Sophie Tucker Has The Blues

I am not sure why, but I decided to go with a couple of songs recorded by Sophie Tucker in the 1920s. Big and bold is the first thing to come to my mind when thinking of Sophie Tucker. Maybe it is because I was introduced to her music by Bette Midler, who did those amazing jokes in her performances. The jokes were bawdy and smart, and I loved them.

While it might have seemed like spirited fun, it did lead me to check out who this Sophie Tucker person was. Born in Russia in 1887, her family moved to the United States when she was still a baby. Sophie grew up to a a big star, a singer, comedian, actress, and a great personality that kept the public wanting more. Like Midler some 50 years later, Tucker was know to be suggestive, and at times even bawdy. In fact, she performed much of her early career in blackface, as producers thought the audiences would not accept her humor and style from a white woman. At one point, Sophie refused to put on the makeup, and the audiences had no problem. Ultimately, Sophie was a wonderful singer. In 1929, she recorded a new song, "Moanin' Low". The song had music by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Howard Dietz. It was published in 1929 and was featured in the musical revue 'The Little Show'. The song became a great standard, sung by many. I have to say, I do love the say Sophie delivers "Moanin' Low".

I love the emotional investment Sophie puts in her performances. You can hear it in "Blue River", the 1927 song written by Alfred Bryan and Joseph Meyer. It was recorded that same year by Tucker, who has a wonderfully strong vocal. I don't really know much about the song, but know it is part of my Sophie Tucker collection. This is Sophie with "Blue River".

The next song was so familiar to me, yet I still love the freshness Sophie brings to it. Roger Graham wrote the lyrics, and Spencer Williams wrote the music for "I Ain't Got Nobody" in 1915, but I remember Louis Prima's version from the 1950s. And there was the version by David Lee Roth from 1985, paired with "Just A Gigolo". I still think my favorite is this one, by the great Sophie Tucker. I hope you enjoy the 1927 version by Sophie with Miff Mole and the Little Molars of "I Ain't Got Nobody".

Tucker paired up with that group as well on another famous song, one closely associated with the legendary singer. Sophie recorded "After You've Gone" also in 1927, and was backed by Miff Mole and the Little Molars. The song was written in 1918 by Turner Layton, with lyrics by Henry Creamer. Sophie puts a strong Blues take on the song, and used her distinctive style to make it her own. This is the recording of "After You've Gone".

Have a great weekend!

Christmas Presents from Christmas Belles

Clockwise: Big Maybelle, Doris Day, Sarah Vaughan, and Bette Midler.

It is just over three days before we celebrate Christmas, so I thought I would invite some very special ladies to sing a few special songs to make the holiday that much better. And I will start with a legendary talent from the the middle of the last century. Day was a star of movies and music, she was the girl next door they all wanted to know. In 1964, she released 'The Doris Day Christmas Album', which included the song "Be A Child At Christmas Time", with music by Martin Broones and lyrics by William A. Luce. The song is just so sweet and charming, and delivered perfectly by Day. This is Doris Day singing "Be A Child At Christmas Time".

Big Maybelle has always been a favorite of mine, her voice just so amazing. She has made a lot of different music, and it all makes me happy. One of the recordings I love so very much is her rendition of the 1940 sing by Irving Berlin, "White Christmas". While it was first made famous by Bing Crosby, Big Maybelle gives it s different twist, a Jazzy and Bluesy sound. It really shows off the richness in her tone. I hope you love when Big Maybelle sings "White Christmas" as much as I do.

When I type in the name Bette Midler, I immediately feel better. I know if there is music involved, I will soon be a very happy man. And if it is a a song off her 2006 album, 'Cool Yule', I know it is going to be magic. She sings "Merry Christmas", a song written by Fred Spielman and Janice Torre for the 1949 movie 'In The Good Old Summertime', sung by Judy Garland. Bette imbues the song with all the warmth and and care you could ask for, and then some. This is Bette Midler singing "Merry Christmas".

And in our last song of the evening, I have picked the great Sarah Vaughan singing a wonderful wintery tune. The song is the title cut of her 1963 holiday album, and was written by Russell Faith and Clarence Kehne. "Snowbound" is a great song, and her delivery is just about perfection. There is a wistful and romantic feel to the song. This is Sarah Vaughan singing "Snowbound".

