New music Shaboom, sometimes referred to as "life could be a dream," is from a R&B vocal group called the Chords. The song was an early doo wop song and was written by James Keyes. The band formed in 1951 in the Bronx, New York and was known for this hit, which was their only hit. Band members included James Keyes, Cloud Feaster, Carl Feaster, Floyd McRae, and William Edwards. In an interesting twist, this particular song hit the charts twice in one year by two different recording artists. At the beginning of the year, the chords were changed, and later that same year, in September, the band "The Crew Cuts" released a different recording of this song, which went to number one. Since it's original release, it has had many renditions and re-released versions, some of those in popular TV shows and movies, including Happy Days, the film Clue in 1985, The Sum of Us in 1994, Crybaby with Johnny Depp in 1990, Mona Lisa Smile in 2003, and the soundtrack Cars is the long recording of the original song, and in Disney's California Adventure it is incorporated into the nightly neon lighting ceremony in Cars Land. The most recordings by a single group of this song is the Harvard Din and Tonics, who recorded it on 12 of their 13 albums. Most recently, The Chord's version is also featured in HBO's Lovecraft Country 2020. * Somewhere Over the Rainbow, by Judy Garland This song was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz and was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harberg. The idea for the story came up while sitting in his car in front of a drugstore in Hollywood. Originally, he did not like it because it was too slow. He consulted with Ira Gershwin, who advised him to speed up the tempo, then harbor came up with the words. Many artists have recorded this song, including Glenn Miller. Bob Crosby Larry Clinton and even Eric Clapton have been known to play an acoustic blues version. The lyrics have political significance as Harvard was expressing hope for America under President Roosevelt's New Deal program. The song won an Oscar in 1939 for best original song. Harry Connick Jr. said this at the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and Dorothy Hamill skated while he sang. Most recently, it has been used in the ukulele version in the films Finding Forrester, Meet Joe Black, and 50 First Dates, as well as the show ER. Judy Garland was just 16 when she recorded the song and 17 when the Wizard of Oz opened in theaters. She sang it throughout her career. The song's original recording has a backup orchestra, something more commonplace within the film industry. ** Johnny B Goode is a rock and roll song first written and recorded by Chuck Berry in 1958. The song peaked at number two on Billboard's Hot R&B chart and number eight on its Hot 100 chart. The song is considered one of the most recognizable songs in the history of popular music and was the first rock and roll song about rock and roll stardom. It ranks # 1 on the list of the Rolling Stones' 100 greatest guitar songs of all time. It has been recorded in many genres and by many artists, including a country version by Buck Owens and a posthumous hit by Jimmy Hendrix with a live version of the song. Other versions include Peter Tosh's and Judas Priests' top hits. A cover version was used in the film "Back to the Future." *** Starting with Over the Rainbow, which is an AABA style or form, we can compare and contrast these three songs. rhythm is consistent, and the harmony of its composition results in a relaxing tempo. This recording is of an artist with an orchestra. This is not the case with Johnny B. Goode. This is a simple verse chorus, but the constant change of vocals along with piano fills and drum double stops keeps one on the edge of expectation. The form is harder to initially hear. The result is a syncopated set of unexpected stresses and accents. The tempo is constantly upbeat and feels wild, but within that the timbre is still easy to recognize, with each instrument standing on its own, each clearly setting itself apart from the other in its contrast. ShBoom is another simple verse song but has interludes and a bridge as well. The tempo is constant and expected. With this song, the timbre is indistinguishable as one voice blends into another, and the rhythm is upbeat. During this time, The Judy Garland song would be of the traditional, pleasant, relaxing nature. Shaboom is a doo-wop, which is a pop song format. Black musicians at the time struggled greatly just to perform. The wild nature of Johnny B. Goode exemplifies rock and roll in the way that the parents of the time most feared. Nothing like the serene Judy Garland song. Chuck Berry's tune would leave one foot-tapping and swinging on the dance floor. All the songs had their own importance in rock history and individually as well. Although released very close in time, the sounds represent society's culture at the time, which was divided. Works cited https://www.songfacts.com/facts/judy-garland/over-the-rainbow https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_B._Goode&oldid=1062784599 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh-Boom
