Looking Back at Torch

Clockwise from Top Left: Edith Piaf, Patsy Cline, Judy Garland, Dame Shirley Bassey, and Sarah Vaughan

As I have been a bit busy as of late with my niece's wedding, I thought I would revisit this post from about three years ago, for it is all about love, and some magnificent ladies who can sing pretty darned well. The original post was titles 'Torch', and posted on June 21, 2011.

We are back in that smokey club, listening to the ladies sing the blues about love and loss, and matters of the heart. They stand in a simple spotlight, where you can see the smoke wafting through the air. In the background, you hear the tinkling of glasses being raised, drunk from, and collected by the wait staff. There is a whisper that stays steady in the room. But when the really good torch singer comes out, a hush will fall over the room. She will dictate the feeling of the room, be it sadness, hurt, or desire. That never changes. A clear example of the power of the lady in charge is Sarah Vaughan. With her legendary jazz stylings, she delivers a light sweetness to Hoagy Carmichael and Ned Washington's "The Nearness of You". There is just a hint of longing, just enough to keep it interesting.



Born Virginia Patterson Hensley, if she wasn't one of the great torch singers of all time, then she would have been the perfect source of material for many a song. From her struggle in the music business because she didn't fit the standard of feminine beauty in the day, to dying in a tragic plane crash at the age of 30, Patsy Cline used her gorgeous voice to garner the success and respect due her talent. Her "Walking After Midnight" added just the right amount of strength to temper the plaintiff quality a lesser singer might fall victim to that trap.



The French knew here as "The Sparrow," or, en Francais, "Piaf." She was born Édith Giovanna Gassion in Paris. She has long been regarded as France's greatest popular singer of all time. One reason was the sheer emotion she would bring to the songs, especially the ballads. Take, for instance, "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" can be translated as "No, I'm not sorry for anything." The song is sung in French, composed by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. It is most famously sung by the one and only Sparrow, Édith Piaf.



In 1964, Dame Shirley Bassey sang a song by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, from the musical 'The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd'. She was the first to record "Who Can I Turn To?", although it would later be a hit in the United States by Tony Bennett. She also performed the Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray song, "You'd Better Love Me".



When it comes to torch singers, it is tough to deny Judy Garland is up there with the best of them. When she was just 14, she filmed her first song for the movies, "You Made Me Love You". She didn't stop singing until she passed away 33 years later. Many of her great songs were about love - either looking for it, or having just lost it. She added her own touch of melancholia to Charlie Chaplin's "Smile".



Bartender, I'll have another round.

Ladies Who Get A Feelin'...

Clockwise: Big Maybelle, Etta James, Lena Horne, and Peggy Lee.

Tonight I bring to you a quartet of ladies who knew how to put a bit of the Blues in their Torch, singing straight from the heart. That can most certainly be said for the amazing Big Maybelle, the outrageously talented singer who made her way in the 1950s, with songs like "Candy". She had hits songs, and a career that seemed like it was on the rise. But a combination of drug and helth problems derailed her career, but not before she recorded some great songs. One of those was "I've Got A Feelin'", and she sings it to perfection. Her vocals were big, bold, growl-filled, soft, and, really, whatever the song needed. This is Big Maybelle singing "I've Got A Feelin'".

While everyone knows Etta James for singing the iconic song "At Last", she had so many other hits during her career. She was another artist who sang songs about her broken heart, and you felt as though she was truly letting you in on something real and private. In 1967, Etta recorded a song written by written by Ellington Jordan and Billy Foster, and the song went on to be a well-known Blues song. I hope you enjoy this clip of Etta James singing "I'd Rather Go Blind" live.

In 1942, Miss Peggy Lee was singing with Benny Goodman and his Orchestra, when she recorded "Why Don't You Do Right?", a song written by Joseph "Kansas Joe" McCoy. While the Orchestra was a big band, they loved to include the influences of Jazz and the Blues. As that was the case, Peggy Lee was the perfect choice for singer, for she naturally had such a soulful voice, and a gift for interpreting a lyric. Their recording of the song was a million-seller, and brought much attention to the band and the singer. This is Miss Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman and his Orchestra performing "Why Don't You Do Right?".

Finally, we have the great lady herself, the amazing Miss Lena Horse singing a song written by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray for the Broadway musical 'High Spirits'. The musical, based on Noel Coward's play 'Blythe Spirit". The show is a harming look at the problems that crop up with the spirit of a man's late wife hangs around after she is gone. The show opened in 1964, and was a hit. One of the early songs of the show was sung by the dead wife, "You'd Better Love Me". It seemed like Miss Horne loved the song as well, for she decided to sing it for this stop on a television show in 1967. I don't think she every officially recorded the song, but I love that we have this live performance. This is the great Lena Horne singing "You'd Better Love Me".

Have a great weekend!