Big bands had a long run and the history of the period
says that economics drove the big bands out of the spotlight
in favor of small combos like Nat king Cole. The Jump Jive and
Wail music of R&B was just buried in the racism of the time.

According to the author, the CW craze could have started up
at that time with the popularity of Frankie Lane and "Mule Train".
Franky Lane is one of the featured artists in the book.
The book talks about all these novelty songs like they were
from another planet. Then a caller came in and referred
to those records produced by radio disk jockeys of reports
of aliens landing and clips from other pop tunes of the
day. I can't think of the guy who made those.

I think it's just the notion on the part of the author of
the incomprehensibility of that much different _stuff_
on the radio. Anyone under thirty has been brainwashed
into the playlisting of formatted radio.

Elvis and the rest of the crop were likely the result of
enough small record players in the hands of kids playing
45's that cost less than a dollar playing music that their
parents hated.

It was odd that during the report, no mention was made of the
current musical "Hairspray" for instance, or the John Waters
film itself, or Crybaby or a whole ream of films about
songwriters, gangs and groups of the period.

On the band thing, there's always been a big question in my
mind about that. If GI's were returning to the land of wealth
and prosperity then there should have been a base for
supporting bands and orchestras.

Wait. TV.