Yesterday, I posted about the premier of Columbo with Peter Falk. Coincidentally, today is the anniversary of his birth. He was born on this day in 1927, and is worthy of a two day celebration.
He stars as Guy Gisborne, alongside The Rat Pack in a spoof on Robin Hood. Falk convincingly plays his gangster character to perfection!
So, how does this tie in with my Movie Music Monday feature? Well, the film is a musical and features songs written by Sammy Chan and Jimmy Van Heusen. All the arrangements are done by the legendary Nelson Riddle.
The soundtrack features Sinatra’s hit, My Kind of Town, as well as catchy songs like Mr. Booze, Bang Bang, and Style. Each song was recorded for the film, but when it came time to release a soundtrack album, everything was re-recorded. According to Frank Sinatra Jr., this was because of the better quality attainable in a recording studio as opposed to the process used for film soundtracks.
The song for today is a short one. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on whether or not you think Peter Falk can sing. Yes, he actually sings in the movie!
In the scene, Big Jim (the leader of the crime organization) is dead. A group of gangsters is electing a new leader. Conveniently, the only nomination is Guy Gisborne. In true Robin Hood fashion, he talks of how things will now be “all for one and one for all.”
48 years ago today, Frank Sinatra did something spectacular. He saw to it that two greats were reunited after not seeing each other for 20 years – Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. He did it on the 1976 Labor Day Telethon. It is a magical thing to watch.
Martin and Lewis were huge when they were together. They did live shows in nightclubs, radio shows, TV shows and countless movies. On July 24, 1956, ten years to the day that they first performed together, they split and didn’t speak to each other until Frank brought them together.
It is obvious that Jerry was clueless about this. Vanity Fair wrote: “Jerry Lewis hates surprises – and on September 5, 1976, the biggest one of his then more-than-30-year career was waiting in the wings at Las Vegas’s Sahara Hotel. Lewis’s annual M.D.A. Telethon, always an event, was, on this night, already the equivalent of a “Very Special Episode”: Frank Sinatra was performing live instead of remote for the first time since 1953.
Frank did his set and presented Jerry with a couple of donations, including one for $5,000 on behalf of his grandchildren. “Listen,” he told Jerry, “I have a friend who loves what you do every year, and who just wanted to come out. Could you send my friend out, please?”
Then, to thunderous applause, Dean Martin walked on stage from the wings.
Dean’s surprise appearance at the telethon caught Jerry completely off guard. “You son of a bitch,” he can be heard saying, sotto voce, to Frank in the clip, before joking, “Shoulda been a Jew that did it.” And then Frank bows out, and it’s just Jerry and Dean. “So, how ya been?” Jerry begins. “You know, it seems like we haven’t seen each other for 20 years,” Martin replies. Lewis’s response: “Well, you know, there was all those rumors about our breaking up—and then when I started the show and you weren’t here, I believed it.”
The moment has been called one of the most iconic moments in television history.
Putting it into words just doesn’t cut it, so let’s enjoy the moment together, shall we?
The fantastic actor Robert Mitchum was born today in 1917. Mitchum appeared in over 110 movie and television roles over the course of his career. The American Film Institute places him at #23 on their list of 50 Greatest American Screen Legends of All Time. He was in so many great films like the noir classic Out of the Past (1947), the noir thriller Night of the Hunter (1955), the psychological thriller Cape Fear (1962), the western 5 Card Stud (1968), the World War II film Midway (1976), and the holiday favorite Scrooged (1988) just to name a few.
So why am I writing about Robert Mitchum in a blog about music? One of the lesser-known aspects of Mitchum’s career was his foray into music as a singer. Critic Greg Adams writes, “Unlike most celebrity vocalists, Robert Mitchum actually had musical talent.” Even Frank Sinatra had nice things to say about him. Frank said, “For anyone who’s not a professional musician, he knows more about music, from Bach to Brubeck, than any man I’ve ever known.”
