Rockin' Chair (1929 song)
"Rockin' Chair" is a 1929 popular song with music composed by Hoagy Carmichael. Musically it is unconventional, as after the B section when most popular songs return to A, this song has an A-B-C-A1 structure. Carmichael recorded the song twice, in 1929 and 1930. Mildred Bailey made it famous by using it as her theme song.[1]
The song was first recorded on February 19, 1929 by Hoagy Carmichael as a test for Victor Records, but not released at the time. This recording was later released on the Historical label as HLA-37. This version is sung by only one vocalist. Hoagy Carmichael and his Orchestra recorded a new version on May 21, 1930 featuring Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. This second version is with two vocalists (Carmichael and Irving Brodsky) and was released on Victor Records as V-38139B.[2] Louis Armstrong recorded it with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals on December 13, 1929 at Okeh studios after the stock market crashed, giving a badly needed boost to Carmichael's finances. The recording was released as Okeh 8756 in 1930 and became popular in 1932. The song utilises "call and response" to create a dialog between an aged father and his son. Armstrong performed "Rockin' Chair" numerous times in his career with his trombonist Jack Teagarden.[3]
Popular versions in 1932 were by The Mills Brothers, and by Louis Armstrong with Hoagy Carmichael.[4]
Other versions
- Paul Robeson (1931).[5]
- Mildred Bailey - first recorded the song on August 18, 1932 for Bluebird Records (catalog No. 6945)[6] and later for Vocalion Records (catalog No. 3553) in 1937. The latter recording was a hit in 1937.[7] She became known as The Rockin' Chair Lady.
- Jo Stafford - recorded November 29, 1944, but not issued until 2007.[8]
- Frankie Laine - a single release for Mercury Records (catalog No. 1180), recorded June 7, 1949[9] and later for his album Rockin' (1957)
- Patti Page - Page Two – Sings a Collection of Her Most Famous Songs (1956).[10]
- Kay Starr - Rockin' with Kay (1958).[11]
- The Mills Brothers - The Mills Brothers – Great Hits (1958).[12]
- Ed Townsend released a version of the song on his 1959 album, New in Town.[13]
- Matt Monro - Matt Monro Sings Hoagy Carmichael (1962).[14]
- Harry James recorded a version in 1964 on his album In a Relaxed Mood (MGM E-4274).[15]
- Maria Muldaur recorded it (with vocal bantering with Carmichael himself)) for her third solo album Sweet Harmony (Reprise, MS-2235, 1976).
- Crystal Gayle - for her album Crystal Gayle Sings the Heart and Soul of Hoagy Carmichael (1999)
- Rosemary Clooney - Sentimental Journey: The Girl Singer and Her New Big Band (2001)
References
- ↑ Wilder, Alec (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 374–375. ISBN 0-19-501445-6.
- ↑ Evans, Philip R. (1998). The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story. Bakersfield, California: Prelike Press. p. 503. ISBN 0-9665448-0-3.
- ↑ 80 Years of Rockin' Chair: http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2009/12/80-years-of-rockin-chair.html Archived 2016-05-19 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 572. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ↑ "Paul Robeson Discography". cpsr.cs.uchicago.edu/robeson. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 41. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ↑ "Jo Stafford Discography" (PDF). collections.music.arizona.edu. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ Ed Townsend, New in Town Retrieved August 16, 2016.
- ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ↑ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
See also