geerussell
03-21-2008, 12:40 AM
Just when I thought my thousands of hours watching the History channel had told me everything there was to know about WWII, along comes this...
Nazi Jazz (http://undercoverblackman.blogspot.com/)
When it comes to World War II propaganda, everybody probably has heard of “Tokyo Rose.” (http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/rose/rose.htm) But do you know about Charlie and His Orchestra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_and_his_orchestra)? This was a German jazz band put together by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels).
Jazz was banned in Nazi Germany as “degenerate art.” But Goebbels figured he could weaponize the music and screw with British and American minds.
So Charlie and His Orchestra recorded versions of many popular songs – from “St. Louis Blues” to “Stardust.” And they swung.
These performances always began with the original lyrics in tact. But midway through, singer Karl Schwedler (a.k.a. “Charlie”) would deliver anti-British, anti-American, anti-Communist or antisemitic messages straight from the Ministry of Propaganda.
The songs were broadcast via medium-wave and short-wave radio to Great Britain and North America. It was all about taunting and demoralizing the Allies... and trash-talking Winston Churchill and F.D.R. by name.
Nazi Jazz (http://undercoverblackman.blogspot.com/)
When it comes to World War II propaganda, everybody probably has heard of “Tokyo Rose.” (http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/rose/rose.htm) But do you know about Charlie and His Orchestra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_and_his_orchestra)? This was a German jazz band put together by Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels).
Jazz was banned in Nazi Germany as “degenerate art.” But Goebbels figured he could weaponize the music and screw with British and American minds.
So Charlie and His Orchestra recorded versions of many popular songs – from “St. Louis Blues” to “Stardust.” And they swung.
These performances always began with the original lyrics in tact. But midway through, singer Karl Schwedler (a.k.a. “Charlie”) would deliver anti-British, anti-American, anti-Communist or antisemitic messages straight from the Ministry of Propaganda.
The songs were broadcast via medium-wave and short-wave radio to Great Britain and North America. It was all about taunting and demoralizing the Allies... and trash-talking Winston Churchill and F.D.R. by name.