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Revisiting “A Jolly Christmas With Frank Sinatra” December 12, 2022

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: Capitol, Christmas, Frank Sinatra, Gordon Jenkins, Holly, Jolly, Jule Styne, Mistletoe, Nelson Riddle, Sammy Cahn, Vaughn Monroe, Waltz
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Five score and seven years ago today, the greatest pop singer of the 20^th Century was born. Francis Albert Sinatra would go on to have a recording career that would span almost six decades, and cut iconic records from at least five of them (more on that some other time).

Moreover, this anniversary of his birth makes things all the more fitting and proper that we should revisit his unforgettable Christmas album, “A Jolly Christmas with Frank Sinatra”, recorded and released 65 years ago in 1957.

In a previous article, I already made the case why this is one of the three greatest Christmas albums of all time. Now it is time to go deeper still, and look at two very iconic recordings within this album. A number of factors can make a record “iconic”. One very key factor in this case is that Sinatra introduced two new songs that are now part of the great American Christmas Songbook.

The first of which is “Mistletoe and Holly” (track 3 of the album). Even today, listeners of all ages can instantly recognize this classic recording, what with its distinct intro of the harmonious plucking of the violin strings, paired with mild percussion for a distinctly staccato effect. But when one pays attention to the lyrics, one can also discern the song’s staying power: it lists many cherished traditions with which most of us associate Christmastime in America. “Tasty pheasants” (a fancy variation on the venerable Christmas turkey); Christmas presents; “countrysides covered with snow”; Kris Kringle; Grandma’s pies (speaking to family cooking/baking traditions); over-eating (who has not indulged a bit rich foods over the Holidays?); “[M]erry greeting from relatives you don’t know” (rather self-explanatory); “carols by starlight”; decorating one’s Christmas tree; “folks stealing a kiss or two” (who among us has not heard of spates of marriage proposals around Christmas?).

No doubt that everyone sensed this track would be a hit, which is likely a major factor in its featuring in Sinatra’s famous Christmas special with Bing Crosby that same year.

Meanwhile, “The Christmas Waltz” has its own backstory. This now-iconic song was written by the dynamic duo of Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne in 1954, at Sinatra’s behest. Nine years earlier (1945), this same duo gave to American culture “Let It Snow! Let It Snow” Let It Snow!”, first recorded by the great Vaughn “Foghorn” Monroe on RCA Victor that same year. In 1954, Sinatra wanted a new Christmas song to pair on a single with his new version of “White Christmas”. At first, Cahn balked at the request, but Styne was persuasively emphatic, knowing how dogged Sinatra was in turn. While the two were working on the song together, inspiration hit them that nobody had written a “Christmas waltz” before. Stine had a waltz melody he had previously put together, allowing the framework for Cahn to get to work on a fitting set of lyrics to match. Sinatra would record this first version of “The Christmas Waltz” in August of that year, arranged by the great Nelson Riddle.

For the timeless 1957 album, though, Gordon Jenkins took the reins for both arranging and conducting. “The Christmas Waltz” (track 5 of the album in question) was modified accordingly, and admittedly for the better. This 1957 arrangement gives Sinatra more freedom to express his “honesty” in his lyrics, and the recording overall provides the perfect combination of nostalgia, fun, and just a drop of poignance to set everything off immaculately, in the same way that a pinch of salt in baked goods makes them paradoxically sweeter still. The lyrics themselves are a paean to Christmas nostalgia (they seriously have us as “Frosted window panes…”). As an aside, the music effect of the violins right before Sinatra opens with the first lyrics provide a source of never-ending fascination. Listen in a certain way, and they violin strings are played in such a way that some of the notes sound as if they were played on a pipe organ instead. These notes are strengthened further by the ambient undertones of the harp. Upon further review, how could this album not be considered Jenkins’ magnum opus of arrangement?

They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Thus, the many cover versions of this song speak volumes to its timelessness and popularity. Over the years, starting with Peggy Lee in 1960, the song has also been covered by notable artists such as Doris Day, Jack Jones (who also covered “Mistletoe and Holly” the same year, 1964), Bing Crosby, Pat Boone, Robert Goulet, The Osmonds, the Carpenters, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Kathie Lee Gifford, Anita O’Day, Margaret Whiting, Rosemary Clooney, Don McLean, Natalie Cole, Helen Reddy, Barry Manilow, Clay Aiken, Kristin Chenoweth, Harry Connick Jr., even John Travolta. But none have come close to Sinatra’s original rendition.

To be sure, and interestingly, Mel Torme’s version from 1992 is unique in that Sammy Cahn wrote a new full set of additional lyrics as a personal gift to the singer.

A few interesting bits of trivia tie both of these great tracks from this legendary album together. They were both issued as the A and B side of the same 45 RPM single together (Capitol F3900) at the same time that the album itself was released. Both tracks also feature vocal backing by the Ralph Brewster Singers, who just so happened to include a bass singer by the name of Thurl Ravenscroft. Nine years later, Ravenscroft would make his own notable contribution to the American Christmas Songbook by singing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” for the 1966 MGM animated adaption of Dr. Seuss’ own iconic Christmas curmudgeon. The reader might also recall him as the voice of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes’ Tony the Tiger for more than 50 years, but that is neither here nor there.

