Awakenings: The Stripper

Monday, July 7, 2014

The Stripper

Today in Music History: July 7, 1962

Are you familiar with the theme from The Twilight Zone with its spooky tone? What about Jaws? Have you ever hummed or heard someone hum the tune in a sneakily fashion, especially if near or in the water? Without the utterance of a single word, an instant understandable reference to a specific idea or emotion can be triggered through familiar movie themes, such as Psycho or Deliverance.

Have you ever heard of David Rose? While the name may or may not be familiar, today's music reference centers on a snippet of soundtrack from a very obscure 50s television program - Burlesque. Rose's piece of music for that program is to acts of old-fashioned striptease roughly what the theme from Rocky is to early-morning winter jogs. Composed in 1958 and released as a single four years later, the hammy tune called "The Stripper" became a #1 pop hit in the United States on July 7, 1962.

Now do you remember?

Tidbit of Burlesque History: It all started with legs!

1860's Burlesque

Burlesque started as the lower class portion of the standard Vaudeville variety act. It was at first a bawdy theatrical experience making fun of Shakespearean plays, operas, politics and humorous theater in general; nothing was serious about the act itself. Then in the 1860s, The Black Crook debuted and caused a sensation because of the outrageous nature and exposure of the showgirls' legs. Read MORE...

Fame and burlesque surrounded the 20th century with early forms of broadway musicals. The shimmy and the striptease became the trademarks of burlesque. Then, it was off with your clothes and off to court from the 40s onward. The 60s era contributes to burlesque becoming more of a striptease but still fun and flirty. Thus, the perfect timing for David Rose's theme song, "The Stripper".