That's some deft, careful tip-toeing through the two-lips, Tad....nicely done. There's nothing new under the sun, and, while it's amazing to see what Bogan, in particular, was recording a century ago, I'm finding it fascinating to contemplate why...the motivation.
For the more recent artists, the motivation seems to clearly be titillation, and with it, bloated record sales/downloads, with what seems to be the desire to position themselves (ironically) as truly adventurous, "dangerous" and ground-breaking artists. Or, grab a quick headline; I appreciated your mention of the "Streisand effect," which, while hearing it referenced here and there, I never bothered to look it up. I actually vaguely remember, now, that air-photo flap from the start of the century.
As for Bogan's motivation, it's amazing to weigh her major-label experiences with the racism charges leveled against the '50s and '60s label execs and the signings (or lack) of Black artists, and the emergence of what were called "race records" (on the same Okeh Records Bogan was on just 30 years earlier...and other labels).
Hers and other '20s and '30s records are amazing pop cultural touchstones, and of course, major highlights of the record industry writ large. I'm sure there have been college courses on the racial anthropology of recorded sound, but, in listening to Bogan's "Shave 'em Dry," it's easy to hear her sheer giddiness in "being let in the door" to record her honest private experiences, with far more authenticity and "realism" than the later, far more exploitative and contrived, commerce-driven efforts of Cardi B, MTS, and even Prince....all of whom seemed to only want to shock the older and/or more conservative, and "impress" their younger audience members/record buyers with just how "hip" and "cool" they'd like to be perceived as being.
The Okeh label on which Bogan recorded, was bought by Columbia in '26, after which, she then switched to Paramount Records, starting in '27. It'd be interesting to see if she was cut from Okeh following the Columbia acquisition, or was simply sought after by Paramount. She recorded for Brunswick from 1929-'31, with titles seeming to imply more explicitness! Her '33 "Shave 'em Dry" (one of the lasts things she recorded) was actually, as Discogs noted, "probably a private pressing of an explicit song."
Now, what I'd LOVE to know is if my dad had any of her 78s. His 20,000-piece collection featured mostly jazz LPs and 78s, and he was more of a "music collector" than a historically-motivated "record collector," but I remember (I was born in '55) growing up and looking through a lot of his older records (he actually had a 3" Decca record of someone from the '50s)! Haven't seen one since! I do remember seeing some Okeh and Brunswick labels on some of his 78s, but I can't remember what names he had! Fun stuff, Tad....thanks again!
I actually learned about Bogan in a college class on the history of the Blues, and it was interesting to see the students grapple with the pervasive racism in vaudeville and the existence of race records.
One young man (who told us he was a conservative Christian) asked how a record like "Shave 'Em Dry" could be considered a political statement, since it didn't discuss politics and seemed to be intended only to shock and titillate the audience. I pointed out that as a Southern Black woman in the 20s/30s, Bogan had few rights to property, no access to vote, and was expected to remain quiet and out of sight. Just existing openly and taking pleasure in sex while making fun of the men in her songs was an assertion of power.
I think it's that assertion of their power against the disapproval of people who would rather not see them existing that motivates these artists to keep pushing the boundaries.
That Lucille didn’t hold anything back!
That's some deft, careful tip-toeing through the two-lips, Tad....nicely done. There's nothing new under the sun, and, while it's amazing to see what Bogan, in particular, was recording a century ago, I'm finding it fascinating to contemplate why...the motivation.
For the more recent artists, the motivation seems to clearly be titillation, and with it, bloated record sales/downloads, with what seems to be the desire to position themselves (ironically) as truly adventurous, "dangerous" and ground-breaking artists. Or, grab a quick headline; I appreciated your mention of the "Streisand effect," which, while hearing it referenced here and there, I never bothered to look it up. I actually vaguely remember, now, that air-photo flap from the start of the century.
As for Bogan's motivation, it's amazing to weigh her major-label experiences with the racism charges leveled against the '50s and '60s label execs and the signings (or lack) of Black artists, and the emergence of what were called "race records" (on the same Okeh Records Bogan was on just 30 years earlier...and other labels).
Hers and other '20s and '30s records are amazing pop cultural touchstones, and of course, major highlights of the record industry writ large. I'm sure there have been college courses on the racial anthropology of recorded sound, but, in listening to Bogan's "Shave 'em Dry," it's easy to hear her sheer giddiness in "being let in the door" to record her honest private experiences, with far more authenticity and "realism" than the later, far more exploitative and contrived, commerce-driven efforts of Cardi B, MTS, and even Prince....all of whom seemed to only want to shock the older and/or more conservative, and "impress" their younger audience members/record buyers with just how "hip" and "cool" they'd like to be perceived as being.
The Okeh label on which Bogan recorded, was bought by Columbia in '26, after which, she then switched to Paramount Records, starting in '27. It'd be interesting to see if she was cut from Okeh following the Columbia acquisition, or was simply sought after by Paramount. She recorded for Brunswick from 1929-'31, with titles seeming to imply more explicitness! Her '33 "Shave 'em Dry" (one of the lasts things she recorded) was actually, as Discogs noted, "probably a private pressing of an explicit song."
Now, what I'd LOVE to know is if my dad had any of her 78s. His 20,000-piece collection featured mostly jazz LPs and 78s, and he was more of a "music collector" than a historically-motivated "record collector," but I remember (I was born in '55) growing up and looking through a lot of his older records (he actually had a 3" Decca record of someone from the '50s)! Haven't seen one since! I do remember seeing some Okeh and Brunswick labels on some of his 78s, but I can't remember what names he had! Fun stuff, Tad....thanks again!
I actually learned about Bogan in a college class on the history of the Blues, and it was interesting to see the students grapple with the pervasive racism in vaudeville and the existence of race records.
One young man (who told us he was a conservative Christian) asked how a record like "Shave 'Em Dry" could be considered a political statement, since it didn't discuss politics and seemed to be intended only to shock and titillate the audience. I pointed out that as a Southern Black woman in the 20s/30s, Bogan had few rights to property, no access to vote, and was expected to remain quiet and out of sight. Just existing openly and taking pleasure in sex while making fun of the men in her songs was an assertion of power.
I think it's that assertion of their power against the disapproval of people who would rather not see them existing that motivates these artists to keep pushing the boundaries.
And "looking cool" is tied to that, of course.