Fun fact, in 1934, a teenage Ella Fitzgerald won the Apollo Theater amateur contest by singing a Connee Boswell song. Ella later said in interviews that Connee Boswell was the only singer who influenced her, saying “I tried to sing like her all the time...Connee was doing things that no one else was doing at the time.” On many of her early recordings with the Chick Webb band, Fitzgerald sounds uncannily like Connee Boswell.
@@garymickus6412 Quite true. According to Inflooenz, the music lineage guide, Connee Boswell was influenced by Al Jolson, Bessie Smith, Bix Beiderbecke, Ethel Waters, Hoagy Carmichael, Jack Teagarden, and Louis Armstrong. According to Lindy Hop SG, Connie Boswell had shared in many interviews that she was greatly influenced by the African American singers, Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith (no relation), from whom she took away a bluesy style. Another inspiration of hers was Louis Armstrong; she learned jazz phrasing from him. As the Boswell Sisters' older brother Clydie began breaking away from classical music to study jazz, he introduced his sisters to the syncopated style and to many of the young jazz players in New Orleans. Leon Roppolo (clarinet, guitar), Monk Hazel (drums, cornet), Pinky Vidacovich (clarinet, saxophone), Nappy Lamare (guitar, banjo), Ray Bauduc (tuba, vocals), Dan LeBlanc (tuba), Leon Prima (trumpet), Louis Prima (trumpet, vocals), Wingy Manone (trumpet, vocals), Al Gallodoro (clarinet, saxophone), Chink Martin (bass, tuba, guitar), Santo Pecora (trombone), Raymond Burke (clarinet, saxophone), and Tony Parenti (clarinet, saxophone) were regular guests at the Boswell home. Norman Brownlee and his band were also regular participants in musical evenings at the Boswell home. Reportedly, father A.C. Boswell tried unsuccessfully to limit these visits to just one night per week-with little success. The sisters were particularly influenced by Brownlee's cornetist Emmett Louis Hardy, another friend of Clydie, whose well-documented talent and skill helped shape the sisters' knowledge of jazz harmony, syncopation, and improvisation.
They were wildly innovative!! The sounds they created was so interesting to listen to. Quick, bluesy, little scat, blending of voices are all so happy to listen to.💕💕💕
Connie Boswell and her siblings added some spice to the music scene during some of the darkest times in American history -- The Great Depression. The Boswell Sisters used their voices to mimic musical instruments. The Sisters were wonderfully decadent (love 'em)! Their singing and music remind me of some of those old Vitaphone (Warner Bros) cartoons. The Mills Brothers did the same thing with their voices. Earlier today, I listened to some Thomas "Fats" Waller. That guy was an amazing pianist. He made his songs whimsical -- lots of fun. "Ain't Misbehavin'" is my fave by Fats Waller. Fats was reputedly kidnapped by Al Capone to play at a party that Capone was giving. Thanks again, FIL, for giving us a look back at a very interesting portion of The Great American Songbook from the early 1930s. I'm one of those, "Crazy People." That's what keeps me sane in this insane world. The singing and music of The Boswell Sisters and The Andrews Sisters are the "time machine" we need in 2023. Cheers. -- W
I have never heard of the Boswell sisters, but they are great and their voices blend beautifully together. Music is definitely uplifting no matter what mood you're in. Congrats on getting 310k subscribers on your channel! Rock!
@@wingsofpegasus Wrong answer! The only hellraiser was maybe Frank Sinatra and Les Paul in the 1930s. It's just as wrong to say Renaissance musicians were the pop musicians of their day. BTW, Paul is still dead!
For being hellraisers, these girls looked and sounded like angels. Snazzy and sassy angels at that. I bet my grandpa liked them! And their voices are absolutely beautiful. I can see them picking up that jazzy style, just by living in New Orleans. If I had been alive, I definitely would have been watching them in a speakeasy, having a couple of drinks and toasting them and Prohibition. Thanks, Fil, for finding this gem and for your excellent analysis.
Delighted to find you shining the spotlight on the revolutionary Boswell Sisters, Fil. They remain influential and were greatly admired in their day by, if not always the not entirely hip public, certainly the musicians with whom they worked. The precision in their singing came, I think, from their personal rapport. The girls -- Martha, Connee and Vet -- had their own distinct personalities, but they were very close and had what can be seen as kind of a telepathy; each was able to anticipate what the others would do. Of course, working so closely for so long helped, too. Despite the precision, though, I think they sound looser than the vocal groups, such as the Andrews and Lennon sisters who were heavily influenced by them. Vet claimed that it was usually her idea to switch the harmonic base of a tune from major to minor, as we find here.
An amazing analysis, using the historical context to expand on aspects of vocal musicianship that would never😮 even occur to the rest of us. So much depth Fil, thank you. You really enrich your fans musical literacy and enjoyment.
Great analysis Fil! Had never heard of Boswell Sisters. The harmonies were amazing. Almost sounds like scating in some parts. They were rebels in their day! Loved hearing them. Didn’t realize Lennon Sisters were influenced by them. Such an informative and interesting video. I love their look!! Also glad they preferred jazz. So good. Thanks for this one!
Yaaaaaaay!!!!! Finally!!!!!! Dude u r so SWITCHED ON. These gals actually inspired the Andrews Sisters a decade later. Awesome that thanks to this other people can appreciate them thru your channel. ❤
Thank you for featuring this group! As many others have said, I appreciate your analyses for their musicality and the historical background you provide. Introducing important musical "forbears" to the sounds we take for granted today (or haven't heard for 60 to 70 years), truly makes your channel unique and valuable!
