美国国家公共电台 NPR How 'Chattanooga Choo Choo' Became The World's First Gold Record

 

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

The music industry owes the swing-era big-band leader Glenn Miller¹ a thank you. It was because of his record label that we award gold records to hit songs. Seventy-five years ago today, Miller's song about a train trip became the world's first solid-gold hit. It also brought fame to a certain southern city. Michael Edward Miller of member station WUTC has the story.

MICHAEL EDWARD MILLER, BYLINE²: "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is about a man going home and promising³ his sweetheart he'll never roam.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO")

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER #1: (Singing) There's going to be a certain party at the station.

PAULA KELLY: (Singing) Satin and lace...

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER #1: (Singing) I used to call funny face.

MILLER: By February 10, 1942, more than 1.2 million copies had been sold. The record label, RCA Victor, celebrated⁴ by presenting Glenn Miller with a trophy⁵ during a live radio broadcast. Here's announcer Paul Douglas.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING⁶)

PAUL DOUGLAS: I think everyone listening in on the radio should know, Glenn, it actually is a recording of "Chattanooga Choo Choo," but it's in gold, and is really fine.

GLENN MILLER: That's right, Paul. And now for the boys in the band, and thanks a million two-hundred thousand.

MILLER: Miller's honor started at a self-congratulatory tradition of labels awarding their own artists framed gold records. Then as rock 'n' roll's rising popularity changed the record industry, music historian Robert Oermann says new trade organizations formed.

ROBERT OERMANN: One of them was the Recording Industry Association of America. And this is where the idea of an outside certification firm comes in.

MILLER: In 1958, "Catch A Falling Star" by Perry Como earned the first RIAA gold. Meanwhile, Glenn Miller's gold changed its namesake city.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO")

THE MODERNAIRES: (Singing) So Chattanooga Choo Choo...

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER #2: (Singing) Won't you choo-choo me home.

THE MODERNAIRES: (Singer) Chattanooga, Chattanooga...

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

MILLER: A train bell rings at the historic platform in Chattanooga. It used to be the city's passenger rail hub and narrowly avoided the wrecking⁷ ball. Then entrepreneurs transformed it into a hotel where actual train cars serve as rooms. The city's tourism chief, Bob Doak, says the song became Chattanooga's calling card.

BOB DOAK: Kids of all ages, including adults, loved to come in for the novelty of spending a night in a train.

MILLER: The developers picked an obvious name - the Chattanooga Choo Choo, capitalizing on the song that Glenn Miller first turned to gold 75 years ago. For NPR News I'm Michael Edward Miller.

(SOUNDBITE OF GLENN MILLER SONG, "CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOO")

1 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 wrecking   

破坏

参考例句：

• He teed off on his son for wrecking the car. 他严厉训斥他儿子毁坏了汽车。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Instead of wrecking the valley, the waters are put to use making electricity. 现在河水不但不在流域内肆疟，反而被人们用来生产电力。 来自辞典例句