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Bette Midler • I Put A Spell On You

I simply have a tough time not loving just about anything that Bette Midler does, I couldn't see how I could let the Halloween season pass without checking out Bette singing "I Put A Spell On You", a scene from the movie 'Hocus Pocus'. Witches, showgirls, vampires and children, all making it a delicious scene, and adding the song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1956 makes it perfection!

Happy Halloween!

Bette Midler • I Sold My Heart To The Junkman

I will start off your Saturday morning with a little ditty written by Leon René, under the songwriting pseudonym of Jimmie Thomas. "I Sold My Heart to The Junkman" Was first recorded in 1946 by The Basin Street Boys. The song has been sung by many since, including the brilliant Bette Midler, off her 1998 release, 'Bathhouse Betty'. Bette can caress a song like few others can, and she can just as easily rock one out. Enjoy her sweet treatment of "I Sold My Heart To The Junkman".

You can purchase 'Bathhouse Betty' from iTunes and Amazon.

Anyone Care To Jitterbug?

Clockwise: Betty Hutton; Bette Midler; Judy Garland; and The Puppini Sisters.

While Saturday nights are often reserved for my favorite torch singers allowing the candle to burn bright, I thought tonight might be a great time to fight off the cold and snow in the Northeast with some excitement, a chance to create great energy. So I decided I would find some great songs that would drive you from your seats, wanting to hit the floor and do the jitterbug. Or at least some variation on that theme. And I will being with the song that really inspired me to plan this post, Betty Hutton singing "Old Man Mose". In 1939, Hutton recorded the song with Vincent Lopez Orchestra. The song was written by the legendary Louis Armstrong and Zilner Randolph.

Well, if I didn't include the Divine Miss M in this collection of jitterbugs, but I have to admit I wasn't sure which one to choose, so after googling "the top jitterbug songs", I had to go with the one making the list first. That would be written by Joe Garland, Glenn Miller, and Andy Razaf, first released in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. I love the recording by Bette, off her 1973 second album, 'Bette Midler', making that recording 40 years old! Please enjoy as Midler sings "In The Mood".

I first have to say that The Puppini Sisters are neither sisters nor Puppinis, just they make exquisite harmonies that sound as if they've been singing together for a lifetime. Okay, so there is one Puppini among the trio. The groups is made up of Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien and Kate Mullins, who took the name as a tribute to the great Andrews Sisters, an inspiration for them and the music. The song was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, and first released by the Andrews Sisters in 1941.

The Puppini Sisters sing "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"

Judy Garland sing "Stompin' At The Savoy", a 1934 jazz standard composed by Edgar Sampson. After being a hit instrumental, lyrics were written by Andy Razaf, and soon the song was being sung by some of the best. On this 1936 recording, Judy sang with the Bob Crosby Orchestra.

Contemporary Blue

Clockwise: Alison Moyet; Trio, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton & Emmylou Harris; Cyndi Lauper; and Bette Midler.

Sometimes a modern-day girl can get the blues, you know? I know I've featured singers from the 1930s and 40s on Saturday nights, but this collection of ladies proves that the blues haven't gone away. And every woman has a right to sing the blues. I will begin with the woman who actually was the inspiration for this post, Alison Moyet. I have been a fan of Alison since her days recording with Vince Clarke in Yazoo. Once they both moved on, I continued to love her solo music, and the 2004 album The Voice was no exception. The album was a collection of smokey songs sung form the heart. She included a song written by Declan Patrick MacManus, someone we might better know by his stage name, Elvis Costello. "Almost Blue" is a gorgeous song, and Moyet delivers it perfectly. Here is a live performance of the song.



Sadly, if you are in the US, you can only find The Voice as an import, and no downloads. I was insane for the music put out by Trio, a project combining the talents of Dolly Parton, Emylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt. Their voices were spectacular together, and the music they sang was a perfect combination of nostalgia, Country, Bluegrass, and Pop. One of the songs they sung was the fantastic "I Feel The Blues Moving In", written by Bluegrass legend Del McCoury. This was on their Trio II album.



