LISTENING: Andrew Hickey, in A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, goes into great detail about the unique harmonic connection among the voices of family members when discussing the Everly Brothers. It's called sibling harmony, and it's connected to shared genetics and growing up together hearing one another's voices. In fact, Hickey uses the Boswell Sisters' "Rock and Roll" as his shared genetics theme music.
I mention this because this morning we turned over from listening to a very complete Fats Waller collection to the Andrews Sisters, who followed the Boswells as pop culture's major sister singing act. And yes, it's the harmonies that grab you. I love to hear vocal harmonies, which often just blow one away. Take, for instance, the Beatles "Because." Obviously the lads were not related, but somehow their harmonizing, epitomized here, was always something unique. As for the Andrews Sisters, it was a combination of ingredients, from talent to personal charms to working with some of the great Big Bands and the right songs with the right arrangements. I always envision them as in the photo above, completely connected to WWII, either in their lyrics or personal appearances or movie bits. Somehow they ended up in some Abbott and Costello movies, which were regular fodder on 50s television, which is my generation's first association with them, as they were very much of our parent's generation. The sisters' personal story, of which I knew nothing until I did some research this morning, is pretty complicated, with all kinds of sibling disputes over the years. A point of interest: If you're a Disney fan, you'll appreciate (and enjoy) Over Here!, written by the Sherman Brothers, which, according to Wikipedia, in addition to starring the two surviving Andrews girls, introduced newcomers John Travolta, Treat Williams, Marilu Henner, Samuel E. Wright and Ann Reinking. I wouldn't have minded seeing that one.
Looking at my audit playlist, I see that I have many days ahead of me of Patty, LaVerne and Maxene. I'll try not to bore you to death with them.
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