2O. Langston Hughes ResPonds

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2O. Langston Hughes ResPonds The following article addresses the issue of "cover" songs from a quite

different perspective fiom that found in the trade publications of the time, Written by langston Hughes, the renowned African Amerlcan poet and essayist, and published in rhe Chi.ago Defendet (an Altican American newspaper), itconsidersnotwhethercoverv€rsionsof R&Bare perverting mainstream populat music, but rather how such a practice perpetuates the syndrome that Steve Chapple and Reebee Garofalo

Langston Hughes Responds

81

termed "Black Roots/White Fruits."'A lawsuit by Lavern Baker several months earlier had touched on this issue. Bakercontended that Georgia Gibbs3 cove!velsion of"Tweedle-Dee" had duplicated the arrangement used on her (Baker's) recording.':This suit raises questjons about what constitutes a "composition": The Copyright Act of1909 defines it according to what can be notated, thereby reproducing the standards oloriginalitydeveloped fo r classical m usic, which favored the produrtion model used byTin Pa n Alley songwriters. However,these standards did not protect R&Band countrymusicianswho depended on a unique,,sound,, and the nuances ofpedormance more than on a unique melodyand harmonic progression.

HrcHwAy RoBBERyAcRoss rHE CoLoR LtNE tN RHYTHM AND BLuEs

ston Hughes \bung people nolvadays seem to think that all the popular singers who copied the 'vhiteWashingron, Ethel Warerr Bjltie .inging styles of Billie Holiday, Sara Vaughan, Dinah Danielt KingCole, LaVem Baker, and Mahalia ]ackson arc doing something new. Not true

:ialllWhite

singerc have been

copy

g Negro singing sryles for over 100 years.

Almostas fastas thc Negro originates sonerhing new in ihe s,orld ofmusic, thewhites :ake it and 8lr, sometimes cven claiming it as thoir own creatiorl. Awhite band in Chicago in ihe early 1920s claimed to be the crealors ofjazz since they beat KingOliver and Louis Armstrong in the Norih by a fe$, months. In New York a bjtlater Paut Whiteman took unto himself the riile of,,The King ofjazz,,, :nd gave the firsi jazz concert in Aeolian Hall. Ceorge cershwin wroie ihe tirstjazz con.erto, aiso ihe firstblues opera-and made himseifnot onLy famous, but rich. Some of the .oorguys originated jazz and are still living, are onrelief. Ith ihe'vho sanewith dancing. Back in 1830 rhe filst ofrhe whiteminsrrelt Dan Rice, copied rh€jigofa NegrostableboyinLouisville, called ii tunp ]im Cro\^,, and madehimselffambus. Wh"n r\e Ch.jrle.ton fir{ , rme lo fame ir Hrrlem in tt e to20s >ore h hire. qur. \ 'ndrerk,r le,rnedil.and.,drmed un.u(ces.tull) ro. once to trd\e orisia.rled ii. Ab; aierGilda Gray had claimed theshimmy. And I rvould not be surprised to read any day nolv where some wh e singer originaled :he b1ues. Sone havejust ihai much nerve. That hundreds of white perforners are today copting nore for noie and slur for slur rhe :hythms and blues styles of Negro performers is a compliment to Negroartisrs-arrjstically, : nor commer.rdll). "lmitaiion is the sincerest form of flattery," so the saying goes. nrhat ihe Negro arrisis ,-e .dy,ng i.. Ir , -ne lo have whrte pertorners imiraie J> bur cur L. rn on ,h; iob. and .e

dough ioo.

1.SteveChapplcnndReebeecarolnlo,Io.t',r'lRollisH.,"1o|rd].t:ThcHi:torydndpatitits.tth.M;i. I :.irstn/ (ChicaSo: Nehon'Hall, 192). 2. S.e "Lalern BaterCtaims 15c Royalty Loss on Lifting ol Song Ari.ngements,,,

t-il

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V,/rr4 M.ich

51.

rr..r Langston Hughes, "Hi6hs'ay Robbery Aoos

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0uly

2, I955),

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the Color t_ine in

Rnfhm and

Btues,,, Cri.a.qd

2,

82

The 195os

But itjust happens that the whiie performeE.an carry iheir copies of Negro mate.ial into ihe best night clubs, the bigg€st theaters, and onto the movie scr€ens of Hollyrvood rlherc poor Negro.s hardly ever get a look jn-noi to speak of the lields of radio and television colored performers $'iih regular jobs are fe'r' and very, very far between. 'vhcre In othcr $'ords, in commercial entetainment, "ihe white man is siill in ihe lead." He makes th€ moncy, we make thebasic music. What to do aboutit? Who kno'!s? From coast to coast, and uptos'n to down, Broadrvay io CeniralAve., Vine St. to W 125ih St. where siands

theHoiel Theresa, the colored performerisyo'vlingtohighheaven, "Tley gotmeandgonel"