Tootle of a Devilish Song
Summary
This episode explores the global journey of yodeling, tracing its origins from Alpine cattle calls to its pivotal role in shaping American country music. Reporter Gabe Bullard examines how the vocal technique evolved from a pastoral tool into a commercial spectacle, highlighting its fusion with blues to create the "Blue Yodel" and influence artists like Jimmy Rogers and Gene Autry. The story also covers Switzerland’s mid-century efforts to codify a distinct national yodeling style and features modern artists who are revitalizing the tradition by blending it with jazz, reggaeton, and other c…
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Whole Foods, Fidelity, and Acura
Arriving in Basel for Jodelerfest
The atmosphere and participants of the festival
Yodeling's international arc and vocal mechanics
Global variations of the register flip
Origins: Cattle calls and early documentation
Theories on why herders yodeled
The Grand Tour and the rise of tourism
Yodeling as performance and Mark Twain's critique
Notating the oral tradition and spreading to Europe
Yodeling arrives in the United States
Yodeling in American minstrel and vaudeville shows
Jimmy Rogers: The railroad brakeman turned star
Blending blues and yodeling in 'Blue Yodel'
Jimmy Rogers' massive popularity and legacy
Yodeling in country music and Hollywood
The vocal flip in modern country music
Swiss identity and yodeling during WWII
Standardization of Swiss yodeling post-war
The modern resurgence and new yodeling styles
Yodeling in contemporary genres like reggaeton
Sponsors: Amica, Fidelity, Nertek, and Kit Kat
Deep cuts: Early US yodel recordings
Deep cuts: The Seven Musical Magpies
Deep cuts: Black artists and Yodeling Blues
Credits and show information
Sponsors: Fidelity, Nertek, and L.L. Bean
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