All that aside, these two songs, along with others in the album (how can one not love his oh-so catchy version of “Jingle Bells“?) more than merit “go-to” status for a jolly Christmas indeed, from the time of its initial release to 65 years later, or any Christmastime thereafter.

“In the Mood” and the 1939 Context August 1, 2019

Posted by intellectualgridiron in History, Pop Culture.
Tags: 1939, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, big band, Bob Crosby, Camel Caravan, Charlie Barnet, Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Hoagy Carmichael, In the Mood, Joe Manone, Johnny Mercer, Swing, swing era, Tar Paper Stomp, Tommy Dorsey, Wingy
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August 1 of this year marks the 80^th Anniversary of the recording of one of the most legendary records of all time. Of course, I mean “In the Mood”, which Glenn Miller and his Orchestra cut on this day in 1939. It would become the most famous record that this notable musician and his band would produce, and would also become part of American culture itself.

The song did not emerge out of a vacuum. The iconic melody itself was based on a pre-Swing Era hit jazz instrumental by Wingy Joe Manone called “Tar Paper Stomp” from 1930 (re-released in 1935). Arranger Joe Garland adapted that melody to the iconic one now famous for eight decades. That said, Miller did not even produce the first version of “In the Mood”, which earned the new title from lyrics by Andy Razaf. Rather, Edgar Hayes and his Orchestra released the first version of the song the year prior (1938).

But Miller’s version is the most famous by far of any versions, before or after. Is it the most swinging record of all time? Certainly not, but its pep and rhythm are enough to appeal to all ages throughout the decades. Many jazz players and scholars have had problems with Miller’s overly cautious approach to swing, and one can feel a touch of this constraint even in this rather jumpy tune.

Nevertheless, there is an energy that is enough to give the record a timeless feel, constrained or not. Moreover, dueling saxophone solos between Tex Beneke and Al Klink are one of the most famous duets of that era, followed not long afterwards by a memorable 16-bar trumpet solo by Clyde Hurley. Then, Miller’s use of undulating volume, from a pianissimo chorus to a fortissimo at the end with a crescendo on the coda all lead to a very satisfying, even triumphant finish.

The buying public certainly took well to the song. Released in early 1940, it topped the charts for 13 straight weeks. Not even Elvis Presley’s legendary single of “Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel” could match that in 1956 (11 weeks).

One irony of note was that RCA Bluebird stablemate Artie Shaw took an earlier crack at that tune, with Jerry Gray arranging. But his version was over six minutes long, too long to fit on one side of a 78 RPM record, and the audience response was lackluster. Nevertheless, Shaw did a produce fine, live version of the song which has been captured and thoroughly circulated among swing aficionados.

Though the song was recorded in 1939 and certainly belongs in that vintage, as noted earlier, it peaked in record sales the following year (1940). That same year, Miller and his band starred in the movie Sun Valley Serenade, (released in 1941) where they perform a live rendition that’s even more energetic than the famous studio version.

To zoom the proverbial lens out further, though, 1939 itself was a banner year for big band and for American popular music as a whole. For starters, little-known singer named Frank Sinatra made a strong debut with Harry James’ band, most notably with “All or Nothing at All”. When James was not utilizing the young crooner for ballads, he was tearing up some hot swing music in his own right, with “Ciribirbin”, and, even better, “Two O’Clock Jump.”

Benny Goodman, the King of Swing, would cut one of his most famous records early that year with “And the Angels Sing”, a collaboration between his then-first chair trumpet player Ziggy Elman and exalted, legendary American lyricist Johnny Mercer. It would also be one of the last records on which Martha Tilton would contribute her vocal talents. Later that year, Goodman left RCA Victor to sign with Columbia, as his good friend, John Hammond, was the A&R man there (and, three years later, Hammond would also become Goodman’s brother-in-law), making 1939 nothing if not a very transitional year for His Majesty of Swing.

Meanwhile at RCA Victor, Goodman’s chief rival, Tommy Dorsey, made some fine contributions to that vintage, in very different ways. One was with a two-side semi-upbeat instrumental ballad in “Lonesome Road”, which offers some very precise, refined reed section performances, among other things. The other is the swinger “Stomp it Off”, a guaranteed toe-tapper.

Miller’s RCA Bluebird stablemates also made their contributions, such as Charlie Barnet, who cut his most famous record in “Cherokee” that year. Bob Crosby — brother of Bing — and his Bobcats produced one of that band’s finest records that year, “Over the Rainbow” (tastefully cashing in on the Wizard of Oz hoopla).

Back to Artie Shaw; although his best vintage was the previous year (1938), he made indelible contributions to the 1939 vintage that range from the powerful businessman’s bounces such as “Deep Purple” (with Helen Forrest, in her young prime, contributing the vocals) to the strong swingers like “Prosschai“, to the unfathomably energetic “Carioca” and “Traffic Jam”, the latter of which to this day, evokes imagery of cartoon characters Tom and Jerry tearing around the house with reckless abandon!