Conee went on to record many songs of her own. Conee got polio at three years old, paralyzing her from the neck down. But by age 4, was learning the cello for therapy. She was a musical prodigy and learned the piano and other instruments on her own. There is a great interview where she tells her story.
An homage of sorts was paid to the Boswell Sisters in the charming 2003 French animated film “The Triplets of Belleville” that contained music and characters inspired by the sisters. Never expected to have a 30 something rocker educate us about musicians who were around 50+ years before he was born but here we are.
They make it look easy to sing those jazzy, close harmonies at such a quick tempo....lots of practice! Thanks for another interesting peek into the past.
Mills Brothers, Cliff Edwards aka Ukelele Ike, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong all doing that style during that era with scat and vocal as instrument. Connie Boswell a giant.
Hi Fil, I Love this analysis! These gals are so spunky and fun. And what great harmonies. Dynamics, Diction, and let’s not forget those cute curls. I’m sure they were considered spirited for their time. Great analysis, I love looking at these kinds of performances from bygone eras. Super job, breaking it all down. Thanks for another amazing video! Love Ya’…. Debbie☮️
Been a fan of the Boswells for 40 years and of Connee (that's how it's spelled, not Connie) Boswell as a soloist and duet artist for just as long. Thanks so much Fil for showing the respect.
Thanks Fil, you have introduced me to a group of ladies I have never heard of, I could picture people dancing back in the day. Always your anaylis are spot on.
It's so cool to see the roots of... these sounds going so far back! Are they truly the originators? Jazz was huge in the Roaring 20s. Wow! You're making me realize what a mind blowing era that was!
My folks always called this era, the "Flirty Thirties". These gals are superb, so innovative. I love that you are so accepting to analyse all types of music!!! Love your music too!!!!❤
Thanks for introducing this. I actually read earlier today that people complained in the 30s about crooning being vulgar and not fit for the airwaves - I guess because it was a more intimate singing style- how weird what today we would consider the most tame and old fashioned style - was complained about in its day.
Having done this from the 1930s, I wish that you would react to the great Louis Armstrong in his live filmed performance of 'Dinah' from 1933 in Copenhagen. We are used to seeing him as an older guy--seeing him when he was younger makes it obvious why he was one of the most influential performers of all time. Probably the most influential artist in American music history. Armstrong and his horn changed EVERYTHING!
I have never heard of them, so thanks. Fred Astaire was certainly in step with them. While listening, I realized that Ginger Rogers tried to sound like The Boswell Sisters when she performed Let Yourself Go in the 1936 classic movie Follow the Fleet! There were two songs in that movie that were recorded by these sisters either before or after that movie came out, Let Yourself Go & I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket both written by the incomparable Irving Berlin. Just goes to show that every era was an exciting time to be alive musically speaking!😎🤘
I was not familiar with the Boswell sisters, so your analysis is most interesting. Great singers and certainly paved the way for the Andrews Sisters and Lennon Sisters. Thanks, Fil!
Fil, you’ve made me so happy! I love the Boswell Sisters! Connee, the ‘front man,’ had a successful solo career as well. My favorites were Sand in My Shoes, and Martha (Ah! So Pure- yes, the popular opera aria . Ella Fitzgerald cited her as an influence. Connee also recorded several duets with Bing Crosby. You should also check out the Mills Brothers, who also imitated instruments with their voices at that time.
I LOVE them! Dressed so pretty, all dolled up. Great how you deconstruct music. You’re a musical wizard, sharing all this detailed information. I would have adored this song anyway, but your knowledge of how artfully clever this really adds to the appreciation. Fil, you’re a musical genius. Thank you!
This is the first time I have heard of these Ladies. So amazing, well ahead of their time. I love their sound. Thank you for delving into all kinds of music and expanding our knowledge in these areas. This was "naughty" fun.
I’m so glad you featured them on your channel. They were hugely famous for their time. My favorite Boswell songs are ‘Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia’ and ‘Sunrise Serenade.’
Thank you Fil! I want sure I was going to jump into this one. I should have know better. You knocked it out of the park. Thanks for introducing me to these incredible women.
OMG Fil! This olde 'yank never heard them until just NOW! And the 2 part led 'with' the drone; the wah-wah;...and the rest of it!!?? I'm gonna have to dig up more of these kids....Wow!! Cheers!
You did such an eloquent job of describing their sounds their tight harmonies their abilities to change tempo's faster than stopping on a dime their unity their tightness was just unheard of at the time they came on the music scene. I really hope you will delve into more of their 20:59 recordings and look at more footage of them in performance. Again well done so well said you are truly a musical genius yourself.
I love the little details including the time period and what was new and unique for the days. enjoyed this performance of The Boswell Sisters. nice of Martin Lennon to get in touch with you about your analysis on the Lennon Sisters 😊👍
Never heard of these girls but they were fun to watch. You could even go back farther to the 20s with such as Henry Thomas (Going Up The Country). Rock and roll goes way back.
Think of this music as almost proto-hip hop. You can almost see the line between their work and so much of what we have today. A ground floor influencer of modern music. I love these deep dives into artists from the 1930s. So much of the best of that period can be understood as the building blocks of what music was to become, taking it from Tin Pin Alley to rock, pop and all the nearly endless varieties, genres and subgenres of today.
First time I have heard of these ladies. Funny, my grandparents talked about groups like this. I don't think we ever listened to them. The Lennon Sisters and Andrew Sisters were well known. It is cool that they weren't afraid to step over the line with style, influence, and trying new sounds. Very cool. Thanks, Fil.
