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In the News
• King George VI and Queen Elizabeth tour the United States (1939)
• World War II begins when Germany invades Poland (1939)
• Germany conquers Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France during blitzkrieg attack (1940)
• Winston Churchill becomes prime minister of Great Britain (1940)
• Battle of Britain (1940)
• Russia invades Finland (1940)
• Roosevelt elected to record third term as president of United States (1940)
On the Bookshelf
• Mein Kampf, by Adolf Hitler, translated into English (1939)
• Finnegan's Wake, by James Joyce (1939)
• Mrs. Miniver, by Jan Struther (1939)
• For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway (1940)
• Long Day's Journey Into Night, by Eugene O'Neill (1940)
At the Movies
• Gone With the Wind, starring Clark Gable (1939)
• The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland (1939)
• Ninotchka, starring Greta Garbo (1939)
• The Great Dictator, starring Charlie Chaplin (1940)
• Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1940)
• Fantasia, produced by Walt Disney (1940)
Out and About
• Benny Goodman kick-starts the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, selling two million tickets during five-week engagement (1939)
• Baseball is televised for first time in United States (1939)
• Nylon stockings are introduced (1939)
• Number of radios in United States reaches 30 million (1940)
• U.S. population hits 130 million (1940)
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"Cherokee" (Noble), performed by Charlie Barnet
The Charlie Barnet Orchestra enjoyed immense popularity during the Swing Era, and "Cherokee" was one of the band's classic hits. During its career, the band included among its members some of the finest musicians of the day -- Barney Kessel, Buddy DeFranco, Dodo Marmarosa and Kay Starr, to name a few.
"Woodchopper's Ball" (Bishop/Herman), performed by Woody Herman
This was the first hit of Herman's band, which became known as the Herd. Herman formed the band from musicians left over after the Isham Jones Orchestra split. While the Herd, like many of its counterparts, usually recorded with vocalists, it was famous for its instrumentals, and "Woodchopper's Ball" was a fan favorite.
"In the Mood" (Garland/Razaf), performed by Glenn Miller
Along with Benny Goodman, Miller was one of the icons of the Swing movement. Over the years, his orchestra released such seminal hits as "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," "String of Pearls" and "Moonlight Serenade." Perhaps best-known was "In the Mood," which was a hit in dance halls and on the radio. During the war, Miller joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and performed for the troops with a dance band. He disappeared over the English Channel while flying to Paris in 1944.
The music featured on this page is from the Big Band Magic 2-CD set available as a thank-you gift when you pledge the Big Band Magic! program.
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Copyright © 2003 KQED, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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