If “In the Mood” were not enough for Miller himself in 1939, earlier that year he recorded his own breakout hit with “Moonlight Serenade”, the record in which he allegedly discovered his own distinctive sound, that of the double-tenor sax lead on the clarinet. That same year he also cut perennial favorites for his repertoire, such as Moonlight Serenade’s hit follow-up, “Sunrise Serenade” and also “Little Brown Jug”. “Ain’tcha Comin’ Out” showcases both the vocals of Marion Hutton as well as his lead tenor sax player, Tex Benecke, and “Stairway to the Stars” proved to a breakout record for vocalist Ray Eberle, as well as one of the finest versions of this Tin Pan Alley standard. Other fine records by the band in question that year include “Blue Evening”, “Pagan Love Song”, the appropriately upbeat “Runnin’ Wild”, and Miller’s take on the Hoagy Carmichael standard “Blue Orchids”. All these and more add up to the conclusion that 1939, in addition to being a banner year for the Swing Era, was also, arguably, Glenn Miller’s finest vintage, too.

All this said, while Glenn Miller may have ‘owned’ “In the Mood” with his legendary version, he did not produce the swingingest. That distinction belongs to Goodman, who performed his own rendition in November of ’39 on a Camel Caravan broadcast for NBC, and is yet further proof as to why he was the King of Swing. If that is not enough, he also outdid Miller earlier that year on other Camel Caravan radio shows with peppier versions of “Moonlight Serenade”, and “Blue Orchids”, proving that whatever Miller could do, the King could do better.

All in all, 1939 proved to be a very fecund, banner year for Swing and thus for American culture. It would also be the last of the high-energy years of the big band era, as recordings would transition into smoother, more polished-sounding tunes starting in 1940, but that is for another article at another time. Suffice it to say in the meantime, though, that Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” was arguably the most iconic record of a key year/vintage in the high watermark of American culture.

Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife” at 60 December 19, 2018

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: 1958, 1959, Ahmet Ertegun, Atco, Atlantic, Bertold Brecht, Bobby Darin, Brian Setzer, Cole Porter, Dean Martin, Decca, Dick Clark, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, George Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Jerry Wexler, Johnny Mercer, Kevin Spacey, Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, Louis Armstrong, Macheath, Mack the Knife, Michael Buble, Richard Wess, Satchmo, Simon Cowell, That's All, Threepenny Opera, Tony Bennett
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Sixty years ago today – Dec. 19, 1958 – more music recording history was made. Specifically, Bobby Darin cut his biggest hit, “Mack The Knife”. Released first as a single and later on his career-defining album “That’s All”, it was a song that would help define an era just as said era was coming to an end.

The song itself was not new. For that matter, neither was the musical style in which it was recorded. This alone would be an odd juxtaposition in a time when newer car styles and newer technologies were rapidly entering society. Yet this record would go on to win the Grammy for Record of the Year for 1959; in the fall of 1959, it stayed No. 1 on the charts for nine consecutive weeks. Some polls hold it up as the fifth-ranked song of the 1955-1959 Rock Era, despite the song clearly not being rock. And it all started with one legendary recording session 60 years ago today.

The actual, written song was already 30 years old when Darin recorded it on the Atco label, which was an Atlantic Records subsidiary. Indeed, the record’s producers were Atlantic’s usual suspects of Ahmet Ertegun (its founder), brother Neshui Ertegun, and Jerry Wexler.

Kurt Weill wrote the melody and poet/writer Bertold Brecht wrote the original lyrics for “Moriat” (its original title) as part of their musical drama “Die Dreigrosschenoper”, or “The Threepenny Opera” in English. In the musical play, an organ grinder sings the song which tells the tale of Mackie Messer, a murderous criminal who in turn was based on the Macheath character from John Gay’s “Beggar’s Opera” from 1728. So yes, it’s all very derivative.

The word “Messer” means “knife” in German, hence the easy transition from Mackie Messer to Mack the Knife. And yes, the original lyrics to “Moriat” were indeed auf Deutsch.

An English-language version of the opera was first offered to the public five years later (1933), with translated lyrics by Gifford Cochran and Jerrold Krimsky. The production had a run of only ten days. In 1954, though, another English-language production of the Threepenny Opera was staged, and it enjoyed an off-Broadway run of six years. Mark Blitzstein used his own English translation of the murder ballad of Mack the Knife, and these lyrics became the standard we know and love today.

Louis Armstrong actually beat Darin to the punch in having a pop hit with this song, recording his rendition in 1956, and giving it his typical Dixieland-inspired flavor. But despite Satchmo’s first-mover advantage, the song today is associated with Darin, and rightly so.

This is not to say that the song’s success came easily. Recording it was not even an easy sell. Dick Clark advised Darin not to record the song because he feared its perception as an opera song would alienate rock n’ roll-oriented audiences. But rather than repel such audiences, it attracted them instead. Moreover, while Darin’s traditional young target demographics embraced his more mature music, the parents of the young audiences were reassured by the record’s strong Big Band sound (shouts to Richard Wess, who directed the orchestra for this track and indeed, the whole album), and enjoyed the record, too, as a result. In short, this timeless track appealed to a massive range of the buying public, which clearly was a leading factor in its stunning success.

