Have you ever seen the genuine thing, even though you’ve heard it in countless TV series and advertisements?
Bring me a dream, Mr. Sandman. Make him the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. It is 1958. President Eisenhower is in office, and the modern form of rock & roll is beginning to emerge. Don’t tell the Chordettes that, though. The primarily a cappella performances of “Mr. Sandman” and “Lollipop” by the Sheboygan harmonizing girls—Janet, Alice, Lynn, and Jinny—wowed the radio.
In this live TV performance, the Chordettes, who are frequently likened to a barbershop quartet, show off their skills. Do you recall all of the song’s “bum-bum-bums”? You’ll be astounded to learn that each member of the ensemble sings a single “bum” in rapid succession. How did they accomplish that without a hitch?
Even while the racially explicit lyrics beg Mr. Sandman to bring them a handsome guy to bed with, these women’s charm and long, elegant robes conjure a sense of previous properness.
In a humorous scene created specifically for this performance, Mr. Sandman himself shows up on screen to take their call, and he’s quite attractive and youthful. Even as you swoon to the melody of the iconic “Mr. Sandman,” you’ll laugh at this insert shot.
Did you know that Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers married the daughter of singer Janet? Without a question, it was a musical pairing made in heaven. The Chordettes cemented their position in American music history by appearing on the inaugural episode of American Bandstand to be televised nationally.
The amazing Chordettes weren’t the first to record this song, despite their notoriety. In fact, a man named Vaughn Monroe and his orchestra performed the original rendition in 1954. However, the inspired version by the Chordettes, which was recorded later that year, was far superior to his.
“No profanity? Not a drop? No ostentatious beats? No incomprehensible jargon? Auto-tune, no? “So pure,” one sentimental spectator wrote.
When I was a young child, my grandmother would sing this to me. Her tales of being a crazy teenager in the 1950s are fascinating to hear. One more visitor who appreciated this nostalgic journey remarked, “She’s my best friend, and I’m glad I inherited her love for the ’50s.”
