Amazing Ladies Sing About Love

Clockwise: Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Shore, Dione Warwick, and Rosemary Clooney.

I find it impossible for me to do a torch song post without being in awe of the group of talented ladies. It is a collection of classic voices, some with household names, others with a bit of a cult following. The first young lady was singing background vocals for many of the top stars of the late 50s and early 60s, having been first noticed singing with a gospel group, which won the weekly amateur contest at the legendary Apollo Theater. Soon she was noticed by in one of the sessions by writer Burt Bacharach, who, along with writing partner Hal David, singed the young lady with the voice they loved. Soon Dionne was singing their songs and making the pairing of Dionne with Bacharach and David a steady member of the Pop charts. That would include their startling song from 1964, "Walk On By".

While she couldn't seem to get a job with a big band the way every other girl singer was doing in the late 30s, she became the first woman singer to take her talent solo, and certainly made a name for herself in the 40s and 50s. Dinah Shore couldn't get the job with Benny Goodman or either Tommy or Jimmy Dorsey, so she followed her own path to fame. In 1944, she appeared in Belle of the Yukon, and sung the beautiful song by Jimmy van Heusen, "Like Someone In Love". She later went on to host her own talk show. Despite several marriages and high-profile relationships, Dinah's support of Women's Golf somehow translated into constant rumors of her being a lesbian, which is not really supported by any fact.

Our next singer needs no introduction, especially form me. Ella Fitzgerald is a brilliant singer, with a career spanning seven decades, from the 30s to the 90s. she just had so much talent, be it her ability to scat, to groove on some jazz, or just flat out sing a song. This video is of her singing Cole Porter's great song, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye". This clip is from 1965, but she originally recorded the song in 1956.

I can't tell you how much I loved the ovice of our final singer tonight. My mother played her music, and she was certainly in some of my favorite films I remember watching, including 'White Christmas'. Rosemary Clooney's voice was so lovely, with a depth of tone that could bring you to tears as easily as it could get you dancing. Enjoy her singing her 1954 hit, "Hey There", written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for their Broadway musical, 'The Pajama Game'.

I just can't get enough...

Carrying the Olympic Torch

Clockwise: Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Bessie Smith, and Dinah Shore.

As the Winter Olympics are winding to an end, I thought about what songs might be sung to the athletes. After all, The Olympic Games have been around almost as long as there has been music. And since there is no greater honor than winning a gold medal, it was a no brainer for me to include Ella Fitzgerald singing "Lover's Gold". The song was written by Morty Nevins and Bob Merrill and appeared on Fitzgerald's 1955 album, 'Miss Ella Fitzgerald & Mr Gordon Jenkins Invite You to Listen and Relax'. Here is Ella singing "Lover's Gold".

And while there is always a discussion about who should play in the games, and how they should do it, I always think it is best to keep it simple. And so I thought it was only right to include the next song written by the great Irving Berlin for the 1914 musical, 'Watch Your Step'. "Play A Simple Melody" was also included in the soundtrack to the iconic movie musical, 'There's No Business Like Show Business'. In 1950, vocalist Jo Stafford sang the song with Paul Weston and his Orchestra recorded the song, and did a great job. Here is Jo Stafford singing "Play A Simple Melody".

The next song first was heard in the 1938 Broadway musical 'Right This Way'. "I'll Be Seeing You" had music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal, and while the show was not a hit, the song proved to have great staying power. It quickly became a standard many were wanting to sing and record, for years to come. I thought this song would be a perfect choice, as something the athletes would say to one another, hoping to see one another again at the next Olympiad. I picked a version from 1957 by Dinah Shore, that has a wonderfully haunting feel to it. IT also shows off the wonderful range and depth of Shore's vocals. This is Dinah Shore singing "I'll Be Seeing You".

Now, while I have focused on the athletes, I saved this last one for the families of the men and women left at home. "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" was a Blues song written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919, and it is a great song. But it wasn't a hit until 1923, when it was recorded and released by the great Bessie Smith. Smith was legendary for many reasons, but first and foremost was her ability to sing a song like few others could. She was the most popular female singer of the 1920s and 1930s, and had a profound influence on the singers that followed. Smith also had a live hard, play hard philosophy, which most likely added to her ability to sing the Blues. This is Bessie Smith singing her 1923 hit, "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home".

Have a great weekend!

Old Love, New Love

Clockwise from top: Margaret Whiting, Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald.

