Swing for Sale

The Charioteers sing the title song in this simple, engaging soudie.

Soundies were music videos produced from about 1940 through 1947. They were played on musical jukeboxes called the Mills Panaram, which could be found in diners bowling alleys, and similar venues. Mills and several competitors produced more than two thousand of them in those years.

The Charioteers were a popular close-harmony group that flourished from about 1930 through 1957. Originally they sang gospel, but moved on to other types of music. The year they made this, they also appeared in more than 1400 performances of the Broadway hit HELLZAPOPPIN'. The following year they became the studio chorus on Bing Crosby's radio show.

"Swing for Sale" is a short film that is a 'Soundie'...an early sort of music video that was played on specially built jukeboxes from 1940-1947. These jukeboxers were unusual because they not only played music but video...like music videos of the modern era. And, if you are curious about this an other soundies, you might want to buy yourself a copy of "Soundies the Ultimate Collection"...a 4 disc set of about 200 of these films.

The title song is sung by the Charioteers...a quartet of black singers who sing in a style that is almost like early rock 'n roll from the 1950s. As they sing, people begin to dance.

Of all the Soundies on Disc One, this is one of my favorites...with a very catchy tune that made me want to hear more from this mostly forgotten group.