Sound Beat

It was supposed to be a big night for the crew of the USS Constitution. In December, 1812, the ship defeated His Majesty’s La Guerriere, and a ball was being held in their honor. Until that one-upping Stephen Decatur came busting in with news of his ship, the USS United States, and her victory over the Macedonian. He even brought the ship’s flag for first lady Dolly Madison. The band broke into a rendition of this song, “Hail Columbia”, recorded here by Walter Huston in 1947.

Philip Phile composed the piece for George Washington’s first inauguration in 1789. For much of the next century, it was the de facto national anthem. Today, you’ll hear it played as the Vice-President’s entrance song, like the JV version of Hail to the Chief.

Chances are you’ve sung this one all your life. It’s actually a British tune, poking fun at the unsophisticated American: one so foolish to think that simply sticking a feather “in his cap” would make one a…macaroni.

Finally the song makes sense… a macaroni was actually an outlandishly fashionable man, or, a dandy.

If you’ll indulge us, a bit of etymology. Doodle comes from the German, dudel or dodel, translated as “fool”.

In 1815, the British finally surrendered. In the spirit of good warsmanship, a group of British soldiers stationed at Lake Ontario welcomed the Americans to a dinner in their honor. The outrageously-trusting American troops accepted, crossing from their point in Sackets Harbor. They were greeted with the regiment band playing…this tune. You decide whether it was sarcastic or not.

The song had special meaning for John F. Kennedy and his daughter Caroline.

In many eyes, the War of 1812 was a continuation of the Revolution. At the time, Great Britain was doing battle with the French, and needed to stop trade between them and the Yanks, toot-sweet. The Royal Navy did this by “impressing” American sailors, forcing them into British service.

In spring of 1812, President James Madison declared war. The move pitted the young nation against the greatest Naval power in the world. But the Americans would win the first 5 battles against the British, the first time in history that the British would lose ships in single combat.

You’re listening to The Glory of The Yankee Navy, composed by John Philip Sousa, and performed by his Band in 1926.

Listen to more War of 1812 episodes right now at soundbeat.org

When John Steinbeck read the lyrics to Woody Guthrie’s Ballad of Tom Joad…well, we’ll let Anna tell it.

(Interview)

The two men admired each other greatly…fitting, then, that 2012’s Woody Guthrie Centennial celebration included an event with the National Steinbeck Festival.

And the Guthrie/Steinbeck collaborations don’t end there…

(Interview)

Talk about Dust Bowl Royalty.

Woody wrote this tune and his cousin Jack recorded it in 1945. It went to the top of the charts…a feat that a Woody Guthrie record never matched. But it’s Woody’s version, not Jack’s, that serves as Oklahoma’s state song.

Others have had success with Guthrie songs as well…

(Interview)

And, bet you weren’t thinking about Woody during “The Departed”…

(Interview)

Sound Beat is officially one year old today. We thought about celebrating with that OTHER song. But it just so happens that THAT SONG is one of the most famously-litigated songs in all of copyright law. That’s why you rarely hear it in films, and instead hear this one. “For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow” was recorded here by Tiny Hill and his Orchestra in 1939.

It should be stressed that Sound Beat is made possible by many men and women alike. A sincere thanks to all of them, and to all of the stations and listeners who have helped in our dual mission to entertain, and preserve historic recordings. For more on how we do this, click here right now. And thanks!

They’ve been celebrating the Mardi Gras in New Orleans for over 200 years, but the celebration goes waaaay back.

Mardi Gras falls on March 8th this year.  It originated as a 2nd Century Roman festival named the Lupercalia, which consisted of drinking, merriment, and debauchery… sound familiar? In the US, it’s all but inseparable from N’awlins, Louisiana, where they’ve been celebrating Fat Tuesday since the 1730s. You’re listening to “Way Down Yonder in New Orleans” by Jimmie Noone and his New Orleans band, released in 1936 .

Mardi Gras celebrations were cancelled during both World Wars.  But when Hurricane Katrina rocked the Big Easy in 2005, the party kept going. Harry Connick Jr. performed this song for NBC’s “A Concert for Hurricane Relief” that year.