Liberace - Bumble Boogie

[Ptah]

[Chipper Chat]

1. we never missed Liberace'a TV show back in the 50s.

Of course we only got one channel which was WFBM channel 6 Indianapolis so we had to watch it. We had 3 generations living together and my grandma thought he was the greatest. She died before he came out. Not that it would have shocked her I'm sure.

[Lionel Mandrake]

2. Liberace had a dirty little secret.

No, not that.

His real secret was that, although a great showman, he was not the great pianist that his fans thought he was. Sure he had some chops, but his playing was not very expressive. When it comes to boogie-woogie, I'm tempted to say that he was too white. Liberace was to Pete Johnson as Elvis was to Big Mama Thornton. More on that later.

[Ptah]

3. Bumble Boogie/B.Bumble and the Stingers for the win!

[rurallib]

4. let's add a little dancing to that and.....

[backtoblue]

5. .

[Lionel Mandrake]

6. Here's some real boogie-woogie.

Pete Johnson was from Kansas City. Not surprisingly, he had feelings for the place. You can hear those feelings in his most original composition, which evolved through the years. Sometimes it's called Kaycee Feeling. Other times, Kaycee on my Mind. Like all great boogie-woogie, it has a certain sweetness.

[Lionel Mandrake]

7. The ending was cut off

because the piece went on for more than three minutes, which was the limit for a ten-inch 78 RPM record.

Here's a slightly later version of the same tune.

[Lionel Mandrake]

8. More on Elvis and Big Mama Thornton.

It's the same old story, but this time it's about the blues. I couldn't possibly tell it as well as these ladies do.

[Lionel Mandrake]

9. Everyone has heard Elvis's imitation.

Here's the original:

[MiltonBrown]

12. Hound Dog was written by two Jewish guys from New York City and Elvis'

version (as the ladies in the video posted above allude to) was copied from Las Vegas lounge act Freddy Bell and the Bellboys.

America's ethnic and racial diversity helped make American music so unique and great. Jewish guys, a large black woman, 1950s Vegas hipsters and Elvis combined to give us Hound Dog. God bless 'em all!

[Chipper Chat]

10. He took a lot of liberties with melodic lines and structure.

Also tempi were usually too fast. But...he was a showman.

[elleng]

11. Well he certainly was white!

[ashling]

13. We had a collie when I was a kid

my Dad called him Liberace

he said he was the peeinist dog he had ever seen