An authentic, rare classic version of the standard "I Ain't Got Nobody," sung by the Mills Brothers, shot in the early 1930's. See more films at: weirdovideo.com
I had never heard of the Mills Brothers until last year when I was asking my Mom who is 73 what music she likes. She said she loves the Mills Brothers and Kay Starr, Connie Francis (who I saw in San Francisco this year) and many more. I even found out Harry Mills was who Dean Martin styled himself after. That is right, this is why youtube matters. I am so happy to have it!
As suggested, the original four are best because the eldest brother was the foundation with his bass and guitar. He died way too young and we all lost.
I don't know that there's a specific name for it; it is basically using the voice / lips to mimic band instruments, in this case, a trumpet playing with plunger-cup mute on the "solo" line; the two guys to the left are imitating trombones or saxophones, and of course the fellow playing the big uke is booming along as the "string-bass". Basically the, tone is produced by humming, For another example of this style of vocalization search for the Comedian Harmonists performing "Creole Love Call".
My first year of college my dad bought himself a victrola. and a stack of mills brothers records. I loved it! Listened to all of them a lot. Glad to see they were filmed.
Modern-day audiences really need to watch a series of these films to see how the Mills Brothers evolved--from teen radio/recording stars in the 1930's to the hottest vocal group of WW2 to late-middle age to the early 1980's, before Harry's death.
Great clip. Thanks for posting. Great artists like the Mills Brothers sure know how to exploit both the strengths and weaknesses of the technology available to them. The low fidelity of the sound systems of the time allowed them to use their voices to impersonate band instruments perfectly.
Can you imagine a modern movie theater audience sing along today! Just follow the bouncing ball - Yeah, right! Love this early precursor to the now familiar “I’m Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody” medley!
Whoa!! I can't tell if you're complaining or are just completely unaware. This Mill's Brothers' musical short is one of the earliest examples films with sound. There was no digital recording then since it was shot about 90 years ago. So, I ask you as sarcastically as your comment, are you really that clueless? This film from 1932 was transferred from a 16mm projector and the original audio was from the parallel optical track (look it up). Your attempt at sarcastic humor just falls flat. If you don't like the sound quality here there's always Bieber.
I'm personally not fond of it one bit at all, myself. However as a vocal musician, history buff and former radio personality, I totally understand why it's there, and that's why I can 100% tolerate it. Early analog recording mediums (be they Victrola wax cylinders, early phonograph records, audio from the first talkies, early tape recording systems, and yes - early recordings of radio on any medium) were not of modern quality, seeing as the technology hadn't developed to create clean, perfect recordings. This stuff was recorded before the advent of Hi-Fi (High Fidelity Recording), and before modern analog tapes, modern analog vinyl, and of course, long before digital recording were ever a thing. As such, recordings like this have character, and show part of an era early on in one of the great technological advancements we humans made in the late-19th Century all the way to the present era.
This is an amazing piece of history. The Mills Brothers are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time, and this is the original group with all four brothers. Thanks.
Though the Mills Brothers are performing the title tune in this clip from the same-named cartoon, the Screen Songs cartoon was really made to capitalize on the "Tiger Rag" hit song in
@anlee617 : That little ball was also used on Mitch Miller's TV show, "Sing Along with Mitch" from 1960-1966. The band would play the tunes, with Mitch conducting. Every song played on his show had the lyrics at the bottom of the screen, with that little bouncing ball for each song. Kind of a pre-karaoke thing, where people could sing along at home.
@JRR951 It's on a collection of their early stuff from the '30s, before they got super big with 'Til Then and Paper Doll. It's 4 or 5 cds, there's some stuff on it with Louis Armstrong if I remember right, and some with Bing Crosby, who they had a close professional relationship with since the mid-20s. They and Bing pioneered close mic singing, are the progenitors of all modern singings, heavily influencing Dean Martin who was a huge influence on Elvis Presley.
Bittersweet song, really charming. If you start pausing around 1:25 onwards, you can see the 'hidden' text behind the bouncing ball mentions "weirdo video", which is where this video originated from - must be some kind of compression glitch. Shame, because I was looking for some cryptic 1930's secret messages... Anyway, thanks for posting this gem, Weirdo.
For those who bitch about how come today's artists don't do songs like this anymore outside duets and/or awards shows: Probably with Michael Buble/Harry Connick and Lady GaGa as among the very few notable exceptions, non-jazz singers have little business even attempting it.