You can find Trio II on iTunes and Amazon. Honestly, you can buy the 1987 Trio album, or the 1999 follow-up, and you will be very happy. Next up, we move to a song recorded for an album released in 1972 by Bette Midler. She was just starting out her career, and really beginning to turn the heads of people in the industry. And not just for her outrageous live performances, but because her talent was just so obvious, it would not be denied. It is impossible to deny her recording of "Am I Blue", a song written by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929, is fantastic, and still sounds perfect forty years later.



You can find The Divine Miss M on iTunes and Amazon. For the final song tonight, I call on a singer who is really a national treasure, at least in my book. Cyndi Lauper came to the attention of the world in 1983 with the release of She's So Unusual, the album that introduced her to us all. Whether it was "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" or "True Colors" or "Time After Time", all of which Lauper had a hand in writing, she showed herself to be a great artist. Fast-forward twenty-seven years, and Cyndi is still blowing us away with the release of Memphis Blues, a brilliant collection of blues songs recorded in Memphis. The album was almost unanimously listed as one of the Top 10 albums of the year by music critics world-wide. She recorded "How Blue Can You Get", a song credited to jazz critic Leonard Feather and his wife, Jane Feather, although many believe it was just Jane. A blues classic, the song has ben recorded by the greats, including BB King. Once again, Cyndi proved her talent was endless, as she sings the song with the great Jonny Lang.



You can find Memphis Blues on iTunes and Amazon. If you don't have it, you should!

Friday Night Novelties

Clockwise: Steve Martin; Bette Midler; Rick Dees; and Cheech and Chong.

Every decade has their own novelty songs, and the 1970s were no different. What a better way to enjoy a Friday night than to take a look at four of those songs, and the enjoy them. I will start with a song released on the 1973 album, Los Cochinos. "Basketball Jones Featuring Tyrone Shoelaces" was featured on the album, a song about a teenager named Tyrone Shoelaces and his love of basketball. The song featured some of the great talents recording, like Cheech Marin as Tyrone, Darlene Love, Michelle Phillips and Ronnie Spector as the cheerleaders. Also,, Geoerge Harrison played lead guitar, Carole King the electric piano, Tom Scott the saxophone, and Billy Preston the organ. The following year, an animated short was made, for the song was really quite popular. Enjoy "Basketball Jones Featuring Tyrone Shoelaces".



While the US was celebrating the bicentennial, Memphis DJ Rick Dees was using his time on air to combine music, entertainment and comedy. As the country was beginning to feel the power of the bass in a new genre of music, some of the nation was also prepared to mock it greatly. That included Dees, who used the studios to record his own song, with his band known as Rick Dees and his Band of Idiots. In 1976, "Disco Duck" was released for the public, who laughed and sang along with the comical tale of the dancing duck.



In 1977, Bette Midler released the brilliant live album, Live At Last. I think that was the first Bette album I purchased, and lead me on an journey of severa decades of Bette songs, videos, books, and everything else I could consume. During the intermission of the show, there was a pre-recorded song that was written by written by Midler as well as brilliant songwriters Carole Bayer Sager and Bruce Roberts. The song was "You're Moving Out Today", which made me smile and laugh out loud long before there was an internet I could tell I was about to LOL. Enjoy this very funny song, "You're Moving Out Today."



In the spring of 1978, Saturday Night Live was having their heyday, at least according to us old folk. But in April, comic Steve Martin was a guest, and he was often known to combine his comedy with music. Well, mostly with his banjo. But not on this day. Steve took to the stage in a garish faux-Egyptian costume. While making fun of the commercialization of the touring exhibit of Egypt's ancient King Tutankhamun, and Martin began singing his tribute, "King Tut".



Hope you enjoyed the music, and had some laughs!

Dance Recital 2012

Clockwise from top: Sweet dancers open the show; Glinda, the Good Witch, dances; Little Scarecrows dancing; Dorothy & a jitterbug; and more adorable dancers.

