Popular Music of the Depression and New Deal

Frank da Cruz
fdc@columbia.edu
27 July 2017
A selection that aims to cover the kinds of music that were “in the air” in NYC between 1929 and 1943. The ones marked WWII have a sentimental or inspirational wartime theme. Items marked with * are especially noteworthy. Hit positions are from Wikipedia “year in music” pages. You can sort on any column by clicking on the column heading one or twice. In the Notes column, an underlined phrase in italics is the name of the film where the song premiered. The Video column links to a copy of the song at Youtube or elsewhere. Videos can disappear at any time, or have ads added, and the quality and volume can vary.

[Also see Oval Park 80th Anniversary CDs]

Year  Artist  Song  Notes  Video
1929 Bessie Smith Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out Youtube
1930 Ben Selvin Orchestra Happy Days Are Here Again FDR's campaign song in 1932 Youtube
1931 Alfredo Brito Orquesta Siboney Youtube
1932 Belle Baker A Shanty in Old Shanty Town Youtube
1932 Bing Crosby Brother Can You Spare A Dime #4 hit of 1932 Youtube
1932 Duke Ellington Orchestra w/ Ivie Anderson It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing #3 hit of 1932 Youtube
1932 The Spirits of Rhythm I Got Rhythm Youtube
1933 Billie Holiday w/ Benny Goodman Your Mother's Son In Law Billie Holiday's first recording session Youtube
1933 Billie Holiday w/ Benny Goodman Riffin the Scotch Billie Holiday's first recording session Youtube
1933 Duke Ellington Orchestra Sophisticated Lady Youtube
1933 Etta Moten The Carioca Flying Down to Rio Youtube *
1933 Joan Blondell and Etta Moten My Forgotten Man Gold Diggers of 1933 Youtube *
1933 Ginger Rogers We're In The Money Gold Diggers of 1933 Youtube
1933 Xavier Cugat w/ Carmen Castillo Caminito Youtube
1934 Benny Goodman Moon Glow #1 hit of 1934 Youtube
1934 Cab Calloway (medley) Hi De Ho Youtube
1934 Cab Calloway Jitter Bug Youtube
1934 Chick Webb Orchestra Stompin at the Savoy Youtube
1934 Fats Waller Honeysuckle Rose Youtube
1934 Ginger Rogers The Continental #3 hit of 1934; The Gay Divorcee Youtube
1934 Jimmy Durante Inka Dinka Doo Palooka Youtube
1935 Bill Robinson and Shirley Temple (medley) The Little Colonel Youtube
1935 Cleo Brown Quartet Boogie Woogie Youtube
1935 Cleo Brown Quartet Breakin in a New Pair of Shoes Youtube
1935 Cleo Brown Quartet When Hollywood Goes Black & Tan Youtube
1935 Fats Waller It's a Sin to Tell a Lie Youtube
1935 Fred Astaire Cheek to Cheek #1 hit of 1935; Top Hat Youtube
1935 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers The Piccolino Top Hat Youtube
1935 Gumm Sisters (Judy Garland) La Cucaracha Youtube
1935 Shirley Temple Good Ship Lollipop #3 hit of 1935; Bright Eyes Youtube
1935 Billie Holiday w/ Teddy Wilson I Wished on the Moon Youtube
1935 Billie Holiday w/ Teddy Wilson Miss Brown to You Youtube
1935 Billie Holiday w/ Teddy Wilson What A Little Moonlight Can Do Youtube
1936 Billie Holiday w/ Lester Young I Can't Get Started with You Youtube
1936 Billie Holiday w/ Artie Shaw Summertime #3 hit of 1936 Youtube
1936 Bing Crosby Pennies from Heaven #1 hit of 1936; Pennies from Heaven Youtube
1936 Cab Calloway Copper Colored Gal Youtube
1936 Cab Calloway Mr. Toscanini Swing for Minnie Youtube
1936 Chick Webb Orchestra Go Harlem Youtube
1936 Ella Fitzgerald w/ Chick Webb Orchestra You'll Have to Swing It a.k.a Mr. Paganini Youtube
1936 Ella Fitzgerald w/ Chick Webb Orchestra When I Get Low I Get High Youtube
1936 Django Reinhardt Django's Tiger Quintette du Hot Club de France Youtube
1936 Django Reinhardt Lady Be Good Quintette du Hot Club de France Youtube
1936 Django Reinhardt I Can't Give You Anything but Love Quintette du Hot Club de France Youtube
1936 Martha Raye Mr. Paganini Rhythm on the Range Youtube
1936 Mary Lou Williams and The Twelve Clouds of Joy Walkin and Swingin Youtube
1937 Septeto Anacaona Bésame Aquí (see photo) Youtube *
1937 Septeto Anacaona Algo Bueno Youtube *
1937 Benny Goodman Sing Sing Sing #1 hit of 1937 Youtube *
1937 Billie Holiday w/ Count Basie Swing Brother Swing Youtube
1937 Billie Holiday w/ Teddy Wilson These Foolish Things Youtube
1937 Count Basie Orchestra One O'Clock Jump #2 hit of 1937 Youtube
1937 Django Reinhardt In a Sentimental Mood Quintette du Hot Club de France Youtube
1937 Duke Ellington Orchestra Caravan #5 hit of 1937 Youtube
