Rumors of War: The War before Pearl Harbor

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Boogie Woogie Bugle Boys

Where Pearl Harbor provided the spark, the first peacetime draft in United States history was the proverbial keg. In the summer of 1940, Congress passed the Selective Training and Service Act by one vote and President Roosevelt signed it into law two months later. On October 16th, over 16 million males between the ages of 21 and 36 registered with their local draft board. With the nation enlisted, neutrality offered cold comfort to potential servicemen and their loved ones. Instead, songs such as "I Feel The Draft Coming On," "Draftin' Blues," "In The Army Now," and "Gone With The Draft" more accurately reflected the sentiment of a country torn between the ideals of isolationism and the realities of conscription. The solitude of the "America First" philosophy succumbed to the worrisome question of such topical songs as "What's Your Number;" while the jazzy instrumentals "Gone With What Draft" and "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem" presented glimpses of future innovations in music and wartime entertainment. In fact, music remained so intertwined with the war that the need for military-targeted entertainment instigated the creation of V-Disc (V for victory) records and the Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) not long after the country found itself engaged in war.

The seven songs presented here come from the 78 rpm and LP disc collections and the J. David Goldin Collection in the Marr Sound Archives.

Song #1
Before international stardom as pop vocalist with Capitol records, Nat Cole concocted light and bouncy jazz-induced rhythms for the Decca label. The King Cole Trio featured the talented Oscar Moore on guitar, upright bassist Wesley Prince and the gentle piano phrasings of Cole. Recorded in December 1940, "Gone With The Draft" celebrated the good fortune of having "flat feet", a common disqualification some Americans faced when registering for the draft.

Song #2, Song #3
Producer John Hammond discovered Count Basie and his band from their nightly radio broadcasts over WXBY Kansas City in the mid-1930's and was pivotal in bringing their sound to New York. This draft-related record from October 1940 presents the venerable orchestra in top form with the relaxed vigor of vocalist James Rushing on "Draftin' Blues" (left) backed with "What's Your Number," (right) an instrumental penned by trumpeter Buck Clayton.

Song #4
A fine example of the anxieties of war, the Nettles Brothers' String Band offered their take on pre-war America with the Bluebird release "I Feel The Draft Coming On." The festive drive of the music virtually disguises the solemn, contemplative lyrics of this hillbilly/western swing entry.

Song #5
Lamenting that he "got a letter this morning from a dear old uncle of mine," blues stylist Big Bill Broonzy recorded the foreboding "In The Army Now" for the Okeh label just five days before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Song #6
This radio broadcast from September 16, 1941 - a full year before his civilian orchestra disbanded - clearly illustrated Glenn Miller's growing commitment to wartime entertainment and the model of excellence he inspired in other bandleaders during the war. In this excerpt, the Miller band is "ganging up on the army," dedicating "I Dreamt I Dwelt In Harlem" to stationed men in Michigan and upstate New York.

This instantaneous-cut radio transcription disc is from the J. David Goldin Collection in the Marr Sound Archives.

Song #7
Some of the most exciting sides Benny Goodman made during this time involved his small combo groups. Goodman utilized the pool of talent in his own orchestra as well as guest artists from other bands, often forming integrated bands - a move that turned many heads in a country grappling with segregation issues. The topically titled song "Gone With What Draft" from January 1941 featured jazz heavyweights Count Basie, drummer Jo Jones, trumpeter Cootie Williams, and a young pioneer of the electric guitar - Charlie Christian.

Text by Kelly McEniry, Marr Sound Archives
Digital Audio by Scott Middleton, Marr Sound Archives

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