Valentine Torch

Clockwise: Anita O'Day; Big Maybelle; Eartha Kitt; and Blossom Dearie.

As it is Valentine's Day weekend, I thought I had to go with the love theme for the 'torch' post this week. Well, coming up with torch songs about love seems like shooting fish in a barrel, so I just decide to pick some of my favorite singers and go for it. I start with one of my favorites, the brilliant Anita O'Day, who manages to display both strength and vulnerability in her voice, often in the same line. She toys with rhythm with her syncopation, and her voice is another instrument. I just love to hear her sing, a master at work. "What Is This Thing Called Love" was written by Cole Porter in 1929, and been covered by some of the greatest voices of the last century, but Anita's cover remains a favorite of mine.

There is nothing about Big Maybelle I don't like. She can be soft and sweet in songs like "Candy", and she can be rough and tumble on others like "Ninety-Six Tears". But no matter what she was singing, she always sounded like Big Maybelle, totally original. For her this evening, I chose "Just Want your Love", written by Maybelle herself in the early 1950s. There is a bold strain of Blues at the base of this song, with an undercurrent of hurt. Hope you enjoy "Just Want Your Love".

Not only was Blossom Dearie an amazing talent in the sea of gifted artists in mid-century Manhattan, she maintained that place for several decades. There is an innocence in her voice, so soft, yet enduring. She is another total original, always making music that is true to herself, not trying to copy anyone else. I picked her singing "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)", a sweet song written by Jimmy Davis, Roger Ramirez, and James Sherman in 1941.

Finally, there is the incredibly unique Eartha Kitt. I don't know what more can be said about the woman, who had success on records, on the stage, and in the movies. She even had success on the small screen, playing Catwoman on the Batman series. From the 1950s until her death in 2008, she was a star who glowed brightly in the sky. In 1962, she recorded "Love For Sale", written by Cole Porter in 1930, for her album 'Bad But Beautiful'. She gives it her own special twist, starting sweet before she moved on to the saucy side of the song.

Hope your weekend is filled with love!

Christmas Fun

Clockwise: Gayla Peevey; Jimmy Boyd; Spike Jones; and Eartha Kitt.

Sometimes you come across songs that just by mentioning their name, a smile comes to your lips. Quite often they are considered novelty songs, which might cause some to scoff. I am not one of them, however. Some of these songs just capture something special, whether it is the particular mood of a time, or something real for a person. The next song is the former, at least for me. Back in 1953, ten-year-old Gayla Peevey sang "I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas", the song by John Rox. There is something so child-like about the song, it just stirs the soul with a wonderful warm feeling.

By comparison, Jimmy Boyd was a mature performer in 1952 when recorded "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" at the ripe age of thirteen. The song zoomed up the charts, and soon was the #1 song on the Billboard Pop charts. The song was written by Tommie Connor, originally commissioned by Sax Fifth Avenue for their Christmas card, once Jimmy laid down the recording, it quickly became more than just a commercial.

With a song written by Joan Javits (who is the daughter of New York Senator Jacob Javits) and Philip Springer, Eartha Kitt had quite the hit in 1953. That is when she was coy and flirty, singing "Santa Baby". The song was a big hit, proving Kitt to be quite marketable in her first year as a recording artist. It went on to be covered by many, but it is hard to believe anyone can own it as well as Eartha.

And sometimes, there is a perfect combination between music and comedy. When I think about the 1948 single from Spike Jones & his City Slickers, that is exactly what we have. Jones has this delightful whistling performance, as he sings "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth". The song was written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner, a public school teacher noting many in his classes were missing a front tooth, effecting their speech patterns. But once Jones got hold of the song, he infused it with the the right amount of comedy and toddler realness. Enjoy the song!

A Novel Saturday Night

Clockwise: Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney, Eartha Kitt, and Patti Page.

I thought it might be fun to visit some of the great novelty songs sung by some of the great women singers through the years. Now, for me, a novelty song was one that was meant to generate some interest because it was not in keeping with the other material sung by the performer. Often, they were meant to be funny, the comic relief amongst a seas of lovelorn ballads. In my first example, we have the magnificent Ella Fitzgerald singing a song which became a signature song, although it most certainly didn't have the weight or strength of some of her other material. A-Tisket-A-Tasket began as a nursery rhyme, sometime in the late 1800s. From their it developed into a kids song, where the kids would sing rounds, much like Row, Row, Row Your Boat. In 1938, Ella recorded her version of the song, which became a bit hit.



In 1951, Rosemary Clooney released Come On-A My House, a song written by Ross Bagdasarian and acclaimed playwright and novelist William Saroyan. It was thought to be influenced by an Armenian folk song. Bagdarsarian was better known by his stage name Dave Seville, the creator and 'leader' of Alvin And The Chipmunks. As far as I am aware, it was the only Pop song Saroyan ever wrote. And while Clooney was often noted for her gorgeous and lilting voice, singing songs of love and loss, on this one she donned an accent of some kind to sing a song about visitors and candy. The truly surprising thing? This song topped the charts in 1951, and was one of Clooney's biggest hits. Later in interviews and biographies, Rosemary admitted to never liking the song.



Patti Page was one of the most successful singers of the 1950s, selling millions of albums. She was a gifted singer, with a lovely, clear tone that often soared. Her big hits included Tennessee Waltz, Mockin' Bird Hill, And So To Sleep, but many will remember her for the recording of (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window? It was written by Bob Merrill, who was also responsible for If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake. Later, Merrill went on to write Broadway scores with partner Jules Styne, including a little show called Funny Girl, starring a young Barbra Streisand. But the decade before, he wrote this song for the lovely Patti Page.



The incredibly beautiful Miss Eartha Kitt was an actress, cabaret singer, and was perhaps best known many as the woman who played Cat Woman on the Batman television series. But she also had a lengthy singing career, and had her fair share of novelty songs. One she is best known for is the holiday classic, Santa Baby. She managed to combine the demure and coquettish to make for a sexy image that never went over the top. In 1953, she played it perfectly with the song I Want To Be Evil, a true classic.

Celebrating Daddies

Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there. To all of you, I dedicate Eartha Kitt's My Heart Belongs To Daddy.



Hugz 'N Kisses, Daddies...