2. An American doo wop group, whose lone hit was "Sh-Boom", ranked #215 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time. The Chords were a 1950s American doo wop group, whose lone hit was "Sh-Boom". They are sometimes mistakenly cited as the first R&B group of the 1950s to reach the pop charts. Although both versions of the song Sh-Boom (by The Chords and by The Crew-Cuts) were huge hits, it is the song Gee, released by The Crows in June 1953, that is properly credited with the honor of being the first Rock n’ Roll hit by a rock and roll group. The Chords - Carl (lead) and Claude Feaster (baritone), Jimmy Keyes (first tenor), Floyd "Buddy" McRae (second tenor) and Ricky Edwards (bass) - formed in 1951 in the Bronx, New York, but were not discovered until three years later, when they were spotted singing in a subway station, a performance that ultimately landed them a recording contract with Atlantic Records' Cat Records label. Jerry Wexler, Atlantic's A&R man, had the Chords cover a Patti Page hit, "Cross Over the Bridge" (it was also covered by The Flamingos for the Chance Records label), but it was the B-side, "Sh-Boom," a vocal tune with an a cappella catchy introduction that caught the imagination. A cover version later done by a white group called The Crew-Cuts, attempted to add their own spin on the song by seemingly adding nonsensical syllables ("shh-boom, shh-boom, yadda da da yadda da da da da da") that caused considerably more commotion. However the words ("Yadda da da yadda da da da da da") were never sung in the original version by the Chords. By the end of June 1954, "Sh-Boom" had climbed up the charts nationwide, charting on both the R&B (number three) and pop (number nine) lists, a nearly unprecedented feat for its time. For all practical purposes - along with The Crows' 1954 hit "Gee" (another upbeat B-side hit that DJs flipped over) - "Sh-Boom" introduced the white audience to black R&B music for the first time. [NOTE: The Crows "Gee" first appeared on the Billboard charts in March, 1954. While both versions of "Sh-Boom" were influential, better candidates for the first, or most influential song, by a black act to cross-over from the R&B charts to the pop charts, are The Dominoes' "Sixty Minute Man" which made it to #17 of the pop charts in 1951, and The Orioles' "Crying in the Chapel", #11 in 1953]. Not everyone thought the song was a precursor of good things to come. Peter Potter, host of TV's popular "Juke Box Jury", was seemingly aghast at the state of this then-new trend in pop music and attacked "Sh-Boom" asking if anyone would remember the admittedly demented ditty in five, let alone 20 years time and whether any record label would even think to re-release it in the future. Atlantic released numerous additional singles which mostly failed to chart. A last gasp attempt to resurrect the act came in mid 1955 when the group renamed themselves the Sh-Booms after their one big hit. The Chords/Chordcats/Sh-Booms went through several personnel changes during the late 1950s, recording a handful of forgettable records for Vik Records in 1957, and eventually returned to Atlantic in 1960 for one last recording before slipping away into the ether of time.
1. The British 1979 Mod Revival band called "The Chords" consisted of Chris Pope, Martin Mason, Billy Hassett, and Brett Ascott. The Chords story starts with cousins Billy Hassett and Martin Mason rehearsing Beatles and Who songs, etc, together at school. Via a New Musical Express advert Chris Pope joins in January 1978. They spend the year writing, rehearsing and playing a couple of gigs. They also fail to become the band in Quadrophenia - too loud apparently!. With the dawn of 1979 Paul Halpin (the original drummer and eventual road manager) is replaced with Brett (Buddy) Ascott. Buddy adds the final element the band is looking for. A powerhouse drummer with far too much energy and a desire to be Keith Moon, Buddy is the final link in the chain. By the end of March the band are playing the Wellington in Waterloo to packed crowds. In the audience are Paul Weller, NME and Polydor. This helps the band secure more gigs and an important support slot to The Jam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P9-swHFctk
http://www.discogs.com/artist/658528-Chords-The-2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chords
http://www.chrishunt.biz/features54.html
http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=chords
http://www.thechords.co.uk/
https://myspace.com/thechordsuk
Maybe Tomorrow
The Chords Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People hiding behind uniforms, scream aloud and shout tonight
Point your fingers and question why
Scared, scared people won't smile, I don't know
(imagination)
A real sound
From the towns
Sometimes I watch and wait,
For signs and voices and screams
Screaming now at a funny joke
Can we all be judged between
I know I'm happy, it's too obscene
That's when I see you standing there
(imagination)
A real sound
From the street,
From the towns
Silent footsteps
Whispers aloud
It's too late
The deadbeat underground
Because we saw you
Saw you in this town
yes we saw you
You were wearing the uniforms
You were wearing the uniforms
(imagination)
A real sound
From the street,
From the towns
Reality, or just lies? (maybe tomorrow)
Be good now, and don't do nothing (maybe tomorrow)
Bang, bang, bang, bang, you're dead
The Chords's song "Maybe Tomorrow" is filled with political and social commentary. The lyrics describe a feeling of unease and frustration with society, and the need to question authority. The first two lines, "Sometimes I just feel these crazy dreams inside / People hiding behind uniforms, scream aloud and shout tonight," speak to the idea that people's true selves are hidden behind the facade of their uniforms or roles in society. The use of "scream aloud and shout" suggests that people are being silenced or oppressed in some way, and are looking for a way to express themselves.
