Canterlotite

Harmony Teases Second Concert

The notable member of Canterlot elite, Harmony, has declared that he’s going to do his famous Spirituals to Swing concerts again for the second consecutive year. They will be held at Celestia Hall, as the last ones were.

“We’re going to go bigger and better,” he declared to the press. “We’re going to have your favorite acts, and some up-and-comers.”

Harmony has declined further statement on the matter, but knowing his standing, these concerts are likely to happen. He did tell the press that he’d hopefully have a playbill out for the public “sooner rather than later”.

“What we doing out there, Sea?”

A plump navy blue earth pony looked out to the stage. Anyone who saw this pony would instantly think he’d be able to fill up a room with his powerful voice, which wasn’t far off. On the stage, Rosebud Thorns was currently putting on her big set about the old Gospel music. The pony got invited to a revival of the Spirituals to Swing show Harmony had put on the year prior, and he was with his musical partner, Sea Lodestone.

The sea blue earth pony responded. Sleek, cool, collected, and panicking, but not showing it.

“Well, Big Turner I’ve come with nothing, so I’m just going to play a Boogie-Woogie pattern. How many floating lyrics you got?”

“Plenty. ‘I got a mare, who lives up on the hill’, ‘it’s all right baby, flying far behind’, ‘I see a train, gotta be ten cars long’. I’ve got plenty a old lyrics just lyin’ around.”

A long sigh followed. “That should work just fine then.”

“Now Sea, what we callin’ this thing?”

“I don’t know, but we better come up with something quick because we’re on in a few minutes,” Sea Lodestone stated, frantically lifting his head to check out Rosebud Thorns to see how close she was coming to finishing her song.

“Call it after the first floating lyric I’m gonna use. It’s Alright Baby!” Big Turner shouted, voice reverberating backstage.

Just then, a voice came from the stage. “That was Rosebud Thorns! Next up, Sea Lodestone and Big Turner!”

Sea gave another long sigh. “It’s Alright Baby it is then.”

“Alright, let’s go!”

The two ponies travelled onto the stage as Rosebud thorn took herself backstage. A piano was already set up, which was a given because those things didn’t move. There was only one microphone, positioned in such a way as to catch as much of the vocal as possible. Now, it only really picked up one direction, but Big Turner was ready to make that one direction count.

“Hello there, everypony. I’m here with my musical partner, Sea Lodestone and we’re gonna play some tunes for ya. Now, ya probably aren’t gonna recognize this one, because it’s brand new. I like ta call it, It’s Alright Baby!”

Big Turner decided not to input that the song was literally something the two of them came up a few minutes ago.

“Take it away Sea!”

Sea started playing an almost percussive rhythm on the piano, outlining some simple chords at a frantic pace. With one hoof in the bass, and the other dancing on the melody, it was pure Boogie-Woogie piano.

However, Big Turner felt something was a little off about the rhythm. The notes seemed a little off from what he was used to. Instead of the gap he usually expected going from the one to the and, a shuffle, the notes were equally spaced.

Big Turner was thrown off momentarily, but a true shouter never lost their rhythm.

He started clicking his hoof on the floor, attempting to match the rhythm of the piano to his singing.

Click, click, click, click…

There it was. Confident, he sang the first line.

“It’s alright babe! Flyin’ far behind!”

Sea Lodestone looked up at Big Turner, worried that he screwed up the timing.

Big Turner looked back and smiled, letting Sea know that he was locked in and ready to go.

“It’s alright babe! Flyin’ far behind!”

The song continued like that, Sea’s frantic piano playing, backed with Big Turner’s shout-singing.

Soon, Big Turner couldn’t think of new floating lyrics, he knew more, but he’d forgotten some, so as a last consolation, he threw in one more.

“Roll em’ Sea, show ‘em what I mean!”

Big Turner pulled away from the microphone, keeping his hoof taps going, and said, “On the piano, Sea Lodestone!”

There was a polite applause, and Sea launched into a solo. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for Boogie-Woogie solos, playing scales over the chords each phrase belonged to, but it was vigorous, full of energy, and as Sea climbed higher and higher up the piano, it was hard to deny just how catchy the solo was. Eventually, Sea ran out of steam, though not after delivering a fantastic solo, so Big Turner turned back to the microphone.

“Roll em’ Sea! Show ‘em what I mean!”

Big Turner made sure his last stomp was a loud one, indicating that his part was over, which Sea responded to by throwing in another few chord changes, before doing a glissando and ending the song there.

