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!

Saturday Night Love

Clockwise: Vera Lynn; Anita O'Day; Sophie Tucker; and Jo Stafford.

As I was thinking about this post, I decided to listen to one of my playlists on iTunes, hoping for some inspiration. After listening to a couple of songs, I had to laugh at myself. What was I thinking, hoping for inspiration? These are the songs I am gonna use, by golly! So I started with the voice of a woman many thought of as the voice of World War II in the UK. Many found strength and support in Vera Lynn's voice, no matter what she sang. I picked her beautiful song released in 1940, "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square", written by Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin.

Ultimately, I think that Anita O'Day might be one of my favorite big band/jazz singers. No matter what I am listening to, I find there are some singers I constantly find playing. Anita is one of them. So I picked one of my favorites, a song from 1945 written by Jimmy McHugh and Clarence Gaskill, "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me".

How can anyone not love the vocals of Jo Stafford? Tonight I will feature a song written by Chilton Price, and later adapted by Pee Wee King and Redd Stewart. In 1952, Stafford released her version of the classic song "You Belong To Me", and it soared on the charts on both sides of the Atlantic. While she was thrilled to get to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in her native US, it also gave her the unique position of being the first woman to have a #1 song on the UK Pop charts.

Now, I don't understand how anyone could not love the great Sophie Tucker. While some might have gotten to know her through the bawdy jokes told by the Divine Miss M, Bette Midler, in her live shows. And while Sophie was an amazing talent, she was also a woman who was ahead of her time, which gave many producers pause while she was singing in the 1930s and 1940s. Through it all, Sophie stood tall, and continued to makes some wonderful music. Here is the 1930 live performance of "No One But The Right Man Can Do Me Wrong" from London.

Miss Sophie Tucker

I have to admit, I first heard about Sophie Tucker from Bette Midler, telling those bawdy Sophie jokes as part of her act. But those jokes were enough to have me looking up who she was, and I have to say I was surprised. It seems Miss Sophie Tucker was a wonderful Russian Jew, big and bold and in your face. Thought to be too risque for the producers, they asked her to play the shows in blackface. She did, although she never loved it. In fact, it was arriving to play dates in New York City when the suitcase carrying her makeup go lost, and she went on as herself. The audiences still loved her, and she never put on the blackface again.



Stylistically, she took much more from the Jazz singers of the day, making the performance big and bold. She began he career in vaudeville, traveling and doing all the shows she could. She took lessons from some of the best African American singers and songwriters, truly developing her craft. She practiced the unfortunately named art of "Coon Shouting", but I prefer to think it just singing Blues and Jazz. I will start with a clip of Sophie performing "Staying Young" on the Ed Sullivan Show. Sophie was 72 years old.



In 1926, Sophie had a wonderful recording of "Washing The Blues From My Soul". She certainly had her own style, wonderful to hear.



I love the big and bold woman she was, singing the 1928 recording of "I Know That My Baby's Cheatin' On Me". Notice how she turns it around, and proudly announces she cheating on him, too!



Sophie is perhaps best know for her 1927 recording of the great song, "Some Of these Days".



1944 in the film 'Follow The Boys,' Sophie does her bit for the boys in the Army and the Navy. Her bit is filled with sly double entendre and flirtation.



Hope you enjoyed hearing some of Sophie's music. You can purchase The Very Best of Sophie Tucker on iTunes and Amazon.