I thought I would come back to this sweet sound with yet another group of talented ladies. The songs they sing, they are all about love. But that love is in different stages, from brand new love, to a life-long love. This is a collection of classic voices, some with household names, others with a bit of a cult following. The first would fall more into the latter, as Margaret Whiting might not have the cache of some of the ladies who follow, but certainly had a long career. Margaret was raised in the business, with father Richard Whiting a songwriter who had written classics like "Hooray For Hollywood". After having her heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, she continued to sing in clubs on both coasts. In 1994, she married gay adult star Jack Wrangler, a very happy couple until his passing in 2009. Margaret passed in January of 2011. In 1945, she had a hit singing "It Might As Well Be Spring" with Paul Weston and his Orchestra.

While she couldn't seem to get a job with a big band the way every other girl singer was doing in the late 30s, she became the first woman singer to take her talent solo, and certainly made a name for herself in the 40s and 50s. Dinah Shore couldn't get the job with Benny Goodman or either Tommy or Jimmy Dorsey, so she followed her own path to fame. In 1944, she appeared in Belle of the Yukon, and sung the beautiful song by Jimmy van Heusen, "Like Someone In Love". She later went on to host her own talk show. Despite several marriages and high-profile relationships, Dinah's support of Women's Golf somehow translated into constant rumors of her being a lesbian, which is not really supported by any fact.

Our next singer needs no introduction, especially form me. Ella Fitzgerald is a brilliant singer, with a career spanning seven decades, from the 30s to the 90s. she just had so much talent, be it her ability to scat, to groove on some jazz, or just flat out sing a song. This video is of her singing Cole Porter's great song, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye". This clip is from 1965, but she originally recorded the song in 1956.

I can't tell you how much I loved the voice of our final singer tonight. My mother played her music, and she was certainly in some of my favorite films I remember watching, including "White Christmas". Rosemary Clooney's voice was so lovely, with a depth of tone that could bring you to tears as easily as it could get you dancing. Enjoy her singing her 1954 hit, "Hey There", written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for their Broadway musical, "The Pajama Game".

Glorious music, indeed.

Here's To The Ladies Who Carry The Torch

Clockwise from top: Margaret Whiting, Dinah Shore, Ella Fitzgerald and Rosemary Clooney.

I thought I would come back to this sweet sound with yet another group of talented ladies. It is a collection of classic voices, some with household names, others with a bit of a cult following. The first would fall more into the latter, as Margaret Whiting might not have the cache of some of the ladies who follow, but certainly had a long career, having been raised in the business, as father Richard Whiting was a songwriter, having written classics like "Hooray For Hollywood". After having her heyday in the 40s and 50s, she continued to sing in clubs on both coasts. In 1994, she married gay adult star Jack Wrangler, and they stayed together until his passing in 2009. Margaret passed in January of 2011. In 1945, She had a hit singing "It Might As Well Be Spring" with Paul Weston and his Orchestra.

While she couldn't seem to get a job with a big band the way every other girl singer was doing in the late 30s, she became the first woman singer to take her talent solo, and certainly made a name for herself in the 40s and 50s. Dinah Shore couldn't get the job with Benny Goodman or either Tommy or Jimmy Dorsey, so she followed her own path to fame. In 1944, she appeared in 'Belle of the Yukon', and sung the beautiful song by Jimmy van Heusen, "Like Someone In Love". She later went on to host her own talk show. Despite several marriages and high-profile relationships, Dinah's support of Women's Golf somehow translated into constant rumors of her being a lesbian, which is not really supported by any fact.

Our next singer needs no introduction, especially for me. Ella Fitzgerald is a brilliant singer, with a career spanning seven decades, from the 30s to the 90s. she just had so much talent, be it her ability to scat, to groove on some jazz, or just flat out sing a song. This video is of her singing Cole Porter's great song, "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye". This clip is from 1965, but she originally recorded the song in 1956.

I can't tell you how much I loved the voice of our final singer tonight. My mother played her music, and she was certainly in some of my favorite films I remember watching, including 'White Christmas'. Rosemary Clooney's voice was so lovely, with a depth of tone that could bring you to tears as easily as it could get you dancing. Enjoy her singing her 1954 hit, "Hey There", written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for their Broadway musical, 'The Pajama Game'.

Have a great time with what remains of your weekend!

With Love, From (Irving) Berlin...

Clockwise: Maxine Sullivan, Rosemary Clooney, Jo Stafford and Dinah Shore.

