Song poem
Encyclopedia
Song poem usually refers to song
lyrics
that have been set to music
for a fee. This practice, which has long been disparaged in the music industry, was also known as song sharking and was conducted by several businesses throughout the 20th century in North America
.
s, comic book
s, tabloids, men's adventure journals and similar publications with a headline reading (essentially) Send in Your Poems - Songwriter
s Make Thousands of Dollars - Free Evaluation. The term lyrics was avoided because it was assumed potential customers would not understand what the term meant. Those who sent their poetry
to one of the production companies usually received notice by mail
that their work was worthy of recording
by professional musician
s, along with a proposal to do so in exchange for a fee. The early 20th century versions of this business involved setting the words to music and printing up sheet music
from inexpensively engraved plates.
In producing the recordings, the melodies were either improvised or recycled and musicians often recorded dozens of songs per recording session using minimal resources, often in one take. Some of the companies recorded new vocals over pre-recorded music backing tracks, using the same music tracks hundred of times. The recordings were then duplicated on 45 RPM vinyl singles or on individual cassette tapes, or they were released on compilation LPs with dozens of other songs by amateur lyric writers. Copies were sent to the customer. Promises that they would also be sent to radio
stations or music industry executives were rarely if ever kept, partly because the recordings would not have been taken seriously by professionals. The practice played off the desire of unsophisticated people, who often lived in remote areas, for fame and fortune.
In 2003, a documentary
about the industry, Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story, was aired on the Public Broadcasting Service
in the United States
. It has since been released on DVD
, and the soundtrack was released as a recording.
Tom Ardolino
, former drummer for the band NRBQ
, curated several compilation CDs of the material. His work, along with the efforts of others such as musicologist Irwin Chusid of WFMU radio, has allowed these scraps to reach a level of notoriety unthinkable in their own time.
Caglar Singletary is probably the best known songpoet, his most famous composition being "Annie Oakley." But among the professionals paid to record these songs, the "Mozart
" of the song poem genre is often said to be Rodd Keith
. Several compilations of his made-for-hire song poem recordings have been released on CD with comments by his son, avant-garde saxophonist Ellery Eskelin
. Eskelin never actually met his father, but was often told that his father was some kind of musical genius.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
that have been set to music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
for a fee. This practice, which has long been disparaged in the music industry, was also known as song sharking and was conducted by several businesses throughout the 20th century in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Production and promotion
The business of recording song poems was promoted through small display ads in popular magazineMagazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, tabloids, men's adventure journals and similar publications with a headline reading (essentially) Send in Your Poems - Songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
s Make Thousands of Dollars - Free Evaluation. The term lyrics was avoided because it was assumed potential customers would not understand what the term meant. Those who sent their poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
to one of the production companies usually received notice by mail
Mail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
that their work was worthy of recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by professional musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s, along with a proposal to do so in exchange for a fee. The early 20th century versions of this business involved setting the words to music and printing up sheet music
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
from inexpensively engraved plates.
In producing the recordings, the melodies were either improvised or recycled and musicians often recorded dozens of songs per recording session using minimal resources, often in one take. Some of the companies recorded new vocals over pre-recorded music backing tracks, using the same music tracks hundred of times. The recordings were then duplicated on 45 RPM vinyl singles or on individual cassette tapes, or they were released on compilation LPs with dozens of other songs by amateur lyric writers. Copies were sent to the customer. Promises that they would also be sent to radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
stations or music industry executives were rarely if ever kept, partly because the recordings would not have been taken seriously by professionals. The practice played off the desire of unsophisticated people, who often lived in remote areas, for fame and fortune.
Phonograph records
For some listeners, unusual, amateur lyrics in recordings made by rushed or at least marginally professional musicians almost half a century earlier offer a unique, discordant sound heard nowhere else. The intensity and naiveté of the lyrics combined with the workaday listlessness of the musical performances creates a tension that fuels whatever artistic merit may be found in these relics. Many of the lyrics involve subject matter relating to the passing fads of the day, and thus provide a window into a past pop culture.In 2003, a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the industry, Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story, was aired on the Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has since been released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, and the soundtrack was released as a recording.
Tom Ardolino
Tom Ardolino
Tom Ardolino is a rock drummer best known as a member of NRBQ. Ardolino was initially a fan of the band, and began corresponding and trading tapes with keyboardist and co-founder Terry Adams. On one occasion, original NRBQ drummer Tom Staley did not feel up to returning for an encore, so Adams...
, former drummer for the band NRBQ
NRBQ
NRBQ is an American rock band founded in 1967. It is known for its live performances, containing a high degree of spontaneity and levity, and blending rock, pop, jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley styles. Its best known line-up is the 1974–1994 quartet of pianist Terry Adams, bassist Joey Spampinato,...
, curated several compilation CDs of the material. His work, along with the efforts of others such as musicologist Irwin Chusid of WFMU radio, has allowed these scraps to reach a level of notoriety unthinkable in their own time.
Caglar Singletary is probably the best known songpoet, his most famous composition being "Annie Oakley." But among the professionals paid to record these songs, the "Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
" of the song poem genre is often said to be Rodd Keith
Rodd Keith
Rodd Keith was an American multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. He is perhaps the best known figure in the obscure musical sub-genre known as song poem music.-Life and career:...
. Several compilations of his made-for-hire song poem recordings have been released on CD with comments by his son, avant-garde saxophonist Ellery Eskelin
Ellery Eskelin
Ellery Eskelin American tenor saxophonist. Born in Wichita, Kansas, raised in Baltimore, Maryland from the age of two. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were also musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, California and became a cult figure after his death in the little known...
. Eskelin never actually met his father, but was often told that his father was some kind of musical genius.
Discography
- Hollywood Gold, various artists (Rainbow Records) (one single, one cassette, 22 LPs)http://www.songpoemmusic.com/labels/rainbow.htm
- The Beat of The Traps, Various artists (Carnage Press)(LP only)
- The Makers of Smooth Music, Various artists (Carnage Press)
- The Human Breakdown of Absurdity, Various artists (Carnage Press)
- I'm Just The Other Woman, Various artists (Carnage Press)
- The American Song Poem Anthology: Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood and Brush?, Various artists (Bar/None)
- The American Song Poem Christmas: Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four?, Various artists (Bar/None)
- I Died Today, Rodd Keith (Tzadik)
- Ecstacy To Frenzy, Rodd Keith (Tzadik)
- Saucers in the Sky, Rodd Keith (Roaratorio)
- Off The Charts: The Song Poem Story, Various artists (Red Rock Records - film soundtrack)
- Song Poem Hits of 2007, David Dubowski One Man Band (Crazy Dave Records)
- Song Poem Hits of 2007 Vol. 2, David Dubowski One Man Band (Crazy Dave Records)
- Song Poem Hits of 2009, David Dubowski One Man Band (Crazy Dave Records)
External links
- song poem music
- WFMU-FM Radio Station
- Shirley & Spinoza Internet Radio
- Extraordinary Song-Poem Service
- Surreal O'Rama Song Poem Contest- Winners have their words set to music and recorded FREE
- Over 20 song-poems on YouTube by The Original Crazy Dave
- Episode of This American Life featuring a story about Ellery Eskelin's introduction to his father's music