It's amazing how much I've learned to appreciate music more having followed you for awhile. You make me see details I never noticed before and that gives me a fuller understanding of the music and the singers. Thanks Fil!
Earlier today I saw your review on the Lennon Sisters, so I just had to view this. Thanks for another lesson on music history. The 30’s definitely had a unique sound.
When I saw this one in my feed, I knew it was going to deepen my understanding and broaden my perspective. Check! By the way, just think: if someone told these ladies in 1925 that 100 years later some very sophisticated young musical analyst guy would be broadcasting to basically the entire world about the tiniest nuances and innovative touches in their music, I’d have to think they’d call that a win! Really, it’s a win for us all.
Fil, you simply are a likeable bloke and you manage to connect to us non- musicians. Additionally you deserves mad praise for extending your reach to so many genres and eras. Well flattery accomplished I do think I might have an interesting subject for your general observations or with your autotune specializations. Little Feet released a live album called Waiting For Columbus. It is one of if not the cleanest live recording I have ever put on vinyl. I cannot recommend a specific track but I am confident you would find several of interest with a listen.
As usual your analysis is brilliant and accessible to us non-singers and non-musicians. BTW, I LOVE IT that you're wearing a Rory Gallagher t-shirt. I discovered 'Roaree' when I had a store called Lee Chong's Books Records and Tapes in Monument, Colorado in the early 70's. You choose the best artists to analyze, and your singing and musical talents elevate your critiques to the highest level. You not only talk the talk but you walk the walk as well. That makes all the difference. Now I'm on a quest to hear more of the Boswell Sisters. Thanks, Fil!🙏
PLEASE, I know you are in awe of great harmonies…so please do THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS! I grew up in a singing (albeit Baptist🤷♀️) family. We sang harmonies all day. I didn’t know people couldn’t sing harmony until I was in my 20s and thought there might be something terribly wrong with my daughter who couldn’t (at first) sing harmony along with my obsession with CSNY. HAPPILY, she tweaked into it thru Dr. Hook’s “On the radio” and we sang constantly from then on. Love your stuff. ❤️
Lots of fun to hear this group--I wasn't familiar with them. Just a tiny correction: it was the Andrews Sisters who performed during WWII. The Lennon Sisters were on TV in the 60s and 70s.
Thank you so much for this. I never heard of these girls. I'm going to see what I can find on them. Love female vocal groups. They had haters back then. There is a 4 Sister Philippino Group, 4th Impact, who are active now, have won many international awards, and are in LA now trying to make it in America. They are known as the Queens of Harmony in the Phiippines and every one of the many vocal coaches who have reacted to their videos have been blown away. They tick off all the boxes that you mentioned about the Boswell Sisters. They were blacklisted in the Philipines for not doing what the owner of the msjor Record Label in the Philippines wanted when they were signed. You've got to analyze their vocals and their are many to choose from. Trust me, You will thank me.
Dear Fil, As always, I'm grateful to you for your work and for focusing on gifted artists that have virtually been forgotten. The Boswell sisters are some of the most talented and influential artists of early jazz records and they so deserve to be rediscovered and enjoyed. I just want to share with you my understanding of the connection that you piece together between the Boswell sisters and the Lennon sisters. I think there's an important omission, and that is the Andrews sisters. The Andrews Sisters were contemporaries of the Boswells, in that they were singing as young vaudeville and local radio entertainers while the Boswells were at their height of popularity. They always acknowledged the profound influence Connie, Marthe, and Vet had on them. And that would've been obvious to anyone who was living at that time as the Andrew sisters had their first big hit in 1938. Now the reason I want to clarify this chain of influence is that the Boswell sisters did not continue as a trio after 1936. From then on, it was Connie on her own. And as she was always a lead singer who would sometimes perform alone and had a strong, gorgeous voice (I'm lucky enough to have a few 78 rpm's) this would've kept her in the public consciousness throughout the 1940s and even into the 50s. But it is unlikely that the Lennon sisters would have been deeply influenced because it was Connie (or Connee as she came to spell it) that they would've been hearing and not the trio. The Andrew sisters, on the other hand, sang well into the 1950s, albeit intermittently. But their records would've been heard everywhere through the 1940s and early 1950s when the Lennon sisters were first hearing popular music and learning songs. And this is how I think we must assume the Lennon sisters would have been most influenced (indirectly) by the Boswells. Beyond this, I heard an interview from I believe the early 2000s somewhere on UA-cam (!) where Diane, Peggy, Kathy & Janet explained the unique training they had. This was from their father, who sang extensively with his brothers and trained his four daughters to sing in a barbershop style, something young women were almost never taught to do. And this had, of course, a profound influence on their sound. Thank you for letting me share this perspective. I hope it will help you and other viewers to better understand the legacy of harmony singing represented by these three extraordinary vocal groups.
Faves, faves, faves! How refreshing it is to find someone your age with an "old soul" appreciation of such music. I've been more and more drawn to the sweet sound of popular music in the first half of the 1930s, in particular the Boswell Sisters. My daughter, and recently my 12 year old grandson are similarly delighted. Only wish there were far more recordings and videos etc of them. Extraordinary ground breakers. The Mills Brothers even surpassed them in sounding like musical instruments. How thrilling it must have been to have enjoyed their live performances.
Before the Andrews Sisters, there was the Boswell Sisters! And were also influenced by these lovely ladies. I LOVE their style and that scatting rhythm! Oooo-weee! Maybe do their version of, "It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing"!