C'est absolument captivant, un vrai trésor, du talent...es bellicima y parece un pajaro en el cielo cantando con el sol con la luz, Man thats bring me in a mood to fly and skype the sky
is there an audio recording of this video somewhere that I can download? I can't get that first note out of my head where they go "Iiiiiii ain't got"-- so 1930s, so chilling and cool.
FREDDY von FRANKENSTEIN: Eye-gor! EYE-GOR: Froedrick! FREDDY von FRANKENSTEIN: What are you doing down here? EYE-GOR: I heard the strangest music coming from the kitchen dumbwaiter, and I just... followed it... down. Call it "a hunch"! (** points at hunchback **) Ba-Doom-Tiss!
Shuda7 It's always been like that for modern-day listeners/viewers, not unlike illustrators Norman Rockwell and J. C. Leyendecker, whose Saturday Evening Post artwork is often confused with one another, distinction between them be damned. Even I had the two groups confused in my mind, until I remembered a famous photo of the young Mills Brothers in concert--and Curly Howard of three stooges fame was on stage with them. I had thought they were the Ink Spots until I remembered Herbert kneeling in front of Curly (with a full head of hair!), whose arms were outstretched.
The human voice as instrument is very African in tradition. A very spiritual way of communicating beyond the human emotive. The anguish of the disembodied soul, without essence, articulates the existentialism of african-americans in america in the early twentieth century. The song is located or coded in terms of his "baby". In this way it appears to be about a forlorn lover, not a protest or social commentary on one's human condition. DGibson
Nice to see a video with their guitar playing brother, John Jr, on film. He died so young.
The skeletons that live in my attic are always singing this.
The Mills bothers were deservedly -super famous in those days.One of the most popular groups of this century along with the platters among others.
I had never heard of the Mills Brothers until last year when I was asking my Mom who is 73 what music she likes. She said she loves the Mills Brothers and Kay Starr, Connie Francis (who I saw in San Francisco this year) and many more. I even found out Harry Mills was who Dean Martin styled himself after. That is right, this is why youtube matters. I am so happy to have it!
As suggested, the original four are best because the eldest brother was the foundation with his bass and guitar. He died way too young and we all lost.
You got that right!
I brought myself here because this is good music.
Darn tootin'!
I don't know that there's a specific name for it; it is basically using the voice / lips to mimic band instruments, in this case, a trumpet playing with plunger-cup mute on the "solo" line; the two guys to the left are imitating trombones or saxophones, and of course the fellow playing the big uke is booming along as the "string-bass". Basically the, tone is produced by humming,
For another example of this style of vocalization search for the Comedian Harmonists performing "Creole Love Call".
Thumbs up if Nostalgia Critic DIDN'T bring you here.
My first year of college my dad bought himself a victrola. and a stack of mills brothers records. I loved it! Listened to all of them a lot. Glad to see they were filmed.
Talent is timeless.
*gapes*bows* Oh..my..goodness! Thanks a thousand times for posting someting so ephemeral and timelessly beautiful!
Thumbs up if regardless of who brought you here, you keep coming back.
Modern-day audiences really need to watch a series of these films to see how the Mills Brothers evolved--from teen radio/recording stars in the 1930's to the hottest vocal group of WW2 to late-middle age to the early 1980's, before Harry's death.
The real music is brought me here, and my good taste!
beautiful
This song was made for me.I ain't got nobody.Forever alone😢
i'm here!
AWESOME... what talent...
The Mills Brothers at their peak!!!
Before the brother passed away and the father took over.
GREAT!!!
so much talent they make it look easy, wonderful
Wish they would make more songs like this today. Maybe I'll write some and hope for it to be as good as this.
Great clip. Thanks for posting.
Great artists like the Mills Brothers sure know how to exploit both the strengths and weaknesses of the technology available to them. The low fidelity of the sound systems of the time allowed them to use their voices to impersonate band instruments perfectly.
They could have only gotten away with this gimmick in the early 1930's; both sound and radio (ditto television) were
still in their infancy.
From Tiger Rag through Cab Driver, I don't think these guys could make a bad record. I wish they were as known and respected today as they should be.
Man, this is way cool! Thank you!!
My computer brought me here. Big shout out to my fingers as well. They had definitely had a hand in it. amirite?
So are these the originals...great song!
These guys had an understanding of the sonic spectrum of the devices of the era. It's clear. What a creative bunch. And Talented.
