1940 WILL BRADLEY Rock-A-Bye The Boogie RAY McKINLEY drums - 78 RPM Record

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Description

Will Bradley And His Orchestra featuring Ray McKinley – Rock-A-Bye The Boogie
Written by Hughie Prince, Don Raye and Freddie Slack
78 RPM audio transfer from Bowness Arts' collection of vintage records

Will Bradley And His Orchestra - Scramble Two / Rock-A-Bye The Boogie
Label: Columbia C104 (Canada)
Format: Shellac, 10", 78 RPM
Released: 1940
Genre: Jazz
Style: Swing
Other side of this record: Scramble Two
https://youtu.be/bl-glgnH0AQ

Will Bradley, born Wilbur Schwichtenberg on July 12, 1912, in Newton, New Jersey, was an American trombonist and bandleader who made significant contributions to the swing and boogie-woogie genres during the 1930s and 1940s. Raised in Washington, New Jersey, Bradley began his career as a musician in New York City in 1928, where he played in various bands, including Red Nichols & His Five Pennies. During the 1930s, he worked as a studio musician for CBS, except for one year when he was part of the Ray Noble orchestra. In 1939, Bradley teamed up with Ray McKinley, a swing drummer and vocalist from Texas, to form a big band, and changed his name to Will Bradley. The band consisted of several talented musicians, including Freddie Slack, Arthur Rollini, Peanuts Hucko, Lee Castle, and Pete Candoli. They also had several vocalists such as Terry Allen, Carlotta Dale, Lynn Gardner, Steve Jordan, Ray McKinley, Phyllis Myles, Larry Southern, and Jimmy Valentine. The Bradley band quickly gained fame for their boogie-woogie style of music, with their hit record "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and other songs written by Don Raye such as "Scrub Me Mama with a Boogie Beat" and "Down the Road a Piece". In 1941, Bradley was the band leader for the Summer Silver Theater on CBS Radio with Ed Sullivan as the host. In 1942, McKinley left the band to form his own group. Bradley hired Shorty Rogers and Shelly Manne, but due to the draft during World War II, many members ended up in the military, and the band eventually dissolved. After the war, Bradley continued to make music, but he also composed chamber music and orchestral works. Later in his career, Bradley played trombone on "The Tonight Show" during the Johnny Carson era. Bradley passed away on July 15, 1989, in Flemington, New Jersey, just three days after his 77th birthday.

Ray McKinley was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader, born on June 18, 1910, in Fort Worth, Texas. He started playing drums at the age of nine, and by the time he was 15, he had already left home to pursue a career in music. He landed his first major professional engagement in 1934 with the Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra. Both McKinley and and his good friend Glenn Miller joined the Dorsey Brothers' band in 1934, but Miller left for Ray Noble in December of that year, while McKinley stayed with Jimmy Dorsey until 1939, when he joined Will Bradley, becoming co-leader. McKinley's biggest hit with Bradley, as a singer, was "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," which he recorded early in 1940, and for which he received partial songwriting credit under his wife's maiden name, Eleanore Sheehy. McKinley and Bradley split in 1942, and McKinley formed his own band, which recorded for Capitol Records. However, he soon joined the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra, which he co-led with arranger Jerry Gray after Miller's disappearance in December 1944. Upon being discharged at the end of the following year, McKinley formed a modern big band that featured a book of original material by legendary arranger Eddie Sauter. In the 1950s, McKinley began evolving into a part-time leader and sometime radio and TV personality. In 1956, McKinley was chosen to be the leader of the revived Glenn Miller Orchestra, capitalizing on the popularity of The Glenn Miller Story movie with James Stewart. He led the orchestra until 1966 and co-hosted, with former Air Force band vocalist Johnny Desmond, a 13-week CBS-TV summer replacement series with the band called Glenn Miller Time in 1961. McKinley's last recording session was in 1977 for Chiaroscuro Records. Ray McKinley died on May 7, 1995, at the age of 84.

Note: The first 78 RPM record came into existence around 1894, and in 1912, the Gramophone Company established 78 rpm as their recording standard. The production of shellac records continued throughout the 78 rpm era, with "non-breakable" 78 rpm vinyl records being introduced in the 1940s. The popularity of the 33 1/3 rpm "Long Play" record, initially released in 1948, caused the 78 rpm record to become obsolete before the end of the 1950s. As these 78 rpm recordings are quite old, they may contain derogatory language and/or negative stereotypes. It is important to evaluate such recordings within their historical context and consider them as a reflection of the attitudes prevalent at the time. These recordings form an integral part of the historical record and do not represent the views of this poster, channel, or Bowness Arts.