Always great to discover 'new' artists because of UA-cam (and in this case Fil). They were pretty radical for their day, doing their own thing no matter what 'critics' said. And (thanks to Wiki) it looks like Connie wrote some of their songs and they came up with their own arrangements, which wasn't typical of singing groups back then (as far as I know). It's fun trying to imagine what they might have done if they'd come along in the 60's or some later period,
Thanks for introducing the music of The Boswell Sisters. First time hearing them and I enjoyed this song along with their great harmonies and jazzy style of singing. Great analysis Fil! 😊🎸🎵
I first heard of them recently when listening to Donald Fagen’s audiobook memoir. His mother was very fond of them, and he grew up with and grew to love them as well.
The Boswell Sisters are new to me, even as someone who loves 30s-40s music. Thank you for highlighting them! I'm going to look into their performances!
I spent my college years listening to Old blues singers like The Boswell Singers, and singing along. They were awesome. I used to do some performances singing old Blue standards too.
Man...that was CRAZY! Crazy GOOD!!! I never heard of them! I definitely heard the "blackness", then again, they were from New Orleans...their voices, a new kind of "sexy" with that Jazz/Scat!👍🏻😁
Fil, I couldn't agree with you more. Been wanting to find a Blu-ray or DVD of the 1932 Paramount Pictures feature THE BIG BROADCAST because The Boswell Sisters, Eddie Lang and Bing Crosby are in it.
Yes. The Andrew Sisters originally marketed themselves as a Boswell Sisters tribute group. One of the Boswell Sisters was wheelchair bound, so it slowed them down, plus they were getting older, so those factors sort of left open an opportunity for The Andrew Sisters to transition from a tribute group just playing in local clubs, to an original group & take full advantage of touring, dance choreography, plus advancing recording & movie technology.
The Boswells were soooo advanced for their time. In New Orleans, where I live, they are honored in the jazz history museum. They deserve to be more widely known. Connie Boswell went on to have a fine career as a solo jazz singer. They were musical geniuses in what they did. They were keenly aware and conscious of every element of what they were doing, and man did they swing! They knew and used every trick in the book--harmony, phrasing, diction etc. Hip.
Wow wow wow even going back to the thirties and analysing that the way that you did Fil God you deserve all my highest respect your knowledge is immeasurable you talked of the time cause almost a century ago is something and you are so young to know everything like these!!! On a funny note I am giving you an apple teacher for the excellency of your course :)
Fun fact, in 1934, a teenage Ella Fitzgerald won the Apollo Theater amateur contest by singing a Connee Boswell song. Ella later said in interviews that Connee Boswell was the only singer who influenced her, saying “I tried to sing like her all the time...Connee was doing things that no one else was doing at the time.” On many of her early recordings with the Chick Webb band, Fitzgerald sounds uncannily like Connee Boswell.
It was a two way street. The Boswell sisters were influenced by Black music. Great to hear that the Boswell gave credit to this music.
@@garymickus6412 Quite true. According to Inflooenz, the music lineage guide, Connee Boswell was influenced by Al Jolson, Bessie Smith, Bix Beiderbecke, Ethel Waters, Hoagy Carmichael, Jack Teagarden, and Louis Armstrong. According to Lindy Hop SG, Connie Boswell had shared in many interviews that she was greatly influenced by the African American singers, Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith (no relation), from whom she took away a bluesy style. Another inspiration of hers was Louis Armstrong; she learned jazz phrasing from him.
As the Boswell Sisters' older brother Clydie began breaking away from classical music to study jazz, he introduced his sisters to the syncopated style and to many of the young jazz players in New Orleans. Leon Roppolo (clarinet, guitar), Monk Hazel (drums, cornet), Pinky Vidacovich (clarinet, saxophone), Nappy Lamare (guitar, banjo), Ray Bauduc (tuba, vocals), Dan LeBlanc (tuba), Leon Prima (trumpet), Louis Prima (trumpet, vocals), Wingy Manone (trumpet, vocals), Al Gallodoro (clarinet, saxophone), Chink Martin (bass, tuba, guitar), Santo Pecora (trombone), Raymond Burke (clarinet, saxophone), and Tony Parenti (clarinet, saxophone) were regular guests at the Boswell home. Norman Brownlee and his band were also regular participants in musical evenings at the Boswell home. Reportedly, father A.C. Boswell tried unsuccessfully to limit these visits to just one night per week-with little success. The sisters were particularly influenced by Brownlee's cornetist Emmett Louis Hardy, another friend of Clydie, whose well-documented talent and skill helped shape the sisters' knowledge of jazz harmony, syncopation, and improvisation.
Thanks for the extended info - very interesting!
@@garymickus6412 Basin Street was where the light and the dark folks meet.
Yay! The Boswell's deserve so much more attention than they've been given. Scat singing in unison, and soaring, sliding harmonies. LOVE them!
Other favorite 'instrument imitators" are The Mills Brothers and Cliff Edwards.
They were wildly innovative!! The sounds they created was so interesting to listen to. Quick, bluesy, little scat, blending of voices are all so happy to listen to.💕💕💕
Speaking of scat, that would make an interesting video as well! Hint, hint. Lol.
Connie Boswell and her siblings added some spice to the music scene during some of the darkest times in American history -- The Great Depression. The Boswell Sisters used their voices to mimic musical instruments. The Sisters were wonderfully decadent (love 'em)! Their singing and music remind me of some of those old Vitaphone (Warner Bros) cartoons. The Mills Brothers did the same thing with their voices. Earlier today, I listened to some Thomas "Fats" Waller. That guy was an amazing pianist. He made his songs whimsical -- lots of fun. "Ain't Misbehavin'" is my fave by Fats Waller. Fats was reputedly kidnapped by Al Capone to play at a party that Capone was giving. Thanks again, FIL, for giving us a look back at a very interesting portion of The Great American Songbook from the early 1930s. I'm one of those, "Crazy People." That's what keeps me sane in this insane world. The singing and music of The Boswell Sisters and The Andrews Sisters are the "time machine" we need in 2023. Cheers. -- W
Connee played several instruments and also was a favourite singing partner of Bing Crosby. She was confined to a wheelchair, possibly due to polio.
