Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 5, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 5, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn ...The song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted October 5, 2011 Members Share Posted October 5, 2011 Not totally germane to the thread, but Bert Jansch just died.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15179959 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 6, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 6, 2011 First, a thank you to friends here, to the Brit-Gitplayer from 'down under' -- for the Guardian's review of a concert by Tony Bennett that brought back to me the highlights of his show here, two Octobers ago. He amazed us (an audience of nearly 2,000) singing his curtain call (the same one) without a mic. How does someone (now 85) do that? My appreciation to "rsadsaiv" for that note on the passing of England's Bert Jansch (so many memories flooding back, of that uniquely gifted guitarist/songwriter). And thank you Lee Knight. How can I argue with your astute/acute assessments of a great song's worth? (especially a classic from Rodgers & Hart!) I came here just now to share something about . . . flower gardens. (Question for 'Old-Git-Brit' -- did your Mom have a flower garden too?) ---- Actor Robert Wagner, today's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn I came here just now to share something about . . . flower gardens. (Question for 'Old-Git-Brit' -- did your Mom have a flower garden too?)In a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 First a thank you to 'Brit in Australia' for a childhood recollection that went straight to my heart: So few words, conveying so much! You're a poet. [And I'm partial to poets who play my favorite (thin-body) electric guitar. For the uninitiated, that's a 335 Gibson -- celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.] I rode in from another set today -- Lee Knight's "Friday Influences" -- which opened with a Leonard Cohen performance of a song called THE PARTISAN, written Lee noted, "not by Cohen by a Frenchwoman, Ana Marly in 1943" in a tribute to the French "Resistance" movement that risked death every day during WWII. A powerful song but (you know me) lacking a strong melody to go with the powerful French/English phrases. So many hearts I find, broke, like yours and mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 7, 2011 Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn So many hearts I find, broke, like yours and mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 7, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 7, 2011 I agree (FINALLY, we agree on something, Lee Charles Kelley!) -- that this song, and her delivery of it, are "absolute perfection." Thanks for the link, because of which I learned for the first time that Ms Warnes was born just ten days before Mark George Blackburn entered this world (same day Lerner & Lowe's "Brigadoon" opened on Broadway, 03/13/47). [Who among us here, wouldn't love a Wiki entry 'resume' like this one!]Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks. Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as the vocalist performing the most songs to be nominated for (four) and to win (three) the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her biggest hits include two of these Billboard chart topping Oscar and Grammy winners - "Up Where We Belong" (duet with Joe Cocker, from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman) and "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" (duet with Bill Medley from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 9, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 9, 2011 Elsewhere this day our erudite moderator chided younger members for "not mentioning" among "greatest-ever songwriters" some of the greats we've celebrated here -- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 After our moderator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 11, 2011 Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 First a big thank you to Lee Charles Kelley. Who better to perform the song than the great Satchmo? And to an a propos French impressionist painting of the place black American jazz artists made their 'second home.' Don't you love the (almost) two minute introductory solo by one of the founding fathers of jazz? Wonderful. I came here just now with a 'post script' LCK would enjoy on the origins of the Jennifer Warnes / Leonard Cohen song we both consider "absolute perfection." It deserved its own entry (hope you agree): On her website, Jennifer Warnes has a 20 minute interview she did with XM Radio show host Bob Edwards in 2007 that centers on the origin of my favorite song from her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 11, 2011 Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn Ms Warnes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 12, 2011 My God, he's funny... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2011 Coming from our resident comic ("I'm in parentheses, that's why you can't hear me") that's quite a compliment (My God, he's funny). Small wonder their "Comedy Hour" was so consistently funny. Just checked their WIKI entry. [Never knew Mason (Classical Gas) Williams was their 'head writer'!]History The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour started out as only a slightly "hip" version of the typical comedy-variety show of its era, but rapidly evolved into a show that extended the boundaries of what was considered permissible in television satire.