Many films will overdub an actor with a professional singer’s voice when the character has to sing. Mitchum’s voice was often used instead of that of a professional singer when his character sang in his films. He can be heard singing in Night of the Hunter, One Minute to Zero, The Sundowners, and he sang the theme to the film Young Billy Young.
Robert Mitchum recorded two albums. The first was recorded after he heard some calypso music while filming in the Caribbean. In 1957, he released “Calypso – Is Like So,” on which he emulated the calypso sound and style, even adopting the style’s unique pronunciations and slang. Personally, I didn’t care for this album. He has such a cool voice and by singing this way, it just sounded like a joke to me.
In 1958, he starred in the movie Thunder Road and sang the title song, “The Ballad of Thunder Road.” It was included on the rerelease of Calypso – Is Like So as a bonus song. The song never cracked the Top 40, but it did get to #62 on the charts. Although Mitchum continued to use his singing voice in his film work, he waited until 1967 to record his follow-up record, That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings.
The album featured songs that had a country feel to them. His first single from the album, “Little Ole Wine Drinker Me” (which has a minor hit for Dean Martin) was a top-10 hit on country radio, reaching number 9 there, and crossed over into mainstream radio, where it peaked at number 96.
When I worked at Honey Radio in Detroit, my partner Rob would bring in songs sung by various celebrities. He’d play a clip of a song sung by William Shatner, Sebastian Cabot, Telly Savalas, and folks like that and have listeners call and guess who it was. One day he brought in Robert Mitchum’s version of My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms. At the time, I had no idea that he’d ever cut an album! Once I listened to it, I loved it. I couldn’t believe it was him!
The song was first recorded by a group called the Virginians in 1922. There have been many cover versions of the song since then. Bing Crosby, Barbara Streisand, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, Kay Starr and (I think) Jeff Healy have all recorded the song. It is interesting to hear the various takes on the song to be sure.
As far as Mitchum’s version, it’s just …fun. It’s got simple instrumentation and some harmonious background singers and when it all comes together with Bob’s voice it just makes me smile. I remember the first time I heard the background singers sing “Doodly-op” before Mitchum comes in with his vocal. I lost it. I thought it was kinda corny, but as the song went on, I liked it more and more.
I would certainly not classify Mr. Mitchum as a great singer, but he does alright on this one. Happy Birthday, Robert!!
My Honey’s Lovin’ Arms
I love your lovin’ arms, They hold a world of charms, A place to nestle when I am lonely. A cozy Morris chair, Oh, what a happy pair! One caress, Happiness Seems to bless my little honey.
I love you more each day, When years have passed away, You’ll find my love belongs to you only, ‘Cause when the world seems wrong, Then I know that I belong Right in my honey’s lovin’ arms.
I love your lovin’ arms, They seem to hold a world of charms, A place to nestle when I am lonely. A cozy Morris chair, Oh, what a happy pair! One caress, Happiness Seems to bless my little honey.
I love you more each day, When years have passed away, You’ll find my love belongs to you only, ‘Cause when the world seems wrong, Then I know that I belong Right in my honey’s lovin’ arms.
Oh, when the world seems wrong, Then I know that I belong Right in my honey’s lovin’ arms.
Welcome to my submission for A Sound Day’s monthly feature – Turntable Talk, hosted by Dave Ruch. This is the 28th installment of this feature and I’ve had the pleasure of writing since for it since the beginning. His topics each month are always something that I look forward to writing about.
This month his instructions were to “unfold the Musical Road Map! The idea is to pick a song with a specific location in its title and write about it. Pick a song you like, even if it’s not a place that is high on your list of dream destinations. It could be a city, a country , a state or province, even some magical mystical place living in the imagination.”
As I thought about this topic, plenty of songs entered my head. The challenge I seem to face every month is to try to pick something that one of the other contributors hasn’t already picked. There were many hits that jumped right out at me (Sweet Home Alabama, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, Houston, etc…), so I started thinking about songs that would not be something too popular.
