Retro Music 63

~ beetleypete

Back to 1934. Seriously retro, and what for me was the golden age of Jazz. This version of a well-known song is from the Roy Fox Band, accompanied by some energetic tap-dancing ladies. Vocals are kept to a minumum, probably because the English accents don’t sound that good on a very American song.

Okay, here is a more familiar version from Duke Ellington (he wrote the song) and Ella Fitzgerald, shown on TV in 1965.

Call me partisan, but I prefer the tap-dancing version.

What good is melody, what good is music
If it ain’t possessin’ something sweet?
Nah, it ain’t the melody and it ain’t the music
There’s something else that makes this tune complete
Yes, it don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing
Well, it don’t mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It makes no difference if it’s sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Yes, it don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing
It don’t mean a thing, don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing, boy
I said, it don’t mean a thing, and all you gotta do is sing like
Nah, it makes no difference if it’s sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Don’t mean a thing, boy, if it ain’t that a swing
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Duke Ellington / Irving Mills
It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) lyrics © Sony/atv Harmony, Emi Mills Music Inc., Gotham Music Service Inc.

39 thoughts on “Retro Music 63”

    1. I know them well, John. My dad was a fan, and I used to have two of their vinyl albums in the late 1960s. Great to hear that your mum knew one of them.
      “You Always Hurt The One You Love” is a favourite song of mine.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      Reply
  9. Pingback: Retro Music 63 — beetleypete | Ned Hamson's Second Line View of the News

  16. I can appreciate both versions [although, like you, I’m not a great fan of the scat—when she goes into “flobbydob”, I’m outta there 😉 ]. The British version is a great period piece. Cheers, Jon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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