Kate Smith is no longer a beloved American figure – IOTW Report

Kate Smith is no longer a beloved American figure

Friday, 19 April 2019, 13:46 BFH Uncategorized 20

The Yankees and the Flyers will no longer play Kate Smith’s God Bless America.

YT-

Reached U.S. Billboard Charts #12 – 1931 (3 weeks) – That’s Why Darkies Were Born was a popular song written by Ray Henderson and Lew Brown. It originated in George White’s Scandals of 1931. It was most famously recorded by Kate Smith, whose rendition was a hit in 1931, and by Paul Robeson.

It was also featured in a 1931 all-star recording of a medley of songs from George White’s Scandals, where it was sung by Frank Munn on Brunswick and just as famously part of Paul Whiteman medley sung by Mildred Bailey on Victor.

The song is referenced in: The Marx Brothers film Duck Soup, when Groucho Marx’s character Rufus T. Firefly says, “My father was a little headstrong, my mother was a little armstrong. The Headstrongs married the Armstrongs, and that’s why darkies were born.”

Gordon and Revel’s satirical song “Underneath The Harlem Moon”, recorded by Don Redman in 1932 and by Randy Newman in 1970, explains: “They just live for dancing, They’re never blue or forlorn, Ain’t no sin to laugh or grin, That’s why darkies were born.”

Lyrics: Someone had to pick the cotton, Someone had to plant the corn, Someone had to slave and be able to sing, That’s why darkies were born; Someone had to laugh at trouble, Though he was tired and worn, Had to be contented with any old thing, That’s why darkies were born; Sing, sing, sing when you’re weary and Sing when you’re blue, Sing, sing, that’s what you taught All the white folks to do; Someone had to fight the Devil, Shout about Gabriel’s Horn, Someone had to stoke the train That would bring God’s children to green pastures, That’s why darkies were born.

20 Comments on Kate Smith is no longer a beloved American figure

  8. While growing up, I never liked her fast vibrato (or her face, let alone imagining her immense bulk) so I never listened much. Other than that, regarding the Left’s rage about the past use of colloquialisms, I’m tired of it.

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  9. I lost all interest in football when Kaepernick became its political leader, and now I find that I’m losing all interest in baseball as well.

    When sports teams become political parties in themselves, I no longer wish to honor them by following their sport.

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  11. Here’s another song featuring “darkies”.

    “Darktown Strutters’ Ball” is a popular song by Shelton Brooks, published in 1917. The song has been recorded many times and is considered a popular and jazz standard. There are many variations of the title, including “At the Darktown Strutters’ Ball”, “The Darktown Strutters’ Ball”, and just “Strutters’ Ball”.

    Shelton Brooks was a black composer.

    …here are more recorded versions of the song: Al Jolson 1917, Ted Lewis 1927, Chick Webb 1934, The Boswell Sisters 1934, Louis Prima 1935, Hoosier Hotshots 1935, Ted Heath 1935, Bob Wills 1936, Ella Fitzgerald 1936, Phil Harris 1937, Jimmy Dorsey 1938, Russ Morgan 1939, Fats Waller 1939, Paul Whiteman 1939, Benny Goodman 1942, Betty Grable 1945 (in “the Dolly Sisters”), Merle Travis (UNK issued 1995), Chet Atkins & Hank Snow 1947, Hoagy Carmichael 1950, “Tom and Jerry” 1950 (in a cartoon), Ray Anthony 1950, Django Reinhardt 1950, Pee Wee Hunt 1951, Guy Lombardo 1952/1955, Dean Martin 1953, Bing Crosby 1953 (in French and English in “Little Boy Lost”), Les Paul 1953, Larry Clinton 1954, Dukes of Dixieland 1956, Frances Faye 1956, The Platters 1957, Fats Domino 1958, Julie London 1959, Al Hirt 1959, Lawrence Welk 1962, Background singers in Japanese on 1st episode of “M*A*S*H*” 1971, Pete Fountain 1972, Robert Redford 1984 (in “The Natural”), Pete Seeger 1990, Ricky Skaggs 1997. Wikipedia.

    I identify at least 4 Black musicians or groups that have recorded the song.

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  12. Tim Buktu, good historical reference, especially about Blacks who were successful entertainers.

    Although the historical data presented here appears authentic, such information cannot be trusted in this day of expert fakery. But even if Kate Smith is dumped,
    why not have the song sung by someone else? Because the Commies don’t want the song sung at all.

    Voice Cloning – Software
    Recreates Voices Of Living & Dead
    By Lisa Guernsey
    New York Times
    8-1-1
    AT&T Labs will start selling speech software that it says is so good at reproducing the sounds, inflections and intonations of a human voice that it can re-create voices and even bring the voices of long-dead celebrities back to life.
    The software, which turns printed text into synthesized speech, makes it possible for a company to use recordings
    of a person’s voice to utter new things that the person never said.
    https://rense.com/general12/ld.htm

    Speech Synthesizer Could ‘Resurrect’ Dead Singers
    https://www.wired.com/2011/12/ueki-loid-speech-synthesizer/

    A.I. creates some of the most realistic computer-generated images of people yet
    Digital Trends
    Hillary Grigonis
    Digital TrendsOctober 30, 2017
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/celebrity-photos-aren-t-real-205836726.html

  13. Is outlawing Mr. Bojangles by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band next as well as That’s What I like About The South by Phil Harris and any rendition of Dixie or The Battle Hymn Of The Republic etc. etc. next to be axed and shit canned down the memory hole.

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  18. This is why I love IOTW! It’s so informative.
    Never knew back in the day, Kate Smith was as tolerate as Wanda Sykes is today.
    And that in the 70’s Randy Newman did that thing, thought he only hated dwarfs, never ever letting on about his retardation/tourette syndrome issues.
    Must personally admit, being forced to listen to ‘God Bless America’ M-F at noon at work got old.
    MJA, not to the point of being a hater, however no thanks for the offer (color choice) or otherwise that is.

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  19. Sports to me has become an overdone PC potato. I may check scores from time to time, but that’s it. I have fond memories of Micky Mantle, Willie Mays, and Gordie Howe. That will have to do.

    I don’t even like how modern baseball players drag their goddam trouser leg bottoms on the ground, letting them get all dirty. They used to have socks up to the mid-calf. I don’t see anything wrong with old traditions in sports and especially in baseball. Baseball should retain its traditions.

  20. Nobody seems to give a sh!t about this Titanic singer any more.

    Maybe it’s her rendition of Pickaniggy Heaven that turns folks off to this thread. Personally, I find it a charmingly amusing ear worm.

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