Arrivederci Roma and On An Evening in Roma, both by Dean Martin were the first songs to come to mind. Dean made me think of Frank Sinatra and New York, New York. Frank then got me thinking about Sammy Davis Jr. and I knew that the song I was going to write about would not only be something that the other bloggers wouldn’t pick, but a song that not many people have ever heard before.
Yesterday, the City of Detroit celebrated its 323rd birthday! Back in 1984, Detroit’s Mayor (Coleman Young) reached out to Berry Gordy Jr. of Motown Records to write an anthem for the city. Berry wrote “Hello, Detroit” with Sammy Davis Jr. in mind to record it. When he showed Sammy the song, Gordy says that he “fell in love with it and felt it reflected his feelings on Detroit.”
“Hello, Detroit” is certainly not the best song to come out of Motown, and it wasn’t as big as Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett’s love letters to their respected cities. However, you cannot help but hear the love for the city as Sammy begins to sing:
You’re a fighter, you’re a lover You’re strong and you recover From whatever gets you down
Those words certain have a lot of truth to them. The city of Detroit has really turned around over the past decade or so. Downtown is thriving. Ford Field (Lions) and Comerica Park (Tigers) are right across the street from each other, and from the street you can see that amazing Detroit skyline.
Comerica Park and Ford Field with The Downtown Detroit Skyline in the Background
There is so much more happening in the growing city, but as with any “dated” song, things change.
Hello Detroit, you’ve won my heart Your renaissance, and waterfronts Give you a flare of your own
The Renaissance Center has been a staple for years, but General Motors will move out next year and, looking to the future, CEO Mary Barra doesn’t rule out the demolition of the building. The company announced the move earlier this year — pulling out of the iconic skyline staple after 28 years in the name of downsizing.
Sammy Davis Jr. said, “My home has always been show business” and Detroit was always hospitable. He said that he had “a big history of connecting things with Detroit,” as he often played the Paradise Theater in Detroit early in his career.
Toward the end of his career, he would take the stage at another theater. Sammy was there for the rebirth of the Fox Theater, along with Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli.
Their five-night stand, complete with a 30-piece orchestra, kicked off a new era for the Fox Theatre. This kind of brought things full circle for Sammy. The Fox originally opened in 1928, and it was the same year a 3-year-old Sammy Davis Jr. performed for the first time.
Sammy performed “Hello, Detroit” on opening night at the Grand Reopening of the Fox Theater. The concert rebroadcast may have been the most dignified three hours of content to air on Showtime in all of 1989.
I remember the first time I heard “Hello, Detroit.” It gave me chills. I wish that I could perfectly sum up in my own words what the song means to me and the many folks who call Michigan home, but every time I wrote something, I wound up deleting it. Why? Because I found something online that truly expresses it better than I ever could. This is copied from lyricslayers.com:
Sammy Davis Jr.’s song ‘Hello Detroit’ is a heartfelt tribute to the city of Detroit, capturing its spirit, resilience, and unique charm. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a city that has faced numerous challenges but continues to thrive and inspire. Davis Jr. describes Detroit as a ‘fighter’ and a ‘lover,’ emphasizing its strength and ability to recover from adversity. This portrayal resonates with the city’s history of economic struggles and its ongoing efforts to reinvent itself.
The song highlights various aspects of Detroit that make it special, from its renaissance and waterfronts to iconic locations like Belle Isle Park and Greektown. These references not only celebrate the city’s physical beauty but also its cultural and social vibrancy. The mention of Detroit’s influence on the young, encouraging them to become ‘stars and champions,’ underscores the city’s role in nurturing talent and ambition, particularly in the realms of music and sports.
Davis Jr.’s repeated affirmations of care and prayer for Detroit reflect a deep emotional connection and a sense of loyalty to the city. The song’s affectionate tone and personal touch make it more than just a tribute; it’s a love letter to a place that has profoundly impacted the artist. The references to ‘Big D,’ ‘Motor City,’ and the ‘Motown sound’ further anchor the song in Detroit’s rich musical heritage, celebrating its contributions to the world of music and its enduring legacy.
