Undated*: Zydeco

The spelling -- and wider awareness -- of the syncopated dance music took hold with "A Treasury of Field Recordings, Volume 1," released in 1960 by the London-based 77 Records. In a booklet accompanying the album, folklorist Mack McCormick uses the "zydeco" spelling in transcribing the song "Baby, Please Don't Go" by the Dudley Alexander Washboard Band. The song, with lyrics in English and French, includes the phrase "Les haricots sont pas salés" -- literally, "The snap beans are not salted"; figuratively, too poor to afford salt meat.

* Histories of zydeco: @ and @ and @ (includes Cajun and Creole music)

* Excerpt from "The Kingdom Of Zydeco" (book): @

* Excerpt from "The Roots of Texas Music" (book; see page 205 for how "les haricots" evolved into "zydeco"): @

* 77 Records discography: @

* Selected zydeco artists and songs: @

* Listen to Clifton Chenier (shown in photo) perform "Zydeco Sont Pas Salés" from 1965: @

(* Further research shows that "A Treasury of Field Recordings" was released in December 1960. I'll just leave it here and tag it under both "undated" and "December.")

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