Other notable names soon jumped on the bandwagon with their own versions of “Mack the Knife”, such as Ella Fitzgerald recording a live rendition in 1960, and Dean Martin doing a nice, live version the previous year. Frank Sinatra recorded it with Quincy Jones as part of his 1984 album “L.A. is My Lady”, yet he himself confessed that Bobby Darin did the better version. Other notables offering their respective takes on the tune include Tony Bennett, Brain Setzer, Kevin Spacey, and, not surprisingly, Michael Bublé. Bill Haley and His Comets recorded an instrumental version of the tune in 1959, which would be the last track the legendary singer and group would cut for the Decca label. Other notable acts have recorded variations and instrumentals of the song over the years.

One sterling example of the song’s timeless appeal: superstar music judge Simon Cowell once named “Mack the Knife” as the greatest song ever written. That is a stretch, to say the least, considering the bodies of work of Hoagy Carmichael, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, and Jerome Kern, to say nothing of George and Ira Gershwin. But on the other hand, it’s refreshing to hear a current superstar with a credibly discerning ear remind us of what a great song “Mack the Knife” is. It might not be the best ever, but it surely ranks up there.

Cool trivia: both Louis Armstrong and Bobby Darin give a nod to actress Lotte Lenya in their respective versions. Lenya was Kurt Weill’s wife, and she introduced the song during the first productions of Die Dreigrosschenoper.

“Ol’ Blue Eyes” and “Ted” February 18, 2015

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: album, All The Way, Can I Steal A Little Love, Capitol, Charlie McCarthy, Come Fly With Me, Damon MacFarlane, Edgar Bergen, Frank Sinatra, Mark Wahlberg, records, single, Super Bowl, Ted, Tom Brady, Where Are You?, Witchcraft
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After three years, fans of the Seth MacFarlane comedy “Ted” are about to be relieved from suspenseful waiting, as a sequel, “Ted 2,” is about to debut in theatres come late June. In case the reader is unaware, the protagonist is a live, talking teddy bear, who is foul-mouthed, lecherous, super-lascivious, and given to bouts of indolence, drunken revelry, and pot-smoking, yet altogether strangely endearing nonetheless. Basically, he is a modern, crude adaptation of Charlie McCarthy (or, to put it another way, MacFarlane’s Ted is analogous to Edgar Bergen’s McCarthy), and needless to say, it has proven to be most amusing!

This commercial-length preview — which debuted during the Super Bowl, no less — alone is enough to have one rolling in the aisles. Once the dear reader has recovered from hysterics, though, re-run the ad again and listen to the tune used for background music. That’s right, they are using Frank Sinatra’s “Can I Steal A Little Love?” which has, er, interesting implications, given the sub-theme this part of the movie explores!

“Can I Steal A Little Love” was released in 1957, and one of Sinatra’s many wonderful swinging singles from that year. Indeed, that year turned out to be yet another banner one for Ol’ Blue Eyes, who not only had a spate of hit singles, ranging from “Witchcraft” to “All the Way,” to three albums produced as well, such as “Where Are You?”, “Come Fly With Me,” (both title cuts remain famous in his repertoire) and his ever-popular, ever-timeless, ever-wonderful Christmas album. But as a brief summation, “Can I Steal A Little Love” is one of a plethora of great examples of why not only was 1957 a banner year for Sinatra, but also why his body of work at Capitol Records remains so timeless to this day, as is evident by its use in a major movie commercial 58 years later.

The Top Three Greatest Christmas Albums December 18, 2014

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: album, Baby Please Come Home, Bethlehem, Bing Crosby, Bob B. Soxx, Capitol, Christmas, Darlene Love, Dean Martin, Deck the Halls, Frank Sinatra, Gordon Jenkins, Hark, Herald Angels, Jingle Bells, Judy Garland, king, Mistletoe and Holly, music, Nat Cole, Nelson Riddle, Phil Spector, Ronettes, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Sleigh Ride, The Christmas Song, The Christmas Waltz, The Crystals, White Christmas, Winter Wonderland
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No. 1: Nat King Cole: The Christmas Song. What merits this as number one? Start with the fact that the title cut of the album is perhaps the most iconic recording of a secular Christmas song. Add in the fact that A) this is Nat “King” Cole, whose vocal talents just feel perfect for music to promote Yuletide cheer, and B) this is a Capitol Records album, produced at the time (1960, specifically) when the label included not only Cole, but also both Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as his stablemates and thus the label pretty much owned the mainstream popular music market in that era. But Cole mixes well the secular and religious songs, making fun, upbeat versions with some (e.g., “Deck the Halls” and “Hark! The Herald Angels”) and poignant versions with others (e.g., “O Tannenbaum” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem”), making for a compilation that spans the proper emotional gamut during this sentimental time of year.

The only irony is that it does not contain the best version of “The Christmas Song,” a tune that Cole himself would record officially at least three different times, but that is a discussion for another day.

