LOOK Ma - More Dancing!

Here's the final installment from the Swing Issue of LOOK Magazine - September 27, 1938.

I wonder what happened with the photo contest - heck, I'd enter for $50 in today's money!

 [In the previous post] are the four basic movements in the LOOK Hop, a new swing dance created by vivacious Rita Rio, whose popular all-girl swing band has made a hit in movies, on the radio and in ballrooms.

Rita says much of the fun in dancing the LOOK Hop lies in working out additional steps after mastering the "L," double O" and the "K". [Below] she and her partner, Bill Furrow, demonstrate other steps.

LOOK will pay $50 to the amateur submitting the best set of pictures showing a couple doing the LOOK Hop.

"Gettin' in the mood," Rita calls this. So far, so good; it's easy.

"The cuddle and coo" is an easy one, too, but from here on the steps get more complicated.

Allee-oop, and hang on tight; if the boy friend is husky, this is all right.

This looks as if it takes practice, but it also looks like lot of fun.

The secret of success in this "step" is for the girl to hold on.

In the spirit of the dance, now both partners take a look. You may go on from here.

How to Do the LOOK Hop

Rita Rio is back! This time she teaches you to dance the LOOK Hop. 

I dare you to try this at the next dance you go to!

Band Leader Rita Rio Introduces the LOOK Hop - Try It

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

They Face, one arm overhead, one arm out, forming "L". For 8 counts continue basic step: Jump with toes in, knees together, slightly bent; jump on toes, feet apart, knees straight.

Continuing basic step, girl turns back to partner as feet are apart, and both form an "O" with arms, the man's to the right, the girl's to the left.

As Toes are turned in on basic step, man drops arm in circle over partner's head. Girl's arms form "O" in front. Continue, reversing arms from side to side 8 times.

Girl Continues with back to boy, both standing on right foot, left leg extended to side, knee straight, right arm over head, left arm extended diagonally from shoulder to form "K". Hop on right foot in circle for 8 counts.

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 3

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

 Irene Daye makes a lovely canary (girl vocalist) for Gene Krupa. Even tin ears (persons who dislike swing) like Irene, and of course rug cutters (swing dancers) do.

 Speaking of swing, here's Jack Benny as a squeaker (violinist), Dick Powell at the plumbing (trumpet), Bing Crosby drumming, Tommy Dorsey, chief ridesman (ace musician) behind Bing, and Shirley Ross at the 88 (piano). Peeking over Bing's hat is Ken Murray. These spooks (white musicians) put out real gut-bucket (lowdown music) without groanbox (accordian) or grunt horn (tuba).

 Hot Man (a musician who can swing it) Bunny Berigan can send (arouse the alligators) on an iron horn (trumpet), even if he closes his eyes when he hits a lick (a hot phrase in rhythm).

When you think of Eddie Duchin, you think of a moth box (piano), but Eddie here shows he's at home on a woodpile (xylophone) too. He's also an ace monkey hurdler (organist).

When you place a cat (swing musician) beside a doghouse (bass fiddle), anything might happen, even barrel-house (where every man swings for himself). However, Jimmy Dorsey's ace drummer, Ray McKinley, sticks to his voodoo boilers (drums).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 2

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Sliver-Sucker (clarinetist) Benny Goodman, and Skin-Beater (drummer) Gene Krupa get in the groove (hit their stride) at a jam session (musicians playing for their own amusement) after working hours. 

 Big Apple dancers will swing it anywhere, even if the music is nothing more than corn-on-the-cob (a harmonica) and a belly fiddle (guitar).

This is the Little Apple, a miniature version of the dance [above], and you don't even have to leave home to do it if you have a platter (a record) made by hepcats (swing musicians). 

There's nothing long-haired (symphonic) about it when Scat-Singer Leo Watson and Trumpeter Charlie Frankhouser swing it with Gene Krupa's band. 

Bogie men (critics who say what they think) call Herb Haymer of Jimmy Dorsey's band one of the world's best on a gobble pipe (saxophone).

Picture Definitions of Swing Terms Pt. 1

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Alligators (swing fans) like these girls can't sit still when the swing (latest type of hot jazz music) band gets whacky (swings its wildest).

She savvies jive (understands the language of swing) and pleases the jitterbug (same as alligators). It's Ina Ray Hutton - as if you didn't know.

You never see dancing like this when paper men (musicians who play by note only) are reading the spots (notes) and schmaltzing it (playing sweet, sentimental music). These are shag dancers.

Paul Whiteman, the old man (leader), bends an ear as Jack Teagarden gets hot on the slush pump (trombone). Even ickies (persons who don't understand swing) can appreciate such a push-pipe player.

Do You Know These Swing Terms?

How many do you know? Picture definitions in the following posts.

From Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

ALLIGATORS

BARREL-HOUSE

BELLY FIDDLE

BOGIE MAN

CANARY

CATS

CHIEF RIDEMAN

CORN-ON-THE-COB

DOG HOUSE

EIGHTY-EIGHT (88)

GOBBLE PIPE

GROAN BOX

GRUNT HORN

GUT-BUCKET

HEPCAT

HOT MAN

ICKIES

IN THE GROOVE

IRON HORN

JAM SESSION

JITTERBUGS

JIVE

LICK

LONGHAIR

MONKEY HURDLER

MOTH BOX

OLD MAN

PAPER MEN

PLATTER

PLUMBING

RUG CUTTER

SCHMALTZ IT

SEND

SKIN BEATER

SLIVER SUCKER

SLUSH PUMP

SPOTS

SQUEAKER

SPOOK

SWING

TIN EARS

VOODOO BOILERS

WHACKY

WOODPILE

Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman, $125,000-a-year "King of Swing", now 28, chose to play a clarinet when he was 9, because it was so pretty. Conductor Leopold Stokowski calls him one of the world's best clarinetists.

