Swinging Sides of Soul From Sammy Davis Jr.
- Listen to this song in a Spotify playlist here (though note, spotify doesn’t have all / many of the songs featured on the site so some playlists may be incomplete or feature slightly different versions than the original 45s I’m referring to here).
- Listen to the song on Youtube: Bee-Bom, I Like The Way You Dance
- Download the songs here: Bee-Bom, I Like The Way You Dance
Welcome back everyone, hope this finds you well. Today I wanted to share a couple of cool sides by Sammy Davis Jr. Arguably one of the most famous entertainers to ever grace the stage whether acting, dancing or singing. His credits extend far beyond his renown in The Rat Pack alongside Sinatra and Martin, starting in his youth performing alongside his father and The Will Mastin Trio doing incredible singing and tap dance routines that alone would have influenced later generations.
Today’s first side Bee-Bom is from the same year of that Copa performance, 1964. Originally done in 1961 by UK artist Anthony Newly, it’s safe to say Sammy elevated the performance. It’s a common and inexpensive record but swings plenty, has a great little flute and has looseness in the percussion I just love. It’s a playful and light record that I always kept in the crates for the early hours or if people were feeling like twirling their partner around a bit.
On the other hand, today’s other side I Like The Way You Dance is an absolute barn burner! My mind always associates Sammy Davis Jr with a certain cool and distinction but this side just goes all out all the way down to Sammy getting some gnarl in his voice. This one is always sure to get a dancefloor moving into hysterics. The song is taken from the 1968 British slapstick film Salt and Pepper (which is the flip side) featuring Sammy Davis Jr. as one of the leads.
Though he has a controversial history in some ways- his support of Nixon understandably alienated a lot of people- he also played a role in advancing causes of the civil rights movement and breaking the color barrier numerous times. His appearance Eddie Cantor’s Colgate Comedy Hour in 1952 helped integrate network television. He was the first Black singer to perform at the Copa Cabana in 1964 alongside his longtime friends the Will Mastin Trio and as a major name in entertainment refused to play segregated clubs and marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in Alabama in 1965. Though his career arc later in life didn’t follow what many would have wanted, his incredible talent and the real indignities he suffered while fighting for equal rights should not be overlooked.
Hope you enjoy today’s sides and we’ll see you Friday for a nice podcast hip-shaking instrumentals and next Wednesday for another 45!
Peace,
-George / Snack Attack