@@jbarson6671 Yes. Bing Crosby knew great singing talent. Possibly, polio. No polio vaccine back then. Thanks.
I have never heard of the Boswell sisters, but they are great and their voices blend beautifully together. Music is definitely uplifting no matter what mood you're in. Congrats on getting 310k subscribers on your channel! Rock!
Thanks!
@@wingsofpegasus Wrong answer! The only hellraiser was maybe Frank Sinatra and Les Paul in the 1930s. It's just as wrong to say Renaissance musicians were the pop musicians of their day. BTW, Paul is still dead!
For being hellraisers, these girls looked and sounded like angels. Snazzy and sassy angels at that. I bet my grandpa liked them! And their voices are absolutely beautiful. I can see them picking up that jazzy style, just by living in New Orleans. If I had been alive, I definitely would have been watching them in a speakeasy, having a couple of drinks and toasting them and Prohibition. Thanks, Fil, for finding this gem and for your excellent analysis.
Yay! Thank you Fil ! As a New Orleanian, I am always thrilled when The Boswells get some love.
Delighted to find you shining the spotlight on the revolutionary Boswell Sisters, Fil. They remain influential and were greatly admired in their day by, if not always the not entirely hip public, certainly the musicians with whom they worked. The precision in their singing came, I think, from their personal rapport. The girls -- Martha, Connee and Vet -- had their own distinct personalities, but they were very close and had what can be seen as kind of a telepathy; each was able to anticipate what the others would do. Of course, working so closely for so long helped, too. Despite the precision, though, I think they sound looser than the vocal groups, such as the Andrews and Lennon sisters who were heavily influenced by them. Vet claimed that it was usually her idea to switch the harmonic base of a tune from major to minor, as we find here.
Thanks for sharing more of their history. Did you list their names from the left?
@@hummingbird3771 No, I listed them from eldest to youngest, which was usually how it went for them. From left to right, it's Connee, Vet and Martha.
An amazing analysis, using the historical context to expand on aspects of vocal musicianship that would never😮 even occur to the rest of us. So much depth Fil, thank you. You really enrich your fans musical literacy and enjoyment.
Great analysis Fil! Had never heard of Boswell Sisters. The harmonies were amazing. Almost sounds like scating in some parts. They were rebels in their day! Loved hearing them. Didn’t realize Lennon Sisters were influenced by them. Such an informative and interesting video. I love their look!! Also glad they preferred jazz. So good. Thanks for this one!
This is my favorite Boswell song with all its jazz elements - variations in modulation & tempo, scatting, tight harmonies, an attitude of who cares.
So pleased you've highlighted the Boswell Sister's. Very underrated and almost unheard of today. My favourite sister group :).
Yaaaaaaay!!!!! Finally!!!!!! Dude u r so SWITCHED ON. These gals actually inspired the Andrews Sisters a decade later. Awesome that thanks to this other people can appreciate them thru your channel. ❤
Thank you for featuring this group! As many others have said, I appreciate your analyses for their musicality and the historical background you provide. Introducing important musical "forbears" to the sounds we take for granted today (or haven't heard for 60 to 70 years), truly makes your channel unique and valuable!
Conee went on to record many songs of her own.
Conee got polio at three years old, paralyzing her from the neck down. But by age 4, was learning the cello for therapy.
She was a musical prodigy and learned the piano and other instruments on her own.
There is a great interview where she tells her story.
An homage of sorts was paid to the Boswell Sisters in the charming 2003 French animated film “The Triplets of Belleville” that contained music and characters inspired by the sisters.
Never expected to have a 30 something rocker educate us about musicians who were around 50+ years before he was born but here we are.
excellent observation!!
Fil is in his Sixties.
@@Johnnycdrums no way!!!
@@sharonammirati2042 I'm just repeating what has been written repeatedly in the comments sections of previous uploads.
@@Johnnycdrums woah, all that music theory and instruments playing and singing has given a youthful vibe. so 😯 surprised.
They make it look easy to sing those jazzy, close harmonies at such a quick tempo....lots of practice! Thanks for another interesting peek into the past.
Mills Brothers, Cliff Edwards aka Ukelele Ike, Cab Calloway, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong all doing that style during that era with scat and vocal as instrument. Connie Boswell a giant.
My kind of music! Love them all.
Hi What is meaning of "scat" and "vocal as instrument" ?
@@Umiliani improve making up your own phrases
Hi Fil,
I Love this analysis! These gals are so spunky and fun. And what great harmonies. Dynamics, Diction, and let’s not forget those cute curls. I’m sure they were considered spirited for their time. Great analysis, I love looking at these kinds of performances from bygone eras. Super job, breaking it all down. Thanks for another amazing video! Love Ya’…. Debbie☮️
Been a fan of the Boswells for 40 years and of Connee (that's how it's spelled, not Connie) Boswell as a soloist and duet artist for just as long. Thanks so much Fil for showing the respect.
Thanks Fil, you have introduced me to a group of ladies I have never heard of, I could picture people dancing back in the day. Always your anaylis are spot on.
It's so cool to see the roots of... these sounds going so far back! Are they truly the originators? Jazz was huge in the Roaring 20s.