Give Swing a Chance Says Benny Goodman

by Benny Goodman

There is one thing swing critics cannot combat. That is, that the public approves of swing. So why not give it a chance to prove it is not a flash in the pan, but the only really truly American music we have? Every other form of musical expression portrayed as a dance form originated abroad. Swing, as it is now being written and created, originates solely in the minds of musicians who think in the American way.

Some persons object to modernizing old songs into swing tempo. The answer is that swing is still young and needs nourishment.

To educate the people to enjoy original swing creations, we must feed them something they know of, can understand and enjoy because the melody is familiar.

The present day swing artist is a pioneer, creating something that in the future will become the popular expression of the day. So the next time you hear swing, just figure to yourself that you are in on the birth of something your grandchildren will some day take for granted in the same manner as you take opera today, and you will feel as I always do - awed.

Look Magazine, September 27, 1938

Caprice XXIV - Adapted from Paganini's Caprice No. 24 in A minor

Look Magazine: Swing Issue, September 27, 1938

I've gone on a bit of a magazine collecting spree lately, and here is one of the spoils - the Swing Issue of Look Magazine from 1938. I'll be posting some of the goodies in the days to come - you can learn some new jive-talk and dance moves!

The cuties on the cover are Rita Rio and Bill Furrow. Rita Rio was the bandleader for an all-girl swing band, and went on to have an acting career under the name Dona Drake (Rita Rio is also a stage name, her real name is Eunice Westmoreland!).

Here are a couple of clips of Rita performing - Enjoy!

Rita Rio & Her Orchestra - Feed the Kitty

Rita Rio - My Margarita

We're In The Money - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

Friends, I'll admit it. I almost forgot that I owed you a musical selection today! Theme weeks are going to be my downfall, I see that now. But my corsets are underway - as for patterns, I'm starting with the Mantua-Maker Regency Stays and the 1901 corset from Hunnisett's Period Costume for Stage and Screen (yes, I know I said 1912 and now I'm doing 1901. Phhbt.) Anyhoo, I'll post pics of the mockups when they're mocked!

I'm afraid that I have a disappointment for you - I wanted to post "Hooray for Hollywood" from Hollywood Hotel, featuring Johnny Scat Davis and the Benny Goodman Orchestra (as a marching band!), among others. But no one has thought this clip important enough to post on YouTube yet, so I'm afraid you'll have to haunt TCM for the movie. Perhaps my mom will help - back in the days of VHS, she haunted TCM for probably 6 months once, to record this movie for me! Ahh, the past was so much harder than life is today. Love that DVR.

Instead, here's another clip from my playlist that's straight from the soundtrack of a 30's musical. Ginger Rogers lights up the screen in the opening number of The Gold Diggers of 1933 (I believe this was her first big movie role?) - cute and sassy right from the start. And how fabulous is that mini fashion show sequence in the middle? I'll admit that I skip this track sometimes while driving, but the visuals improve the vocals considerably, don't you agree?

I think I may have found inspiration for next year's Halloween costume!

You're The Top - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

Here's a gem - a rare recording of the Great Cole Porter singing his own song, accompanied by himself. There's a true sense of zeitgeist in this tune - not only are the lyrics practically plucked from the newspaper headlines of the 30's, but his voice and tempo and staccato delivery simply can't be from any other era. 

I was thinking about doing a whole encyclopedic entry to explain the lyrics, but then I found this clip on YouTube that does the job far more elegantly than I would have.

"You're The Top" written and performed by Cole Porter (1934)

Wikipedia lists some of the alternate lyrics from over the years.

Ain't She Sweet - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

Jimmie Lunceford is one of my favorite bandleaders - he's the guy responsible for barnburners like "White Heat" and "Lunceford Special". There's a playful quality to his music, and this song is no exception.

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra (1939)

I wasn't joking when I said I like when the band sings, right? In case you weren't sure, according to the record label you should fox-trot to this song.

And just for fun, here's a couple other versions of this song.

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by Gene Austin (1927)

"Ain't She Sweet" recorded by The Beatles (1961)

Which version is your favorite?

Blue Skies - Vintage Lifestyle Playlist

When I'm in the mood for music, the playlist that I reach for most often is my Vintage Lifestyle playlist. These are the songs that, to me, most strongly evoke another era and take me back in time. The tracks tend to be a little scratchy, kind of heavy on the vocals, and are frequently slower than the tempos I like to dance to. But then, most tempos are slower that the ones I like to dance to.

This week I'm going to share a few of my favorite tunes with you - I hope you enjoy them!

"Blue Skies", performed by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with Frank Sinatra on vocals

Frank is great and all, but my favorite part is the band singing behind him. It's just enough Novelty. And the horns swing HARD after the vocal chorus, even though it's fairly slow. I'm gonna listen to it again. :)