[6][7] While the Smothers themselves were at the forefront of these efforts, credit also goes to the roster of writers and regular performers they brought to the show, including Steve Martin, Don Novello ("Father Guido Sarducci"), Rob Reiner, Presidential candidate Pat Paulsen, Bob Einstein ("Super Dave Osborne", "Marty Funkhouser", and "Officer Judy"), Einstein's brother, Albert (who works professionally as Albert Brooks), and resident hippie Leigh French ("Share a Little Tea with Goldie"). The show also introduced audiences to pop singer Jennifer Warnes (originally billed as Jennifer Warren or simply Jennifer), who was a regular on the series. The television premiere of Mason Williams' hit record, Classical Gas, took place on the show; Williams was also the head writer for the series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted October 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted October 12, 2011 Reiner, Martin , Brooks, Paulsen. I know... it was pretty special. But just Tommy doing the physical stuff. Without a word. He kills me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 17, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 17, 2011 "When an early Autumn walks the land And chills the breeze . . . There Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 17, 2011 Members Share Posted October 17, 2011 I, too, love Joanie Sommers. I'm glad you mentioned her, Mark.She had a strange career, what with her biggest hit/exposure being "Johnny Get Angry," which must've seemed like a good idea at the time (after all it was a huge hit), but seems terribly -- and wrongheadedly -- dated now. (kd lang certainly made mincemeat out of that song.)Then there was her ", and "" jingles.But she had a lovely voice, part smokey, part little-girlish (even though she was more alto than soprano). Her 1960 debut LP was pure, modern big-band jazz.Here's her take on "Early Autumn," one of my favorite JHM lyrics. And here's a nice Sinatra-ish tune I hadn't heard before. And Cole Porter's "So in Love." LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 18, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 First a thank you to LCK for embedding those Joanie Sommers songs, including the one I'd singled out. Glad to learn you too loved her voice, Lee. Coincidentally (or not!) on the drive in to work today, I heard for the first time Joanie's unique version of Frank Loesser's lone Oscar-winning Best Song: "BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE" -- which Joanie sings all by herself! When we 'celebrated' this one pages ago, I transcribed all those alternating lines where the male and female singers must step on each others' opening and closing words, in order that the song can be sung 'in tempo.' (There's never been a song like it!) And yet here today was Joannie, minus any guy singing those alternate lines -- and it still works beautifully! Amazing. I came here though, to celebrate a really obscure Johnny Mercer song, DRINKING AGAIN (also played by Channel 71 satellite radio as I was driving in to work this day). I wanted to share its history: another song our favorite lyricist wrote purely as a 'favor to a friend.' His friend was a pianist named Doris Tauber (who took over -- assumed a job vacated by a young George Gershwin -- as a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 18, 2011 Members Share Posted October 18, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn I came here though, to celebrate a really obscure Johnny Mercer song, DRINKING AGAIN I'm not sure that's accurate, Mark. I think Sinatra's version is pretty well known.As to Doris Tauber, I think Mercer's song "Jeepers Creepers" was partially inspired by "Them There Eyes." Mercer was an honorable sort. For one thing, he paid off his father's debts long after the man died and no creditors were expecting any payment. For another, he was always up front about lyrics he wrote that were inspired by other songs.I'm not sure if Bette Midler totally ad-libbed the ending of the song. Mercer sometimes rewrote some of his songs after they were already popular. For instance, his other famous drinking song, "One for My Baby," had two different endings."This torch that I've found, has to be drowned or it soon might explode..." is the Sinatra lyric."Don't let it be said that old unsteady can't carry his load..." is the original, sung by Fred Astaire.Here's Bette Midler's version. (I think the pianist is none other than Barry Manilow.)By the way, this is one of my all-time favorite Mercer lyrics. It ranks in the Top 5 for me. LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 19, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2011 Thanks, Lee -- your points are all well taken! Isn't that a great video to accompany Bette's version of this song? "Brought to you by BAYONIC Music & Graphics." Brilliant editing, increasingly humorous photos, perfectly-mated to the words: as Bette sings the closing line about "just a beer and my memories," there are those two 'different-era' photos of Bette sucking down beer from a bottle -- bracketting that photo of a 'plus-sized' young woman . . . as seen through a just-drained beer glass, between emptied shots of Tequilla & lime slices, well-chewed. Reminded me of a short poem written by the best poet I ever knew -- my Mom: ---- Why is it, that through 'alco-haze' Women look so nice-y? Women, who with sober gaze You wouldn't look at twice-y! -- Grace Blackburn (circa 1960) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 19, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 19, 2011 Back when this thread ( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 20, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 20, 2011 Tonight on satellite radio ( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 20, 2011 Members Share Posted October 20, 2011 Hey, Mark. It's a lovely tune, but the lyric wasn't written by Johnny Mercer. "Dreamsville" is not listed in the Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer. So I checked it out in the ASCAP database. The music is by Mancini (of course), but the lyric was written by Livingston & Evans. Sorry for the correction. LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark Blackburn Posted October 20, 2011 Author Members Share Posted October 20, 2011 You beat me to it, Lee. "Livingston & Evans" -- two Academy Award-winning songwriters we've (thankfully) celebrated a few times, earlier on this thread. They had three "Best Original Song" Oscar winners -- "Buttons & Bows" (1948) "Mona Lisa" (1950) and "Que Sera Sera." I think this song was only their second collaboration with Mancini. Their first song with Hank was "Dear Heart" (nominated for Best Song Oscar in 1964 -- the last of their seven nominations). Thanks again, LCK for the speedy correction. We don't want to be the sort of writer about whom it was said, "He never let facts get in the way of a good story." Incidentally, I've been enjoying your web links (blogspot & reverbnation) this very night. Who wouldn't want praise (for their best work) from the likes of Carly Simon? Envy you, Lee Charles Kelley. Glad some wise person introduced you to this site, barely 8 months ago. I enjoy all your posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted October 20, 2011 Members Share Posted October 20, 2011 Originally Posted by Mark Blackburn Glad some wise person introduced you to this site, barely 8 months ago. Me too, buddy. Me too.LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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