[78-L] Rhythmic "sprituals" of the early 1930s

[Cary Ginell]

I was listening to Cole Porter's "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" today and was wondering about precedents for this idea in Tin Pan Alley. The style was in the form of a camp meeting spiritual, with a mock sermonizing lyric. Three songs that preceded this were "Oh, Monah," "On Revival Day" and "Sing, You Sinners." Without going off on a tangent, can anyone supply me with further examples of pop songs using the spiritual form? Keep in mind that Anything Goes was on Broadway in 1934, so the songs would have to predate that ("All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" doesn't count; it came out in 1937; "Ol' Man Mose" came out in 1936, I believe.).

 

Cary Ginell

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