Mills Bros. tenor guitar

[SincereCorgi]

Just stumbled upon this on YouTube- appears to be rare historical footage of a tenor guitar in its natural habitat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruLIkHIIuwE

Well, or maybe a baritone uke.

[Jim Roberts]

Wow...one of my favorite groups of all time. My folks used to play their records and I was taken by their harmony from the first time I heard them. Sometimes my dad would put on one of their albums, sip an ice cold Schlitz or Hamm's beer and give me a sip or two while we listened to them in awe. We would try to harmonize with the group. "Glow Worm" and "Paper Doll" were a two of our favorites. I had a chance to see them in Denver back in the 70's when there were just two of them still performing and didn't go. I still kick myself in the rear for not going. These guys oooozed swing.

Thanks for sharing, Corgi.

[blacksmith]

Oh, that was wonderful, thanks for the link. Follow the bouncing ball.....it appears to be done with some kind of split-screen. Does anyone have any idea how that would have been done back in "the day"? Must have been cutting edge technology back then. I would imagine none of them ever dreamed that that film would, one day, be accessible instantly to anyone in the world with the click of a button.

[toddjoles]

Back in the day the harmonies of The Mills Bros. were copied and loved by everyone. I too remember listening to 78's and 33's of the Mills Bros at my Granddad's house. He loved the harmonies and that they were the only "colored" records allowed in his house spoke volumes to me.

Even Dean Martin claimed that he was so enamored by the sound of The Mills Bros. he personally copied the singing style (the use of hesitation and slides etc..) of Harry Mills.

[Charles E.]

Check this out from the Cats and Fiddles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQ9Sz0UCl8&feature=related

Charley

[Mike Snyder]

Dean Martin had the brothers on his TV show and it was visually obvious that he adored them. They really worked it out on a couple of numbers. His vocal style was VERY derivative of theirs.
Never seen them with a TG before. Kinda Kingston Trio like.

[mandolirius]

Dean Martin had the brothers on his TV show and it was visually obvious that he adored them. They really worked it out on a couple of numbers. His vocal style was VERY derivative of theirs.
Never seen them with a TG before. Kinda Kingston Trio like.

Hmm...I thought the tenor guitar was what they normally used. Anyway, they are favourites of mine, too. I've played "Four Boys & A Guitar" for people who refused to believe those weren't horns they were hearing.

[Mike Snyder]

You're right. Don't know what I was thinking. It was pretty much standard.

[Jason Kessler]

The Mills Brothers, and The Cats & The Fiddle" Two of my very favorites, they literally defined swing.

[Charles E.]

Jason, that looks like a young Tiny Grimes playing the Martin 5-17 tenor with the Cats and Fiddles, do you know about the arch top tenor player?

[Jason Kessler]

It's a bit murky. Is it Austin Powell?