Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
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Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
I just happened to notice that the melody of 'Callin' Your Bluff' by the Mills Blue Rhythm Band is almost identical to that of 'A Swingy Little Rhythm' by Erskine Hawkins. They were both recorded in the fall of 1936, Hawkins's version two months before MBRB's. 'A Swingy Little Rhythm' is credited to Erskine Hawkins and William Johnson, but I unfortunately don't have the songwriting credits for 'Callin' Your Bluff'. Could someone who owns the CD enlighten me? (If it in fact was a theft - I wonder who stole the song from whom...?)
Re: Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
This is most unhelpful (I got the MBRB CD off emusic, so I don't have the credits, either), but my discography does give the arranger as Billy Kyle. Also, I don't have the Hawkins track, but I did run across the Robicheaux one from '33 "Swingy Little Thingy". Now that one sounds eerily similar, too...
All this damn' swing music is just all the same. Next time I'm DJ'ing, I'm just hitting repeat on any one track for the entire night and seeing if anyone notices.
All this damn' swing music is just all the same. Next time I'm DJ'ing, I'm just hitting repeat on any one track for the entire night and seeing if anyone notices.
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dancin_hanson
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- Location: Durham, NC
Re: Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
Awesome.lipi wrote:All this damn' swing music is just all the same. Next time I'm DJ'ing, I'm just hitting repeat on any one track for the entire night and seeing if anyone notices.
Hahaha the copycatting gets worse!
Barrelhouse (on the same 36-37 Classics CD as Bluff) uses the same riff as Jive At Five, recorded in '39. (Who's copying who - I'm getting muddled up myself here).
Billy Kyle had just come in and replaced Edgar Hayes. He's credited as the arranger on the New York recording of November 20, 1936 of Callin' Your Bluff for the MBRB.
Barrelhouse (on the same 36-37 Classics CD as Bluff) uses the same riff as Jive At Five, recorded in '39. (Who's copying who - I'm getting muddled up myself here).
Billy Kyle had just come in and replaced Edgar Hayes. He's credited as the arranger on the New York recording of November 20, 1936 of Callin' Your Bluff for the MBRB.
It don't matter if your clock is broke - it's the right time somewhere : Slim Gaillard
Re: Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
Can't give a conclusive answer to this, but the liner notes for the Hawkins 36-38 Classics CD says "Another speciality of the Hawkins Orchestra, accurate imitations of famous hits by other bands...."anton wrote:(If it in fact was a theft - I wonder who stole the song from whom...?)
It don't matter if your clock is broke - it's the right time somewhere : Slim Gaillard
Re: Callin' Your Bluff = A Swingy Little Rhythm?
Cool!dancin_hanson wrote: BTW, The John Kirby Orchestra's song "Andiology" (find it on jazz-on-line.com) is also identical to Callin' Your Bluff. THAT one is credited to John Kirby and Charlie Shavers.
Cool! Barrelhouse was arranged by Tab Smith, who later joined Count Basie (but not until 1940). Jive at Five was arranged by Harry "Sweets" Edison, who also played with the MBRB (but not before 1937). Muddled up is the word here!CountBasi wrote: Barrelhouse (on the same 36-37 Classics CD as Bluff) uses the same riff as Jive At Five, recorded in '39. (Who's copying who - I'm getting muddled up myself here).
Maybe the title 'Callin' Your Bluff' was intended as a message to Erskine Hawkins??CountBasi wrote:Can't give a conclusive answer to this, but the liner notes for the Hawkins 36-38 Classics CD says "Another speciality of the Hawkins Orchestra, accurate imitations of famous hits by other bands...."anton wrote:(If it in fact was a theft - I wonder who stole the song from whom...?)