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Welcome to Glenn Robison’s Rapidly Rotating Records, bringing you vintage music to which you can’t not tap your toes, from rapidly rotating 78 RPM records of the 1920s and ’30s.
I’m not going to ask if you know who this artist is, because I imagine most everyone reading this does. Yup, he’s legendary opera lyric tenor Luciano Pavarotti. So why is he featured in this week’s playlist? And why is this called a “Tosca” edition of the show? Well, you’ll find out in the final segment and even hear Pavarotti sing an aria. I’ll also share a personal anecdote involving him!. But before that, we’ll celebrate the birthdays of L. Wolfe Gilbert and Chris Bouchillon. We’ll also have not one, but two Rapidly Rotating Records vocabulary lessons, playing records about egotists and neighbors. There’s lots of great music and interesting information so set aside an hour with your favorite beverage and prepare to be transported back to a different–and we think better–musical era. Just click the link above to listen streaming online and/or download for listening at your convenience.
THANKS FOR LISTENING! ENJOY THE SHOW!
Here’s the complete playlist:
Segment 1: Vaniloquent
I Love Me – Jack Haley
I’m The Guy – Billy Murray
If I Were You I’d Fall In Love With Me – Eddie Walters
Segment 2: L. Wolfe Gilbert
Waiting For The Robert E. Lee – Billy Cotton and His Band
Pig Latin (I yay Ove-lay Oo-yay Earie-Day) – Arthur Fields
Dance-O-Mania – Nonpariel Novelty Band
Segment 3: Voisinage
Neighbors – Van Eps Dance Orchestra / Howard Phillips, v.
Neighbors – Marie Cahill
Segment 4: Christ Bouchillon
Speed Maniac – Chris Bouchillon
Hannah – Chris Bouchillon
Chris Visits The Barber Ship – Chris Bouchillon
Segment 5: Avalon and Tosca
Aria: E lucevan le stelle from Tosca, Act III (Puccini) – Luciano Pavarotti
Avalon – Cab Calloway AHO / Cab Calloway, v.
Avalon Town – Arthur Ross and His Westerners (Lou Gold AHO) / Tom Frawley (Irving Kaufman), v.
Puccini? Not gonna buy it. They create different moods, owing to the position of the melodic pitches against the harmonic center. Rather than get technical, I’ll give an analogy (as my custom).
Consider the Italian words “chi sa?” and the Spanish word quizá. They’re both rendered in sounds we could write as “key-SAH”. But the Italian means “who knows?” while the Spanish means “maybe”. Because the identical sounds are cast in different languages, they have a different meaning.
In the same way, the pitches of Avalon and Lucevan are the same, but the way they relate to their respective harmonies creates a completely different affect (that’s ‘AFFect’*) in the ear of the listener.
So, I vociferously take issue with the court that found for Riccordi. They’re not the same. It’s clearly a case of big money and a rigged decision. Compare the situation to “He’s So Fine” vs “My Sweet Lord”. THOSE create the same neural sensations, and the Harrison composition is properly considered a plagiary, albeit inadvertent.
*It also creates a different effect (‘effECT’), but let’s not go down that rabbit hole right now.
THANK YOU, Alan, for taking the time to post and for your well-thought out and convincing argument. Clearly, Jolson, et.al. should have hired you as their counsel!