No. 1a: A Jolly Christmas from Frank Sinatra. Make no mistake about it, this album was cut in 1957, when Ol’ Blue Eyes was on top of his game, only a year or so removed from recording his two greatest albums ever (“Songs for Swinging Lovers” and “A Swingin’ Affair”). It shows in this album, too. Just as the previously mentioned album introduced me to Nat “King” Cole, so too did this particular album introduce me to Sinatra at a very early age.

Certain songs grab you in such a way that you remember where you were the first time you heard them. For me, it was Christmastime while I was in kindergarten when I first heard the opening track, “Jingle Bells,” on this album, and it stuck with me ever since. The song is so well-known as to be trite, but every once in a while, one hears a version that is so well-rendered as to rise above the triteness. This is one of those songs.

But if you are first grabbed by that opening track, you stay for “Mistletoe and Holly.” To this day, few have attempted to cover it because Sinatra did it so well the first time. But two additional tracks truly cement the album’s timelessness. Sammy Cahn’s “The Christmas Waltz” truly helps define the song collection, and no Christmas season is complete without enjoying this track a few times. Others have tried to duplicate Frank’s efforts with this song over the years, but each time, they keep coming up short.

The other track that seals the album’s greatness for all time is Sinatra’s definitive version of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Sinatra truly captures the essence of the song itself, arguably outdoing the other definitive version by Judy Garland from 1944. Listening to this song proves to any discerning listener why Frank Sinatra was indeed the singing voice of the 20^th Century.

The religious songs on the latter part of the album are not too shabby, either. Recent re-releases of the album include an alternative version of “The Christmas Waltz,” which is not quite as good as the official rendition, but it remains a good listen nonetheless (it being a Nelson Riddle arrangement, compared to the Gordon Jenkins arrangements that populate the rest of the track line-up).

No. 3: Phil Spector’s A Christmas Gift For You (1963). One unique aspect of this album is that it does not center on one artist, but rather on several artists/groups that were the talent pool on Spector’s label at the time. The recording effect that defined the legendary producer’s records came to be known as the “Wall of Sound,” (a primer for those unfamiliar with this effect of recorded sound) and while that effect lifted many Spector-produced tracks to legendary status and made for a definitive element in some music from 1960s, one could argue that this effect was perfected on this very album. If that exceeds credibility in the minds of some readers, I invite them to listen to the last several bars of instrumentation of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” by The Crystals: it’s Phil Spector at his finest (this is not to mention that the song’s arrangement has been copied by many artists in the 50+ years since).

There is not a bad track in the line-up, and they include some of the most iconic versions of certain secular Christmas songs. The Ronettes’ version of “Sleigh Ride”, for example, remains the definitive version of this song – in most circles – to this day, though ironically paced with a shuffle beat (one of the oldest rhythmic patterns in popular music). Bob B. Soxx’s rendition of “Here Comes Santa Claus” is a fresh take on that song, too. Indeed, there is a timeless “hipness” to these tracks, which is what makes the album so classic.

Of course, Darlene Love contributed the lion’s share of musical gems. Her version of “White Christmas” is the closest one to rival Bing Crosby’s eternally popular 1942 and 1947 versions. “Baby Please Come Home” has become an iconic song in its own right, and her multi-dubbed vocals on “Winter Wonderland” have made it arguably the best version of that winter-themed song to date. With such a strong line-up of recordings, it almost makes “Marshmallow World” get lost in the mix, but an attentive listen reveals that this track is the most underrated on the album. This is easily the greatest version anybody has made of the song, and the energy that Love puts into the vocals on this track are positively contagious. Moreover, if one focuses just on Love’s contributions to this song compilation, one cannot help but conclude that these make up the very cornerstone to her musical legacy.

Put all three albums together, and you have a solid trifecta of timeless Christmas music that has stood the test of time for more than five decades, which is all too fitting for a holiday season partially defined by timeless traditions.

America’s Greatest Music: Where or When? February 5, 2014

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: America's, American, Andy Williams, Art Tatum, Artie Shaw, Barbara Streisand, Barry Manilow, Beach Boys, Belmonts, Bing Crosby, Carly Simon, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, déjà vu, Dean Martin, Dennis Day, Diana Krall, Dick Haymes, Dinah Shore, Dion, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Great, Greatest, Harry Connick Jr., Harry James, Jack Teagarden, Julie Andrews, Kay Starr, Les Paul, Lionel Hampton, Lorenz Hart, Mario Lanza, Mary Ford, Mel Tormé, music, Nat "King" Cole, Patti Page, Peggy Lee, Percy Faith, Perry Como, Ralph Flanagan, Ray Anthony, Ray Conniff, Red Norvo, Richard Rodgers, Rod Stewart, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Bassey, Songbook, standard, Steve Lawrence, The Flamingos, The Four Lads, The Lettermen, The Sands, The Supremes, tin pan alley, Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe, Where Or When, Woody Herman
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It seems we stood and talked like this before; we looked at each other the same way then; but I can’t remember where or when.”

So go some very famous lyrics found in the Great American Songbook, the last three of which make title of the song to which they belong, “Where Or When.”

