Merle Travis is the singer-guitarist for an otherwise all-girl band in this soundie.
It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song.
During the late War years, 'western swing' was the most popular music genre by record sales. This one, with its yodeling is a way station on the way from Jimmy Rogers to country-western. Sounds like Merle is playing a Dobro to me.
It's one of more than two thousand "soundies" produced between 1939 and 1947, meant to be played on a device called a Mills Panoram. For seven years they could be found in bars, night clubs, and other places where people would gather. Think of them as music videos, available for viewing at a dime a song.
During the late War years, 'western swing' was the most popular music genre by record sales. This one, with its yodeling is a way station on the way from Jimmy Rogers to country-western. Sounds like Merle is playing a Dobro to me.
