unicornmeat

From the Wikipedia Mandopop entry:

1930s-1940s: The Seven Great Singing Stars era

The original “Seven Great Singing Stars” of the Republic of China essentially paved the way for the industry. Their individual style was unique to any Chinese music before it. The young film industry benefited greatly with their acting and soundtrack roles. Zhou Xuan is generally considered the most remarkable Chinese popstar of the era due to her successful dual singing and film career. By the end of this generation, female singers went from “song girls” to “stars”. The era, however, would be short lived as Shanghai became occupied with the Second Sino-Japanese War and eventually World War II.

I’ve downloaded some compilations and tracks of these glamorous “1930s Shanghai Lounge Divas.” I’ve uploaded the 2nd CD from this one. I believe the first CD is just a bunch of “remixes for today,” which I am not too interested in.
This is uploaded into two zips because of megaupload restrictions.

Various Artists: Shanghai Lounge Divas
part 1
part 2

This is a piano-roll disc of “Scott Joplin’s New Rag,” on ebay. I wish it was a 78. I need to look and see if that song was ever recorded from a contemporary piano roll or on a 78. I have the version of Max Morath playing it and I like it a lot. I never learned any ragtime aside from The Entertainer. Outside of that it was all classical stuff, and I regret that. If I’d known about jazz when I was young enough to learn things I’d have learned to play it.
I was recording some songs with this guy Tim Kaye a few years ago and he had the sheet music for all of Scott Joplin’s songs, so I made him play it for me. And he did, because he can actually read music. Like.. look right at it and play it. There’s a lot of people in the world who can do that but I’ve only ever met a few and I envy them all.
If I could still learn things I’d learn “Scott Joplin’s New Rag.” But I’d also be happy to have an old scratchy record of it. No lovely clear tones recorded on a nice piano in the 1970s.
I like having things on 78 because all the best music is on 78rpm records. I’ve known this from the first time I noticed them being played, at the Circle Bar in New Orleans, around Christmas 2000 or 2001.
I finally found a few podcasts catering to my tastes. Unfortunately I don’t think most of them are still being updated.
I really like Shellac Stack but it hasn’t been updated in months and seems defunct. It’s good and always averages in the 45-50 minute range.
The Sound of 78s is about as good but its only about 20 minutes long.
The Antique Phonograph Music program on WFMU is over an hour but some of that hour is the beginning of the show after it. Plus, there’s not archives of the show except in RealAudio.

And now, an update on China Night. I noticed tonight that I have another record with the exact same song… sung in English. And the singer is “Grace Amemiya.” Searching her name turns up very little but it’s nice to know anyway. A friend commented that the song can be attributed to “Hamako something and the Columbia Orchestra.” These answers probably consolidate somehow.
It is with great regret that I warn you that the record is scratched. So I also put up the B-Side, a song which reminds me of an old Disney fairy tale cartoon.

Grace Amemiya
China Night
Apple Song
late 1940s – Nippon Columbia

??
China Night
Nippon Columbia

This one is from the same batch as Japanese Rumba way back when.
I can’t translate the artist but the song is called “China Night.” Internet searching gives me the impression that every American family stationed in Japan in the 50s had this record.
Turns out there’s even another blog about it.

Na Zisi E Nyfi Ki’O Gambros

“Bouzoukee music can rightfully be called Greek jazz.
Today, the bouzoukee bistros in new York, besides doing a roaring trade, boast a following of renowned aficionados. Among the sophisticated members of the bouzoukee cult are singer Tommy Sands, actress Sophia Loren, actor Dana Andrews, playwrights Tennessee Williams and William Inge not to mention socialites, college students and tourists from all corners of the world.
That is not to say, of course, that the Greek people, to whom this haunting and hypnotic music really belongs, aren’t among its most devoted camp followers. For on any night during the week, braving summer rains or winter snow storms, you’ll find youthful sailors from the just-harbored Hellenic ships, middle aged Greek business men with their wives, raucous old bachelors sitting back in their favorite bouzoukee clubs to revel in the rhythms of the bouzoukee.
“And what exactly is a bouzoukee?” the uninitiated ask.
A bouzoukee is a long-handled, gourd-shaped, handmade instrument that dates back to the long-gone days of the old Byzantium. Yet, it’s remained a favorite instrument in the Bohemian atmosphere of the open-air tavernas along the colorful waterfront of Piraeus in Greece, providing the musical background for solo dances of fishermen and mariners who oftentimes balance tumblers of drinking water or wine on their heads while twirling to the bouzoukee’s stirring music.
Now in New York, there’s bouzoukee music to please all tastes from sensuous tsiftetellis to mournful laments of lost loves to taxims (or solo improvisations) at the crowded bouzoukee hideaways in Manhattan’s fur district.
Usually seated on a rose-lighted bandstand at the far end of the nightclub, the bouzoukee player plucks the strings so effortlessly he’s likely not to call much attention to himself or to his instrument of handsome inlaid ebony wood with mother-of-pearl trim. Bouzoukee players sit; one never has an image of them at their feet. And, judging by the dozens I’ve known, they all affect black, bushy moustaches (all except young Yanni Tattasopoulos and Yanni Stamatiou whose bouzoukee is heard in this album) which accent their gold-capped teeth whenever they break into a smile.
While the bouzoukee is played, some youngish man with eyes dreamy from his drink of ouzo will step forward and snap his fingers as he begins tracing intricate, syncopated patterns on the hardwood dance floor. Sometimes he dances alone, sometimes with a male friend, occasionally with a girlfriend or wife.
With Nina’s latest “Bouzoukee Party” album, you can hear the outstanding music of Yanni Tattasopoulos and Yanni Stamatiou, two of Athens’ best bouzoukee players. Miss Poly Panou, renowned in Greek circles for her singing artistry, adds richness to the bouzoukee music with her earthy interpretations of a number of songs.
They are all accompanied by a lively orchestra. And with every spin of the turntable, this inimitable Greek jazz will fill you full of good-time partying spirit.”

Bouzoukee Nights

Japanese Rumba

I just got back from the post office, and I feel like I just got a huge breath of fresh air.
I bought some stupid stuff this week.
I’m not patient enough to scour yard sales very often. I always see the same 500 records at all of the thrift stores. Their junk jewerly is too expensive. The car trips are too expensive.
And so it is that I sometimes find myself on ebay buying the most pointless things.
This week it was 78s. Japanese 78s. For awhile now my feeble mind has been intrigued by the simple concept that America isn’t the only country with a history of recorded music.
I can’t count how many times I’ve put a record on my Califone and tried to imagine someone buying this record, hearing this song for the first time, hating it, returning it, or liking it, playing it over and over driving the neighbors crazy. I don’t know why recently, it is all of the sudden so much more exciting to imagine this taking place in some other country. I guess In my past life I didn’t travel much either.
I love this music. I’ve been playing these 8 sides, over and over again. There’s a “Japanese Rumba,” a Korean folk song, a song in English, and some 1930s Japanese pop songs. Every single one of them is thrilling to me.
Am I just getting off on the obscurity of it? Am I secretly thrilled that even less people care about this than all of my other records? I feel like I’d be too embarrassed to mention this interest in conversation. I’m writing this whole entry out of shame.
Blahhhh I’m really into listening to foreign 78 rpm records.
Please, just shut up, I bet you secretly listen to Ashlee Simpson.
Well yeah, I mean.. I do… but
I want to play these one more time. And I want to look for some Italian ones this time…