Written in 1937 by the highly adept duo of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for their musical Babes in Arms, the song became an instant hit with the buying public when prominent recording artists such as Benny Goodman (specifically his Trio) recorded the song the same year. Within a 77-year span of time, singers and musicians across several genres have taken their stab at rendering the tune, from contemporaries of when the song was new to respected artists who primarily traffic in the Standards today.

One of the most appealing aspects to the song is that it speaks to a strong sense of déjà vu with a significant other, potential or otherwise. Different “takes” on the song also hint at various aspects of intimacy that the song suggests as well. Moreover, it’s a good choice to play in any number of forms when trying to recall key moments in life with one’s own significant other!

What is also very appealing about the tune is that, like many other elite tunes in the Great American Songbook (e.g., “Night And Day,” “Stardust,” “Begin The Beguine,” and so forth), it works great in standard, sung form, as well as in instrumental form. The Benny Goodman Trio, for example, took the latter approach, and the band’s leader along with Gene Krupa and Teddy Wilson do a good job of bringing out the tune’s intimacy.

A decent, semi-contemporary rendition where the lyrics were not ignored was done by Dick Haymes in the 1940s.

Perhaps the most-recognized version in this day and age, and arguably over the past five decades, is the one by Dion & the Belmonts from 1960.

But this does not even scratch the surface of the prominent artists who have recorded this fine song over the course of more than seven decades. The laundry list of big names includes, in no particular order: Julie Andrews, Ray Anthony, Count Basie, Shirley Bassey (yes, of “Goldfinger” fame), The Beach Boys (!), Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Perry Como, Ray Conniff, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr. (naturally!), Dennis Day (the voice of Johnny Appleseed from Disney’s 1948 feature “Melody Time”), Percy Faith (who wants to bet that was rendered instrumentally?), The Flamingos, Ralph Flanagan, The Four Lads, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Harry James, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin (he performed this song at least five times on his show), The Lettermen, Mario Lanza, Steve Lawrence, Vaughn Monroe, Red Norvo, Patti Page, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Artie Shaw, Dinah Shore, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra (but of course!), Kay Starr, Barbara Streisand, The Supremes, Art Tatum, Jack Teagarden, Mel Tormé, and Andy Williams.

Once you take a moment to catch your breath, it is also worth pointing out that more recent names such as Barry Manilow, Diana Krall, Harry Connick Jr. and Rod Stewart have also added their names to this lengthy list.

Indeed, such length of said list, to say nothing of the diversity of musical genres within it, along with the span of time that these artists cover, all add up to the strongest of testaments to the sheer timelessness of this song.

Let us not forget Ella Fitzgerald’s version of it, for she never fails to do a great song like this its proper justice.

But my personal favorite has to be Nat King Cole’s live — albeit instrumental — rendition of his during his 1960 concert at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, where many a recording legend had many a great concert.

America’s Greatest Music: I’ll Be Seeing You December 4, 2013

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: Anne Murray, Barry Manilow, Billie Holiday, Bing Crosby, Brenda Lee, Carmen McRae, Etta James, Five Satins, Frank Sinatra, Ginger Rogers, Great American Songbook, Greatest, I'll Be Seeing You, Irving Kahal, Jimmy Durante, Jo Stafford, Linda Ronstadt, Liza Minnelli, Mel Tormé, Michael Buble, music, Queen Latifah, Ray Charles, Rod Stewart, Sammy Fain, Skyliners, Tommy Dorsey, World War Two, WWII
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“I’ll Be Seeing You” qualifies as one of the lower-echelon selections within the Great American Songbook. That said, it stands out uniquely for the reason that it originated from one Broadway show but later became the namesake in a movie several years later.

Written by Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal in 1938 and first performed that same year, it soon became a jazz standard and has been recorded by many notable artists over the course of the decades. The show for which it was written was “Right This Way”, but six years later it was the title song in the 1944 film “I’ll Be Seeing You” starring Ginger Rogers and Joseph Cotten.

Billie Holiday recorded a version of the song the same year the aforementioned film was released. Other artists, in no particular chronological order, who have covered the song include Bing Crosby (same year as Billie Holiday’s version), Anne Murray, Jo Stafford and Carmen McRae (both 1958), The Five Satins (1959), Brenda Lee (1962), Ray Charles (1967), Barry Manilow (1991), Etta James (1994), Rod Stewart (2002), Linda Ronstadt (2004), not to mention Jimmy Durante, Liza Minnelli, Mel Tormé, Michael Bublé, the Skyliners, even Queen Latifah, and a host of others.

But the one that clearly stands above the rest is definitely the Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey version from 1940. A simple listen will verify this:

Not surprisingly, during World War II this song became an anthem for those who were serving overseas, what with its strongly emotional power, a power that Frank and Tommy capture very subtly in their landmark 1940 recording.

