5 On Friday - American Bandstand

Five on Friday is the creation of Trav's Thoughts To take part, drop by his web site to sign in and then create your own five selections to share with others.

On this day in history, August 5, 1957 (54 years ago my GOD!!!).  American Bandstand went national.  To this day, it is the show everyone remembers where people watched other people dance.  Over the years, there have been many references on TV, Movies and Broadway.  Here are just a few.  Kicking it off, Barry Manilow with the Bandstand Boogie.



Born To Hand Jive Baby!!! GREASE



You Can't Stop The Beat - Hairspray



Where Bandstand really started: Steal Your Rock and Roll - Memphis



And the Ultimate rock and roll line dance: The Stroll

The dance was born before the song, and had it not been for an idea of American Bandstand's Dick Clark, the song may never have been. Dick noticed the kids were "line dancing" to a song by Chuck Willis called "C.C. Rider", and he needed more musical material than just the one song and ultimately a few others for the kids to do this dance. He enlisted the aid of singer Brook Benton who put pen to Dick's idea, and "The Stroll" was born. The Diamonds were given the opportunity to record this not long after their hit of "Little Darlin", and the song shot to #4 in January of 1958.



And a bonus just for Travis - A show where people watch other people dance complete with legses and one of the original Bandstand hits: Great Balls of Fire

Five On Friday

This great new meme was invented by Travis of Trav's Thoughts.  It gives you a chance to pick and theme  or just favorite songs and then design a juke box around it to share with others.  Check his site for instructions and join in the fun. 

This week I'm highlighting the originals.  For its time, the mid-1950s, the lyrical phrase "You got to roll with me, Henry" was considered risqué just as the very label "rock and roll" was understood to have a sexual connotation. The line comes from an Etta James record originally called "Roll With Me Henry" and later renamed "The Wallflower." Already a smash hit on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart, it went on to become a pop hit in the spring of 1955, but not for Etta James. Re-recorded with "toned-down" lyrics by the white pop singer Georgia Gibbs, "Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)" entered the pop charts on March 26, 1955, setting off a dubious trend known as "whitewashing."  On the juke box this week, the black originals of songs later covered by white singers.

The Covers

Shake, Rattle & Roll - Bill Haley & The Comets

That's Alright Mama - Elvis Presley

Dance With Me Henry - Georgia Gibbs

Ain't That A Shame - Pat Boone

Long Tall Sally - Gene Vincent

Five For Friday - The Song That Goes Like This

My buddy Travis over at Trav's Thoughts has created a meme involving a selection of five songs.  For complete instructions, please visit his website.

Every successful musical whether in motion pictures or on Broadway always has at least one song that everyone remembers.  It will stick with you long after the evening is over.  It is the song that makes you cry, moves the action along, brings the lovers together, or gets whistled on your way home.  My submisstion for this week's "Five On Friday" is a collection of those songs.

If you have seen Les Miserables, can you still see the image of Jean Valjean carrying Marius in his arms while begging God for the life of the young man he thinks of as a son. - Did you tear up during "Bring Him Home"?

If you have seen Rent, will you ever again forget that there are five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes in a year? 

You may not have had the pleasure of seeing Sunset Boulevard for the simple reason that the idiotic powers that be haven't gotten around to making the freaking movie and everyone doesn't live on top of a great theater venue!!!!!  (Can you tell I'm pissed?).  I know the story and have played the soundtrack into the ground .... grumble, grumble @$#@^  Anyway there are three major numbers in the show:  With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, and Sunset Boulevard.  I really wanted With One Look because it tells of the almost mad Norma's remembrance of a silent star's powers to bring magic in the dark with only her eyes.  Click on the link to You Tube to watch Glenn Close knock it out of the park.   The player didn't have it so I opted for "Sunset Boulevard" where Joe Gillis justifies his use of Norma for money and connections. 

The plot turning point in Carousel is the Act I closing number where Billy Bigelow first muses in "Soliloquey" about the delights of having a son and then decides he has to have money to raise a girl.  This sets up the rest of the musical as that decision leads to a crime and his death in Act II.

Now you know the comedians couldn't leave alone this time honored tradition of the memorable song without making fun of the practice.  Who better to put a pin into an overly important musical balloon than Monty Python and the cast of Spamalot.  So here you have "The Song That Goes Like This".

Five On Friday - South of the Border - Way South

My buddy Travis has started a new meme that gives us another way to be creative with music.  For directions, please visit "Trav's Thoughts"

This week, I'm taking a trip below the Equator.

Under African Skies - Just because Paul Simon wrote a beautiful song for his Graceland Album with backups sung by Linda Ronstadt and Ladysmith Black Mombasa.

Aguas de Marco (Waters of March) - Brazil - Antonio Carlos Joabim with a bossa nova for the beginning of Fall in the month of March

Vuelvo Al Sur - Argentina - Roberto Goyeneche - Put a rose in your teeth and let's Tango

Nkosi Sikelei 'iafrica - South African National Anthem

Waltzing Matilda/Road To Gundagai - Australia (Great guitar work from Chet Atkins and the wonderful Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel)

Five On Friday - Piano Men

Our buddy Travis has inadvertently created a meme now named Five on Friday. The instructions are simple:

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. Choose a particular theme to share with us. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

3. I don't know how to make a specific linky, so be sure to leave me a comment to let me know that you participated.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

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Here we go with my first contribution. Naturally, Playlist.com didn't have "I Love A Piano", but here you go with just a few of the many sounds and moods a piano can create. My favorite of the group is Ray Charles and Billy Joel singing "Baby Grand". Obviously, they love a piano as well.

I posted it to the Sidebar