‘Hello Detroit’ is a celebration of the city’s indomitable spirit, its cultural richness, and its ability to inspire and uplift. Through his soulful performance, Sammy Davis Jr. captures the essence of Detroit, making listeners feel the same admiration and affection he holds for this remarkable city.
That sums up the song perfectly! It was used in countless promotional ads for television and radio for a few years. Some morning radio shows would play it at the beginning of their shifts every day. Sadly, it faded away and doesn’t get much play any more. That is reason enough for me to feature it here on Turntable Talk.
Hello Detroit
You’re a fighter, you’re a lover You’re strong and you recover From whatever gets you down And there’s so many, many reasons Any time, any season Is the right time to be with you
Hello, Detroit! You’ve won my heart Your renaissance and waterfronts Give you a flair of your own
Irresistible you Hug and kissable you You’re alive with so much feeling And I will always be there for you I will say a little prayer for you And I will always care for you Hello
Hello, Detroit! You’ve touched my soul Thanks for the memories I can reach so Winter, spring, summer and fall You’ve got it all Hello, hello, hello!
Hello, Detroit!
I must go through Belle Isle Park Greet town after dark You’re in still in the young of will To become stars and champions
Hello, my friend! How have you been? It’s every air It’s everywhere The magical touch of you
Irresistible you Hug and kissable you You’re alive with so much feeling And I will always be there for you I will say a little prayer for you And I will always care for you
Hello A big deep The motor city And the Motown song that’s got the whole world singing
And I will always be there for you I will always say a little prayer for you (I will say a little prayer for you) And I will always care for you Hello!
(Hello, Detroit!) (Detroit!)
(Irresistible you) (Hug and kissable you) (You’re alive with so much feeling) (And I will always be there for you) (I will say a little prayer for you) (And I will always care for you) (Hello!)
Hello, Detroit!
Thanks to Dave for allowing me to participate once again! I not only look forward to reading the other contributions, but to next month’s topic.
For two solid years Dave Ruch from A Sound Day has been hosting a monthly feature called “Turntable Talk.” Each month he provides a topic to me and other musical bloggers to write about. I have been honored to have participated in every one of them. Each of the participants look forward to not only writing our piece, but anxiously await reading the other contributions.
As I stated in a previous blog, this month is International Women’s Month. Dave offered us an easy topic to write about this month. His instructions state “we’re going to turn our tables and sights to the women of music. Pick one you like and write about her. Whoever you want (that might sound creepier than I intended it), singer, songwriter, band member, the lady on the ‘Breakfast in America’ cover, whoever.”
I wrote a blog that teased this topic earlier in the week. In that post, I said, “I really struggled to pick one (female singer). I even posted on Facebook asking my friends to offer up their three favorite singers. I guess I hoped that they would offer up someone that I hadn’t considered (and they did). The results surprised me. The singers that came up the most were (1) Stevie Nicks, (2) Etta James, and (3 – tie) Pink and Karen Carpenter. Etta was the only one that was in my list of considerations. After looking at the list (and the suggestions) I finally chose who I am writing about and NO ONE mentioned her.“
Along with Etta James, I featured a song from my other considerations: Ella Fitzgerald, Alison Krauss, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughn, Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Linda Ronstandt, Pat Benatar, Peggy Lee, Jewel, and Keely Smith in that blog. So how did I finally come up with my choice?
My friend, Dawn, from high school actually helped me make my decision. She said, “There are so many talented vocalists, I’d have a hard time picking. if you’re going to write an impactful piece, I think you have to go with somebody you admire because they knocked down boundaries or overcame obstacles. That’s how I’d pick my vocalist.” That really struck me. Now, I am not saying that the ladies I mentioned already did not knock down boundaries or overcome obstacles – heck, Jewel was living in her van before she made it big!