The chorus, "A real sound / from the street, from the towns," connects this feeling to a larger societal issue. The singer is observing the world around them and seeing a disconnect between the people and those in power. The line "Can we all be judged between / I know I'm happy, it's too obscene" expresses the idea that happiness is a luxury that not everyone can afford, and suggests that there may be something fundamentally wrong with the way society is structured.
The second half of the song takes a more confrontational tone, with lines like "Silent footsteps / Whispers aloud / It's too late / The deadbeat underground" painting a picture of a society on the brink of collapse. The final lines, "Bang, bang, bang, bang, you're dead," are a stark reminder of the violence and destruction that can arise when people are pushed too far.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometmes I just feel these crazy dreams inside
The artist is describing the wild ideas that he has within his mind
People hiding behind uniforms, scream aloud and shout tonight
The artist is criticizing the idea of people blindly following roles and how it can lead to a lack of individuality
Point your fingers and question why
The artist is urging his audience to question the status quo and not follow things blindly
Scared, scared people won't smile, I don't know
The artist is expressing confusion and disappointment in how afraid people are and how that can limit their happiness in life
Sometimes I watch and wait, For signs and voices and screams
The artist is describing his tendency to observe the world around him and look for signs that can inspire or motivate him
Screaming now at a funny joke, Can we all be judged between, I know I'm happy, it's too obscene, That's when I see you standing there
The artist is questioning the notion of judgment and how it can affect happiness. He also introduces a mysterious figure in this stanza
Silent footsteps, Whispers aloud, It's too late, The deadbeat underground
The artist is describing the feeling of being too late to something important or observing the underground world where people who are marginalized and oppressed live
Because we saw you, Saw you in this town, yes we saw you, You were wearing the uniforms, You were wearing the uniforms
The song seems to be expressing a lot of frustration and blaming unnamed people for being the cause of issues. The artist is accusing them of wearing 'uniforms' which represent conformity or oppressive ideals
Reality, or just lies? (maybe tomorrow), Be good now, and don't do nothing (maybe tomorrow), Bang, bang, bang, bang, you're dead
The artist is concluding by questioning the truth of things and the worth of taking action. The last line is quite bleak and likely represents feelings of anger or pessimism
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER POPE, CALEB QUAYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Bright
Best opening guitar riff ever, up there with 'In the City' and 'Complete Control'.....
mickymac
Sounds a bit like Tom Robinson band “ up against wall”, both good tunes.
Twotonetony Kennedy
One of the best mod bands ever ....fact
Vinny Turnbull
40 years ago growing up,just took me all the way back..fantastic, shame they were on same label as the jam
bobst657
Brilliant song from an era when young kids formed bands learnt to play live, then wrote their own songs.
Music is dead nowadays.
Vaughan Green
@Dane Logan etc
Dane Logan
doubt that
music sucks now it didnt then
music died in 1999
Dane Logan
Amen
Brewzerr
Patrick Ney - they did.
Patrick Ney
bobst657 People probably said the same thing back then.