Sold American
Encyclopedia
Sold American is a 1938 song composed by Glenn Miller
with Chummy MacGregor
and recorded for both Brunswick and RCA Bluebird.
"Sold American" was written in 1938 by Glenn Miller and John Chalmers "Chummy" MacGregor, the pianist in the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The title was recorded on May 23, 1938 on Brunswick and again on June 27, 1939 for RCA Victor. A 78 was released in 1938 as Brunswick 8173, mx 22974-1, with "Dipper Mouth Blues". In 1939, a new recording was released as a Bluebird 78 A side, 10352A, with "Pagan Love Song". Glenn Miller arranged both songs.
The song features a chant by the orchestra repeated twice at the beginning and twice at the ending: "Sold! American!". The music starts off in the style and tempo of a pavane
.
The title is based on an American Tobacco Company
(ATC) radio ad jingle of the 1930s for Lucky Strike
cigarettes featuring a tobacco auctioneer chant delivered by North Carolina tobacco auctioneer Lee Aubrey "Speed" Riggs which ended with the phrase, "Sold, American!", stressing that American only purchased the highest quality tobacco for its cigarettes. The jingle achieved national exposure through ATC's sponsorship of Your Hit Parade
, a weekly radio show that featured a countdown of the top national hits.
Glenn Miller was sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes in 1939, owned by the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company
. Their slogan was: "They satisfy!" There was a conflict of interest. Being sponsored by Chesterfield, Miller could not promote a competing brand, Lucky Strike. This restricted the performances of the song.
The song was performed live by Glenn Miller on March 8, 1939 and broadcast on the radio from a remote at the Meadowbrook Ballroom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. "Sold American" was released as a single in the UK paired with "Moon Love" on the HMV label as BD5854. The 1938 recording, Matrix number B 22974-1, was also released as Vocalion 4449, Okeh 4449, Brunswick 81677 in Germany, Columbia DO-2783 in Australia, Philips B 21543 in Australia, on Lucky 60514 in Japan, and was reissued by Biltmore Records
as 1108 in the 1949-1951 period.
The RCA Victor Bluebird version from 1939 is on the 13 disc CD collection The Complete Glenn Miller (1938-1942) by BMG/RCA and on the 2005 series The Glenn Miller Story, Vols. 5-6. The 1938 Brunswick version is on the album The Glenn Miller Story, Vols. 1-2. The collection Evolution of a Band (Columbia CD CK-48831) contains an unissued, alternate take, mx-22974-2. The song is also on the 2008 compilation The Swing of Things on Werner Last's Favourites Swing, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra: 1935-1938, Classics, 2004, and the 2009 album Big Bands: The Giants of the Swing Big Band Era on Documents.
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
with Chummy MacGregor
Chummy MacGregor
John Chalmers MacGregor , better known as Chummy MacGregor, a pianist and composer, was Glenn Miller’s pianist from 1936-1942. He composed the songs "Moon Dreams", "It Must Be Jelly ", and "Slumber Song"....
and recorded for both Brunswick and RCA Bluebird.
"Sold American" was written in 1938 by Glenn Miller and John Chalmers "Chummy" MacGregor, the pianist in the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The title was recorded on May 23, 1938 on Brunswick and again on June 27, 1939 for RCA Victor. A 78 was released in 1938 as Brunswick 8173, mx 22974-1, with "Dipper Mouth Blues". In 1939, a new recording was released as a Bluebird 78 A side, 10352A, with "Pagan Love Song". Glenn Miller arranged both songs.
The song features a chant by the orchestra repeated twice at the beginning and twice at the ending: "Sold! American!". The music starts off in the style and tempo of a pavane
Pavane
The pavane, pavan, paven, pavin, pavian, pavine, or pavyn is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century .A pavane is a slow piece of music which is danced to in pairs....
.
The title is based on an American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
(ATC) radio ad jingle of the 1930s for Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :...
cigarettes featuring a tobacco auctioneer chant delivered by North Carolina tobacco auctioneer Lee Aubrey "Speed" Riggs which ended with the phrase, "Sold, American!", stressing that American only purchased the highest quality tobacco for its cigarettes. The jingle achieved national exposure through ATC's sponsorship of Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
, a weekly radio show that featured a countdown of the top national hits.
Glenn Miller was sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes in 1939, owned by the Liggett and Myers Tobacco Company
Liggett Group
Liggett Group , formerly known as Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, is the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Durham, North Carolina, though its manufacturing facility is 30 miles to the west in Mebane, North Carolina...
. Their slogan was: "They satisfy!" There was a conflict of interest. Being sponsored by Chesterfield, Miller could not promote a competing brand, Lucky Strike. This restricted the performances of the song.
The song was performed live by Glenn Miller on March 8, 1939 and broadcast on the radio from a remote at the Meadowbrook Ballroom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey. "Sold American" was released as a single in the UK paired with "Moon Love" on the HMV label as BD5854. The 1938 recording, Matrix number B 22974-1, was also released as Vocalion 4449, Okeh 4449, Brunswick 81677 in Germany, Columbia DO-2783 in Australia, Philips B 21543 in Australia, on Lucky 60514 in Japan, and was reissued by Biltmore Records
Biltmore Records
Biltmore Records was a United States based record label active from 1949 through 1951. The label was headquartered in New York City. Biltmore Records were often reissues of recordings no longer in the catalogues of other labels. Pressings were done by RCA Victor...
as 1108 in the 1949-1951 period.
The RCA Victor Bluebird version from 1939 is on the 13 disc CD collection The Complete Glenn Miller (1938-1942) by BMG/RCA and on the 2005 series The Glenn Miller Story, Vols. 5-6. The 1938 Brunswick version is on the album The Glenn Miller Story, Vols. 1-2. The collection Evolution of a Band (Columbia CD CK-48831) contains an unissued, alternate take, mx-22974-2. The song is also on the 2008 compilation The Swing of Things on Werner Last's Favourites Swing, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra: 1935-1938, Classics, 2004, and the 2009 album Big Bands: The Giants of the Swing Big Band Era on Documents.
Sources
- Flower, John. Moonlight Serenade: A Bio-discography of the Glenn Miller Civilian Band. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House, 1972.
- Simon, George Thomas. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. NY: Crowell, 1974.