My featured female singer is a talented woman named Diane Schuur.
I was introduced to Diane Schuur back in the late 80’s. I was talking about music with a gal I was dating at the time. We started talking about jazz singers and she asked if I had ever heard of Schuur. I hadn’t. If memory serves me correct, she loaned me a cassette (or maybe a CD) with some songs on it and I really enjoyed it.
One of her biographies online says this: “Diane Schuur is as eclectic as she is brilliant.” In my opinion, this statement could not be more true. While many of her songs would fall into the jazz category, she could easily be filed in the blues or pop categories, too. While preparing to write this, I picked a playlist on YouTube and it was fun to hear the different sounds of each of the songs.
My friend Dawn said to pick someone who “overcame obstacles.” Diane certainly has done that! She was born prematurely in 1953. She has been blind since birth because of Retinopathy of Prematurity. This disorder affected premature newborns who received high-oxygen therapy during neonatal intensive care. This was a standard practice until 1954.
She learned to play piano by ear. She would listen to Dinah Washington songs and began to pound out the melodies at age 3. Dinah was a big influence to Diane as she began singing her songs as a toddler and worked on her own vocal style. She once stated, “As far back as I can remember, singing was in my blood. My parents loved music, and I loved to sing. I was scatting at an early age.” She scats right up there with Ella and Mel Torme’! She also has perfect pitch!
Blindness was not her only obstacle. When she was a young adult, she began drinking and struggled with alcoholism. She also battled an eating disorder. Those obstacles were so much that she actually contemplated and attempted suicide. Thankfully, her brother-in-law stopped her from jumping out a third-story window. She got help and has been sober for several decades.
Diane got her big break when she was 22 years old. She auditioned for drummer/bandleader Ed Shaughnessy (of the Tonight Show Band) after he finished a concert with Doc Severinsen. Ed said, “this young blind girl comes in and sits down at the Fender Rhodes keyboard and starts singing the blues. Well, my hair stood on end!”
He hired her to be the vocalist in his orchestra. This led many other musicians to hear her. Those included Dizzy Gillespie and the great Stan Getz. Stan was so impressed that he became an advisor and coach to her. She stated that it was Stan who taught her that “less is more.” This was important because she had many critics that said she often “oversang” when she first started out. Stan once said, “She’s just like Sarah (Vaughn) or Ella (Fitzgerald) to me. She’s taking from the tradition, and what comes out is her own conception and advancement of the tradition.”
In 1985, she met B.B. King at a music festival in Tokyo. The two really hit it off and later made an album together entitled “Heart to Heart.” It was released in 1994 and it entered the Billboard Jazz Charts at number one!
In 1988, Frank Sinatra asked her to sing with him at a benefit concert when Liza Minnelli was unable to perform. She was a guest at Sinatra’s home and also performed at a concert with him and Quincy Jones. Frank gave her an abstract oil painting that he had created for her afterwards. When Frank passed away, Schuur recorded a tribute album for her late friends (Frank and Stan).
Other inspirations to Schuur include George Shearing, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles who are all blind as well. She has said that one of her fondest memories was performing with Ray Charles in 1998 for a PBS concert (some of which is available on YouTube).
Her career has brought her two Grammy awards – both for Best Jazz Vocal Performance (1986 & 1987). She is still recording and touring today. She says, “For the future I plan to continue my reading of American song, paying respect to celebrated writers and polishing the gems in the jazz tradition.”
I’ve never had the chance to see her in person, but there are some fantastic live albums available.
All About Jazz says, “Ms. Schuur surely is among the very best jazz vocalists, and she exemplifies, if not redefines the “diva” category with her warm, often humorous and relaxed interactions with the audience and the musicians. Her mere presence is enough to make for a memorable evening.” I hope to be able to see her perform one day.
