Sunday, April 24, 2005

Vera Lynn, "Auf Wiederseh'n, Sweetheart"
(July 12, 1952)

My grandfather once went on a lengthy rant about how he would never EVER buy anything made in Japan, 'cause he just couldn't forgive the country for WWII. I seem to remember his stance on Germany was softer, though not just how (he had no wariness about Italian things -- his last name was Orapollo, after all), but I imagine in 1952 you could still find deep antipathy towards all things former-Axis, even with the Marshall Plan and the occupation of Japan. Yet only seven years after V-E Day, we've got this German-titled pop song topping the American charts, sung by Vera Lynn, no less, even sounding utterly identical in most respects to her "We'll Meet Again." Sadly, grandpa's stubborn recalcitrance in the face of Japan's economic ascendence was more interesting than Lynn's mute acceptance of the post-war facts of life, even if less laudable. 2

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Percy Faith, "Delicado"
(July 5, 1952)

Not knowing Portuguese, every baile funk track I've ever heard sounds like it's about cunnilingus. So imagine my delight when I found out that the DUH. da-duh. DUH. dah-duh. beat of "Delicado" wasn't Percy Faith's ersatz invention but was an actual example of the syncopated 2/4 baião rhythm, the song being written by Brazilian composer Waldir Azevedo. For some brief feverish moments, I was sorta hoping that "baião" had something to do with "baile," but from what I can gather on the web (again, not knowing Portuguese) it doesn't look there's any traceable connection. But you could believe that there was, maybe, a little. Not "earthy" by any means -- you just can't do that with a harpsichord -- but vibrant. And not "easy listening" or "mood music," really, but whose string flourishes and zizzy horns, slightly on the cusp of sly, constitute something you can shake your shoulders and pelvis to.

It's tempting to think that this song might serve as evidence that prior to rock & roll, the marketplace was lurching very randomly towards something more hip-positive, but sadly, looking at the upcoming #1s and knowing what I know about them (which is spotty and scattered), I'm not seeing much in the way fast-tempo dance tunes until "Sh-boom," and that's in '54. 7

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