The title of this Soundie is OPUS EEE, filmed in April 1944 in New York. (You'll recognize one of the "4-F Ferdinand" riffs.) For all of his abandon, Harry is very disciplined on camera, pantomiming to a playback.
Not only a cool cat playing those keys in boogie woodie fashion but check out his facial expressions and chewing gum. Wow another great musician who used those grins and chewing gum was that ace drummer man gene Krupa. Un fortunately Harry and gene have left us but their styles and musical genius will endure
Looking at this I'm encouraged to think that this history of rock and roll was gradual based on early types of swing and R & B that later combined to make rock what it was back then. Nothing is ever formed out of a vacuum.
At around the 1 minute 08 seconds mark you can even hear the basis of 'Rock Around The Clock'! just for a few seconds. This is without a doubt the origins of Rock n Roll.
June 27th: Happy birthday Jazz-pianist-Singer-Boogie Woogie Harry "The Hipster" Gibson (1915-1991) Thank you and God bless. RIP. Thanks for the upload, RJBinghamesg. Blessings
I wrote a term paper on Jerry Lee Lewis for a class on the history of rock n roll and mentioned Harry as an influenced and showed a video of this to my professor and he agreed with me. If not Jerry, then little Richard must’ve.
@kustom85delta88 Absolutely! Check out my mini-bio of him on ANOTHER of his pieces, wot I just uploaded! (It's linked to this piece). This was done in '44 - but when he did "Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine", three years later - his career went down the crapper!
Poor Harry died in California in poor health and neglected. He felt his only way out of poverty and heart disease was to end it all by his own hand. A shame..if only a few people could have reached out to him.
I was born in California but have spent two thirds of my life in Oz, but I still have fond memories of my childhood growing up in LA. I consider myself to be a dyed in the wool far left commie pinko but listening to and watching these songs from the 40s really gives me a strong affinity for US culture of that time. What the hell happened to the US ?
So let me get this, Jerry Lee Lewis came along like *12 years* later, in almost the exact same suit, rattles off a few bars with far less style and panache, and got famous? While our boy Harry just casually invents Rock and Roll / Boogie Woogie during WWII and gets virtually forgotten?
@mickram23 listen to Hank Williams Sr.'s "Move It On Over" and youll see the basis of rock around the clock. Im sure its been used in many other earlier songs, but its very similar in that song. GOD I LOVE THIS MUSIC!!! It puts modern music to shame.
The real origins of rock lie in Louis Armstrong's 1929 'St. Louis Blues' ( NOT the one with Bessie Smith), the one on the soundtrack of Ken Burn's Jazz Mishap////
He had a record, "It Ain't Hep" with these lyrics: Hey you know there's a lot of talk going around about this hip and hep jive Lots of people are going around saying "hip" Lots of squares are coming on with "hep" Well the hipster is here to inform you what the jive is all about The jive is hip, don't say hep, That's a slip of the lip, let me give you a tip Don't you ever say hep, it ain't hip, NO IT AIN'T It ain't hip to be loud and wrong Just because you're feeling strong You try too hard to make a hit And every time you do you tip your mitt It ain't hip to blow your top The only thing you say is, "Mop, mop, mop" Keep cool fool, like a fish in the pool That's the golden rule at the Hipster school You find yourself talking too much Then you know you're off the track That's the stuff you got to watch Everybody wants to get in the act It ain't hip to think you're "in there" Just because of the zooty suit you wear You can laugh and shout but you better watch out Cause you really don't know what it's all about, man (piano chorus) This is the melody. Well look out. (scats for a few bars) Man you ain't hip if you don't get hip to this hip and hep jive Now get it now, look out It ain't hip to be loud and wrong Just because you're feeling strong You try too hard to make a hit And every time you do you tip your mitt It ain't hip to think you're "in there" Just because of the zooty suit you wear You can laugh and shout, but you better watch out Cause you really don't know what it's all about You find yourself talking too much Then you know you're off the track That's the stuff you got to watch Everybody wants to get in the act It ain't hip to blow your top The only thing you say is mop, mop, mop Keep cool fool, like a fish in the pool And that's the golden rule at the Hipster school Man get hip with the hipster, YEAH! Got to do it!
NO WAY that Lewis can deny this guy's influence on his own playing. I understand that Gibson was a full-on Andy Kaufman level caricature of a boogie player with the joke squarely on the audience.
