Bye Bye Blackbird

"Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926[1] by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926.[2]

This article is about the song. For other uses, see Bye Bye Blackbird (disambiguation).
"Bye Bye Blackbird"
Advertisement in the May 5, 1926 Variety
Song
Published1926[1]
GenreJazz
Composer(s)Ray Henderson
Lyricist(s)Mort Dixon

Song information

Popular recordings in 1926 were by Nick Lucas, Gene Austin, Benny Krueger, and by Leo Reisman.[3] It was the number 16 song of 1926 according to Pop Culture Madness.[4]

The song was featured in the 1955 movie musical Pete Kelly's Blues, sung by Peggy Lee in the role of alcoholic jazz singer Rose Hopkins.[5][6]

In "Goodbye Nkrumah" (1966) Beat poet Diane Di Prima asks:

And yet, where would we be without the American culture
Bye bye blackbird, as Miles plays it, in the ’50s[7]

In 1982, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) posthumously awarded John Coltrane a "Best Jazz Solo Performance" Grammy for the work on his album Bye Bye Blackbird.[8]

Recordings of the song often include only the chorus; the verses are far less known.[9]

Segregationists opposed to the American Civil Rights Movement, notably at the Selma to Montgomery marches, played the song over loudspeakers as a taunt.[10]

In 1968, Joe Cocker recorded a cover of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that was included on his 1969 album With A Little Help From My Friends. Allmusic reviewer Matthew Greenwald described it as a "Classic Pop Gospel Ballad".[11]

Tiny Tim recorded the song with Brave Combo on what would be his final recording,[12] the 1996 album Girl.[13]

In 2011, Paul McCartney recorded a cover of "Bye Bye Blackbird" that was included on his 2012 album Kisses on the Bottom.[14]

See also

References
  1. Zbikowski, Lawrence M. (2002). "5. Cultural Knowledge and Music Ontology". Conceptualizing Music: Constructive Structure, Theory, and Analysis. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 229. ISBN 0-19-514023-0. LCCN 2001058756.
  2. Mort Dixon. "Cover versions of Bye Bye Blackbird by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra – SecondHandSongs". secondhandsongs.com.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 482. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  4. Pop Music Hits of 1926 Song Chart Archived 2007-02-05 at the Wayback Machine at popculturemadness.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  5. "Bye Bye Blackbird (1926)". JazzStandards.com. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  6. "Bye Bye Blackbird by Peggy Lee with Orchestra directed by Harold Mooney". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  7. Di Prima, Diane. (1979). Revolutionary letters, etc., 1966–1978 (4th ed.). San Francisco: City Lights Books. ISBN 0872860590. OCLC 5886747.
  8. John Coltrane, The Official Site Archived 2015-12-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved March 21, 2012.
  9. "What are the rest of the lyrics to 'Bye, Bye, Blackbird?'", straightdope.com. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
  10. Renata Adler (1965-04-10). "Letter from Selma". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 24, 2013.
  11. "Bye Bye Blackbird by Joe Cocker - Track Info | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  12. "RSD '22 Special Release: Tiny Tim & Brave Combo - Girl", Record Store Day, retrieved 2023-08-20
  13. "Tiny Tim With Brave Combo - Girl", Discogs, 1996, retrieved 2023-08-20
  14. "Paul McCartney – Kisses On The Bottom; Discogs" – via www.discogs.com.

Further reading
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