For the last several years, I have been invited to take pictures at the annual dance recital for Miss Heather's School of Dance. That comes with the territory when you're the uncle of a one-time student and current teacher at the school. This year, they chose the theme to be The Wizard of Oz, using music from the movie, as well as a few other sources. So I thought I would share the pictures and a couple of songs from the movie, only done by different artists. I will lead off with The Divine Miss M, Bette Midler, with a cut off the Bette Midler album of 1973, a medley of "Optimistic Voices" and "Lullaby of Broadway".

Clockwise from top: Precious Tin Woodsmen; Dorothy, Toto & the Scarecrow long for a brain; could the girls be any cuter?; Little lions and lionesses take to the stage; and Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Woodsman & others leaping.

Perhaps the only person who might be able to put as much into "Over The Rainbow" as Judy Garland is Philadelphia's own, Miss Patti LaBelle. So when I first heard her version of the song owned by Judy for several decades, I was blown away. Listen while you look at pictures of the dancers, from toddlers to adults, as they have fun on the stage at the Delaware State College.

Clockwise from top: The Wicked Witch is cute and can dance; the henchmen of the Wicked Witch; and The Flying Monkeys.

I just love the version of "If I Only Had A Brain" by Elvis Costello, with some great guitar work from noted musician Bill Frisell. This is from a 2009 broadcast of a special with Pop stars singing the great score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Listen, and continue to enjoy the pictures.

Clockwise from top: Hip-Hop dancers join the festivities; the instructors join in, and a group takes on Modern Dance.

A Draglicious Friday Night

Featuring the music of: (Clockwise) Beyoncé, Barbra Streisand & Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Tina Turner, and Cher.

Is there anything better than a Friday night out at the bars, watching a great drag queen? The smell of the hairspray, pancake makeup, and spilled drinks, along with the sound of ice cubes tinkling in the drinks. Across this country, there are countless ladyboys, young and old, who are out there lip synching for a living! Well, at least some extra spending money. Well, I wanted to bring that thrill to you, here on the blog. And I will start with a queen by the name of Mahlae, who does an amazing Beyoncé as she performs Single Ladies.



Now if I remember correctly, and Gawd only knows my memory can get me in trouble these days, I think one of the first drag shows I ever saw had a performer doing the incredible Tina Turner. I went to a show in Reading, PA, when I was in college, and there was a queen giving great Tina realness. This is Batty Davis doing Proud Mary.



I don't know if a drag show has existed since 1970 that did not include at least one queen coming out doing Cher. Whether it was the 1960s Cher, the 70s Cher, or whatever decade Cher, there are so many who do her, making their best attempt at wearing Bob Mackie. Here is Chad Michaels serving amazing Cher realness singing Take Me Home. This was way before you could catch Chad on before RuPaul's Drag Race.



And since the mid-1960s, you know Barbra has been a features performer at every drag show. Whether is was lip synching to My Man, People, or Don't Rain On My Parade. And, since about 1979, there was a new opportunity out there. The Barbra queens could share the stage with the Donna Summer queens and sing the disco hit, No More Tears (Enough Is Enough). Catch this cute performance by Dizzy & Barbara.



And, finally, no drag show would be complete without having their very own Bette Midler. It could be the one from Clams On The Half Shell, The Rose, or Doris DeLago, like a bad penny, Bette is bound to show up. Watch as Chelsea Raynes performs as Bette singing Stuff Like That There, from the For The Boys period.



Hope you all enjoyed the show!

Duets - Dolly & Bette

In 2000, Bette Midler had a short-lived television series, Bette. In the third episode, she had Dolly Parton guest star, and they performed Patty Griffin's Moses was performed as a duet on the show, with Parton also playing the guitar. The harmony is magnificent. I'd like to thank Rich Overton of RJO Artists Relations and Management for tweeting about this clip. You can follow him at @RJOArtists.

Dark Monday - Gypsy

One of the great musicals out there, Gypsy has stood the test of time. The 1959 musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy was based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist. There was also the 1962 film version, starring Rosalind Russell and Natalie Wood. It became ingrained in the modern culture, with Mama Rose being the quintessential stage mother, and you'd have to search far and wide to find a gay man who has not shouted out 'Sing out, Louise' at one time or another.



