I sang with Johnny's band for a year. What fun it was !!! Johnny Long was so nice ...(.as was his wife, Pat)...... He was a real gentleman, a fine musician and it was a pleasure to work with him and all the fellows in the band. I still am singing...and guess what....the folks out there still LOVE to hear "Shanty in Old Shantytown".......The next one is for you, Johnny.......
My favorite tune from the big band era! Love how the orchestra is dressed in formal attire to perform a song about a shack on the wrong side of the tracks and blowing your top on beer. My grandma is 90 and goes around singing this song all the time. Thanks for the video
This is THE song that got everyone to the dance floor at the Saturday night dances at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs about 60+ years ago!!! We all sang along with the lyrics--oh the nostalgia! Still here, still remember those lyrics!
God if only I could imagine what it was like back then, me and the boys cooking up this heat in the studio while spitting fire out of our mouths and finger tips when we bust this shit out to public. Pure proof that was the golden age.
I had a music teacher in Reno, Clayton Jr High, who tried to teach us this song in in 1966. Poor teacher; the students were duds but the song has stayed with me all these years.
I loved Johnny Long and his band after seeing him in the Abbott and Costello movie "Hit The Ice" with the gorgeous Ginny Simms,who sang with Kay Kyser and also was pursued by him as well as well as Louis B.Mayer to be their wife to no avail.Love this clip for its fun loving appeal similar to Sammy Kaye hit of "Daddy"
Silassie was the last emperor of Ethiopia. When Italy invaded he went to the League of Nations for help. On another point 25 feet from the track is closer than the width of most railroad right of ways. So this shack really was the pits.
You can hear (and view) an older Johnny Long and his Orchestra in this 1958 UA-cam clip: Berl Olswanger 1958 WMCT Memphis. The orchestra accompanied Berl Olswanger at the dedication of the WMCT studios in Memphis, Tennessee. In the dedication broadcast, pianist Berl Olswanger performed his arrangement of W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues."
@murphstrings A shantytown was a another name for "Hoovervilles". They were ramshackle shelters built by the homeless from various materials such cardboard, crates, scrap metal etc., during the Great Depression.
Yeah, the good ol days of shantytowns, bread lines, and massive childhood mortality. We have it so much worse now with society having the audacity to have music talking about sex and weed without masking it in cleverly written songs.
@murphstrings The same could apply to the song "San", a very good Dixieland number of many decades ago. The song referred to a former king of Senegal (San) who finally lost his gal. Yes, many old songs are full of local things and we have to do some research to find the real meaning of those things.
i also have this 78! is there a music historian out there who can tell us what this song is ABOUT? I Realize that songs this old get lost in the mists of time, along with the meanings. where is shanty town, the pier, why the Saliasi reference? so many old songs are full of very local things that most of us wouldnt catch. please help! i'm gonna include this song in my performances in nursing homes!
It's about not much...just like the other songs of the day! What was Mairzy Doats about...remember that? And it's Haile Selassie, the leader of Egypt, a Rasta, who was considered classy....it just rhymes.
Mitch Miller and his Sing Along Gang had the original lyrics when they did the song on oe oth their albums. Shantytown would indicate that the protagonist is Irish (poor "shanty Irish" as opposed to well off "lace curtain Irish") and he is remembering his mother who still lives there. "it's only a shanty in old shantytown/it's roof is so slanty it touches the ground/but a tumbledown shack/by an old railroad track/like a millionaire's mansion is calling me back/I'd give up a palace if I were a king/it's more than a palace it's my everything/there's a queen waiting there with a silvery crown/in a shanty in old shantytown."
Debby Murphy- You'd be right at home aboard "The Pearl Harbor Day Troop Train" on Dec. 3rd. Look them up @ overlandtrail.com. The train's enjoyable program will whisk you back to the war years.
@murphstrings A shantytown was a another name for "Hoovervilles". They were ramshackle shelters built by the homeless from various materials such cardboard, crates, scrap metal etc., during the Great Depression.
My brother (died at 75 in 2005) and I used to love this song by Johnny Long. We always wondered about the beer mentioned. Was it "Gators" or "Gaters" ?
I sang with Johnny's band for a year. What fun it was !!! Johnny Long was so nice ...(.as was his wife, Pat)...... He was a real gentleman, a fine musician and it was a pleasure to work with him and all the fellows in the band. I still am singing...and guess what....the folks out there still LOVE to hear "Shanty in Old Shantytown".......The next one is for you, Johnny.......
That's really awesome! What year did you sing with him? Johnny Long always led fantastic aggregations!
Well geuss what, this song is in a game called fallout 76
@DebbieMurphy did you ever perform at the Buffalo Statler Hotel?
@@nathanaquino4385all hail Mothman!
That’s my grandpa on guitar 😁❤️
That is so cool!
Mines dead.lol
Johnny's my Great Uncle!
The bassist is my grandfather
he cuts quite the jaunty figure
My mom used to sing this with me when I was a kid. Warm, comforting memories.
My favorite tune from the big band era! Love how the orchestra is dressed in formal attire to perform a song about a shack on the wrong side of the tracks and blowing your top on beer. My grandma is 90 and goes around singing this song all the time. Thanks for the video
I love it when the band members gets to sing, as well!
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST VERSION BY JOHNNY LONG THAT HE EVER MADE.
Fallout 76 brought me here. Thank you for posting this :)
This is THE song that got everyone to the dance floor at the Saturday night dances at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs about 60+ years ago!!! We all sang along with the lyrics--oh the nostalgia! Still here, still remember those lyrics!
