A rousing and wonderfully creative work of fine, swinging art.

The Brian Setzer Orchestra – “Route 66”

“Route 66” (1994 – original from 1946)

This jazzy version of “Route 66”  takes us full circle, back to the 1946 original by Nat King Cole. While Cole’s version was clearly R&B, Cole himself was known primarily as a jazz musician.    

More than 30 years after Chuck Berry made this song a rock’n’roll classic, Brian Setzer took it back to its roots.  

Creative Mix

For this rendition, Setzer commingled the original tune with a different piece of music that was also called “Route 66” – the instrumental theme music of the 1960s TV show “Route 66.”

The TV network CBS did not want to pay royalties to Bobby Troup, the writer of the original song, so it commissioned the composer Nelson Riddle to write new music for the TV show.     

Setzer and his orchestra threw both tunes into the mix, and came up with this rousing and wonderfully creative work of fine art.    

Coincidentally, this version appeared on the debut album of The Brian Setzer Orchestra, just as The Stones and Them had featured it on their debut albums.  _{(Image source)}

The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Brian Setzer is a US musician who first came to fame in the early 1980s as the frontman of the rockabilly band Stray Cats. Although the band had several hits and became quite successful, it disbanded in 1984. 

Retro Progress

Setzer went solo, and dabbled in R&B and even heartland rock. However, his passion for music from earlier eras took him back to rockabilly, and then back (or maybe onwards ) to swing jazz.  

Swing ‘n’ Jump ‘n’ Wail

In 1990, Setzer formed the swing revival band The Brian Setzer Orchestra, which released its debut album in 1994. In 1998, the orchestra’s cover of the swing jazz song “Jump, Jive an' Wail”  was awarded a Grammy for the “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.”     _{(Image source)}

If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way
Take the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66

It winds from Chicago to LA
More than two thousand miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66

Now you go through St. Louis
Joplin, Missouri
And Oklahoma City looks mighty pretty
You'll see Amarillo
Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona
Don't forget Winona
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino

Won't you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66

Won't you get hip to this timely tip
When you make that California trip
Get your kicks on Route 66    [3x]   _{(Image source)}

        Nat King Cole – “Route 66”    
          _{(Right-click to hear on YouTube)}

          Route 66 – "Covered by Chuck Berry"  

          Route 66 – "Covered by The Rolling Stones"  

          Route 66 – "Covered by Them"  

          Route 66 – "Covered by The Cramps"  

         Alternate track, from TV series   – "Route 66," theme music
              (composed by Nelson Riddle)
Lyrics by Bobby Troup, courtesy of – AZLyrics.com
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia

Into your ears … through 5 channels

 The various posts are categorized into 5 channels _{(Right-Click to see details)}
         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)
         2 – “Cover Versions”
         3 – “Honor Roll”
         4 – “Documentaries”
         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

More “Cover Versions – Music to Your Ears” ...

          Previous posts in this series – "Cover Versions 1–20"  

Links to my other series ...

          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"

          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part One – My Lyrics Posts 3~30”
          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part Two – My Lyrics Posts 31~60”  

          Vocab-Ability – "Introduction to Vocab-Ability"  
          Vocab-Ability – "Index"  to all Chapters and Sections  

          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part One – Notes 1~50"  
          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part Two – Notes 51~87"