Wow! You're making me realize what a mind blowing era that was!
My folks always called this era, the "Flirty Thirties". These gals are superb, so innovative. I love that you are so accepting to analyse all types of music!!! Love your music too!!!!❤
Thanks for introducing this. I actually read earlier today that people complained in the 30s about crooning being vulgar and not fit for the airwaves - I guess because it was a more intimate singing style- how weird what today we would consider the most tame and old fashioned style - was complained about in its day.
Yes, intimate in a sensual way!
Boswell sisters has some of the most amazing songs from this era! "Minni the Moocher's Wedding Day" is one of my favorites. Truly beautiful!
Love all this older stuff you've been covering!
What a treasure you have found in this extremely rare video recording of the fabulous Boswell Sisters. ❤❤❤
So glad you did them. You should hear them tear apart well known songs. Shuffle Off to Buffalo and It Don't Mean A Thing are insane.
Having done this from the 1930s, I wish that you would react to the great Louis Armstrong in his live filmed performance of 'Dinah' from 1933 in Copenhagen. We are used to seeing him as an older guy--seeing him when he was younger makes it obvious why he was one of the most influential performers of all time. Probably the most influential artist in American music history. Armstrong and his horn changed EVERYTHING!
I have never heard of them, so thanks. Fred Astaire was certainly in step with them. While listening, I realized that Ginger Rogers tried to sound like The Boswell Sisters when she performed Let Yourself Go in the 1936 classic movie Follow the Fleet! There were two songs in that movie that were recorded by these sisters either before or after that movie came out, Let Yourself Go & I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket both written by the incomparable Irving Berlin. Just goes to show that every era was an exciting time to be alive musically speaking!😎🤘
Another Fred Astaire fan… now I have to go and watch Follow The Fleet again.
I was not familiar with the Boswell sisters, so your analysis is most interesting. Great singers and certainly paved the way for the Andrews Sisters and Lennon Sisters. Thanks, Fil!
Fil, you’ve made me so happy! I love the Boswell Sisters! Connee, the ‘front man,’ had a successful solo career as well. My favorites were Sand in My Shoes, and Martha (Ah! So Pure- yes, the popular opera aria . Ella Fitzgerald cited her as an influence. Connee also recorded several duets with Bing Crosby. You should also check out the Mills Brothers, who also imitated instruments with their voices at that time.
Yes! Some of the Mills Brothers' recordings had no instrumentation, other than their voices. LOVE them, all through the years.
PS - My favorite of the Boswells' records is "Rock and Roll". Did they coin the term?
@@Polyphemus47 No, the term came from earlier blues recordings.
@@LaurelT1948 Thanks!
WOW!!!!! I'm 77 and NEVER heard of them before! What a treat!!!! Thank you for bringing them to my attention!
I was hoping you’d analyze the Boswell Sisters! And this is one of my favorite songs by them! 😊
I LOVE them! Dressed so pretty, all dolled up. Great how you deconstruct music.
You’re a musical wizard, sharing all this detailed information. I would have adored this song anyway, but your knowledge of how artfully clever this really adds to the appreciation. Fil, you’re a musical genius. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words!
This is the first time I have heard of these Ladies. So amazing, well ahead of their time. I love their sound. Thank you for delving into all kinds of music and expanding our knowledge in these areas. This was "naughty" fun.
that title sounds like us Wingers lol
They were fabulous!! And wildly fun! Thank you, Fil for featuring them and your analysis!!
Thanks Fil. I grew up in New Orleans, but had never heard of these gals. Great stuff, great commentary.
I’m so glad you featured them on your channel. They were hugely famous for their time. My favorite Boswell songs are ‘Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia’ and ‘Sunrise Serenade.’
Thank you Fil! I want sure I was going to jump into this one. I should have know better. You knocked it out of the park. Thanks for introducing me to these incredible women.
I love that you cover people like these women and others from that time. My parents would have loved to hear you discussing the time of their youth❤
Thanx for this Fil. The earlier days of music gets lost through the years. Keep em coming!
Wow! These gals are pretty out there for the time! Loved this! Thanks, Fil……
Fil, i really appreciate your wide variety of music. Very refreshing to get so many cool artists analyzed in such a professional manner.
Loved this, Fil! I never heard of these ladies, but what a talented group they were. Thanks for such a fun analysis 😊
OMG Fil! This olde 'yank never heard them until just NOW! And the 2 part led 'with' the drone; the wah-wah;...and the rest of it!!?? I'm gonna have to dig up more of these kids....Wow!!
Cheers!
Thanks Fil. I love your show. I just love this old music. Well done,keep it up.
This is a new group for me - thanks for the introduction! They're great. 🥰
Always hearing of someone new !❤
You did such an eloquent job of describing their sounds their tight harmonies their abilities to change tempo's faster than stopping on a dime their unity their tightness was just unheard of at the time they came on the music scene. I really hope you will delve into more of their 20:59 recordings and look at more footage of them in performance. Again well done so well said you are truly a musical genius yourself.
I love the little details including the time period and what was new and unique for the days. enjoyed this performance of The Boswell Sisters. nice of Martin Lennon to get in touch with you about your analysis on the Lennon Sisters 😊👍
Never heard of these girls but they were fun to watch. You could even go back farther to the 20s with such as Henry Thomas (Going Up The Country). Rock and roll goes way back.
Think of this music as almost proto-hip hop. You can almost see the line between their work and so much of what we have today. A ground floor influencer of modern music. I love these deep dives into artists from the 1930s. So much of the best of that period can be understood as the building blocks of what music was to become, taking it from Tin Pin Alley to rock, pop and all the nearly endless varieties, genres and subgenres of today.
