Sing, Sing, Sing
Benny Goodman (1937). Excerpt from "The 50 Songs that Gave Birth to Rock and Roll"
Bandleader and clarinetist Benny Goodman was the King of Swing. Accordingly, “Sing, Sing, Sing,” is the definitive swing song. It captures the late Depression era brilliantly, suggesting that Americans were determined to weather the hardship by getting rip-roaring drunk and sweating it out on the dance floor.
Benny Goodman was born in Chicago in 1909. His most epic raver was, however, born from the pen of Italian-Louisianan Louis Prima. Prima’s 1936 recording came complete with lyrics, hot-stepping rhythm, and the singer’s trademark scatting.
All respect to Prima, there was no way he could possibly know what Benny Goodman would ultimately do to this song, nor what the song would do, in turn, to the world of music.
Goodman initially began working this song into his repertoire in 1937. Over time, he cajoled increasingly improvisational and unrestrained performances out of his musicians.
Gathering in length and providing the climax to every Goodman engagement, “Sing” eventually topped 12 minutes, and came to include snippets of Fletcher Henderson’s 1921 recording—“Christopher Columbus”. While you may not know the latter song by name, bits and pieces will likely sound pretty familiar to you.
Crowd response to Goodman’s show-stopper became increasingly intense, with stories abounding of kids dancing wildly in theater aisles. Then, in the summer of 1938, Goodman and his band became the first jazz ensemble to perform at Carnegie Hall. The show was a cultural sensation—one that sparked the nation’s obsession with swing music and launched jazz music headlong into popular consciousness.
“Sing, Sing, Sing” was the landmark concert’s most electrifying moment, a blueprint for tearing a room to shreds.
Goodman’s instrumental cover is throttling, chaotic, and insistent. Like rock and roll in the decades afterward, “Sing, Sing, Sing” is not polite music. It is not meant to be casually heard or observed from a theatre seat. It is meant to drive its listener into a frenzy. It did exactly that to millions of Americans looking for an escape from the Great Depression.
With its raunchy trumpet blasts, a theme that sounds like city traffic, and Gene Krupa’s infinitely influential drum solo, “Sing, Sing, Sing” established a standard for raucousness to which rock musicians still aspire.
See the full list of 50 Songs that Gave Birth to Rock and Roll
Definitely a GREAT piece of music. I'd never really thought about its influence on rock and roll but you are SO right! Thanks for this enlightening piece as well as your link to the 50 Songs that Gave Birth to Rock and Roll. I will listen to all of these more closely!
Lets talk about the two others who really made Goodman's version stand out.
1. Gene Krupa on drums. This guy your great grandfather's, John Bonham. He totally changed the way people played the instrument.
Without him, it would be like Black Sabbath without Tommy Iommi.
2. Jess Stacy on piano. His unscripted piano solo at that Carnegie Hall show is stuff of legends.
If you want to see how much he improved that version, listen to, The Benny Goodman Story's version of the song. It does not feature a piano as Stacy refused to be paid a standard day's wage for his part, which was less than other musicians.