mobile / archive / rss
February 18
*
PhotoAlt

Nat King Cole Trio

Comments (View)
*
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

1936

Nat King Cole Trio - Hit That Jive, Jack

Yessir.

Even Nat King Cole.

Comments (View)
*
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

circa 1929

Trixie Smith - Jack I’m Mellow

Comments (View)
February 17
*

1937

Assassin of Youth trailer

dir. Elmer Clifton

Comments (View)
*
PhotoAlt

poster for Assassin of Youth, 1937

Comments (View)
February 16
*
PhotoAlt

Reefer Madness

Comments (View)
*

1936

Reefer Madness

dir. Louis J. Gasnier

To make up for missing yesterday… the 1936 classic, Reefer Madness.  The entire thing.

For serious.

An hour and eight whole minutes of pleasure.

Tell your children!

Comments (View)
February 14
*

1932

Cab Calloway - Reefer Man

Letting one of my favorite singer / bandleaders kick off Reefer Madness week, yaaaaa’ll.

There is an audio version of this song, but Cab Calloway is one of those people who is better when seeen and heard. Also, the film version is about twice as fast as the recorded version.  No stoners in this band, I’d imagine— at least not on the day this was filmed.  Except for maybe Cab himself.  …because who wouldn’t want to lead a snappy brass band and tap dance while stoned out of their skull?

Cab did.

And he did it better than most.*

* This blog has no proof of actual drug use by Mr. Cab Calloway.  But I mean… just look at this dude.  For real.

Comments (View)
February 13
*
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]

1928

The Carter Family - Wildwood Flower

While this song was written in 1860, the Carter Family were the first to record it almost 70 years later.

And it is a beautiful recording— the song became one of the Carter Family’s most popular tunes.  This song endures on its own and through various covers (by Joan Baez and Merle Travis, to name a few), though the original lineup of the Carters broke up in 1943 when two of its three members divorced.  A later reincarnation of the band included granddaughter June Carter Cash.

Years later, in the film version of A Prairie Home Companion, Meryl Streep’s character would sardonically remark upon her character’s place on a dying talk radio show, saying, “We’re like the Carter Family…  Only, not famous.”

Comments (View)
*
PhotoAlt

The Carter Family

Comments (View)