I’ve loved Chattanooga Choo Choo my whole life, I think. I remember my grandparents playing a 78 of it on their stereo/turn table cabinet that was like this huge piece of furniture.
Henry Thomas “Bulldoze Blues” from the 1930’s …not too specifically.
Canned Heat fans may recognize a certain melody in this song.
It’s my understanding that the guitar and… pipe?..whistle?.. were homemade.
Robert Johnson’s They’re Red Hot, and he’s not really singing about tomatoes.
I’ve seen Redbone a few times. Easily, the best was the night back in '82 when he opened for - get this: TOM WAITS!!!
I just love “Who Knows Where or When”. I first heard the Dion and the Belmonts version but then found out it was much older - it’s from Babes in Arms (1937).
Doo-wop began in the 40s, right? So, even older than that… Summertime from Porgy and Bess. I do like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, too, though.
“Weeping Willow” by Scott Joplin. Then there’s the flamenco “Recuerdos de la Alhambra” by Tarrega.
Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade
The Gershwins’ Someone to Watch Over Me and Embraceable You
Cole Porter’s I Can Dream, Can’t I?
Lili Marlene, preferably in German
The Andrews Sisters’ Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Doris Day’s Sentimental Journey
We’ll Meet Again and I’ll Be Seeing You
When it comes to crooners, no one was better than Sinatra and Martin.
Although I prefer the version by Alison Krauss and Union Station
The song is from 1913, of course I only know of the song because of the movie “Oh, Brother were art thou?”
Louis Prima Buona Sera (really kicks in at 0:55!)
I seem to remember my grandparents playing " Moon river " over and over, the crooning was great but after about the millionth time too much.
Misty by Johnny Mathis
I love listening to Duke Ellington and Glen Miller when I’m on the open road, but for this thread I’ll go with Nat King Cole and Route 66.
I’m decadent. I like it all. As long as it’s got a beat.
I Can’t Get Started by Bunny Berrigan
Boy Meets Goy by Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman
What Did I Do (To Be So Black and Blue) written and recorded by Fats Waller but Louis Armstrong has the better version IMHO.
A B C D E F G H I…Got a Gal in Kalamazoo"
If there is a song running through my head, it seems to be “Stardust” about a third of time. I don’t really have a favorite version, but the original one by the author linked above will do (although I wish it had the intro).
I was born in 1965, by the way.
I agree with gallows fodder that Annette Hanshaw is pretty great. That’s all!
Perez Prada’s ‘The peanut vendor’
Its obviously much older than his version, however this one is hard to beat
And one of the earliest versions in the 1930’s
The Golden Gate Quartet - ‘Wade in the water’
Frankie’s version of ‘Blue Moon’ all the better for him being just the house singer at the time and not the main attraction
Meade Lux Lewis - ‘Honky tonk train blues’
Al Johnson - ‘Way down yonder in New Orleans’
Louis Prima - ‘Just a gigalo/ I ain’t got nobody’
He was just so good, look at this
This has been a great thread, going back to check out some of these tunes, hope you like this selection.
I loved the really old music hall tunes whenever they appeared on The Muppet Show. Some favorites:
“Wotcher (Knocked 'em in the Old Kent Road)”
“My Old Man Said Follow The Van”
“Any Old Iron”
“Burlington Bertie”