Jerry Lee Lewis has said in interviews that he has never heard of players such Harry the Hipster, Merrill Moore( never heard of him, son) or Cecil Gant( Cecil who?) the only player he ever claimed to know about, other than himself, was Moon Mullican
@CountThrillhammer I enjoyed his 4F Ferdinand probably more than any other piece he did, all exemplary pieces of 40s rock&roll though... far more superior to Jerry Lee Lewis' sloppy piano bashing.
Poor Harry died in California in poor health and neglected. He felt his only way out of poverty and heart disease was to end it all by his own hand. A shame..if only a few people could have reached out to him.
Thanks for the upload. Thats my Grandfather...& one of my fav boogiewoogie jams of his
A genius before his time. An honor to hear him play.
In VERY loving memory of Mr. Harry "The Hipster" Gibson (1915 - 1991 R.I.P. Gone but NOT forgotten)
The title of this Soundie is OPUS EEE, filmed in April 1944 in New York. (You'll recognize one of the "4-F Ferdinand" riffs.) For all of his abandon, Harry is very disciplined on camera, pantomiming to a playback.
Not only a cool cat playing those keys in boogie woodie fashion but check out his facial expressions and chewing gum. Wow another great musician who used those grins and chewing gum was that ace drummer man gene Krupa. Un fortunately Harry and gene have left us but their styles and musical genius will endure
Looking at this I'm encouraged to think that this history of rock and roll was gradual based on early types of swing and R & B that later combined to make rock what it was back then. Nothing is ever formed out of a vacuum.
1944. YEARS ahead of his time (I'll put it on the title).
The world needs more Boogie Woogie!
I never knew about Harry until I was in my current age in my late 60's. He was and still is awesome.
At around the 1 minute 08 seconds mark you can even hear the basis of 'Rock Around The Clock'! just for a few seconds. This is without a doubt the origins of Rock n Roll.
June 27th: Happy birthday Jazz-pianist-Singer-Boogie Woogie Harry "The Hipster" Gibson (1915-1991) Thank you and God bless. RIP. Thanks for the upload, RJBinghamesg. Blessings
.. At least _40_ years ahead of its time. A lot of "new wave era" musicians seem to have lifted a lot of this kind of thing.
I wrote a term paper on Jerry Lee Lewis for a class on the history of rock n roll and mentioned Harry as an influenced and showed a video of this to my professor and he agreed with me. If not Jerry, then little Richard must’ve.
Great Balls of Boogie Woogie!
harry was a genius
I love how he's chewing gum while he burns up the piano keys. So good!
It's an amphetamine thing. He'll have been sipping on Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine.
...and he'll need those nembutals in Mr. Murphy's overalls when he wants to come down.
Yeah. Heh!
The Murphy family sound like a well-balanced pair, all in all..
Benzedrine keeps you slim, in spite of the calories from the Ovaltine.
He invented the word "hipster" and you can look it up!
Indeed, he was "The Hipster" in the 1940`s .
@kustom85delta88 Absolutely! Check out my mini-bio of him on ANOTHER of his pieces, wot I just uploaded! (It's linked to this piece). This was done in '44 - but when he did "Who Put The Benzedrine In Mrs Murphy's Ovaltine", three years later - his career went down the crapper!
dont care what others think of him or his style. i dig em to china! man!
Dig that suit!
Swing it, kids! Ten years (or more) before Jerry Lee Lewis. Thanks for posting.
Poor Harry died in California in poor health and neglected. He felt his only way out of poverty and heart disease was to end it all by his own hand. A shame..if only a few people could have reached out to him.
Crazy chicks, man!
this really rocks...
I wish I could Harry the hipster two thumbs 👍
Great post! Thanks much :-)
Wow, I have to say it's really too bad his stuff wasn't really associated with '50s rock n roll. This is the roots of rock n roll in my opinion!
I was born in California but have spent two thirds of my life in Oz, but I still have fond memories of my childhood growing up in LA. I consider myself to be a dyed in the wool far left commie pinko but listening to and watching these songs from the 40s really gives me a strong affinity for US culture of that time. What the hell happened to the US ?
@maxonian206 Good point!
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR THESE VIDEOS!
“Pre-Rock.” Great stuff!!
Brilliant man
Proper boogie👍
So let me get this, Jerry Lee Lewis came along like *12 years* later, in almost the exact same suit, rattles off a few bars with far less style and panache, and got famous?
While our boy Harry just casually invents Rock and Roll / Boogie Woogie during WWII and gets virtually forgotten?
Also; check out Dorothy Donegan with Cab Calloway from the same year: 1944 Dorothy Donegan (Piano) & Cab Calloway & His Band also awesome!
