MILDRED BAILEY - Rock It for Me (1938)

Issued in 1938, "Rock It for Me" is the first song on record to refer to "rock and roll" as a music and dance craze (unlike the Boswell Sisters, whose "Rock and Roll" was about being at sea and rockin' and rollin' with the waves).
Mildred is one of the most overlooked superstars in music history. Get to know and appreciate her now.

[@billyjenemusiclover667]

I so love this song! Mildred's voice is just so pretty!!

[@Mr05Chuck]

Came here this morning because of a article in the Spokane paper. Midrid was a member of the Couer d' lane tribe of Indians. She was considered the first great "white" Jazz singer even though she was half Indian. She also knew Bing Crosby who was a partner of her brother. She helped them get their start and they in turn introduced her to Paul Whiteman and she became his lead singer. Just came to hear what she sounded like. Wonderful, better times, when people acted as if.

[@candyekane]

this is my favorite mildred song. she is the greatest. the highest compliment ever paid me was that i was mildred reincarnated. it was a lie. im not that good. but what a wonderful compliment!

[@tbc1809]

R.I.P singing with Mildred💕🙏🙏🌹

[@jazmaan]

If anyone was Mildred reincarnated it might have been Maria Muldaur. Mildred was probably her biggest influence.

[@danielstanwyck2812]

I don't know how you figured out that this dance number would be so well synched with this song. The trio of entertainers and the song itself is wonderfully amazing and lovely to look at and wonderful to hear!. Astaire and Rogers (when she danced) and Bailey - Hall of Famers, or should be.

[@enihpesojsrepiuk]

Mildred is sooooo lovely

[@dudeboy59]

Pretty well synched! I've been a Mildred fan for over 15 years.

[@musicis.4045]

Mildred Ear Candy Bailey. Thank God for gitfts like this.

[@Cockwallet]

THIS is the song that Caravan Palace sampled for "Maniac"! I've been wondering for ages.

[@jazmaan]

Why can't I find any film footage of Mildred Bailey?

[@ImPoe]

Mildred meets Follow The Fleet? How wonderful!

[@NothingMuchHereToSay]

Came here from Caravan Palace's song "Maniac".

[@413xxx86]

For all the ladies that have class.

[@candyekane]

of course fred and ginger are not really dancing to this song but so cool thank u!

[@Mr05Chuck]

Is this the first mention of "rock and roll" in a song?

[@Mr05Chuck]

her husband red norvo on xylophone.

[@kinkle_Z]

Love the song....my favorite of hers though was her Havana song, which I used to sing at piano bars in Philly, and up and down the East Coast back in the late 60s/early 70s. The only improvement to this clip would be to just have a 78 rpm visual spinning, since images of Astaire and Rogers are intensely distracting and a COMPLETE NON SEQUITUR! Like listening to an early Lakota Tribe war dance recording with visuals of Astaire and Rogers! Yes! That disparate! I still have the 8 (?) album 1960s mega-collection of all Mildred's LP works I bought in Chicago in the mid-60s.....yum....damn - she was good!

[@musicis.4045]

Put a nice drink your hand. Throw on some really good headphones and gobble up this ear candy...

[@Diosprometheus]

Pains me to say this but the great black entertainers in the 20th century have been ignored and shut out. Mildred is not the only one....there are so many great blues singers and guitar players that were transcendent and way better than the white boys who borrowed and stole from them. Even some of the better known ones like T-Bone, Charlie Patton, Big Joe Williams, Pearl Bailey, Big Joe Turner, Ernestine Wade, Fats Waller, Spencer Williams, Louie Jordan, Guitar Slim, Alvin Childress, Bessie Smith, W. C. Handy, Laura Bowman, Alvin Lee, pioneering film maker and impresario Oscar Micheaux and the incomparable Bert Williams and his fabulous partner George Walker are slighted or ignored or not given the accolades that they deserve for their musical and entertainment contributions. Even the great and transcendent Louis Armstrong is fading away. These entertainers have wrongly been stigmatized and some even erased from history. Take some time and learn about this great legacy these fabulous pioneers made and learn from them.

[@taddyd1]

Mildred was considered white during her lifetime even though she had Native American heritage as well. She did play with integrated bands which was very progressive. Many of her core band members later played with Billie Holiday who she brought to the attention of John Hammond.

[@brucescott4261]

I concur, totally!!!

[@hebneh]

I believe this is a remake of a slightly earlier version by a black singer. I know I've heard it but can't remember who it was.

[@kinkle_Z]

Found it! Here's my favorite Mildred Bailey recording: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJCbnmR8n72op9U

[@amelitaconcepcion4875]

the video with fred astaire spoils the song ! they dont match!

[@flybeep1661]

The vid doesn't match the song at all. The dancers are clearly dancing to "hot" music while the song itself is a cool song.