As traditional big bands declined following the death of Glenn Miller and the end of World War II, former big-banders tried to change or modernize their sounds in various ways. Former Glenn Miller trumpeter Ray Anthony found success in 1952 by recording a theme song for a dance trend known as the 'bunny hop':https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Z1p6fAMrMAnthony's single bridged the gap between the older big band scene and the emerging world of pop music, being released in both instrumental and vocal versions, and being covered in other styles such as mambo. Ray Anthony And His Orchestra (the recording group's official name) adopted more modern-sounding guitar and sax elements compared to the 1940's sound, and had a significant hit in 1959 with a cover of the theme song to the popular TV show Peter Gunn:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXN_7P95UoAt this point, the 'pop orchestral' genre was taking shape, with musicians like Herb Alpert releasing early singles. Anthony's own career mostly fizzled during the 1960's, but his influence was obvious.
>>130430163He’s 13 years older than Elvis and he’s still alive
>>130430169So is his ex-wife Mamie van Doren, whose own 1950's recording career is... not remembered all that fondly:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAFYW7HtD5w
>>130430163Vic Schoen had been a successful 40s arranger who backed the Andrews Sisters and later arranged many 50s housewife pop hits.
The bunny hop was a goofy-looking dance. Apparently it was a conga line, and then you kind of flounced around like a rabbit.
>>130430163"Bunny hop" sounds like a euphemism for what the postwar baby boom itself.
>>130435405>>130430163this is known as the uncool half of the '50s for a reason
>>130435820white kids started listening to black radio for a reason
>>130435820Record labels were trying to find the next Sinatra, Mitchell and Fisher were especially intended to be that. Although crooner lullabies had faded and more energetic sounds were in, they didn't make a real break from the established music order.
