Pandemic’s Box: 1
Don’t expect Pandemic’s Box to compare to the in-depth song breakdowns from Diallo Riddle and Luxxxury’s podcast One Song. There won’t be discussions of beats per minute, influences, or interpolations. Isolating the bass and drum tracks, guitar riffs, or vocals is beyond my expertise. And since I have no video editing skills and don’t want to risk copyright issues with music-related content posted on YouTube, we’re skipping the reaction videos and creating a low-key vibes situation on a low budget with lower expectations. Vibe with us. Listen along.
At the end of each song, I asked the kids:
Listen again? Or back in the box?
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The Night Watch
Jo Stafford
With Paul Weston and his orchestra
Music and Lyrics by Cindy Walker
Columbia Records 4-40559 (RZSP33487), 45 RPM
1955
Von’s random pick: “The Night Watch” by Jo Stafford
The listening began with a gaff—me, forgetting to toggle the selector from 33 to 45. The three of us looked at each other, surprised by what we were hearing. “The Night Watch” was slow. A little like a waltz. But not as slow as having the record playing on the wrong speed. Take two.
The kids expected Jo Stafford to be a man. Phoebe ruminated that the use of a traditionally masculine name was a way for Jo to hide her femininity in a man’s world. An interesting take, potentially stemming from an earlier conversation she and I had about female authors using their initials to be taken seriously by male readers. I was prepared because I had the record in hand, and Jo was not spelled with an “e”. Jo, no e, is usually the more feminine spelling. Maybe a little southern, too.
Phoebe: Older songs always sound like Christmas music.
Von: Yes! This reminds me of a Christmas-style of singing.
Me: Oh yeah? Why’s that?
Phoebe: The crackling of the record sounds like a fireplace.
Von: Exactly!
OK, so another interesting take, and I mentally prepared for all the songs in Pandemic’s Box, no matter the style, speed, or genre, to have a holiday undertone, according to Phoebe and Von. This skews things a bit.
Phoebe: This sounds like it could be in Wall-E.
Von: Yes! Like when Wall-E and Eve are dancing in space.
I recommend layering the muted movie clip with Jo Stafford singing. It totally works.
Listen again? Or back in the box?
Von: I wouldn’t want it on in the car, but at a family dinner or Thanksgiving, it would be OK.
Phoebe: I wouldn’t pick it, but I’d not put it back in the box. It’s OK to leave playing.
Me: Right? It has its time and its place.
The right time and place became a follow-up question to our keep or toss list. “The Night Watch” wasn’t inherently terrible. Nor was it awesome. Lovely lyrical moments and a simple lullaby quality made this a perfect background for a prayer circle, a funeral, or dancing a toddler to sleep while at grandma’s house. While a bit too religious for my taste, the message wasn’t heavy-handed, which I appreciated. I’d love to hear a rock and roll version, maybe something along the lines of “With a Little Help from My Friends”—the Joe Cocker version—because with a title like “The Night Watch,” something gritty could be cool.
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Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)
(From William Wyler’s “Friendly Persuasion”, an Allied Artists Film)
David Rose and his Orchestra
Composed by: Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster
Published by: Leo Feist, Inc. (ASCAP)
MGM Records K12336 (56-XY-169) Not for sale, special disc jockey record, 45 RPM
1956
Phoebe’s random pick: “Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)”
by David Rose and his Orchestra
Phoebe: What the?
Von: Hello! Wow!
Apologies, readers. I cannot find the David Rose and his Orchestra digital recording of this track. If you have Spotify or Amazon Music, you can find it here. A similar recording is linked above, but it is less … dramatic. From the small sampling of David Rose songs I listened to while scouring YouTube, he’s got a style—a bit of razzmatazz. The razzle-dazzle ebbed and flowed in this version, coming in just when I’d get bored.
Phoebe: At first, the big piano felt like the Nutcracker—theatrical, like when Herr Drosselmeyer swoops in. Also, I can picture Aurora, from Sleeping Beauty, dancing in the woods to “Once Upon a Dream”. It felt like it belonged there.