I love the wide range of music you review. I had never heard of the Boswell sisters.
I can't imagine how much work goes into preparing the historical background alone. Your videos really stand out, Fil 👌👌👌!
Wow! New to me; so innovative! Dad listened to everything and never mentioned these gals.
I have never seen these ladies, they look adorable! Their sound is fantastic, I truly enjoyed the whole thing - thank you!
Great harmonies and syncopation. Very cool.
Thanks so much for spotlighting great music that is nearly lost ... what a treasure!!!
I loved this! Thank you, I'd never heard of them, and that three sisters were SO innovative, how could. I have missed them?
First time I have heard of these ladies. Funny, my grandparents talked about groups like this. I don't think we ever listened to them. The Lennon Sisters and Andrew Sisters were well known. It is cool that they weren't afraid to step over the line with style, influence, and trying new sounds. Very cool. Thanks, Fil.
I *love* the variety of music that you cover Fil.
These gals are great!
Rock! 🤘🏼
so outrageous my goodness-brilliant actually -I was amazed
It's amazing how much I've learned to appreciate music more having followed you for awhile. You make me see details I never noticed before and that gives me a fuller understanding of the music and the singers. Thanks Fil!
Thanks for going back in time, there's so much to appreciate.
Thanks for the review. Never heard of them. Outstanding history lesson.
Earlier today I saw your review on the Lennon Sisters, so I just had to view this. Thanks for another lesson on music history. The 30’s definitely had a unique sound.
Fab! They inspired the Andrew Sisters. When I take My Sugar to Tea, A Classic of theirs!
When I saw this one in my feed, I knew it was going to deepen my understanding and broaden my perspective. Check!
By the way, just think: if someone told these ladies in 1925 that 100 years later some very sophisticated young musical analyst guy would be broadcasting to basically the entire world about the tiniest nuances and innovative touches in their music, I’d have to think they’d call that a win! Really, it’s a win for us all.
The entertainment value was there as was the fun element.Thanks for a great analysis Fil,cheers Roly🇬🇧.
Fil, you simply are a likeable bloke and you manage to connect to us non- musicians. Additionally you deserves mad praise for extending your reach to so many genres and eras.
Well flattery accomplished I do think I might have an interesting subject for your general observations or with your autotune specializations.
Little Feet released a live album called Waiting For Columbus. It is one of if not the cleanest live recording I have ever put on vinyl. I cannot recommend a specific track but I am confident you would find several of interest with a listen.
I love this series of old music.It's wonderful!
My respect, Phill
Fil, Thank you for this amazing analysis. The Boswell Sisters are amazing. I own two of there albums and im happy to see them on your channel.
As usual your analysis is brilliant and accessible to us non-singers and non-musicians. BTW, I LOVE IT that you're wearing a Rory Gallagher t-shirt. I discovered 'Roaree' when I had a store called Lee Chong's Books Records and Tapes in Monument, Colorado in the early 70's. You choose the best artists to analyze, and your singing and musical talents elevate your critiques to the highest level. You not only talk the talk but you walk the walk as well. That makes all the difference. Now I'm on a quest to hear more of the Boswell Sisters. Thanks, Fil!🙏
As I started listening to them, they sounded so trippy I couldn't stop listening. Very different but so perfect. So unique.
@bradleypaulus2926 Trippiness started in the 1960s, not 1930s.
PLEASE, I know you are in awe of great harmonies…so please do THE SONS OF THE PIONEERS! I grew up in a singing (albeit Baptist🤷♀️) family. We sang harmonies all day. I didn’t know people couldn’t sing harmony until I was in my 20s and thought there might be something terribly wrong with my daughter who couldn’t (at first) sing harmony along with my obsession with CSNY. HAPPILY, she tweaked into it thru Dr. Hook’s “On the radio” and we sang constantly from then on. Love your stuff. ❤️
Never heard of these sisters, but great talents. I bet they kept the music world all stirred up. Thanks Fil!
Lots of fun to hear this group--I wasn't familiar with them. Just a tiny correction: it was the Andrews Sisters who performed during WWII. The Lennon Sisters were on TV in the 60s and 70s.
Cool! I never heard of them. I need to check them out.🤘
Thank you so much for this. I never heard of these girls. I'm going to see what I can find on them. Love female vocal groups. They had haters back then. There is a 4 Sister Philippino Group, 4th Impact, who are active now, have won many international awards, and are in LA now trying to make it in America. They are known as the Queens of Harmony in the Phiippines and every one of the many vocal coaches who have reacted to their videos have been blown away. They tick off all the boxes that you mentioned about the Boswell Sisters. They were blacklisted in the Philipines for not doing what the owner of the msjor Record Label in the Philippines wanted when they were signed. You've got to analyze their vocals and their are many to choose from. Trust me, You will thank me.
Thank you, never heard of the Boswell Sisters, but love that sound.
Dear Fil,
As always, I'm grateful to you for your work and for focusing on gifted artists that have virtually been forgotten.
The Boswell sisters are some of the most talented and influential artists of early jazz records and they so deserve to be rediscovered and enjoyed.
I just want to share with you my understanding of the connection that you piece together between the Boswell sisters and the Lennon sisters. I think there's an important omission, and that is the Andrews sisters.
The Andrews Sisters were contemporaries of the Boswells, in that they were singing as young vaudeville and local radio entertainers while the Boswells were at their height of popularity. They always acknowledged the profound influence Connie, Marthe, and Vet had on them. And that would've been obvious to anyone who was living at that time as the Andrew sisters had their first big hit in 1938.