Can you imagine a modern movie theater audience sing along today! Just follow the bouncing ball - Yeah, right!
Love this early precursor to the now familiar “I’m Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody” medley!
They already have some recording techniques of voice and video simultaneously in 1920's. Check out THE JAZZ SINGER made in 1927.
I love this song :)
Eventhough I wasn't even born in that time, well more like 60 years after lol.
But I still think its a great song.
Just... plain... amazing!!!
What great harmony and talent!!! Thanks for posting real professionals.
Who else likes static background noise in songs?
It's great.
fuckin hate it
Whoa!!
I can't tell if you're complaining or are just completely unaware.
This Mill's Brothers' musical short is one of the earliest examples films with sound.
There was no digital recording then since it was shot about 90 years ago.
So, I ask you as sarcastically as your comment, are you really that clueless?
This film from 1932 was transferred from a 16mm projector and the original audio was from the parallel optical track (look it up).
Your attempt at sarcastic humor just falls flat.
If you don't like the sound quality here there's always Bieber.
Why'd you assume sarcasm? I actually fucking love that sound. It's soothing. Thanks for the videos!
I love it
I'm personally not fond of it one bit at all, myself. However as a vocal musician, history buff and former radio personality, I totally understand why it's there, and that's why I can 100% tolerate it. Early analog recording mediums (be they Victrola wax cylinders, early phonograph records, audio from the first talkies, early tape recording systems, and yes - early recordings of radio on any medium) were not of modern quality, seeing as the technology hadn't developed to create clean, perfect recordings. This stuff was recorded before the advent of Hi-Fi (High Fidelity Recording), and before modern analog tapes, modern analog vinyl, and of course, long before digital recording were ever a thing.
As such, recordings like this have character, and show part of an era early on in one of the great technological advancements we humans made in the late-19th Century all the way to the present era.
This is an amazing piece of history. The Mills Brothers are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time, and this is the original group with all four brothers. Thanks.
Technically David Lee Roth, Louis Armstrong, and my general love for Blues/Jazz music brought me here.
Also the country singer Dick Curless. He recorded the song twice, and the second version charted as a Billboard Country hit in the late 1960's.
Though the Mills Brothers are performing the title tune in this clip from the same-named cartoon, the Screen Songs cartoon was really made to capitalize on the "Tiger Rag" hit song in
Absolutely amazing! Thank you for posting this!
Beautiful
Can someone tell me if they made a recording of this that made it on an album? I can't find this song anywhere
@anlee617 : That little ball was also used on Mitch Miller's TV show, "Sing Along with Mitch" from 1960-1966. The band would play the tunes, with Mitch conducting. Every song played on his show had the lyrics at the bottom of the screen, with that little bouncing ball for each song. Kind of a pre-karaoke thing, where people could sing along at home.
The only thing that made me sad is when I thought of the age of these men.
No vocal group has ever done it better than these guys. I only hate the last few second of this video was cut off.
Awesome super rare! Thanks!
@JRR951
It's on a collection of their early stuff from the '30s, before they got super big with 'Til Then and Paper Doll. It's 4 or 5 cds, there's some stuff on it with Louis Armstrong if I remember right, and some with Bing Crosby, who they had a close professional relationship with since the mid-20s. They and Bing pioneered close mic singing, are the progenitors of all modern singings, heavily influencing Dean Martin who was a huge influence on Elvis Presley.
Up to--and including the likes of MIchael Buble, Pentatonix, and Srraight No Chaser.
Thanks for the video! 2 thumbs up for Mills Brothers~~
awesome...i've been trying to find this for ten years or so.
"Eyegor!"
"Frodrick."
Introducing the very young Mills Brothers--the first boy band.
Wonderful post! Thanks it's a classic:)
My word, How did this survive to CZcams.
We sure lucked out, Ive only been able to hear this song on Records. o.o
I love the boys Mills.
Someone needs to put up the Patti Smith version at some point
wow wow wow! extraordinary! thank you so much for this, it's just amazing! =)
Bittersweet song, really charming. If you start pausing around 1:25 onwards, you can see the 'hidden' text behind the bouncing ball mentions "weirdo video", which is where this video originated from - must be some kind of compression glitch. Shame, because I was looking for some cryptic 1930's secret messages... Anyway, thanks for posting this gem, Weirdo.