I decided I wanted to hear some of the music of Irving Berlin tonight, and thought his love songs would be fun. Berlin is best known for his rousing uptempo songs, and his patriotic numbers. But he was no stranger to the ballad, having written some beautiful ones for Broadway and Hollywood musicals. The first song I have on the list is the beautiful "Blue Skies", written in 1926, a last-minute 'fix' for the Rodgers and Hart musical, 'Betsy'. While the show didn't survive, the song definitely did. The song went from a song in a Broadway flop to a great addition to the Great American Songbook, with some great versions sung by many artists. I decided to go with a version by Maxine Sullivan, a wonderful singer who paved the way for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Many considered her the greatest Jazz singer of the 1930s. Here is her version of "Blue Skies", recorded in 1937.

The next song was written as a duet, and comes from a Broadway show that was also a hit movie musical. "You're Just In Love" was written in 1950, and first performed by Ethel Merman and Russell Nype in 'Call Me Madam' on Broadway. Rosemary Clooney and Guy Mitchell recorded the song at the end of 1950, and it became a Top 40 hit. Berlin wrote the song with a charming counterpoint style, with the two parts of the song seemingly at different tempos, yet they blend together beautifully.

"You Keep Coming Back Like A Song" was written by Berlin for the 1946 film 'Blue Skies', and was introduced by Bing Crosby. Like much of Berlin's music, the song went on to be recorded by many, so I had plenty from which to choose. I decided to go with Dinah Shore's lovely version, released in 1946. In the recording, Shore has such lovely tone and control, so please enjoy Dinah singing "You Keep Coming Back Like A Song".

The next song was from the 1949 Broadway production of 'Miss Liberty', a musical written about the wonderful gift from the French, the Statue of Liberty. "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You" is the song that closed the first act, and it is a beautiful one. So lovely, it caught the eye of the talented Jo Stafford, who released it in 1949. The song was a hit, making it to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. Of course, Stafford was a popular singer, being the first woman to have a #1 song on the UK music charts. So please enjoy Jo as she sings "(Just One Way To Say) I Love You".

Have a great weekend!

Torch

Clockwise from top: Margaret Whiting, Dinah Shore, Dionne Warwick, Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald.

I thought I would come back to this sweet sound with yet another group of talented ladies. It is a collection of classic voices, some with household names, others with a bit of a cult following. The first would fall more into the latter, as Margaret Whiting might not have the cache of some of the ladies who follow, but certainly had a long career, having been raised in the business, as father Richard Whiting was a songwriter, having written classics like Hooray For Hollywood. After having her heyday in the 40s and 50s, she continued to sing in clubs on both coasts. In 1994, she married gay adult star Jack Wrangler, and they stayed together until his passing in 2009. Margaret passed in January of this year. In 1945, She had a hit singing It Might As Well Be Spring with Paul Weston and his Orchestra.



The next young lady was singing background vocals for many of the top stars of the late 50s and early 60s, having been first noticed singing with a gospel group, which won the weekly amateur contest at the legendary Apollo Theater. Soon she was noticed by in one of the sessions by writer Burt Bacharach, who, along with writing partner Hal David, singed the young lady with the voice they loved. Soon Dionne was singing their songs and making the pairing of Dionne with Bacharach and David a steady member of the Pop charts. That would include their startling song from 1964, Walk On By.



While she couldn't seem to get a job with a big band the way every other girl singer was doing in the late 30s, she became the first woman singer to take her talent solo, and certainly made a name for herself in the 40s and 50s. Dinah Shore couldn't get the job with Benny Goodman or either Tommy or Jimmy Dorsey, so she followed her own path to fame. In 1944, she appeared in Belle of the Yukon, and sung the beautiful song by Jimmy van Heusen, Like Someone In Love. She later went on to host her own talk show. Despite several marriages and high-profile relationships, Dinah's support of Women's Golf somehow translated into constant rumors of her being a lesbian, which is not really supported by any fact.



Our next singer needs no introduction, especially form me. Ella Fitzgerald is a brilliant singer, with a career spanning seven decades, from the 30s to the 90s. she just had so much talent, be it her ability to scat, to groove on some jazz, or just flat out sing a song. This video is of her singing Cole Porter's great song, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye. This clip is from 1965, but she originally recorded the song in 1956.



I can't tell you how much I loved the ovice of our final singer tonight. My mother played her music, and she was certainly in some of my favorite films I remember watching, including White Christmas. Rosemary Clooney's voice was so lovely, with a depth of tone that could bring you to tears as easily as it could get you dancing. Enjoy her singing her 1954 hit, Hey There, written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for their Broadway musical, The Pajama Game.



Glorious music, indeed.