Dead silence permeated the room for a second, before the crowd erupted into cacophony. Nopony had quite heard a song like that before. Big Turner and Sea Lodestone didn’t do a shuffle, what was up with them? That was something new and different. Not everypony liked new and different, but most could agree that the song was really bucking catchy.

The crowd applauded, and Big Turner and Sea Lodestone went backstage, preparing to wipe out and return home when the show was over.

Big Turner and Sea Lodestone casually watched the rest of the show from the backstage. The show concluded with the Good Mare Sextet, who delivered a fantastic set, as usual, concluding with Flying Home.

Coming backstage, Good Mare waved at Sea, who waved back in response.

“We sure put on a good show there, Sea,” Big Turner affirmed.

“It was only one song, and I screwed up the solo,” Sea responded.

“Nothin’ ta worry about. The audience liked it.”

“But this show was Harmony’s show, I don’t know what he’ll think,” Sea countered, attempting to keep his composure.

“Well, speak a Nightmare Moon…” Big Turner offhoofedly described, noticing an orange unicorn emanating power walk backstage.

Sea almost made an audible yelp.

“Ah, Sea Lodstone, Big Turner, I have something to discuss,” Harmony articulated. “Follow me.”

Harmony quietly took the two ponies aside.

“That… song you played. That wasn’t in the script,” Harmony stated.

“I’m sorry! We came up with it on the spot,” Sea responded. “Sorry for ruining the show!”

“On the contrary, you two elevated it. That wasn’t a shuffle.”

Big Turner and Sea Lodestone looked at Harmony awkwardly as they waited for the stallion to finish.

“It was something else… something, unique. I’d like to record what it is you were doing.”

“On… record?” Sea asked.

“Where else?”

“Sounds great an’ all, but where are we recording this thing?” Big Turner asked.

“Right here in Canterlot of course… just spare a week. I will get you recording.”

Harmony left the two stallions. Curious, the two decided they could stay a little long to see what other ideas Harmony had cooked up. The two left the building, and went to find some place to stay before they could leave Canterlot.

After sleeping wherever they could rest their heads for a week, Sea and Big Turner were prepared to meet with Harmony. The only problem was finding him.

“Where could that devil be?” Big Turner asked, trotting down the street looking for whatever him and Sea could scrounge up. They didn’t have a place to stay, and no money to really stay anywhere, so they were pretty much stuck.

“Well, he did say he’d record us. Maybe he’s at a recording studio somewhere?” Sea reassured, though he was unsure if he believed it himself. As if realizing his uncertainty, he added, “I’m tired and I just want to get this out of the way. Keep an eye out, okay?”

Big Turner looked around the streets, trying to find anything that looked like a record studio.

“Ah-hah!” Big Turner exclaimed, stopping suddenly.

“Did you find anything?” Sea asked.

“A recording studio? No. But, I found a record store!”

“Turner… how does that help us in the slightest?” Sea challenged, stopping in his tracks.

“Well, it ain’t a recording studio, but they could have some info on where Harmony might be recordin’.” Big Turner replied.

Sea rolled his eyes. “Well, we might as well check it out. Can’t be worse than nothing.”

The pair entered the record store and the bell on the door gave a little ding. The pegasus at the counter was busy reading a magazine when she jumped at the sound of the bell. She exuded a carefree attitude, a love of music, a love of all music at that. It was almost as if she just wanted to have fun, and was living her best life.

“Hello there… sorry I have no clue who you are,” she blurted. “Given you’re customers, we have the Spirituals to Swing 939 concert under the ‘live vinyls’ section.”

“You been gettin’ a lot a orders for that one?” Big Turner asked, interested. He soon realized he made a massive mistake.

“Have I ever! It’s the hottest selling record on the shelves! I can barely keep it restocked, and it’s such tedious work too, so boring. Those things fly off the shelves faster than they get printed! Everypony’s coming in, saying they want to start ‘a Swing group’ or ‘a Boogie-Woogie act’, that record is going to change the music industry, I swear. Ponies cannot get enough of that album!” the shopkeeper rambled.

Sea nodded his head. “Okay then… that’s not why we’re here. We’re here because we played on that record…” he began, cautiously.

“You did? Would you mind signing a few copies?”

“That’s not—“ Sea attempted to correct, but Big Turner butted in.

“Gladly!”