I will include just a couple of my favorite cuts at the end of this blog, but before I do, I want to again thank Dave for hosting this monthly feature. I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. I love that with each topic, I am not only enjoying old favorites, but I am introduced to new songs and singers. Perhaps this blog is your introduction to Diane Schuur?
Here is a classic – Come Rain or Come Shine
Another favorite – All Right, OK, You Win!
I just love her take on Moonlight and Shadows
One more – Her swinging version of I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me
Yesterday, my Turntable Talk was about the Blues Brothers Soundtrack. Ray Charles is featured on there with his version of Shake a Tailfeather. Also yesterday, my buddy Max from the Power Pop Blog (powerpop.blog) posted about Ray’s version of What’d I Say. That got me in a Ray Charles mood and I was surprised that I’d never posted this song before.
Hallelujah, I Love Her So was written and released by Ray Charles in 1956. I remember playing it on rare occasions when I worked at WHND, Honey Radio in Detroit. It was usually when we were featuring songs from 1956. It didn’t do much on the pop charts, but it was a Top 5 hit on the R&B charts.
As the title insinuates, it has a gospel feel to it. The opening piano lick sounds like something you’d hear before jumping into a happy hymn. One source says the song “is a testament to the joyous release of love, featuring a sophisticated horn arrangement and memorable tenor sax solo by Don Wilkerson.”
My buddy Randy from http://www.mostlymusiccovers.com no doubt knows that there have been plenty of covers of this song. Ray must have been thrilled to have his song covered by folks like Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Brenda Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Cochran, Gerry and the Pacemakers, and Frank Sinatra! Oh, and a band called the Quarrymen (who went on to become the Beatles) also covered it!
To start with, here is the original by Ray:
Ella Fitzgerald’s version sounds a bit more church-like to start, but really swings.
From the Beatles Anthology, here are the Quarrymen
Eddie Cochran’s version was released in 1959
I had no idea that Jerry Reed covered it, but it’s neat to hear his take
Sinatra always makes a song his own and he does that with this one. Very bluesy
Hugh Laurie’s version was on the deluxe version of his debut album
Of all the covers, one of my favorite versions is by an Australian singer named Guy Sebastian. From his Memphis Album he a great version.
I hope you love this one as much as I do!
Hallelujah, I Love Her SO
Let me tell you ’bout a girl I know She is my baby and she lives next door Every mornin’ ‘fore the sun comes up She brings me coffee in my favorite cup That’s why I know, yes, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
When I’m in trouble and I have no friend I know she’ll go with me until the end Everybody asks me how I know I smile at them and say, “She told me so” That’s why I know, oh, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Now, if I call her on the telephone And tell her that I’m all alone By the time I count from one to four I hear her (KNOCK) on my door In the evening when the sun goes down When there is nobody else around She kisses me and she holds me tight
And tells me, “Ray Charles everything’s all right” That’s why I know, whoa, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Now, if I call her on the telephone And tell her that I’m all alone By the time I count from one to four I hear her (KNOCK) on my door
In the evening when the sun goes down When there is nobody else around She kisses me and she holds me tight And tells me, “Daddy, everything’s all right” That’s why I know, yes, I know Hallelujah, I just love her so
Oh, hallelujah Don’t you know, I just love her so She’s my little woman, waitin’ all this time Babe, I’m a little fool for you, little girl…
One of my followers mentioned a few weeks ago that I needed to post more musical posts. I’m hoping to revive Tune Tuesday with a classic.
I remember I used to hear Frank Sinatra talking about “saloon songs” and “torch songs.” This one would be considered a torch song. By definition, a torch song is “a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship.” The term comes from the phrase “to carry a torch for someone.”
Arthur Hamilton published Cry Me a River in 1953. He said “I had never heard the phrase. I just liked the combination of words… Instead of ‘Eat your heart out’ or ‘I’ll get even with you,’ it sounded like a good, smart retort to somebody who had hurt your feelings or broken your heart.” The song was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the movie “Pete Kelly’s Blues.”