Von: It reminded me of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Phoebe: I can see that. Or something in black and white from the early days of animation, like Steamboat Willy.
Me: I picture a boat scene in a romance where the hero is slowly rowing, and his gal is looking at him all moony-eyed, neither trying to give away that they’d rock the boat to jump each other’s bones. Like a saucier “Kiss the Girl” from The Little Mermaid.
We all heard a film or animation score. And duh. Little did we know, this tune was from Friendly Persuasion (1956). The movie of the same name starred Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, and Anthony Perkins. The film was adapted from The Friendly Persuasion, a novel by Jessamyn West (1945) about a Quaker family from Southern Indiana whose pacifist beliefs were tested by the American Civil War. Southern Indiana. How serendipitous.
Listen again? Or back in the box?
Me: On the fence. It was fine. It had its moments.
Phoebe: I liked it. I’d find a reason to listen to it again.
Von: It feels like a short movie, just for this song.
Me: Is that good?
Von: Kind of. Not for a party or driving in the car, but I’d not stop it.
Me: Von, you’ve mentioned that neither song was a “driving in the car” song. Is there a speed or style of song you feel belongs in the car?
Von: Definitely.
Me: And this is not it.
Von: Nope.
Aside: I’m learning things about my kids.
There’s not much more to say about “Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love). Phoebe dug it. Von tolerated it. Remember that scene in Blast from the Past where Alicia Silverstone (Eve) gives Brendan Fraser (Adam) the epic side-eye for grooving too hard on Perry Como’s “Round and Round”? Wait for it! This is where it really takes off. David Rose’s “Friendly Persuasion” had a few moments where it really took off.
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Breakin' in the Blues
Tesresa Brewer
With orchestra directed by Jack Pleis
Written by Vaughn Horton
Coral Records, Inc. (A subsidiary of Decca Records) 9-60953 (45-83979), 45 RPM
1953
Maria’s random pick: “Breakin' in the Blues” by Teresa Brewer
Alright. Now we’re talkin’. The box isn’t a total snoozefest. Country blues with a Latin flair. And horns. I dig me some horns. I can’t say why I feel like there’s a Latin flavor, but there was something in Teresa’s high note phrasing that had a Richie Valens sound. The bridge changed tempo, got peppy with a Big Band swing element, and then slid right back into the blues. The standard big blues finish, and formulaic wind down wrapped it up in a tidy blues bow.
Halfway through the song, the kids started fighting. Not fighting fighting. But you know, getting on each other’s nerves. Von poked Phoebe with his toes, leading to smacking back and forth. Fun times.
Me: Were you two even listening?
Phoebe: Yes, because I can multitask. I was listening and annoying him.
Von: Her favorite thing to do.
Phoebe: True.
Me: Knock it off, you two. (The smacking resumed as Von poked his sister with his gnarly toes again. Sigh.)
We may need to switch seats next time. Three songs may be too many for short attention spans. Or I need a spray bottle to squirt them like cats.
Listen again? Or back in the box?
Von: Listen again. There were good-time party vibes.
Me: Would you listen to it in the car?
Von: Yes. And I’d put it on in my headphones.
Me: High praise if it makes it into your private listening space.
Phoebe: I’d actively put it on and listen to it again, but “Friendly Persuasion” was my favorite of these three.
Me: “Breakin’ in the Blues” gets my vote for best of these three.
Von: Same.
Conclusion
The selections ran the gamut in genre, style, and theme: religious, film score, and country pop blues, which provides hope for the rest of Pandemic’s Box having an eclectic mix. A whole basket of “The Night Watch” would make this adventure less than awesome. I won’t be taking it to the streets to tell folks about the hidden gems discovered this round, but I enjoyed aspects of all three songs. I learned I need to ask Von’s opinion first. While I do think he and Phoebe had similar reactions, he’s not yet articulate enough to parse, own, or commit to his thoughts, and he parrots his sister, seeking approval for his opinion. Maybe he’ll grow into his thoughts as we progress. Stay tuned.
Were any of the song selections familiar or a favorite? Which songs would you listen to again or put back in the box? Comment below.
