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
So far away
The Chords Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never did we live life for today
Eagerly I wait despite my sorrow
Tomorrow is not so far away
Tomorrow is not so far away
Choicest is the place for you to lie and rest
Nothing less than full price would I pay
A place of life is not so far away
A place of life is not so far away
Sarah, wait here for me now, knowing this is only the gate
Gently rest here in this place, until night begins to fade
And the dawn it breaks—only then will we no longer wait
Better is the country after which we long
Therefore know our God is not ashamed
Till we meet again there where we belong
Jerusalem is not so far away
Jerusalem is not so far away
Sarah, wait here for me now, knowing this is only the gate
Gently rest here in this place, until night begins to fade
And the dawn it breaks—only then will we no longer wait
"So Far Away" by The Chords is a song about waiting for tomorrow and looking forward to a better future. The first verse talks about the inevitability of tomorrow and how it isn't too far away. The lyrics suggest that the singer and their loved one have always lived life for the future, and they eagerly await tomorrow despite their current sorrow.
The second verse mentions a "choicest" place for the loved one to rest, indicating that the singer wants the best for their partner. They are willing to pay full price for this place of rest, and the trees in their field will attest to its vibrancy and liveliness.
In the final verse, the song shifts its focus to the country of Jerusalem, which is not so far away. The singer mentions their God, suggesting that there may be religious undertones to the song. They urge their loved one Sarah to rest until dawn breaks and they can no longer wait to reach the promised land of Jerusalem.
Overall, the song is a hopeful one, tinged with sadness but ultimately looking forward to a brighter future. It suggests that there is always something to look forward to and encourages the listener to wait patiently for the promises of tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
Rest my love and wait here for tomorrow
Take a break and wait for tomorrow, my love
Never did we live life for today
We never lived in the present moment
Eagerly I wait despite my sorrow
Despite feeling sad, I am still waiting with enthusiasm
Tomorrow is not so far away
Tomorrow will arrive soon enough
Choicest is the place for you to lie and rest
The best place for you to rest is carefully chosen
Nothing less than full price would I pay
I am willing to pay any cost for the best
Ever will the trees in our field attest
The trees in our field will always bear witness
A place of life is not so far away
A lively place is not too far from here
Sarah, wait here for me now, knowing this is only the gate
Sarah, wait for me here knowing that this is only the beginning
Gently rest here in this place, until night begins to fade
Relax here in this place, until the night starts to disappear
And the dawn it breaks—only then will we no longer wait
We will stop waiting only when the dawn arrives
Better is the country after which we long
The country we desire is better than where we are
Therefore know our God is not ashamed
We know that God is not ashamed of us
Till we meet again there where we belong
Until we meet again where we truly belong
Jerusalem is not so far away
Jerusalem is not too distant
Lyrics © MDFritz Records
Written by: Matthew Fritz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulthomas3374
1 of my favourite tracks, 40 years on and I'm still playing the vinyl LP. Takes me right back to 79 , tv200 £25 out of the local papers , Ma1 parka £10 , £35 PW 1st job , 2 star £1 per gallon, being part of something special ...happy happy days
@ac9110
A TV200's about 10 grand now!
@gordonspence6544
Right there with you pal .. 1st scoot SX150 for £25 .. I was only 16 lol .. got a 2nd 6 months later for £35 (still only 16) .. if only I knew then what I know now would have kept both of em . At the right old age of 17 bought a brand new vespa V100 n replicated stings scooter. It looked pretty dam cool I must admit then onto a p200e . On top of all that THE CHORDS!
@paulthomas3374
@@ac9110 an original mod tv200 sold at auction recently for £25k and it needs totally restoration so say add another £10k !!!
@andeez4663
Nearly 40 years on and it still sounds fucking sweet. We are the mods!
@JasNDCSC
Always my favourite band of the Mod revival. Still got all their singles.
@richardfinlayson1524
me too
@gordonspence6544
And me
@davecroad6277
Excellent band mod will never die it's a way of life thank god for music like this
@sydmoore9015
Absolutely fantastic band! Makes me feel like 17 again !