According to Hamilton, he and singer Julie London had been high school classmates, and she contacted him on behalf of her husband, Jack Webb, who was the film’s director and was looking for new songs for its soundtrack. When the song was dropped from the movie soundtrack, Julie London released it in 1955 when she was at Liberty Records.
Julie’s version is a stripped down jazz version with a guitar and bass accompaniment. Her vocal is simple and beautiful. I will share her version here, but it is not her version that I like the best.
The version that I absolutely love is by Michael Buble’. I love the fact that he has brought back so many of the great standards and shared them with today’s audiences. His cover of Cry Me a River can be found on his Crazy Love album from 2009. It is the opening cut on the album and it gets your attention immediately!
He actually wrote the opening music of his version. It has been described as “James Bond-like” and that actually fits. I could hear it being used over the opening credits of a Bond movie. This arrangement paired with Michael’s vocal blow me away every time! Give it a listen!
Cry Me a River
Now, you say you’re lonely You cried the whole night through Well, you can cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you
And, now, you say you’re sorry For being so untrue Well, you can cry me a river Cry me a river I cried a river over you
You drove me Nearly out of my head While you never shed a tear, babe Remember? I remember all that you said You told me love was too plebeian Told me you were through with me
And now you say you love me Well, just to prove that you do Why don’t you cry me a river? Cry me a river ‘Cause I cried a river over you Over you
You say you love me, but you lie
Now, you say you love me Well, just to prove that you do Come on and cry me a river Oh, cry me a river I cried a river over you I cried a river Over you
Once again, Dave Ruch from A Sound Day has offered up an interesting topic for this month’s Turntable Talk. I see it as being a way for each of us writers to offer you a bit of ourselves. I mean, any time I write something, it usually has something that gives the reader a glimpse at who I am. In some blogs I read, there are a lot of facts and not much of the author. I’ve come to “know” many of the participants through their past submissions, but this month I feel we’re going to get a bit more personal.
This month, Dave presented us with the following instructions:
It’s almost time for Christmas dinner (even if you aren’t necessarily prone to celebrating Christmas, play along) and there’s one more seat at the table. Because of the magic that is Christmas, you can invite any one musician (or person from the music world) to be your guest. Even if they’ve passed away, they can be at your table for a meal, and a few stories. So, who would you invite? And any little musical gift you hope they might possibly come with?
As with past topics, one possibility jumped out immediately. I decided to think a bit more before I made that final decision. Oh! The list of names that I came up with! It was a long one that included Elvis Presley, Mel Torme’, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, Doc Severinsen, Louis Prima, Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, Reba McEntire, Michael Buble’, and so many more! In the end, I stuck with the first name that came to mind – Dean Martin.
To this day, Dean remains my favorite singer. His laid back, carefree, and effortless approach is part of the charm that makes him so likable to me. So many of his songs hold special memories for me.
I imagine him showing up dressed to the nines in his staple tuxedo, knowing he is the guest of honor. However, I also picture him as a humble man who gets along with everyone.
Naturally, on Christmas I’d make the dish that was always served by my grandma – Ravioli. I’d be sure to make the homemade sauce for him. I’d always seen pictures of him and John Wayne eating pasta together. I’d love to hear those stories.
I feel like we could easily talk about the similarities between his folks and my grandparents (both from the old country). I know he was a fairly private guy, but I would enjoy hearing his stories about growing up in that Italian family.
The conversation would naturally turn to music. I’d have so many questions for him. The recording process has always fascinated me. On some of the newer releases they’d include some of the in between take studio chatter. Dean always seemed to be joking around and I bet he’d have some great stories about that.
Not to mention all the stars he personally knew and hung out with. I bet he could have wrote a book full of Sinatra stories! If you look back on the guests who were on his TV show, on the TV roasts, or actors who were in movies with him – it is truly an amazing group. How could he just pick one or two stories to tell when he knew so many people!?
