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Jump Jive and Wail? I Think I'll Just Wail
As we continue our stroll down memory lane, we take a look at the next subgenre to hit the big time...
Swing
Time of Popularity: 1998
Ripped off the musical stylings of: Big band. Basically it was ska for older or more "classy" kids.
Trademark sound: Swingin' piano and the sound of something you'd hear at your grandparents' house after the Perry Como record ended.
Most Successful Artists: Brian Setzer Orchestra, although there were a few other bands with lame names like "Big Bad Voodoo Daddy" that had overplayed singles as well.
Band with the most staying power: Mr. Setzer is still around, but if Brian Setzer records an album and no one buys it, does it make a sound?
Clothing: Surprise surprise, if you wanted to listen to the music of your grandparents, you had to wear something from their closet. You also had to sip martinis and take months of lessons to learn how to dance.
Long-term contribution to society: Following in the footsteps of ska, the swing craze gave us movies where disaffected teens would suddenly burst into choreographed swing dancing at their prom. It also proved that *every* style of music will eventually become popular again, no matter how drastically it seems to clash with all that the current generation seems to stand for.
The Last Word: Like a supernova, swing swiftly blazed into being and just as quickly flamed out. Unlike ska bands, who espoused the mantra of never "selling out", swing bands quickly cashed in on their new-found success. And as fast as marketers could make a Gap commercial with people swing dancing in their khakis (vintage khakis, I'm sure) to Brian Setzer, swing music disappeared from the airwaves. It'll be back in 2050.
Next time: Rap/rock "Nu-metal"
Comments
But it don't [sic] mean a thing if you ain't [sic] got that swing. [sic] of it I guess?
Posted by: rkc at February 22, 2005 9:03 AM
Our prom theme was "Swing! The Big Band Years." I can't begin to tell you how utterly lame that was. Even "Under the Stars" would have been cooler.
Posted by: Rachel at February 25, 2005 10:37 AM
I remember doing a show choir version of "Jump, Jive and Wail." Let me say that there were twice as many girls as guys so us "non-taught" swingers we on the sidelines trying to do something swingy, it was horrible! I love that song (I have for much longer than the start of that craze) but now whenever I hear that songI burst into the show choir choreography which looks more like disco dancing that swing. *ugh*
Posted by: Athene at February 25, 2005 1:25 PM
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