Karaoke Forums

I think I have a one sided 78 rpm bakelite record of Armstrong someplace downstairs.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

You might want to go looking for it Steve as some of Satchmo's early records command extremely high prices--among the highest in the record collector's realm.

I need to find it, and make certain it's well protected.  Hopefully it's in one piece. Bakelite isn't the most durable substance.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

I was reading his biography last year and it was interesting to note that some of these recording "studios" of his time were so primitive (nothing more than shacks) that on a couple of his recording sessions from that time you can actually HEAR trains going by in the background!

Read about how popular Bing Crosby was/is.   You'll be amazed.

Bing Crosby was HUGE up until around the time of Elvis and the Everly Bros.. right ?  I think he was about the most popular ever.  I don't recall the stats.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Yes Dog! I have read some biographies on him.  Steven I beg to differ with you.  Huge record sales for this artist.  Bing was arguably the very first popular white jazz singer in his earlier years and what made him distinctive was his baritone voice, which was quite a change from the nasally Rudy Vallee type singers that were the rage during his time.  An indictation of his popularity is that he had the biggest records sales of any artist for 30 years (until the Beatles) and his "White Christmas" is still the biggest selling record of all time (at least the last time I remembered).

Yes Bings popularity was huge only rivaled by the King himself. Proof of his lasting popularity came to light when he did the memorable duet with David Bowie, 'Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth' for one of Bing Crosbys Christmas specials.

James

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I serve no man and am loyal to only one God.

Being critical of a person's success in any respect speaks volumes about the lack of your own.

Love as though you've never been hurt, Dance as though no one's watching, Sing as though God Himself were listening.

saw BSO at a very intimate setting here in town a few years back, capacity was about 500.  it was august, which needless to say is like satnding on the face of the...well okay, the dark side of the sun, but anyway....the band including brian was wearing full suits!  anyone who has seen them knows that they are a very active group swinging the horns around and such.  they were sweating like crazy, but never missed a move or a note!  easily the most entertainig show i've ever seen.

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All work and no play make Homer something something

Yes, they are a hard working group! Curiously, I discovered a few months ago that that a new guy at work's sister is married to Brian! The parents were a bit concerned because of the tatoos and earrings, etc., but apparently he's a very polite and gracious guy. Another of those "small world" stories.....

I think if you did some research you would find that 80% of the songs sung at Karaoke are at least 20 years old. Sure there are those NEWER hot songs but I would believe that Doowop  / Standards / Older Country / and Hits from the 60-80;s are the CORE of many a KJ library.

I'm with you Steve (Kaplan) that the period for Baby Boomer is '46-54!  In my mind the years selected were somewhat associated with lots of returning servicemen having babies, as much as any other factor, and the Korean War ended in July of 1953.

My 2 cents....

I happen to be at the end of the baby boom generation too (1964).  The generation starts right after the war thru 1964 per most things I've seen--  That said...

I think the baby boom generation is the first to grow up with exposure to(bombardment even) dramatically new music, trends, technology etc.  Consider an early boomer would be at early pre-pubescent (sic?) or early teens etc. as rock-n-roll was starting and getting huge (mid 50's say).  Then as new stuff came out in the 60's even more growth and diversity in musical tastes.  As we moved thru the decades, more and more styles of rock, modern music etc. came about.  Then at the tail end there's folks like me who had the wealth of th "oldies" (50's era rock) onward to 70's etc.  

Now, add to that all the technological advancements from the 50's, 60's, 70's and on.  Then add a sprinkling of a economic booms + a consumer driven economy (vs. depression era folks who had little).   The tech stuff-->Hi-fi stereo, 8-track (ok, not an advancement  LOL ), cassettes, better/good vinyl, CD's and now MP3 players.  I think pre-boomer generation tends to be tech averse in many cases whereas boomers (and later generations) eat that stuff up and in most cases came up with the new technologies.

Lastly, consider that most boomers are either at the end of or entering ther prime earning years-- so, with that comes alot of "wealth" and disposable income-- to do what? Spend on music, technology toys, etc.

So it doesn't surprise me at all that boomers are buying alot of CD's to "replenish" their music collection-- heck I've replaced alot of music including some old CD's as they get scratched etc.  Now its all on my iPod.

Cheers!

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For those about to rock, we salute you!!!

I don't think so Unclefire.  You are thinking of the shadow, or echo-boomers. Baby Boomers are characterized by the group conceived/born during the post-WW2 period of economic recovery and the -roughly- 15 year period of prosperity following WW2. By mid-late 1950's that period ended. Over the past years the definition of "baby-boomer" has become VERY generous, and lax. It NEVER included those of us born in or following 1955 or 1956. There were a higher number of babies born during the period post-WW2.  THOSE are the baby-boomers. The period never expanded for a generation. It was a little over a decade period of time.

Unless of course, the definition was expanded upon over the course of the last 5-10 years. GW JR,  Clinton, and many of the classic rock artists from the 1960's that are now around 60 years old, or those who were the 60's flower children, "hippies", getting drafted to vietnam, (or defecting) were the baby-boomers age and era.  Not those that were born in that early period (1964).  Those of legal age in the 1960's. Who were old enough to participate in the 1960's "free-love" "sex,drugs and R&R" period IN the 1960's, old enough to attend Altamont, the actual woodstock, are the Baby-boomers.  Not those of us who were in elementary school or Jr High in the 1960's. Shadow boomers were NOT "the baby-boomers".

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Michael,  Yeah..  Bing Crosby was outsold by the Everly Bros. I believe they were the highest sellers ever.  To this day in fact.

Elvis became the bigshot in the 1950's. While Bing was still huge, however the onset of Rock, and the new "Rock generation" somewhat displaced his popularity. Generations prior to ours ALL know Bing.  Many of us do not.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

There were fewer people around during Bing's time (heheheheh).  Well, my research merely indicates he was the biggest selling artist "until the advent of the rock 'n' roll era" so I'll go along with you Steven.  One facet of Crosby's popularity that should not be overlooked was his immense popularity in ALL forms of media, from sheet music to television (even Sinatra was never succesful on television or radio).  

Now, does anyone know the name of the first million selling recording and the artist? Hint: The song's best known version was done by Fats Domino.

Now, does anyone know the name of the first million selling recording and the artist? Hint: The song's best known version was done by Fats Domino.[/quote]


First guess: Blueberry Hill?

Give the girl a cigar! That is correct Joyce!  It was "Blueberry Hill" and was performed by Gene Austin (I believe the year was 1927 but don't quote me).  I managed to find a collection of this guy's stuff on CD last year.  While of his time he did have a unique style.

I am not sure that that smilies motive is pure sir

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

Incidentally, relating to Bing Crosby, I read something interesting:  Bing was one of the very first singers to be assisted by the use of the invention of the electronic microphone, which was invented just months before his first solo recordings.  Up until that time, male singers had to really strain to sing at a very high pitch to register through the old non-circuit microphones.  This made Crosby something refreshing as he could use his deep baritone with comfort and be recorded in full clarity.