[78-L] Frosty the Snowman

[Steven C. Barr]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> DAVID BURNHAM wrote:
>>  "Frosty the Snowman" always bothered me - it just didn't sound right.
> I know.  I understand.  It was snow abuse, but times were different back
> then.  Fat snowman jokes were part of the culture.  It didn't seem wrong
> in those days, but some people like you were more sensitive to the pain
> and suffering of rotund snow creatures forced to wear a silly hat and
> entertain little kids all the way unto death.  It probably also explains
> why it was never recorded by Kate Smith, Vaughn DeLeath, Ella
> Fitzgerald, Mildred Bailey, Fats Waller, etc.  I guess it didn't bother
> Gene Autry--he even seems to have recorded it twice.
> 
Two fairly simple facts! First, after the c.1942 demise of the "big band
era," the record industry had NO useful idea of what would be the next
big thing! "Rock'n'roll" was just starting to emerge; beyond that, we
were given innumerable attempts at "dialect" ("Oh, Mein Papa" et al)
as well as meaningless attempts to create "standards" ("Tennessee
Waltz," "Shrimp Boats," usw.!)

Second, "Rudolph..." suggested there was a HUGE untapped market
for Christmas/holiday tunes! The theoretical audience was the "under
6" group...or. more accurately, the parents thereof...?!

Fortunately for almost ALL of us, 1954 and "Sh-Boom" suddenly
brought in a whole NEW musical style...!

Steven C. Barr