The two spent the next several minutes signing the Spirituals to Swing records, with Sea Lodestone growing increasingly impatient.

“I think that was the last one!” the shopkeeper declared.

“Can I say what I was trying to say before Turner roped me into this?” Sea admonished, completely and utterly miffed.

“Sure! What were you going to say?”

Sea finally let out a sigh. He blinked slowly, pawed the ground, and began slowly for the third time, “Do you know anything about the Benny Goodman Sextet’s Flying Home?”

“That was a real hot record last year! Of course I know!”

“Do you know where it was recorded?”

The mare rubbed her hoof thoughtfully under her chin. “I believe it was recorded right up the road, it’s just Canterlot Recording Studios, it’s where that label records all their stuff.”

“Is the label headed by Harmony?” Sea asked, lowering his head, finally happy to make progress.

“Nopony knows what that unicorn gets up to. He appears precisely when he wants to and leaves without a trace.”

“Sounds about right,” Sea mumbled.

“But I mean, can’t hurt ta try can it?” Big Turner added, listening in on the conversation the whole time.

“I suppose it can’t,” Sea conceded.

Canterlot Recording Studios was nothing special. This resonated clearly with Big Turner and Sea Lodestone as they entered the studio. After all, that was what most of their gigs were. There was a piano, a microphone and a recording dock, all primed and ready to go. In the adjacent room, through a pane of glass sat Harmony, magically paging through a newspaper he seemed simultaneously interested in and bored with. A cursory glance up from the newspaper notified Harmony of what he should do, and so he got up.

Walking from the adjacent room and into the main recording room came Harmony, imposing and larger than life, as per usual.

“Gentlestallions,” he began. “As promised, you will be recording.”

Big Turner and Sea Lodestone nodded.

“The engineer… isn’t here right now. However, I know enough.”

“Shall we begin?” Sea Lodestone asked.

“Don’t see why not,” Big Turner responded.

“1, 2, 3, 4…” Big Turner counted.

Once again, Sea Lodestone started to play a very simple Boogie-Woogie piano pattern. He made extra sure that the song was not swung so that he wouldn’t lapse into the obvious Swing beat that was so prevalent in music he’d heard.

Big Turner listened for a second and then started clicking his hoof to the rhythm as well, before launching into the first verse. He only vaguely remembered the floating lyrics he used, so he threw in some new ones for a little extra decorations. He did; however, remember the first one he sang.

“It’s alright babe, flyin’ far behind!”

He shouted into the microphone with all the strength he could muster. It was, after all, his job as a Blues shouter to do just that. Despite this, him and Sea had been sleeping wherever they could spare a nap for the past few days. The ponies were tired. But, tiredness shouldn’t prevent an entertainer from performing his very best.

“It’s alright babe, flyin’ far behind!”

Sea Lodestone switched up the chord as Big Turner prepared to land on it with his final phrase.

“I know you, and you know that you’re mine.”

The song continued, somewhat less vigorously than it was performed just a short week ago, but with as much energy as the performers could muster. Even the energetic Big Turner was losing steam.

Though, Big Turner did certainly remember one lyrics he used, and shouted it energetically.

“Roll ‘em Sea, show them what I mean!”

Sea launched into another piano solo. He danced on the keys, performing several stylistic flourishes while he kept his Boogie-Woogie bass steady. It was a little shorter than the one from the concert, but it was still a vigorous piano solo, complimented with Big Turner keeping time so Sea didn’t lose his place.

Big Turner, bouncing, prepared to conclude the song. Pulling out the last figment of his energy he started shouting into the mic.

“Bye, bye! Bye, bye!”

He sang those same lyrics, growing in intensity, a crescendo to the ending, louder and more raucous with each repetition. It got to the point where he was practically straining his voice to the maximum.

All that had to end at some point, so naturally, he sang the lyric he knew best.

“Roll ‘em Sea, show them what I mean!”

Big Turner stopped clicking his hoof on the ground, and Sea took that as meaning ending, so he stopped.

Harmony trotted over and took a look at the disc they were recording on.

“Stallions, that was not the concert version.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just tired, and Turner probably is too, cut us some slack!” Sea pleaded.

“It is; however, a perfectly… serviceable record. I can try and pitch it to the stations.”

“What for?” Big Turner asked.

“Exposure, Turner. If people listen to your music, they will buy it,” Harmony emphasized.

“I mean, you could use the concert version,” Sea pitched. “Turner, the fool, got a ton of those signed at the record store across the street earlier.”

