[78-L] Elgart, was Orrin Tucker

[Cary Ginell]

As for me, I still haven't forgiven Elgart for "Hooked on Swing." 

Cary Ginell

> Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:32:10 -0400
> From: jeffsultanof at gmail.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Obit Orin Tucker
> 
> The story of Elgart on Columbia is an interesting one.
> 
> In 1953/4, Columbia signed three bandleaders to see whether there was any
> interest (I can imagine Mitch Miller screaming his head off; here's the guy
> who let Count Basie go). George Avakian spearheaded the attempt, if I recall
> correctly. The bandleaders were Elgart, Pete Rugolo and Dan Terry. Rugolo
> made some great sides, but Mitch Miller harassed him to the point of Rugolo
> leaving (running is more like it) after a year. Terry made some good
> Basie-style recordings but they didn't sell.
> 
> Avakian personally took charge of Elgart's recordings, and he later said
> that the Elgart LPs were very popular sellers for the Columbia Record Club.
> The Elgart's must have sold records in nice numbers, since the band stayed
> with the label for many years (although Larry left in 1963 to try leading
> his own group; he always returned to his brother's band).
> 
> The Elgart band that recorded for Brunswick and Decca was more
> 'experimental.' The Columbias are dance band sides through and through. It
> also helped that Bandstand Boogie became Dick Clark's theme for American
> Bandstand, although I believe that that was more a turntable hit than a big
> seller. Elgart's band did not have a piano (Elgart wanted a lighter sound),
> so the guitar was very pronounced in the rhythm section, making the band
> sound lighter and bouncier.
> 
> I believe that Larry still leads the band. I did know one arranger who was
> hired some years ago to reconstruct some of the book.
> 
> Jeff Sultanof
>