SwingDJs

Many swing songs speed up a few bpm from start to finish, but it's so little that people hardly notice. But other songs are quite extreme in that respect - and great fun! A good way to build energy.

Four Clefs - I Like Pie, I Like Cake (1939): starts at 145 bpm, is up to 175 half way through, and finishes at 182 or something like that. Was it intended that way when they recorded it or did they just get carried away?

Lionel Hampton - Jivin' with Jarvis (1940): starts at 170 and ends at 190.

More examples?

Derail: The Four Clefs' version of "I Like Pie, I Like Cake" has the most romantic use of the term "jelly roll" I've ever heard.

"Dark Eyes"
"Darktown Strutters Ball"
Some versions of "Stompin' at the Savoy"

Benny Goodman - Oh, Baby! from 1946 - great side - 2 sides actually - 12 inch Columbia 78 rpm - likely runs 8 minutes - Goodman Sextet and Goodman big band and Goodman singing - tempo picks up on side 2.

And which is the Hines side circa 1940 where he cuts the tempo at the end saying in the liner notes of the LP that the change was for dancers to walk off the floor gracefully.

And Ellington Dim and Cres In Blue picks up quite a bit as it moves along.

One other I always notice picks up in progress - ummmm - later.

"Daybreak Express" - Ellington

Hehehe...

Somebody just asked me this very question. A few more examples:

Fats Waller - Ain't Misbehavin'
Squirrel Nut Zippers - Prince Nez (No comments from the peanut gallery!)
Carmen McRae - Yesterdays - off of Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man. It starts at about 60 bpm, and doubles midway through

Many of the big Jimmy Dorsey vocal hits from the early 40s with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell have 2 changes of tempo in them.

They begin as ballads with Eberly, then the band goes in at a bright uptempo with a short solo by JD, then the tempo is cut a little bit to feature HO'C at a bouncy, groovey pace.

All time favorites!

GREEN EYES
AMAPOLA
BRAZIL
YOURS

and others.

Thanks for the tips. I was mainly thinking about songs that slowly increase their tempo as they progress. Found another good example:

Jimmie Lunceford - Harlem Shout (1936): starts at 190 and ends at 225.

Eyeball wrote: And Ellington Dim and Cres In Blue picks up quite a bit as it moves along.

Hmmm.... my Dim is steady as a metronome (well, almost), while Cres does pick up a few bmps.

anton wrote:Thanks for the tips. I was mainly thinking about songs that slowly increase their tempo as they progress. Found another good example:

Jimmie Lunceford - Harlem Shout (1936): starts at 190 and ends at 225.

Eyeball wrote: And Ellington Dim and Cres In Blue picks up quite a bit as it moves along.

Hmmm.... my Dim is steady as a metronome (well, almost), while Cres does pick up a few bmps.

Ya - I didn't get the chance to pinpoint the exact moment where the tempo increases but it is most likely during PG's solo.

how about any tune with earl hines' piano solos in them (or almost any song with some kind of a stride-ish piano solo for that matter)...

of course, that's not really a slow build over the whole song, but rather a pick up in speed over a chorus or so

/jonas