I certainly wouldn’t want to pressure him, but I think it would be very cool to be sitting around the table and for him to give us a few measures of a Christmas song. I remember watching how people often just sang with each other back in the day. Would Dean duet with me on Marshmallow World? Who knows?
As someone who really stinks up the golf course, I’d probably bug Dean for a few golf tips. He was SO good at it, I’m sure just one little piece of advice on my grip, my stance or my swing would help me tremendously!
I’m not sure what musical gift I would hope for him to bring, but I would certainly love to get my hands on one of two things. He once had his own brand of golf balls! I’d never use them, of course, but I would love to have a box!
I would also like to have a bottle of his spirits. At one time he had a few types of his own booze!
I don’t really drink, but I think it would be awesome to have these sitting on a bar.
I suppose I’d only have one more request – a photo with him. That may be pushing the limits, so I might just have to have the camera lying around so that someone could snap some candids of the the two of us together.
I’m sure he’d be the one to want to cut the evening short. “Look, pallie, I’d love to stay and answer all your questions, but I have a 7 o’clock tee time in the morning ….” I’d totally be ok with that.
Thanks to Dave for a great topic! I cannot wait to read the guests that our other writers come up with!
How about you? Who would you picki?
Wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas and a blessed 2024!
This phrase is so true for me. It is true is a couple ways actually.
You can find many blogs I have written about the similarities between my father and I. He is my biggest influence in music, books, movies, and TV shows. When someone tells me that I am just like my dad, I take that as a compliment.
I remember my dad introducing me to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin’s music. The Sinatra channel on Sirius XM is my go to music channel. My children were familiar with it because I always had it on in the car.
When my oldest son, Dante’ got his first job, he was working at an Italian restaurant. When I dropped in to see him one night, he pointed out a picture on the wall. I am almost 100% sure it was this one:
He liked talking about Frank. When he started hanging out with this girl he liked, he told me his was singing Sinatra songs to her. I wish I would remember which ones. Anyway, the other night he texted me something and we chatted back and forth. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was reading a good book….
I just thought he would think it was cool. His response made me smile:
“I have that same book!”
I couldn’t believe it. He’d actually bought it at the store!
“You make me proud, son. I love that you dig Frank,” I told him.
Like father like son!
I told him that he needed to compile his top 10 Frank songs and I would do the same. Then we need to compare our lists! He loved the idea. Hopefully, we’ll go over those lists soon, when our work schedules allow us to get together.
Today is the 99th birthday of WIlliam “Count” Basie. He was one of many legendary jazz pianists, and big band leaders. He formed the Count Basie Orchestra in 1935 and led the group for almost 50 years. He is noted for creating innovations like the use of two “split” tenor saxophones, emphasizing the rhythm section, riffing with a big band, using arrangers to broaden their sound, and others. So many musicians came to prominence under his direction.
He worked with many well known singers including Tony Bennett, Jackie Wilson, and Frank Sinatra. His list of accomplishments and recordings would take forever to write about. Instead, I’d like to share a couple of my favorite Basie tunes by Basie and some covers.
One O’clock Jump
Amazing cover by Doc and the Tonight Show Band
April In Paris
Again, Doc and the Tonight Show Band
Fly Me To The Moon – With Frank
Please Be Kind – With Frank
With Plenty of Money and You – With Tony Bennett
Chain Gang – With Jackie Wilson
It is said that one of Basie’s biggest regrets was never recording with the great Louis Armstrong.
There is a neat album that has been referenced as the “concert that never happened.”
This is concert vocals from Ray Charles and members of the Basie Band mixed together for a unique album.
Georgia on My Mind
Busted
Ok, a couple quick movie clips that feature Basie just because …
First a classic pantomime by Jerry Lewis in The Errand Boy. He uses Basie’s “Blues in Hoss’ Flat” as the basis for this gem.
…and finally, the Count and his orchestra’s cameo appearance in Blazing Saddles (using April in Paris)!
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 