1937 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers A Fine Romance Swing Time Youtube
1937 Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers Let's Call the Whole Thing Off Shall We Dance Youtube
1938 Andrews Sisters Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen #4 hit of 1938 Youtube
1938 Benny Goodman Sing Sing Sing Carnegie Hall Concert version (13 min) Youtube *
1938 Ella Fitzgerald w/ Chick Webb Orchestra A Tisket a Tasket Youtube
1938 Ella Fitzgerald w/ Chick Webb Orchestra Franklin D Roosevelt Jones Youtube *
1938 Snow White Whistle While You Work #3 hit of 1938; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Youtube
1939 Coleman Hawkins Body and Soul Youtube
1939 Duke Ellington Orchestra Take the A Train Youtube
1939 Eleanor Rodríguez Bolero Sentimental About the Depression in Puerto Rico Youtube
1939 Fats Waller Your Feets Too Big Youtube
1939 Frank Sinatra w/ Harry James Orchestra All or Nothing at All Youtube
1939 Ink Spots If I Didn't Care The 10th best sellling single of all time Youtube
1939 Judy Garland Somewhere Over the Rainbow #1 hit of 1939; The Wizard of Oz Youtube
1939 Marlene Dietrich Falling in Love Again The Blue Angel Youtube
1939 MGM Orchestra Tara's Theme Gone with the Wind Youtube
1939 Vera Lynn We'll Meet Again WWII Youtube
1939 Will Glahé WPA Polka Youtube
1940 Billie Holiday and her Orchestra Body and Soul Youtube
1940 Frank Sinatra I'll Be Seeing You Youtube
1940 Frank Sinatra Once in a While Youtube
1940 Glenn Miller In the Mood #1 hit of 1940 Youtube
1940 Ink Spots We Three Youtube
1940 Xavier Cugat Orchestra Perfidia Youtube
1941 Andrews Sisters Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy WWII; Buck Privates Youtube
1941 Andrews Sisters Gimme Some Skin My Friend WWII; In the Navy Youtube
1941 Anita O'Day w/ Gene Krupa Let Me Off Uptown With Roy Eldredge Youtube *
1941 Anita O'Day w/ Gene Krupa Skylark Youtube *
1941 Helen Forrest / Benny Goodman Smoke Gets in Your Eyes Youtube
1941 Peggy Lee w/ Benny Goodman Elmer's Tune Youtube
1941 Peggy Lee w/ Benny Goodman Sunny Side of the Street Youtube
1941 Peggy Lee w/ Benny Goodman Why Don't You Do Right Youtube
1941 Billie Holiday and her Orchestra I Cover the Waterfront Youtube
1941 Billie Holiday w/ Eddie Heywood God Bless the Child #5 hit of 1941 Youtube
1941 The Crows When I See an Elephant Fly Dumbo Youtube
1941 Fats Waller The Joint is Jumpin' Youtube
1941 Glenn Miller Chattanooga Choo Choo #1 hit of 1941 Youtube
1941 Ink Spots Java Jive Youtube
1941 Martha Tilton A Little Jive Is Good For You Youtube
1941 Vera Lynn White Cliffs of Dover WWII Youtube
1942 Andrews Sisters Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree WWII; Private Buckaroo Youtube
1942 Andrews Sisters Six Jerks in a Jeep WWII; Private Buckaroo Youtube
1942 Anita O'Day w/ Gene Krupa Harlem on Parade WWII Youtube *
1942 Peggy Lee w/ Benny Goodman I Threw a Kiss in Ocean WWII Youtube
1942 Ella Mae Morse w/ Freddie Slack Orchestra Cow Cow Boogie Ride 'Em Cowboy Youtube
1942 Ella Mae Morse w/ Freddie Slack Orchestra Mister Five by Five Off the Beaten Track Youtube
1942 Fats Waller Ain't Misbehavin' Youtube
1942 Frank Sinatra Night and Day Youtube
1942 Glenn Miller Kalamazoo #3 hit of 1942 Youtube
1942 Lionel Hampton Flying Home Youtube
1942 Machito and his Afro Cubans Tanga Youtube
1942 Martha Raye, Carol Landis, Mitzi Mayfair SNAFU WWII Youtube
1942 Spike Jones Der Fuehrer's Face WWII Youtube
1942 Sy Oliver Well Git It Youtube
1943 Andrews Sisters Here Comes the Navy WWII; How's About It? Youtube
1943 Cab Calloway, Nicholas Brothers Jumpin Jive Stormy Weather Youtube
1943 Ella Mae Morse w/ Freddie Slack Orchestra Milkman Keep Those Bottles Quiet WWII Youtube
1943 Ella Mae Morse w/ Dick Walters Orchestra Shoo Shoo Baby WWII; Three Cheers for the Boys Youtube
1943 Lena Horne Stormy Weather Stormy Weather Youtube
1943 Xavier Cugat Orchestra Brazil Youtube

Bonus videos...

1938 Carnival of Swing, Randall's Island, May 29, 1938 (world's first jazz festival)
1945 Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the Mouse from Anchors Aweigh
1947 The Blues are Brewing, Billie Holiday w/ Louis Armstrong (film)
1962 Полюшко Поле (Meadowlands), Benny Goodman in Moscow, a tribute to our WWII allies.
2004 Swing Girls
2012 Clips of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers synchronized with Benny Goodman's Sing Sing Sing (by O Zamanlar)

Tue Sep 5 08:45:08 2017