America’s Greatest Music: The Man/Gal That Got Away November 14, 2013

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: A Star Is Born, album, Capitol Records, Frank Sinatra, golden age, Harold Arlen, In The Wee Small Hours of the Morning, Ira Gershwin, Judy Garland, Silver Age, The Gal That Got Away, The Man That Got Away, This Is Sinatra
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This tune is something of a break from most American pop standards spotlighted within this series of blog entries in that it is not from the Golden Age of the Great American Songbook (ca. 1920-1945). Nevertheless, it quickly merited a place in the aforementioned Songbook because of its eloquent lyrics that easily compare to those of said Golden Age. The viewing public first heard this from the hit 1954 film “A Star Is Born,” and was broken by none other than Judy Garland. The fact that is was written by Harold Arlen (music) and Ira Gershwin (lyrics) certainly does not hurt, and indeed, accredits the song all the more (they being two songwriting veterans whose penmanship contributed plenty to America’s Greatest Music)!

What is interesting is that the title must be slightly modified depending on whether the person that is singing this is male for female. When Judy Garland broke the tune, the title was “The Man That Got Away”. Not so with Frank Sinatra, who recorded his own version on the Capitol label shortly after the song became a hit off the silver screen. It could not have been recorded any later than 1955, for that was the year that the album “This is Sinatra” was released. Interesting side-note: “This is Sinatra” was no concept album, unlike his “In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning” album from the previous year. “This is…” was merely a compilation of hit singles he had over 1953 and ’54, not that such a distinction should detract from the collection of masterworks found in one album!

For my money, Sinatra’s version is the definitive one, though that ought not to detract from Judy Garland’s heartfelt rendition. Whichever your preference may be, few songs better personify the feeling one experiences when the person-of-the-opposite-sex that they thought was “The One” for them has gotten away from them. That alone should be reason enough why this song belongs in the Great American Songbook, Silver Age or no.

America’s Greatest Music: I Only Have Eyes For You October 31, 2013

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: 1934, Al Dubin, America's, American, Art Garfunkel, Barbara Stanwyck, Benny Goodman, Billy Ward, Blue Velvet, Blueberry Hill, Capitol, Connie Francis, Count Basie, Deep Purple, Devil or Angel, Dick Powell, Dominoes, Fats Domino, Frank Sinatra, Great, Greatest, Harry Warren, Mitchell Parish, music, Peggy Lee, Reprise, Sextet, Songbook, Stardust, The Clovers, The Flamingos, Who's Sorry Now
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“I Only Have Eyes For You” is yet another great example of a venerable pop standard who writers lack the fame or prowess of the big boys like Gershwin, Berlin or Porter. Case in point, it was written in 1934 by comparative nobodies Harry Warren and Al Dubin. Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler introduced it that year in the film “Dames”. Bandleaders Ben Selvin and Eddy Duchin also had hits with it that same year. Interestingly enough, it was also used in a film the following year (1935), where it was performed by Barbara Stanwyck and Gene Raymond. In the years and decades, certain big-name recording artists have added it to their reportoire; for example, Peggy Lee recorded a version of it in 1950. Even Art Garfunkel had a hit with it in 1975. In between those years and later, it has been recorded by hundreds, if not thousands of different artists, as it is considered both a pop and a jazz standard.

Frank Sinatra did this song not once (1949)*, but twice (1962), the latter of which he did with Count Basie’s band, just after he switched from the Capitol label to his own Reprise Records brand. It certainly ranks among the better versions of the tune for sure. The late-era big band backing gives it a ‘swinging’ quality, something that one would normally not expect from a ballad-type song, but it works well, particularly when paired with Sinatra’s vocal talent.

But let us not kid ourselves. One version out of all the rest stands out in the minds of music connoisseurs and laymen alike, and that is the Flamingos’ version, recorded exactly 55 years ago today (Oct. 31, 1958), though it peaked on the charts in 1959.

The song in question was recorded with a reverberation effect, which was one of several things that sound engineers were able to perfect within the broader science of analog recording technology during that decade. The effect gave the record a very dreamy ambience (it certainly left a lasting impression on yours truly as a young boy!), helping it stick in people’s minds for more than five decades. It also ranks as one of the best love song recordings, not only from the 1950s, but from all time in general. When you and your significant other are sharing a tender moment, this tune can only add to it!

One very interesting aspect about this record is that it was part of a major trend in the recording industry throughout that decade, that of cutting updated arrangements of pop standards and show tunes from the 1920s and 1930s. To brief wit: The Clovers did “Blue Velvet” in 1954 and “Devil or Angel” in 1956. Fats Domino elevated “Blueberry Hill” to legendary status in 1956, in so doing making it far more famous that it was in its almost 16 years of existence prior to that year. Connie Francis had her breakout hit with “Who’s Sorry Now” in 1958 (the song was already 34 years old by then!), and let us not forget that in 1957, Billy Ward and His Dominoes had hits not only with the venerable “Stardust” — already 30 years old by then — but also with “Deep Purple“.** This only scratches the surface of this amazing recording trend that happened more than five decades ago.

*To be sure, Sinatra also performed a live version of this song on a radio show in the 1940s, with the Benny Goodman Sextet providing the instrumentation.

** What do two legendary tunes from the Great American Songbook, “Stardust” and “Deep Purple” have in common? Mitchell Parish wrote the lyrics to both songs!

