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A great melody first, then lyrics,(only) THEN 'vocals'


Mark Blackburn

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Hey Lee, since it's 3:33 and there's 'no one in the place except you and me' (to coin a phrase) I just entered "NOT EXACTLY PARIS" in the search engine. The fourth offering (of four) Google came up with this day . . . was this:


"A great melody first, then lyrics,(only) THEN 'vocals'3 posts - 1 author - Last post: 5 days ago [What did we do before google and wiki searches? My search for info on this song , ...

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There may be 50 songs with the title "SEARCHING." And a google search may not come up with the one I heard Sinatra sing a few minutes ago -- a "new" song -- but a 'late-in-life' performance I'd never heard before! (Wonder where it's from?)

Saturday, as I may have said, umpteen times, is my favorite day for 'regularly-scheduled' programming on "satellite radio, channel 71." As I type this, they're playing Kenny Rankin's (best-ever?) rendition of MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE; with a tenor sax solo by . . . someone great. I'm always intending to celebrate that song by "Wood/Melin" -- but then some other tune always gets in the way!

Today that other tune is "SEARCHING." As I listened to it for the first time minutes ago, I imagined it being played at an Italian wedding (the best kind there is, right?) -- as the 'first dance' at the happy couple's reception. I imagine that Sinatra recorded this one for the wedding of his beloved grandaughter "A.J." (who has a show of her own on Siriusly Sinatra). Or perhaps Frank had in mind his great arranger Don Costa's daughter "Nikki" (who grew up to be a popular singer in her own right) -- someone Frank loved enough to write the most beautiful, inspiring words of consolation at the time of her father's death. Regardless, it's a 'song that was made for a wedding day.

In deference to the title of my own thread, this is yet another case of, "The Singer Makes the Song." While I seek to determine who wrote this one, may I invite you to imagine a good melody -- 'plain and earnest' -- set to to a "small big band" arrangement -- 'structured' as formally as a multi-layered wedding cake and sung by a man in a tuxedo (Father of the Bride?)

----

All our days . . .
we search for just one love
Wait

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A quick "search" on the net showed (perhaps dubiously) that this song was written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn.

 

It would be fairly easy, I should think, to verify this by going to either man's website.

 

LCK

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Thanks so much, Lee Charles Kelley, for properly embedding that video. Sure enough, at the very end, with that beautiful smile he reserved for speaking of two of his favorite songwriters [who wrote, just for him, TIME AFTER TIME and (my favorite of his ballads) GUESS I'LL HANG MY TEARS OUT TO DRY] Frank says, with obvious pleasure: "Oh, I like that song! That's a pretty song! 'Searching' -- by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. They're GOOD!"

I should have known! Yet another song written just for Frank, by "my favorite humorous/romantic lyricist" Sammy Cahn. The pianist/conductor is, I believe, Vinnie Falcone, a terrific musician who toured with Sinatra in his later years. What an orchestra! Notice the French Horns? They always provide my favorite 'timbre' -- along with trombones (the instrument of choice of a few great arrangers including Nelson Riddle).

Hey, Lee -- I knew there was a good reason to introduce you to this website! You've been here just three months and already you're 100 postings beyond me: Stop showing me up!

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[A footnote -- from Academy Awards night, 1979]

"David Shire won the Oscar for Best Original Song for his and Norman Gimble's theme song for Norma Rae, 'It Goes Like It Goes.' He was also nominated the same year in the same category for 'The Promise (I'll Never Say Goodbye)' from the motion picture The Promise, with lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman."

[and from the website "The Songs that Oscar liked"]

"'The Rainbow Connection' was wonderfully sung by Kermit the Frog in 1979's 'The Muppet Movie,' but it inexplicably did not win the award for Best Original Song. Two years later, a song from 'The Great Muppet Caper' would also lose -- to a more memorable song, 'Endless Love'."

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On the drive in to work today, satellite radio played Peggy Lee's WHERE CAN I GO WITHOUT YOU? -- one of many songs written by Peggy, and featuring her favorite trumpet player. Then I got to work and learned of his passing, this very day.

Jack Sheldon died today (

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"Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." How nice to read those words "alive and well," and also to think that Jack will already have read wonderful tributes that normally are reserved for obituaries! Jack, unlike most all of us, now knows for sure how we felt about him. (chuckling out loud and delighted to read these words from JAZZ TIMES):

"Earlier this morning we mistakenly published an obituary on Los Angeles-based trumpeter Jack Sheldon, based on unconfirmed reports from within the jazz community that Sheldon had died.

Sheldon is not deceased. His wife, Dianne Sheldon, has confirmed that Sheldon is alive and well and in Los Angeles. Mrs. Sheldon also said that she does not know how the rumors began.

JT regrets the error."

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On this, the 'second day of the rest of Jack Sheldon's life' I wish to share a funny tune you never heard before. If you will indulge me in a sunny Saturday ramble . . .

I own a lot of Sinatra albums (70-plus CDs) but not one of them contains an old novelty tune satellite radio played earlier this hour titled,

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First a big thank you to LCK for properly embedding the TWO best 'jazz vocal' versions of that song from South Pacific. Ella is forever The Queen. Don't you love that 'scratchy' video? How do they do that? (make it look like a time-worn film clip from the 40s). And what did we do before YouTube? Thanks again, Lee.

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A beautiful, beautiful tune, and great lyrics. What could be better?

And it's a perfect match for Peggy Lee's hushed voice and spot-on delivery.

Check out Kenny Rankin's version. And the pure perfection of Tierney Sutton with Christian Jacob (from her CD Desire.)

LCK

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