What's the worst swing song ever?

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Albert System · #16 Post by **Albert System** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:22 pm

If you really want to hear some bad bad bad msuic, check out the recording "Basie and Bing". Unbelievably bad recordings of the Basie band with Bing Crosby playing things like: "Put Your Hand in the Hand" and "Little Green apples" Amazing!

julius · #17 Post by **julius** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:33 pm

i hesitate to nominate this one because i know many DJs here have played it, but i think the yallopin' hounds cd with "oops my bad" on it is pretty atrocious.

sonofvu · #18 Post by **sonofvu** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 3:43 pm

RaleighRob wrote:Ella Fitzgerald - Sing Song Swing

It's not that the music is bad. It's actually kinda nice. Maybe it's just my asian half, but those words are just wrong.

Lyrics here

I have a cd with this song on it. It is one of the few Ella songs that I refuse to rip much less play.

Yakov · #19 Post by **Yakov** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 4:03 pm

you said song, not recording, so i'll reply in terms of song

i hate "frankie and johnnie," although it can sound good at a very fast tempo -- i have a recording of bunny berigan taking that tune at a 240 bpm clip, very nice.

but the worst song has to be "in the mood," a riff tune with an awful riff. i have an earl hines orchestra version of that song, and it klunks just as badly as the glenn miller version. that riff just happens to SUCK! it's funny to listen because the second they finish the "melody" chorus, hines and the boys completely abandon the melody and the main riff and just jam for another two minutes on the blues, sounding awesome as ever, and ending in a completely different place than they started

as remarked in the liner notes for ella's early decca sets, she got stuck with some pretty lame material during those chick and post-chick days...

Shanabanana · #20 Post by **Shanabanana** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 4:10 pm

julius wrote:i hesitate to nominate this one because i know many DJs here have played it, but i think the yallopin' hounds cd with "oops my bad" on it is pretty atrocious.

Hear, hear.

Shanabanana · #21 Post by **Shanabanana** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 4:11 pm

gatorgal wrote:Now, see, when I hear that song I start laughing like a pure grade idiot. Chicken noises are funny to me. But then again, I think Austin Powers is funny. But I digress...

If you heard Chicken In The Mood *every* time you went to a certain venue...for YEARS, you'd hate it with the power of one thousand suns.

For me, it's about three thousand suns.

Jerry_Jelinek · #22 Post by **Jerry_Jelinek** » Thu Apr 22, 2004 6:35 pm

This is VERY easy. Teresa Brewer has a 1980s swing tribute medley. Has electric bass playing walking bass lines, along with synthesized drums. OH IS IT PAINFULL!!!! I'll have to sample that and post it.

On the funny, but bad side, is Carmen Miranda doing Chattanooga Choo Choo. This arrangement is a latin swing style, but it is in spanish. Hilarious to listen to. The first time I hear it, I was driving my car and I literally had to pull over because I was laughing so hard I had tears. Very bad, but VERY funny.

LazyP · #23 Post by **LazyP** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 12:54 am

Yakov wrote: but the worst song has to be "in the mood," a riff tune with an awful riff. i have an earl hines orchestra version of that song, and it klunks just as badly as the glenn miller version. that riff just happens to SUCK!

Hear, hear!
I just hate in the mood. Any version...

djstarr · #24 Post by **djstarr** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 12:59 am

In the mood really does suck. There is a version by Teddy Wilson that is ok; there is another version that Travis and Soupbone play - earlier - perhaps Mound City Blue Blowers? This is tolerable, they somewhat ignore the riff.

Even the new Artie Shaw 1938 radio transcriptions version that I have sucks (every other tune is pretty solid!).

The other overplayed songs I hate are "Cement mixer - putty putty" by Slim and Slam; "Love me or Leave Me" by Nina Simone - who said the classical stuff in the middle swings?

mousethief · #25 Post by **mousethief** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:46 am

Any song where Bill Elliott's singers open their mouths.

(Someone else said that on Yehoodi - maybe JoJo?)

Kalman

gatorgal · #26 Post by **gatorgal** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 7:37 am

Shanabanana wrote:
gatorgal wrote:Now, see, when I hear that song I start laughing like a pure grade idiot. Chicken noises are funny to me. But then again, I think Austin Powers is funny. But I digress...
If you heard Chicken In The Mood *every* time you went to a certain venue...for YEARS, you'd hate it with the power of one thousand suns.

For me, it's about three thousand suns.

Okay... you got me there.

Tina

Jitters · #27 Post by **Jitters** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:22 am

Anything off of this:

I've never heard anyone play any of this at a dance thankfully, but the hot dog joint next to DePaul University where I go to school is owned by Chicago's manager and they always have it playing. The version of Sing Sing Sing is particularly deplorable.

mousethief · #28 Post by **mousethief** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:33 am

*must... kill...chicago.. big...band*

Kalman

Nate Dogg · #29 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:39 am

Jitters wrote:Anything off of this:

I've never heard anyone play any of this at a dance thankfully, but the hot dog joint next to DePaul University where I go to school is owned by Chicago's manager and they always have it playing. The version of Sing Sing Sing is particularly deplorable.

I have heard it played at dances, from a DJ from Chicago (who is not Lawrence Page). He played Sing, Sing, Sing, which is a collaboration with the Gipsy Kings.

That album is what it is, they took big band songs and made them sound like Chicago songs. The target audience was not swing music fans, it was Chicago fans. I give them credit for that much. Too often, when the rock stars try to do a swing/standards album, they take themselves too seriously (Rod Stewart) and it ends up being a weak addition to their catalog, as well as less than stellar versions of the songs they are paying tribute to.

I never considered it a swing album, it was just Chicago with better source material than normal. Rather than having one song that might song good on lite rock radio and a bunch of filler, they had standards instead of the filler. I guess it depends on how you view Chicago, if you dislike Chicago, you will probably hate that record.

In my next post, I will post show some examples of rock and pop artists who turned in weak standards/swing albums.

Nate Dogg · #30 Post by **Nate Dogg** » Fri Apr 23, 2004 8:41 am

Here we go, top of the list,

Ringo Starr, Sentimental Journey

Two albums that have sold very well, yet to hear a Lindy DJ play anything off this yet though. I have heard WCS DJs play songs from them.

Rod Stewart, Great American Songbook, Vol 1 and 2

David Lee Roth, Crazy From The Heat, featuring his cover of Louis Prima's "Just a Gigolo"

Taco, Puttin On the Ritz, as mentioned earlier, this one is so bad that is almost good. If all you have heard is the title track, wait till you hear the rest of the album. It is something else.