♫Rum & Coca-Cola♫

The common 'rum & coke', known most correctly as the Cuba Libre, is a classic Caribbean-American highball (more on that topic at the end). Most importantly it is not simply pouring rum into a glass of coca-cola! The popular 'rum & coke' rises to distinction when prepared properly. The drink, however, is not the center of today's spotlight, rather three sisters who popularized a Calypso song by the name "Rum and Coca-Cola". Quite interesting trivia behind its success—and mega-success it was—but not without its share of controversy and banning by network radio stations.

Today in Music History: February 14

Welcome into the Spotlight...

The Andrews Sisters, with Patty at center, in a 1947 publicity photo. Creditvia Associated Press

Andrew Sisters the jaunty vocal trio whose immensely popular music became part of the patriotic fabric of World War II America

The Andrews Sisters were an American "Close harmony" singing group of "Swing music"and boogie-woogie eras. Throughout their long career, the sisters sold well over 75 million records (the last official count released by MCA Records in the mid-1970s). The Andrews' Sisters harmonies and songs are still influential today, and have been covered by entertainers, such as Bette Midler and Christina Aguilera, and others.

The Andrews Sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia (July 6, 1911 - May 8, 1967), soprano Maxine Angelyn "Maxene" (January 3, 1916 - October 21, 1995) and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" (February 16, 1918 - January 30, 2013)

Patty Andrews, center, with her sisters Maxene, left and LaVerne, in the 1940s. The Andrews Sisters, with Patty singing soprano, sold tens of millions of records in the 1930s and '40s. Credit Associated Press

The music of the Andrews Sisters is synonymous with World War II. Their jazzy renditions of songs like "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B", "Rum and Coca-Cola", and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)" boosted morale on the home front while benefiting the troops at home and overseas via the sale of war bonds. Patty, Maxene and Laverne Andrews starred on film and performed along side the greats, such as Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They also entertained thousands of America troops overseas for whom the women represented the loves and the land the troops had left behind.

No.1 Hits on the Day...

1945 "Rum and Coca-Cola" became a huge hit for the Andrews Sisters, spending ten weeks at the top of Billboard's U.S. Pop Singles chart.

The Andrews Sisters also seem to have given little thought to the meaning of the lyrics. Years later, Maxine Andrews recalled, "The rhythm was what attracted the Andrew Sisters to "Rum and Coca-Cola". We never thought of the lyric. The lyric was there, it was cute, but we didn't think of what it meant; but at that time, nobody else would think of it either, because we weren't as morally open as we are today and some—a lot of stuff really—no excuses, just went over our heads." [Source: wikipedia.org]

Check out the Songfacts on this hit!

1945 Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters collaborated in the hit single "Don't Fence Me In" which held the No.1 spot for 8 weeks. It is a popular American song written in 1934.

Ten years later, in 1944, Warner Bros. resurrected "Don't Fence Me In" for Roy Rogers to sing in the movie Hollywood Canteen. Many People heart the song for the first time when Kate Smith introduced it on her radio broadcast of October 8, 1944. 

 "Don't Fence Me In" was also recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1944. Crosby entered the studio on July 25, 1944, without having see or heard the song. Within 30 minutes, he and the Andrews Sisters had completed the recording, which sold more than a million copies and topped the Billboard charts for eight weeks in 1944-45. [Source: wikipedia.org]

Now, the classic "Rum & Coke":

Rum & Coke Ingredients

• 2 ounces rum -- white rum
• 1 lime(s)
• Coca-Cola
• Collins glass

Squeeze a lime into a Collins glass, add 2 or 3 ice cubes, and pour in the rum (You may like the golden type or maybe a darker, more flavorful Riserva.  The choice is strictly a matter of individual taste.) Drop in one of the spent lime shells and fill with cold Coca-Cola. Stir briefly.