From the Vancouver
Province July 26, 1957
Little Miss R 'n' R's culprits--
they buy the 'musical garbage'
By VERNON SCOTT
HOLLYWOOD--(UP)-- Bandleader Freddy Martin backs
Bing Crosby's blast at popular music with the
observation that "90 per cent of today's pop
numbers are musical garbage."
Martin, whose orchestra has
survived every fad from swing to Calypso, says
parents are responsible for the atrocious songs
blared from radios and TV sets.
"ROCK 'N' ROLL records are selling
today because parents give their youngsters
money to buy them," he explained.
"It's not the 16 to 19 age group
that sets the musical trend. Little girls from
12 to 15 are the ones who buy these records by
the millions every month and establish our
listening habits.
"IF PARENTS were to discontinue
allowances the trend to musical trash would
evaporate."
Freddy went on to say that
composers, disc jockeys and orchestra leaders
can't be blamed for playing rock 'n' roll any
more than recording outfits can take the rap for
turning out the discs.
"AS LONG as there's a market and
profit in this pap we'll continue to be
bombarded with songs like 'All Shook Up." [Note: See
YouTube link adjacent this article.]
"Can you imagine anyone in his
right mind attempting to dance to a tune like
that?
"GOOD SONG writers can't get their
music recorded," Freddy said/ "Big bands are
almost completely out of business, and musicians
are finding it hard to get jobs. Most pop music
played today is based on a honking saxophone and
twanging guitars."
Martin, a fixture at the Coconut
Grove since 1922, has [seen] the Benny Goodmans,
Artie Shaws, Stan Kentons and dozens of other
bands come and go. He and Guy Lombardo are the
only big bands still in business--not counting
newcomer Lawrence Welk.
"JAZZ, SWING, Dixieland and
progressive music all had melody and rhythm," he
claims. "Rock 'n' roll has nothing but a
beat--and all music has that to begin with.
"I agree wholeheartedly with Bing.
Something ought to be done to make popular music
listenable again. It's getting so you can't hear
worthwhile music unless you go out to dance.
"AUDIENCES I play for at the Grove
never request this new junk. I played for
thousands of high school kids during recent
graduation parties, and not one asked for rock
'n' roll.
"One night, however, a 10-year-old
requested a rock 'n' roll number," Freddy
growled. "I could have slugged the little
character."
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