In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Mills Brothers

Male Vocal Jazz Trio from Piqua, OH.

The brothers were highly successful and well liked. They were recognized nationally, then internationally. In 1934, The Mills Brothers became the first African-Americans to give a command performance before British royalty. They performed at the Regal Theatre for a special audience; King George V, Queen Mary, and the very special woman sitting in a box seat, their mother. Soon after this, while performing in England, John Jr. became ill. He was months recovering from pneumonia. Before he was completely well, the Brothers returned to England. John Jr. once again became sick, then died in the beginning of 1936.

After signing the three-year contract with William S. Paley, they became a national sensation. Their first record recorded for Brunswick, a remake of their "Tiger Rag" became a nation wide seller, the only record at that time to sell more than a million copies. Other hits quickly followed -- "Goodbye blues", their theme song, "You're Nobody's Sweetheart Now," "Ole Rockin' Chair," "Lazy River", "How'm I doin'," and others.

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Mills Brothers : Paper Doll

The four Mills Brothers had a style that combined the best elements of vaudeville, Negro minstrelsy and the barbershop quartet with elements of the new jazz sound. Their habit of cupping their hands over their mouths to create an orchestral sound (similar to effects created by Europe's Comedy Harmonists), was a sensational factor in their success story, and appearances on popular radio programs like "Rudy Vallee's Fleishmann's Yeast Hour" led to their first million-selling record, "Tiger Rag/Nobody's Sweetheart" in 1931. The Brothers endeared themselves to movie audiences the world over with appearances on such hits as "Big Broadcast of 1932" with Bing Crosby, Kate Smith, Cab Calloway and the Boswell Sisters. Included here are 23 lightly accompanied songs, some of our favorites: "You Rascal, You," "Dinah" and "Shine" with Bing Crosby, "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny" and "In The Shade of the Old Apple Tree" with Louis Armstrong, "How'm I Doin', Hey, Hey?," "Lazy River" and the title tune. This is classic, understated, tongue-in-cheek-funny stuff, the quintessence of jazzy, bluesy flapper/speakeasy cool. Too much good stuff! Highly recommended.

Songlist: Lazy River, You Always Hurt the One You Love, Paper Doll, I've Got My Love To keep Me Warm, Glow Worm, Till Me Meet Again, If I Had My way, On The Banks of the Wabash, When You Were Sweet Sixteen, Daddy's Little Girl