@mickram23 It's in there!
Incidentally - I DID NOT flag your comment as spam. CZcams goofs up - OFTEN!
@mickram23 listen to Hank Williams Sr.'s "Move It On Over" and youll see the basis of rock around the clock. Im sure its been used in many other earlier songs, but its very similar in that song.
GOD I LOVE THIS MUSIC!!! It puts modern music to shame.
he originated the saying, you aint hip if you say "hep"/
Who put Benzedrine in his ovaltine
The Hipster self-medicates.
you can bet on that!
Well, I can't blame The Killer, I'd do a lot to get out of Ferriday, LA , too!
Why is he wearing Spike Jones' suit?
génie absolu
Just look at his stance at the piano. I wonder if the Killer saw this?
He's on speed haha. Like that's a verified thing. He lived in mariposa and told everyone after he retired
The real origins of rock lie in Louis Armstrong's 1929 'St. Louis Blues' ( NOT the one with Bessie Smith), the one on the soundtrack of Ken Burn's Jazz Mishap////
Wardrobe by Pinky Lee.
Wasn`t that Spike Jone`s tailor?
Harry originated the phrase "You aint hip if you say hep".
He had a record, "It Ain't Hep" with these lyrics:
Hey you know
there's a lot of talk going around about this hip and hep jive
Lots of people are going around saying "hip"
Lots of squares are coming on with "hep"
Well the hipster is here to inform you what the jive is all about
The jive is hip, don't say hep,
That's a slip of the lip, let me give you a tip
Don't you ever say hep, it ain't hip, NO IT AIN'T
It ain't hip to be loud and wrong
Just because you're feeling strong
You try too hard to make a hit
And every time you do you tip your mitt
It ain't hip to blow your top
The only thing you say is, "Mop, mop, mop"
Keep cool fool, like a fish in the pool
That's the golden rule at the Hipster school
You find yourself talking too much
Then you know you're off the track
That's the stuff you got to watch
Everybody wants to get in the act
It ain't hip to think you're "in there"
Just because of the zooty suit you wear
You can laugh and shout but you better watch out
Cause you really don't know what it's all about, man
(piano chorus)
This is the melody. Well look out.
(scats for a few bars)
Man you ain't hip
if you don't get hip to this hip and hep jive
Now get it now, look out
It ain't hip to be loud and wrong
Just because you're feeling strong
You try too hard to make a hit
And every time you do you tip your mitt
It ain't hip to think you're "in there"
Just because of the zooty suit you wear
You can laugh and shout, but you better watch out
Cause you really don't know what it's all about
You find yourself talking too much
Then you know you're off the track
That's the stuff you got to watch
Everybody wants to get in the act
It ain't hip to blow your top
The only thing you say is mop, mop, mop
Keep cool fool, like a fish in the pool
And that's the golden rule at the Hipster school
Man get hip with the hipster, YEAH!
Got to do it!
Aint nuthin' better than B in the O baybee!
Must've been Jerry lee's half older brother.
What is the date of this recording?
1944
a decade before Jerry Lee Came along ...
NO WAY that Lewis can deny this guy's influence on his own playing.
I understand that Gibson was a full-on Andy Kaufman level caricature of a boogie player with the joke squarely on the audience.
Why are the male dancers dancing like chandler Bing
I want to be buried in that suit.
The seeds of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard...
Jerry Lee Lewis has said in interviews that he has never heard of players such Harry the Hipster, Merrill Moore( never heard of him, son) or Cecil Gant( Cecil who?) the only player he ever claimed to know about, other than himself, was Moon Mullican
Great Balls Of Fire! Oh no, that was a copycat.
Pre Jerry Lee👍🏼
Jerry Lee Lewis 20 years before.
@CountThrillhammer I enjoyed his 4F Ferdinand probably more than any other piece he did, all exemplary pieces of 40s rock&roll though... far more superior to Jerry Lee Lewis' sloppy piano bashing.
Too bad it's black and white. I'd like to see his suit in color.
This sounds better than jerry lee lewis, great, now I don't to like a song that was made by a guy that married his underage cousin.
It sounds like you havn't heard this then: czcams.com/video/agcnpnSPEQQ/video.html
Compared to the great black pianists, this is absolutely ridiculous...
Yeah bring race into it. Maurice Rocco was the black version of Harry check him out if he's on here.
Poor Harry died in California in poor health and neglected. He felt his only way out of poverty and heart disease was to end it all by his own hand. A shame..if only a few people could have reached out to him.