@pkneeno
That's a tenor guitar. Tune in 5ths, like a cello, C,G, D, A
Louis Prima did a medley of the songs "Just a gigolo" and "I aint got nobody".
lol i didn't think anyone who played fallout 3 would listen to this kind of music. i guess you learn something every day
Fabian Doulton of New Orleans sings this song all the time at Schiro's Restaurant on the corner of St. Roch and Royal in the French Quarter !
esto ayuda a reconstruir la música.
Great!!!
I can imagine the audience in the theaters singing along as they follow the bouncing ball.
Would this play before or after the newsreel?
Claude I'm here to give you a notification and remind you of this song if you've forgotten.
I think he's dead
Yeah looks like..
excellent song :)
i played this song when i proposed matrimony and she said NO T_T
As I understand it, the early 1930's. -WV
For those who bitch about how come today's artists don't do songs like this anymore outside duets and/or awards shows: Probably with Michael Buble/Harry Connick and Lady GaGa as among the very few notable exceptions, non-jazz singers have little business even attempting it.
0:44
I ain't got nobody
C'est absolument captivant, un vrai trésor, du talent...es bellicima y parece un pajaro en el cielo cantando con el sol con la luz, Man thats bring me in a mood to fly and skype the sky
C'est absolument captivant!!
this clip can be found on a movie called Jazz Ball,that was made in the fifties.
Çok güzel
AWESOME=)
omg old! but good
Thumbs up if you dont need anyone to bring you to music.
is there an audio recording of this video somewhere that I can download? I can't get that first note out of my head where they go "Iiiiiii ain't got"-- so 1930s, so chilling and cool.
ULTRA-RARE
Mark Jordan Not anymore.
damn, that's amazing
FREDDY von FRANKENSTEIN: Eye-gor!
EYE-GOR: Froedrick!
FREDDY von FRANKENSTEIN: What are you doing down here?
EYE-GOR: I heard the strangest music coming from the kitchen dumbwaiter, and I just... followed it... down. Call it "a hunch"! (** points at hunchback **) Ba-Doom-Tiss!
IT'S THE BEEESTT! THE BEST OF THE BEST, THE BEST THE BEST! LALALAA!...A....A..
it's kewl.
It's sooooooooooo great :-)
I love this song its brillant i aint got body!!! Yeah me neither hi 5.!
Here because of NC :)
i ain´t got nobody for 6 years :´(
When I first heard this song, I thought it was by the Ink Spots, my bad. Amazing song!
Shuda7 It's always been like that for modern-day listeners/viewers, not unlike illustrators Norman Rockwell and J. C. Leyendecker, whose Saturday Evening Post artwork is often confused with one another, distinction between them be damned. Even I had the two groups confused in my mind, until I remembered a famous photo of the young Mills Brothers in concert--and Curly Howard of three stooges fame was on stage with them. I had thought they were the Ink Spots until I remembered Herbert kneeling in front of Curly (with a full head of hair!), whose arms were outstretched.
thumbs up if you're foreveralone.jpg.
@WickedNavajo love that meme
Interesting to see just how far back "Just A Gigolo" originated...how long before Louis Prima was this?
Great harmony, great song. Is that a ukulele accompaniment? I only see four strings. Thanks for a great upload.
It doesn't appear to have been recorded, at least if you consider the "Chronological Mills Brothers" collection to be complete as it claims to be.
this is where scratching and beat boxing must have come from.
He's an internet comedian who reviews bad movies and TV shows from the 80s and 90s. He used part of this video for a joke in one of his reviews
That Max Fleischer documentary brought me here
My fucking theme song..
Open your eyes to the lies you live with...
I need more info on that tenor guitar! Like what kind it's it and what tuning is it in.
Chris Delgado I don't know much about him except that he's the oldest mill brother, sorry! ᐛ
Im here to remind you to listen to this song.
💞💞💞💞💗💗💗💗💗💗💞💞💞
if you can't find it I can send some of their songs!
@alttake This was used a review for a tv show. I'll send you the video so it can make sense.
Is it just me, or does "I'm just a gigolo" sounds exactly like that song?
The human voice as instrument is very African in tradition. A very spiritual way
of communicating beyond the human emotive. The anguish of the disembodied
soul, without essence, articulates the existentialism of african-americans in america in the early twentieth century. The song is located or coded in terms of his "baby". In this way it appears to be about a forlorn lover, not a protest or social commentary on one's human condition. DGibson
Deborah Gibson deep
how did you put the "weirdovideo" text behind the image? Did you add the bouncyball yourselves?