Now the reason I want to clarify this chain of influence is that the Boswell sisters did not continue as a trio after 1936. From then on, it was Connie on her own. And as she was always a lead singer who would sometimes perform alone and had a strong, gorgeous voice (I'm lucky enough to have a few 78 rpm's) this would've kept her in the public consciousness throughout the 1940s and even into the 50s.
But it is unlikely that the Lennon sisters would have been deeply influenced because it was Connie (or Connee as she came to spell it) that they would've been hearing and not the trio.
The Andrew sisters, on the other hand, sang well into the 1950s, albeit intermittently. But their records would've been heard everywhere through the 1940s and early 1950s when the Lennon sisters were first hearing popular music and learning songs. And this is how I think we must assume the Lennon sisters would have been most influenced (indirectly) by the Boswells.
Beyond this, I heard an interview from I believe the early 2000s somewhere on UA-cam (!) where Diane, Peggy, Kathy & Janet explained the unique training they had. This was from their father, who sang extensively with his brothers and trained his four daughters to sing in a barbershop style, something young women were almost never taught to do. And this had, of course, a profound influence on their sound.
Thank you for letting me share this perspective. I hope it will help you and other viewers to better understand the legacy of harmony singing represented by these three extraordinary vocal groups.
Thanks! I of course analyed the Andrew sisters first so now I'm getting who influenced who!
They were certainly innovative in their approach to singing. I think this is the basis of jazz.
Great analysis as always Fil.
Faves, faves, faves! How refreshing it is to find someone your age with an "old soul" appreciation of such music. I've been more and more drawn to the sweet sound of popular music in the first half of the 1930s, in particular the Boswell Sisters. My daughter, and recently my 12 year old grandson are similarly delighted. Only wish there were far more recordings and videos etc of them. Extraordinary ground breakers. The Mills Brothers even surpassed them in sounding like musical instruments. How thrilling it must have been to have enjoyed their live performances.
Before the Andrews Sisters, there was the Boswell Sisters! And were also influenced by these lovely ladies. I LOVE their style and that scatting rhythm! Oooo-weee! Maybe do their version of, "It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing"!
Always great to discover 'new' artists because of UA-cam (and in this case Fil). They were pretty radical for their day, doing their own thing no matter what 'critics' said. And (thanks to Wiki) it looks like Connie wrote some of their songs and they came up with their own arrangements, which wasn't typical of singing groups back then (as far as I know). It's fun trying to imagine what they might have done if they'd come along in the 60's or some later period,
Thanks for introducing the music of The Boswell Sisters. First time hearing them and I enjoyed this song along with their great harmonies and jazzy style of singing. Great analysis Fil! 😊🎸🎵
I first heard of them recently when listening to Donald Fagen’s audiobook memoir. His mother was very fond of them, and he grew up with and grew to love them as well.
The Boswell Sisters are new to me, even as someone who loves 30s-40s music. Thank you for highlighting them! I'm going to look into their performances!
I spent my college years listening to Old blues singers like The Boswell Singers, and singing along. They were awesome. I used to do some performances singing old Blue standards too.
Man...that was CRAZY! Crazy GOOD!!! I never heard of them! I definitely heard the "blackness", then again, they were from New Orleans...their voices, a new kind of "sexy" with that Jazz/Scat!👍🏻😁
I love how you have us dancing through the decades!
Hello.Fil.🥴 Thank for a capella voices talent..🪔!! you.. 👍👍
Fil, I couldn't agree with you more. Been wanting to find a Blu-ray or DVD of the 1932 Paramount Pictures feature THE BIG BROADCAST because The Boswell Sisters, Eddie Lang and Bing Crosby are in it.
3 sisters seem to be the magic charm. Good harmonies, song kind of makes you want to have a cocktail & swing🥃💃Fun analysis again, thanks Fil😊🌇🎼🎤
Both Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald haves cited Connie Boswell as “teaching them how to sing”. Influential.
full moon tomorrow Aug.1........perfect song choice. Thanks Fil.
Dealing with the S sound is certainly a skill. I was a choir director for years and worked very hard to get my choirs to be like one with the S's.
It can be hard on the hearing aids as well. Even some spoken videos have me flicking out the wires - ouch.
They must’ve influenced the Andrews Sisters, too
Yes. The Andrew Sisters originally marketed themselves as a Boswell Sisters tribute group. One of the Boswell Sisters was wheelchair bound, so it slowed them down, plus they were getting older, so those factors sort of left open an opportunity for The Andrew Sisters to transition from a tribute group just playing in local clubs, to an original group & take full advantage of touring, dance choreography, plus advancing recording & movie technology.
@@sparky6086Very interesting info. Not familiar with Boswell sisters, but did know of Andrew Sisters. Thanks for sharing that interesting info. 👍
@@sparky6086polio??
Yes indeed 🙂
@@ChicagoDB I can't remember, but that could be the case.
The Boswells were soooo advanced for their time. In New Orleans, where I live, they are honored in the jazz history museum. They deserve to be more widely known. Connie Boswell went on to have a fine career as a solo jazz singer. They were musical geniuses in what they did. They were keenly aware and conscious of every element of what they were doing, and man did they swing! They knew and used every trick in the book--harmony, phrasing, diction etc. Hip.
Wow wow wow even going back to the thirties and analysing that the way that you did Fil God you deserve all my highest respect your knowledge is immeasurable you talked of the time cause almost a century ago is something and you are so young to know everything like these!!! On a funny note I am giving you an apple teacher for the excellency of your course :)