America’s Greatest Music: A love song “twofer” from 75 years ago today. September 15, 2013

Posted by intellectualgridiron in Pop Culture.
Tags: 1938, 75, Al Bowlly, Artie Shaw, Babe Russin, Begin the Beguine, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Cadillac, Casablanca, Claude Thornhill, Columbia, Cozy Cole, diamond anniversary, Dinah Shore, Dinah Washington, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Forever Young, Frank Sinatra, Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Marie, Marlene Dietrich, Martha Tilton, Mel Gibson, Nan Wynn, Nat "King" Cole, Packard, Patti Page, Paul McCartney, Peggy Lee, Ray Noble, RCA Bluebird, Rick's Cafe Americain, Sarah Vaughn, Sid Ascher, Teddy Wilson, The Very Thought of You, Tommy Dorsey, Tony Bennett, Vaughn Monroe, Vocalion, You Go To My Head
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A 1938 Cadillac is shown on the right and a 1935 Packard (similar to a 1938 model) is shown on the right. This image montage is included for visual reference to some of the text below. Photos by the author.

Sometimes certain recording sessions prove to be particularly fecund, if not downright one for the ages. That was especially the case, for example, when Artie Shaw and his band cut the legendary record “Begin the Beguine,” in addition to other greats such as “Any Old Time,” “Back Bay Shuffle,” “Yesterdays,” and so on, all on July 24, 1938 for RCA Bluebird. It happens that way in recording sessions, sometimes: things just happen to click, and one great record after another is put to acetate for all of posterity to appreciate.

Such turned out not to be the case with the recording session the Billie Holiday undertook 75 years ago today (Sept. 15) for the Vocalion label (a Columbia subsidiary at the time), this being contrary to that which I wrote in this very article earlier. I apologize for misleading the readers, as I did get my discography information incorrect, which led to the inaccurate info. Nevertheless, these are two incredible, timeless records that were produced in 1938, and both just so happened to be the [arguably] definitive versions of two songs that definitely belong in the Great American Songbook.

One is “You Go to My Head.” Written by the relatively obscure duo of J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie — interestingly, the same pair that wrote “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”; seriously! — the song itself has been recorded by numerous artists and has become a venerable pop/jazz standard over the course of three-quarters of a century. Nan Wynn and Teddy Wilson (on piano, naturally) took a stab at the song the same year Lady Day cut her version. Marlene Dietrich recorded a version the following year, and in the years since then, luminaries including Frank Sinatra (1946 and 1960), Lena Horne, Doris Day (1949), Charlie Barnett, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughn, Tony Bennett, Dinah Washington (1954), Dinah Shore, Patti Page (1956), Louis Armstrong (1957), Ella Fitzgerald (of course; 1960), and many others all have a version under their respective, figurative belts.

An outstanding yet relatively obscure version was done live in 1938 by Benny Goodman and his band during a Camel Caravan radio broadcast from Chicago, with Martha Tilton on vocals. Goodman’s sound and ‘take’ on the tune certainly did it justice, as is the case with most Goodman records. But the one that stands out above all is Billie Holiday’s version from that same year (she actually cut this track on May 11, 1938, not Sept. 15, as originally posted).

How could it not? The very first thing the listener hears — and never forgets it when he/she does for the first time — is a fantastic opening tenor sax solo by Babe Russin (a member of Goodman’s band at the time, though the year prior capped off the legendary Tommy Dorsey record “Marie” with another great solo!) that simply oozes Art Deco imagery in the listener’s mind. For best effect, try hearing the record while beholding the styling craftsmanship of, say, a 1938 Cadillac or Packard! Claude Thornhill on piano and Cozy Cole on the drums make for a nice touch, too.

But that’s just the beginning. Holiday’s expressiveness was practically tailor-made for the lyrics, and how they so accurately personify the incredible sensations one experiences of adoring “the one”, the potential significant other, despite how diligently the rational side of our minds tries to remind us of key apprehensions. Hear for yourself!

On a related note is another love song, one just as timeless, and that being “The Very Thought of You.” (And this was recorded on Sept. 15, 1938!) The lyrics focus more so on the pure adoration aspect regarding the feelings one has for a significant other, and how “the one” tends to become the center of one’s focus.

Sid Ascher — later the manager of Tony Bennett — wrote the song in 1934, and sold the rights to the great British bandleader Ray Noble, who cut a fine version of it that year with Al Bowlly providing the vocals. Bing Crosby himself did his own version that same year. Vaughn Monroe recorded his rendition a decade later, and the inclined movie connoisseur can hear a band-accompanied piano instrumental of the song during a scene inside Rick’s Cafe Americain in the 1942 hit film “Casablanca.” Doris Day later sang a version of the song for the 1950 film “Young Man with a Horn.” Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat “King” Cole all have their respective versions (the latter of which is particularly lovely), and Paul McCartney and Tony Bennett recorded a duet of it together.

But as is the case with the previously-examined song, Billie Holiday’s version stands out above the others.

A rather modern, repeated reference to this record can be heard throughout the 1992 film “Forever Young” with Mel Gibson; the song being used as something of a constant, a source of continuity, a bridge to two very different eras and how certain things were meant to stand the test of time, much like the song itself.

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