Suddenly, Harmony got fire in his eyes. The stallion was usually scary, though usually in an unintentional way. This owed to his powerful stance and vague connections. This time; however, he had an idea. An idea that would either work very well, or very poorly, but one he was eager to try.

“Give me another week,” Harmony estimated. “You two may return home.”

“We have no way to get back,” Sea mentioned.

Harmony slowly went into the other room and trotted out carrying a sack of bits. He threw it at the two stallions’ feet.

“Take the train. Split that.”

With that, Harmony left the building.

Sea and Big Turner looked at each other. This was easily going to cover travel costs.

The bell to a certain record store rang as a powerful stallion walked into the building. He slowly looked all around, surveying the store and the vast array of recorded sound it contained.

Harmony walked up to the pegasus behind the counter and slowly lowered his hoof onto the magazine she was reading. This caused the pegasus in question to look up.

“Hello there, uh… Mr. Harmony. What would you like today?”

“I have heard that two particular stallions signed all the records of my show here.”

The pegasus thought for a second, before perking up. “Oh! The Spirituals to Swing stuff! Yeah, Big Turner and Sea Lodestone stopped by earlier. There’s only a couple records left. It’s a miracle there’s that many, honestly.”

“I’d like them,” Harmony stated.

“What could you want one for?” the pegasus inquired.

“You know the… let’s say, ‘new’ technology? The radio?”

“Oh, yeah! Admire them, earth ponies no less, for repurposing those old wartime stations and transmitting music across long distances. That tech has gotta be years old at this point. I’m shocked it took this long to do something with. Like, isn’t the gift of music something everyone should have? Why not utilize tech earlier? I mean—“

Harmony raised his hoof to silence her and stated, “That is besides the point right now. I recorded with those stallions, and their music is serviceable for radio play.”

“So what do you want the signed copies for?” the pegasus inquired.

“I want to persuade a few stations to play Roll ‘Em Sea… by giving them the signed records.”

“How will that persuade these stations?”

“They can do a sort of… giveaway with them. I am sure they will appreciate any audience boom that might bring.” Harmony disclosed.

The pegasus didn’t think that sounded quite ethical, but when Harmony spoke, most ponies listened. Rarely did he speak so much, so he must have some sort of plan, she almost couldn’t imagine him not having one.

“Take them.”

“So you’re telling me that you’ve got some records you want us to play?”

Harmony carefully laid the few signed vinyls he had on the DJ’s desk, alongside something else, a pressing of the single version. It proudly bore the name Roll ‘Em Sea. After Harmony had processed it, he had realized, infuriatingly, that the hoof clicks didn’t come in. However; he couldn’t use the Spirituals to Swing version because it wasn’t a single.

“Yes, what else?,” Harmony stated.

The DJ had to put a couple pieces together, but realized that Roll ‘Em Sea was a lyric in It’s Alright Baby. They were probably the same song. “You know, earth pony music isn’t really popular right now. This one’s Boogie-Woogie if I’m not mistaken. We have Swing, we don’t have that.”

“I know,” Harmony emphasized. “My concert; however, is.”

The DJ raised an eyebrow at Harmony. “I don’t follow.”

Harmony once again lifted up the vinyls with his magic. “That’s what these are for.”

The DJ still looked slack-jawed at Harmony, who put down a small stack of Spirituals to Swing vinyls.

Harmony let out a noise that vaguely resembled a ‘hmph’. He continued, “If we keep this… under the table, so to speak, I’ll let you give those records out for free. Play Roll ‘Em Sea, and you can, don’t… and I have friends in high places.”

Harmony didn’t mean to imply that he had ties with notorious Equestrian criminal organizations, but the DJ certainly did.

“Right away… sir!”

Harmony remained stoic, only giving a nod of acknowledgment.

“You will gain popularity from this,” Harmony said. “Ponies like free stuff.”

The DJ nodded.

“This run of songs is almost over, hold on.”

The DJ turned to the microphone on the table, and sent his voice around the general Canterlot area.

“We’ve gotten a visit from the notorious Canterlot businessman, Harmony…” he began.

Harmony had already left.

Big Turner and Sea Lodestone sat down at a local bar, they were scheduled to play here in a few minutes. However, they’d seen acts just like theirs all night. Boogie-Woogie became a massive thing, and it seemed that everywhere they looked, they’d find at least one act performing upbeat piano songs with a steady backbeat. The atmosphere was punctuated with noisy patrons, your usual drunks, and musicians scheduled to play.

