[Dixielandjazz] Re: Black & Blue was Blues

[Jim Beebe]

I don't know about Louis 'fooling most of the world'  with his  rendition of
'Black  & Blue"  Fats Waller also did it as a put-on humorous song.  Franz
Jackson does it this way.

Jim Beebe

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stephen Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2003 10:18 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Re: Black & Blue was Blues


> > s3856lpa at webtv.net (Harold Smith) wrote (polite snip)
> >
> > And we don't need lectures from contemporary activists on the meaning of
> > the Black Experience, when we can turn to Louis singing "Black and
> > Blue".  Sure, it's not a "blues", but it generates the same empathetic
> > feeling.
>
> Only because Louis took that song and fooled those who had not seen the
show from whence it came. The people, not familiar with "Hot Chocolates"
circa 1930 Broadway, who heard the record, assumed he was talking about
Black & White relationships. Actually, the song is about the prejudice among
light skinned blacks, against dark skinned blacks.
>
> The tune was originally sung in the show by a dark skinned black girl and
was aimed at black men who prefer and date light skinned black woman rather
than her.
>
> Louis, genius showman as well as genius trumpeter fooled most of the world
about its meaning when he made that song "his".
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
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