“Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I’ve ever seen.” The year is 1958. Eisenhower is the President, and rock-and-roll as we know it is starting to take shape. But don’t tell that to the Chordettes. The harmonizing girls from Sheboygan–Janet, Alice, Lynn, and Jinny—wowed the airwaves with their mostly a cappella renditions of “Mr. Sandman” and “Lollipop.”
Often compared to a barbershop quartet, the Chordettes strut their stuff in this live TV performance. Remember all of those ‘bum-bum-bums” in the song? You’ll be amazed to see that each “bum” is sung in quick succession by an individual member of the group. How’d they done that without missing a beat?
In their long, proper gowns and charm, these women evoke a sense of past properness even as the lyrics, racier than you might think, urge Mr. Sandman to bring them a cute man with whom to go to bed.
In one funny bit added just for this performance, Mr. Sandman himself appears onscreen to answer their call, and boy is he young and handsome. You’ll chuckle at this insert shot even as you swoon to the sound of the legendary “Mr. Sandman.”