“Sea, why d’ ya’ think Boogie-Woogie’s so popular?” Big Turner asked.

“Well, I was reading the news recently,” Sea responded. “Though, come to think of it, this news is a couple years old.

“Apparently, all the musicians are still on strike.”

“What?” Big Turner demanded. “How can that be?”

“Calm down, Turner. Allegedly, there were some sketchy business dealings, and musicians were starting to question not getting paid for their music. So, they all went on strike. They’ve been like this since 939.”

“That was when Harmony’s album came out,” Big Turner observed. “Wait, did he have somethin’ to do with this?”

Sea Lodestone approximated a shrug. “Wouldn’t surprise me. I could learn of any number of things Harmony has done and it still wouldn’t surprise me.”

Big Turner watched the mare behind the piano, singing about the ‘Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy’ with what appeared to be two other singers. He took a sip of his cider, savoring the taste of week-old apples.

“You’re awfully calm, Turner,” Sea mentioned. He hadn’t ordered a drink, he was too obsessed with being on the straight and narrow.

“Gotta save all my energy for the stage! ‘Course I’m calm!”

The two sat in silence for another moment, before Big Turner once again spoke up.

“Guessin’ the singers went on fine then?”

Sea Lodestone nodded. “All of them learned how to play the piano. I’d wager that’s why Boogie-Woogie hasn’t died.”

“Good thing I’ve got the best piano player right here!” Big Turner exclaimed, though quietly enough to not drown out the cacophony of other noise.

The three singers went to the center and took a bow, lowering their bodies to the ground.

“Looks like we’re up,” Big Turner remarked.

“And now, performing their top ten hit Roll ‘Em Sea, Big Turner and Sea Lodestone!”

Big Turner smiled at Sea Lodestone. “Come on, let’s knock it outta the park.”

Sea Lodestone nodded.

Thankfully, the musicians’ strike didn’t go on for too long. A few weeks after Big Turner and Sea played at the bar, the radios had started to play music again. The labels apparently realized it was free advertising, though there might’ve been some outward influence that Big Turner was very familiar with.

He heard firsthand the single version of Sea Lodestone’s and his performance. The hoof clicks hadn’t come in, which meant he just had to try extra hard this time.

Big Turner looked through the pane of glass separating him and the pony in charge of this ordeal. It had been 15 years, sure, but he still had it in him… and so did Sea.

Big Turner chuckled, and looked over at the upright piano situated in the corner of the room. It was merely one instrument among several other ones, but still, he’d started this with Sea, and he was going to see it through.

He only had a few words to say. “Roll ‘em Sea, show ‘em what I mean.”

Sea smiled, wrinkles more prominent, but a beaming smile nonetheless.

Sea started the song off with piano, a simpler structure, but one more suited to this brand new style of quick and fast music. Slower than Boogie-Woogie, but if it didn’t have the same vibe.

The drummer also began playing, as did the saxophonist. The drummer made sure to hit the snare as loud as possible.

“Get outta that bed, wash your hooves and mane!”

The song remained rather static, but Big Turner felt the song move. Sea Lodestone kept up his piano pattern, and Big Turner smiled as he continued.

“Get outta that bed, wash your hooves and mane!”

Sure he was tired, it wasn’t like his living conditions had improved drastically. Him and Sea still played bars, but he was just happy to finally be recording something again.

“When you get into the kitchen, get up and go insane.”

The song continued much like that for the rest of it, baring one piano solo from Sea Lodestone, a rather minimalist solo that made sure to complement the song’s added instrumentation. Then, he got to the final line.

“I said shake, rattle, and roll!”

The song cut off right then, and Big Turner went over to Sea Lodestone.

“Great piano playin’, as usual.”

He wanted to say more, but right then, the person in charge of this Crystal Records session came out to same something to the band performing.

“Boys, I think you have a hit.”

Big Turner and Sea Lodestone looked at each other, 15 years in the making… but finally, a big hit they could call their own.

Author's Note

Roll ‘Em Pete by Big Joe Turner and Pete Johnson.

Now is a good time to mention that this story will not be in chronological order. It’ll jump around.

This story is also not meant to be a complete historical recollection of any events in Rock music and should not be treated as such, it’s merely trying to apply a story to a song and a face. However, as much as I hate to say it, these ponies are (very loosely) based on real people, so keep that in mind as you read the rest.