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Roarin' 20s: Nat Shilkret & His Orch. - Nagasaki, 1928

2,107 views · Published 20 October 2015 · 3:57 · Indexed 22 October 2026

Channel: 240252 · 2015 · Music

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Nat Shilkret and His Victor Dance Orchestra – Nagasaki, Fox Trot (Dixon-Warren) with Vocal refrain (Frank Crumit), Victor 1928 (USA)

NOTE: Foxtrot Nagasaki belongs to one of the nicest and most unconventional evergreens, composed in the Jazz Age. Its Japanese flavor adds to its silly, nonsense lyrics making a hit, which in 1928 immediately conquered the American audience and in short time made its way to dance venues and nightclubs all over the world. “Nagasaki” was covered by many dance bands and jazz groups of the late 1920s through the 1940s, and remains to this day a popular base for jazz improvisations. Also, to this day well-remembered are the last lines of the refrain: Hot ginger and dynamite / There's nothing but that at night / Back in Nagasaki where the fellas chew tobaccy / And the women wicky-wacky-woo'…

Unfortunately, the criminal decision of American president Harry Truman, to fire the loud final shot in the Second World War and encrown the 2 billion UDS investment in the Manhattan Project by dropping two nuclear bombs on two peaceful Japanese towns: Hiroshima (uranium) and Nagasaki (plutonium bomb) on  6-9 Aug, 1945 – when the Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender - forever attached the name of Nagasaki rather to the view of immense ocean of ruins and dead bodies of the innocent civilians rather, than happy dancing floors full of crowds singing the bawdy Mort Dixon’s lyrics.

The slideshow for this clip consists of some photos of the old Nagasaki before its dectructrion, blended with the mix of several fabulous Japanese Art Deco posters.

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