"Bye Bye Blackbird"
Advertisement in the May 5, 1926 Variety
Song
Published1926[1]
GenreJazz
Composer(s)Ray Henderson
Lyricist(s)Mort Dixon

"Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926[1] by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926.[2]

Song information

Popular recordings in 1926 were by Nick Lucas, Gene Austin, Benny Krueger, and by Leo Reisman.[3] It was the number 16 song of 1926 according to Pop Culture Madness.[4]

The song was featured in the 1955 movie musical Pete Kelly's Blues, sung by Peggy Lee in the role of alcoholic jazz singer Rose Hopkins.[5][6]

In "Goodbye Nkrumah" (1966) Beat poet Diane Di Prima asks:

And yet, where would we be without the American culture
Bye bye blackbird, as Miles plays it, in the ’50s[7]

In 1982, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) posthumously awarded John Coltrane a "Best Jazz Solo Performance" Grammy for the work on his album Bye Bye Blackbird.[8]

Recordings of the song often include only the chorus; the verses are far less known.[9]

Segregationists opposed to the American Civil Rights Movement, notably at the Selma to Montgomery marches, played the song over loudspeakers as a taunt.[10]

In 1968, Joe Cocker recorded a cover of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that was included on his 1969 album With A Little Help From My Friends. Allmusic reviewer Matthew Greenwald described it as a "Classic Pop Gospel Ballad".[11]

Tiny Tim recorded the song with Brave Combo on what would be his final recording,[12] the 1996 album Girl.[13]

In 2011, Paul McCartney recorded a cover of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that was included on his 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom.[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Zbikowski, Lawrence M. (2002). "5. Cultural Knowledge and Music Ontology". Conceptualizing Music: Constructive Structure, Theory, and Analysis. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 229. ISBN 0-19-514023-0. LCCN 2001058756.
  2. ↑ Mort Dixon. "Cover versions of Bye Bye Blackbird by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra – SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 482. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  4. ↑ Pop Music Hits of 1926 Song Chart Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine at popculturemadness.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Bye Bye Blackbird (1926)". JazzStandards.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bye Bye Blackbird by Peggy Lee with Orchestra directed by Harold Mooney". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  7. ↑ Di Prima, Diane. (1979). Revolutionary letters, etc., 1966–1978 (4th ed.). San Francisco: City Lights Books. ISBN 0872860590. OCLC 5886747.
  8. ↑ John Coltrane, The Official Site Archived 2015-12-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  9. ↑ "What are the rest of the lyrics to 'Bye, Bye, Blackbird?'", straightdope.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  10. ↑ Renata Adler (1965-04-10). "Letter from Selma". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Bye Bye Blackbird by Joe Cocker - Track Info | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  12. ↑ "RSD '22 Special Release: Tiny Tim & Brave Combo - Girl", Record Store Day, retrieved 2023-08-20
  13. ↑ "Tiny Tim With Brave Combo - Girl", Discogs, 1996, retrieved 2023-08-20
  14. ↑ "Paul McCartney – Kisses On The Bottom; Discogs" – via www.discogs.com.

Further reading

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