Fred Astaire | They Can't Take That Away From Me | Fascinating' Rhythm | Blue Moon | from movie "Shall We Dance" one of 1937 top 5 hits, whatever that means; Gershwin's only Oscar nomination |
Count Basie Orchestra | One O'Clock Jump | Complete Decca Recordings | Verve | #1 charting hit of 1937, whatever that means, it's deserved |
Benny Goodman Orchestra | Sing Sing Sing | Let's Dance | Big Band Jump | one of the top 5 hits of 1937 acc. to Wikipedia, feat. Harry James & Ziggy Elman, Jess Stacy, Gene Krupa, arr. Jimmy Mundy |