I play in a big band and we do this song. I had to memorize the lyrics, I love it!
God if only I could imagine what it was like back then, me and the boys cooking up this heat in the studio while spitting fire out of our mouths and finger tips when we bust this shit out to public. Pure proof that was the golden age.
One of my favourite clips .
Glad you enjoyed it
I had a music teacher in Reno, Clayton Jr High, who tried to teach us this song in in 1966. Poor teacher; the students were duds but the song has stayed with me all these years.
Do you still have the sheet music or any recollection of the key?
Man, used to dance to this band at Centennial Terrace in Sylvania, Ohio 1955 to 1960
My Mom's BFF's favorite song-seeing this makes me remember her.Thanks!
Amazing! I've got the 78 of this song - it's so nice to finally put faces to those voices! I'm so glad you posted this!
Love this song so much.. I think the ink spots had a version too.. please check them out as well. They are amazing
Nice sax work, cleaver arrangement. Love the words, just a sdance band should be.
What a lovely feel-good performance. Delghtful, thank you.
Fallout 76 brought me here ❤️
My Father In-Law Cy Woistman played the SAX on this recording
This tune was always a big hit at the Cavalier Beach Club in VaBeach…….. 2:25 2:25
Really nice take on such a classic song.
Fallout 76?
IMHO this is the best song on the radio, the harmonies, the beats so good, so good.
my parents loved this record (and the video is terrific)
Thank-you!
Wow, that is a real killer driller solid groove...awesome quality..thanks
Look at those gents!
I loved Johnny Long and his band after seeing him in the Abbott and Costello movie "Hit The Ice" with the gorgeous Ginny Simms,who sang with Kay Kyser and also was pursued by him as well as well as Louis B.Mayer to be their wife to no avail.Love this clip for its fun loving appeal similar to Sammy Kaye hit of "Daddy"
My dad played tenor in the JL band.
LOVE THIS VERSION
Great upload!
Where is the clip from?
Silassie was the last emperor of Ethiopia. When Italy invaded he went to the League of Nations for help. On another point 25 feet from the track is closer than the width of most railroad right of ways. So this shack really was the pits.
You can hear (and view) an older Johnny Long and his Orchestra in this 1958 UA-cam clip: Berl Olswanger 1958 WMCT Memphis. The orchestra accompanied Berl Olswanger at the dedication of the WMCT studios in Memphis, Tennessee. In the dedication broadcast, pianist Berl Olswanger performed his arrangement of W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues."
Is that Jimmy McPartland on trumpet?
Appalachia vibes
@Poochna Another Great Band I danced to .
❤
@jcolbourn It must have been great to see Long's ork in person.
@murphstrings A shantytown was a another name for "Hoovervilles". They were ramshackle shelters built by the homeless from various materials such cardboard, crates, scrap metal etc., during the Great Depression.
The beginning reminds me of an Arty Shaw's instrumental track called Stardust
These were the days, when people could actually sing with class and have a real meaning behind their lyrics besides drugs, sex, etc.
Yeah, the good ol days of shantytowns, bread lines, and massive childhood mortality.
We have it so much worse now with society having the audacity to have music talking about sex and weed without masking it in cleverly written songs.
Billy Moore, the guy who wrote the special lyrics for this, was paid $30.
Lyrics at 1:04sounds like," I'd be just as hassy (sassy?) as Haile Selassie". What a rhyme!
sassy
Drummer is the TOPS keeping his foot on the gas.
thanks pal
Debbie, my grandfather played the trumpet for Johnny. Did you know Swede? He is the trumpet player with the mustache in the video.
@murphstrings The same could apply to the song "San", a very good Dixieland number of many decades ago.
The song referred to a former king of Senegal (San) who finally lost his gal. Yes, many old songs are full of local things and we have to do some research to find the real meaning of those things.
i also have this 78! is there a music historian out there who can tell us what this song is ABOUT? I Realize that songs this old get lost in the mists of time, along with the meanings. where is shanty town, the pier, why the Saliasi reference? so many old songs are full of very local things that most of us wouldnt catch. please help! i'm gonna include this song in my performances in nursing homes!
It's about not much...just like the other songs of the day! What was Mairzy Doats about...remember that? And it's Haile Selassie, the leader of Egypt, a Rasta, who was considered classy....it just rhymes.
Mitch Miller and his Sing Along Gang had the original lyrics when they did the song on oe oth their albums. Shantytown would indicate that the protagonist is Irish (poor "shanty Irish" as opposed to well off "lace curtain Irish") and he is remembering his mother who still lives there. "it's only a shanty in old shantytown/it's roof is so slanty it touches the ground/but a tumbledown shack/by an old railroad track/like a millionaire's mansion is calling me back/I'd give up a palace if I were a king/it's more than a palace it's my everything/there's a queen waiting there with a silvery crown/in a shanty in old shantytown."
I would love to hear Long´s version of Chuck Berry´s "Maybelline".
Répète
Isn't this taken from one of what were called "Soundies" (which were a circa 1948 primitive versions of modern-day music videos)?
they all look so awkward standing there signing lol
Debby Murphy- You'd be right at home aboard "The Pearl Harbor Day Troop Train" on Dec. 3rd. Look them up @ overlandtrail.com. The train's enjoyable program will whisk you back to the war years.
@murphstrings A shantytown was a another name for "Hoovervilles". They were ramshackle shelters built by the homeless from various materials such cardboard, crates, scrap metal etc., during the Great Depression.
My brother (died at 75 in 2005) and I used to love this song by Johnny Long. We always wondered about the beer mentioned. Was it "Gators" or "Gaters" ?