Rockin' Chair (1929 song)

"Rockin' Chair" is a 1929 popular song with lyrics and music composed by Hoagy Carmichael. Musically it is unconventional, as after the B section when most popular songs return to A, this song has an A-B-C-A1 structure. Carmichael recorded the song in 1929, 1930, and 1956. Mildred Bailey made it famous by using it as her theme song.[1] Like other 1920s standards, "Rockin' Chair" relied on the stereotypes of minstrelsy, citing "Aunt Harriet" from the anti-Uncle Tom song "Aunt Harriet Becha Stowe" (1853).[2]

The song was first recorded on February 19, 1929 by Hoagy Carmichael as a test for Victor Records, but not released at the time. This recording was later released on the Historical label as HLA-37. This version is sung by only one vocalist. Hoagy Carmichael and his Orchestra recorded a new version on May 21, 1930 featuring Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. This second version is with two vocalists (Carmichael and Irving Brodsky) and was released on Victor Records as V-38139B.[3] Louis Armstrong recorded it with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals on December 13, 1929 at Okeh studios after the stock market crashed, giving a badly needed boost to Carmichael's finances. The recording was released as Okeh 8756 in 1930 and became popular in 1932. The song utilises "call and response" to create a dialog between an aged father and his son. Armstrong performed and recorded "Rockin' Chair" numerous times in his career with his trombonist Jack Teagarden.[4] Armstrong's recording history with the song includes a recording from as late as 1971.[5]

Mildred Bailey first recorded the song on August 18, 1932 for Bluebird Records (catalog No. 6945),[6] and later for Vocalion Records (catalog No. 3553). The latter recording was a hit in 1937.[7] She became known as The Rockin' Chair Lady. Other popular versions in 1932 were by The Mills Brothers, and by Louis Armstrong with Hoagy Carmichael.[8]

Other versions

See also

References
  1. Wilder, Alec (1990). American Popular Song: The Great Innovators 1900-1950. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 374–375. ISBN 0-19-501445-6.
  2. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  3. Evans, Philip R. (1998). The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story. Bakersfield, California: Prelike Press. p. 503. ISBN 0-9665448-0-3.
  4. 80 Years of Rockin' Chair: http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2009/12/80-years-of-rockin-chair.html Archived 2016-05-19 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Brothers, Thomas (2014). Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. pp. 362–63. ISBN 978-0-393-06582-4.
  6. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 41. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 572. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  9. "Paul Robeson Discography". cpsr.cs.uchicago.edu/robeson. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  10. "Jo Stafford Discography" (PDF). collections.music.arizona.edu. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  11. "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  12. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  13. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  14. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  15. Ed Townsend, New in Town Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  16. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  17. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
  18. https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/138873


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