The list of women to play Rose is impressive. In the original production, Ethel Merman played the role, followed by Angela Lansbury in 1974, Tyne Daley in 1989, Bernadette Peters in 2003, and Patti LuPone in 2007. And that is just the Broadway production original casting, not replacements. There was also a 1993 version for television starring Bette Midler. Interestingly enough, Merman and Peters were nominated for Tony Awards, Lansbury, Daley and LuPone won the Tony, both Russell and Midler won Golden Globes, and Midler was nominated for an Emmy.



It is a simple story of a woman who had dreams of stardom, only to be sidetracked with marriage and kids. On her own with two daughters, Louise and June, she tours the smalltime circuit to make Baby June [based on real-life actress June Havoc, sister of Gypsy Rose Lee] a star. Baby June runs off with one of the boys in the chorus, and Mam Rose decided to make Louise a star, whether she likes it or not. She ultimately pushes Louise to be a vaudeville entertainer, and her stage name becomes Gypsy Rose Lee. She is infamous for never 'taking it all off' but instead offering a seductive dance. Eventually, Louise becomes a star and she and Mama have a falling out, leading to Rose telling Louise she made her a star.



The music was magical, and the lyrics inspired. Take, for example Some People, the first time you are introduced to Mama Rose. This is not a woman who will be content being a stay-at-home mother, no sir. She has dreams, not only for herself, but for her girls, too. Here is Patti LuPone in a fan video, that might lack a little in quality, but certainly Patti's performance shines through.



Perhaps the most famous song from the show is Everything's Coming Up Roses, a song in the show used by Mama Rose to bring up the spirits of Louise and Herbie after Baby June and the boys have left the show in the lurch. Here it is sung by original star, the incomparable Ethel Merman.



As Herbie, Louise and Mama Rose set their sites on a new show, they discuss the relationship in Together (Wherever We Go). Whether or not the singers are telling the truth about their own motivations, it certainly defines a good relationship. Here are Bernadette Peters, John Dossett, and Tammy Blanchard singing it. I also remember a time when this was a total must-sing song at any amateur night or talent show.



When the show they are talking about falls through, and Mama Rose turns down Herbie offer of marriage, she takes Louise from the respectable Vaudeville circuit to the shady burlesque halls. It is here Rose and Louise get a lesson from the girls about what it takes to be a stripper in You Gotta Have A Gimmick. I took this clip from the 1962 movie.



When they were just starting out and Baby June was the star of the act, she sang the song Let Me Entertain You with the innocence of a pre-teen child. When searching for a song for Louise to do her first strip number, Mama Rose pulls out the sheet music, and Louise makes it her own. As the performance moved forward, you see more polish and less innocence from the song that is no longer sung by a kid. Soon she was a pro. This is Natalie Wood, from the movie.



The big end to the show is Mama's Turn, the song that captures the breakdown/meltdown/epiphany/anger/disappointment of Mama Rose once Louise tells her she needs to back off, and let her live her own life.



Currently, there is no production of the show on Broadway or touring.

Great Music - Bette Midler in Las Vegas

Bette Midler, the Divine Miss M, is in the middle of a 2-year run in Las Vegas, at the Colosseum at Caesar's Palace. She does approximately 200 shows a year, and receiving a paycheck in the millions, and I am sure worth every penny. I have been a fan since the early 70s, with the Divine Miss M album, and the Clams on the Half Shell Revue. He voice is distinctive, and her humor biting at times, often raunchy. The show is a bit of a greatest hits presentation, including one of her early songs, Do You Wanna Dance?



As far as I am concerned Bette can [and has] sung any style she wants. From stylized period pieces to gorgeous ballads, she owns every song she sings. Another of the songs she sings is Stay With Me, which she sang in the movie The Rose. Her brilliance in singing this blues rock song is just amazing.



Bette has done so much during her career, it will take more than one post to handle it. She is a series in the making! But I thought I would kick it off with a Saturday night with Bette, as I can think of no better way to spend one than to fly to Las Vegas and catch the show. Ah, if dreams would come true. You can find out more about Bette at her website here. The show schedule and ticket purchases can be found here.