I’d still never come up with a compilation idea this brilliant:

We’re starting with a thought that actually came to us almost by accident a few weeks ago, that in this 50 year history of pop music no single drumbeat has had the cultural impact of the four-beat Wrecking Crew seconds of intensity that kicks off Pitchfork’s sixth greatest song of the 60s and Rolling Stone’s 22nd best of all time, the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby”. (Alright, “Funky Drummer” has its fans, but that’s more for its intricacy and the fact it’s had the song named after its fill.) It seems resonant of an era, a genre and a possibility all at the same time, and with its comparative simplicity that even the most amateur of garage band skinbeaters can copy it’s no wonder it’s been co-opted so often in much. Once we’d got the obvious in as track one we found a good 35 or so songs that featured the beat in some way, shape or form, eventually cutting down to a trim 21 replicants, all of which feature it in its purest form and use it at the start or near enough.

And that’s exactly what you get: the original Hal Blaine thunder, and re-creations thereof that fit a lot better than you’d think they do.

I’m not quite sure what’s more amazing: the idea of Scarlett Johansson making a record album — and an album of Tom Waits tunes, at that — or that it’s going to be on Atco, fercryingoutloud.

Normally I don’t think of these as being “old-time,” but then I don’t think of myself as “old-time” either, and these songs, like me, date back fifty years or more. Mostly they come from the rhythm-and-blues side of things, though there are some pure-pop tunes sprinkled here or there for balance — or at least enough balance to justify not having to throw in any Eddie Fisher records, which were huge hits and which leave me cold as a cod. As for the young lady in the photo, I don’t think she’s really playing the piano: how could she work the pedals?

Track listing for 111127-2:

1. Wynonie Harris: Good Rockin’ Tonight
2. The Drifters: Money Honey
3. Ruth Brown: Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean
4. The Chords: Sh-Boom
5. Anton Karas: The Third Man Theme
6. The Orioles: Crying in the Chapel
7. The ‘5′ Royales: Baby Don’t Do It
8. Faye Adams: Shake a Hand
9. Arthur Godfrey: Slap ‘er Down Again, Paw
10. The Crows: Gee
11. Johnny Maddox: The Crazy Otto
12. Elvis Presley: That’s All Right (Mama)
13. Ella Mae Morse: Oakie Boogie
14. Bill Haley and the Comets: Rock Around the Clock
15. Nappy Brown: Don’t Be Angry
16. Etta James: The Wallflower
17. The Four Lads: Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
18. The Penguins: Earth Angel
19. Les Paul and Mary Ford: How High the Moon
20. Little Walter: My Babe
21. The Moonglows: Sincerely
22. Fats Domino: Ain’t That a Shame
23. Julie London: Cry Me a River
24. Jimmy Forrest: Night Train
25. The Platters: The Great Pretender
26. Big Joe Turner: Shake, Rattle and Roll
27. Patti Page: Mister and Mississippi
28. Chuck Berry: Maybellene
29. The Spaniels: Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight