Great American Songbook Favourites?

[Vanillaphant]

Hello, hello.

So about a month ago I bought a ‘Great American Songbook’ compilation album. To be honest, it’s not the sort of music I normally listen to, but I thought it was about time I gave that stuff a fair crack, so to speak. And I’m so glad I did! I mean it’s not like I love it all… But there are some tracks on this album that I’d never even heard before but which I now can’t get enough of.

So I was wondering what people’s favourites are. And because so many of those songs have been recorded by multiple artists, I would also ask people to be specific about which version they’re talking about – as they can differ so wildly! (And just to clarify, we’re basically talking about popular American songs written before the birth of rock and roll.)

Cheeyers! 🙂

 

[Bugman]

Great idea for a thread, I love that old music.

When You Wish Upon A Star from the 1940 Disney classic Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket voiced by Cliff Edwards. Music and lyrics by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington.

 

[Bugman]

Stormy Weather. Music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, 1933. The great Lena Horne covered the song in the 1943 20th Century Fox film of the same name.

 

[Bugman]

I could go on all night but after this post I'll give it a rest.

Bing Crosby sings Swinging On A Star from the 1944 Paramount Pictures film Going My Way.
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Johhny Burke.

 

[The Internet]

Now this is my kind of thread, Vanillaphant!

Might I throw out a few? It's hard to keep it to just one! There's so many! I suppose the only place to start would be......

Hoagy Carmichael: Stardust
This song - some say the greatest ever written - has been performed by literally everybody....so here's Hoagy's own version, the songwriter's version: simple, plain, unadorned, so that you can really hear the brilliant architecture of the melody. And then he whistles it. Too cool.


Similarly, here's Fred Astaire doing a very simple, unadorned rendition of Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You" so that you can really hear the impeccably-constructed melody as written. Sinatra's 1947 and 1967 versions are probably my favorite.
Fred Astaire: I Concentrate On You


Speaking of Cole Porter, I think this is the absolute greatest version of one of the greatest love songs ever written. A perfect lyric. We all know this feeling.
Ray Charles & Betty Carter: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye


Jeesh, I could do this all day, so I guess I'll quit there.....it's torture to stop!

Oh, just one more....Harry Warren's "We're In The Money" which has one of my favorite lines in all of music: "...and when we see the landlord, we can look that guy right in the eye." Oof. They don't write 'em like that anymore!

Fred Astaire: We're In The Money

 

[Bugman]

Now this is my kind of thread, Vanillaphant!

Might I throw out a few? It's hard to keep it to just one! There's so many! I suppose the only place to start would be......

Hoagy Carmichael: Stardust
This song - some say the greatest ever written - has been performed by literally everybody....so here's Hoagy's own version, the songwriter's version: simple, plain, unadorned, so that you can really hear the brilliant architecture of the melody. And then he whistles it. Too cool.


Similarly, here's Fred Astaire doing a very simple, unadorned rendition of Cole Porter's "I Concentrate On You" so that you can really hear the impeccably-constructed melody as written. Sinatra's 1947 and 1967 versions are probably my favorite.
Fred Astaire: I Concentrate On You


Speaking of Cole Porter, I think this is the absolute greatest version of one of the greatest love songs ever written. A perfect lyric. We all know this feeling.
Ray Charles & Betty Carter: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye


Jeesh, I could do this all day, so I guess I'll quit there.....it's torture to stop!

Oh, just one more....Harry Warren's "We're In The Money" which has one of my favorite lines in all of music: "...and when we see the landlord, we can look that guy right in the eye." Oof. They don't write 'em like that anymore!

Fred Astaire: We're In The Money

Love them all.

 

[Bugman]

You can blame The Internet for getting me started again. 😛

Fred Astaire sings The Way You Look Tonight to Ginger Rogers from the 1936 RKO film Swing Time.
Music by the great Jerome Kern, lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

 

[The Internet]

Ah, great one Bugman, I remember a girlfriend of mine putting this on a mix tape when we first met....I knew she was a keeper at that moment! lol!

More Cole Porter:

Sarah Vaughan: You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
"....under an August moon...." what a melodic choice....very few singers mess with the melody on that line....


Mel Torme: Too Darn Hot
This is the theme song for Spring 2016 in NYC, pfft.....


and again, just to hear a song as written, unadorned, here's a rare recording of Cole Porter himself singing one of his most brilliantly-written songs, holy smokes....
Cole Porter: Anything Goes


My new favorite thread!

 

[The Internet]

Oh Bugman.....since you posted Bing's "Swingin' On A Star" (which I love), i thought you might like this one......Little Eva with Big Dee Irwin! Adorable!

Little Eva & Big Dee Irwin: Swingin' On A Star

 

[Vanillaphant]

When You Wish Upon A Star from the 1940 Disney classic Pinocchio. Jiminy Cricket voiced by Cliff Edwards. Music and lyrics by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington.

Ahh. Well you'd have to have a heart of stone not to like that song, surely? 🙂

Stormy Weather. Music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, 1933. The great Lena Horne covered the song in the 1943 20th Century Fox film of the same name.

This is on the compilation album I got. It's a good 'un!

Cole Porter: Anything Goes

Great song! Also, even though it's obviously not the best technically, you've gotta love Cole Porter's voice lol. Puts a smile on yer face for sure.

 

[Bugman]

Ahh. Well you'd have to have a heart of stone not to like that song, surely? 🙂

Yeah, I would say so. 🙂

This is on the compilation album I got. It's a good 'un!

I do love me some Lena. What talent, what beauty. The whole package.

Great song! Also, even though it's obviously not the best technically, you've gotta love Cole Porter's voice lol. Puts a smile on yer face for sure.

 

[Bugman]

Oh Bugman.....since you posted Bing's "Swingin' On A Star" (which I love), i thought you might like this one......Little Eva with Big Dee Irwin! Adorable!

Little Eva & Big Dee Irwin: Swingin' On A Star

I've heard that before somewhere, but it was a long time ago. Thanks for the refresher.

 

[Bugman]

If this is straying too far afield from the spirit of the thread, my apologies to the OP.

I take you back in time to a very different America. A time of Sunday afternoon concerts by the town band. A time of hoop skirts and straw boaters, of mandolins and deck chairs. A time when the horse and buggy was common, and steam locomotives ruled the rails.

John Philip Sousa, The March King, conductor of the United States Marine Corps Band, 1880-1892. If you went to one of those Sunday concerts you likely heard some of this music.





This last clip is a rare 1890 recording of Sousa and the band.

 

[Bugman]

Scott Joplin, The King of Ragtime.

 

[The Internet]

Yet another Cole Porter song, my theme song (sometimes, lol) (definitely today, when it's cool and breezy!):

Judy Garland: I Happen To Like New York


....and we have to have some George & Ira Gershwin!

Blossom Dearie: Someone To Watch Over Me


A beautiful song by Johnny Mercer & Rube Bloom....Rick Nelson did a pretty good rock 'n roll version of this song. So did Bow Wow Wow! Here's early Frank caressing the melody & the lyric...."...when we met, I felt my life begin...."

Frank Sinatra with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra: Fools Rush In

 

[The Internet]

If this is straying too far afield from the spirit of the thread, my apologies to the OP.

I take you back in time to a very different America. A time of Sunday afternoon concerts by the town band. A time of hoop skirts and straw boaters, of mandolins and deck chairs. A time when the horse and buggy was common, and steam locomotives ruled the rails.

John Philip Sousa, The March King, conductor of the United States Marine Corps Band, 1880-1892. If you went to one of those Sunday concerts you likely heard some of this music.

This last clip is a rare 1890 recording of Sousa and the band.

Bugman, beautiful description of the era. Technically, Sousa isn't part of the "Great American Songbook" (or Scott Joplin)....but it is Great American Music! I love the early recording of the Sousa band.....it's amazing it exists!!


I can't stay away from this thread, Vanillaphant! Somebody stop me!

Here's a the ultimate rendition of this cute Gershwin tune.....and how it fits in well with the TMF! 🙂

Fats Waller: You're Laughing At Me

 

[porcelaindoll2]

Accentuate the Positive

 

[Bugman]

Bugman, beautiful description of the era. Technically, Sousa isn't part of the "Great American Songbook" (or Scott Joplin)....but it is Great American Music! I love the early recording of the Sousa band.....it's amazing it exists!!

Yes, I knew that was a stretch. Just couldn't help myself. 😉

Maybe we need a thread to cover music from that time. Hmm...

I can't stay away from this thread, Vanillaphant! Somebody stop me!

Here's a the ultimate rendition of this cute Gershwin tune.....and how it fits in well with the TMF! 🙂

Fats Waller: You're Laughing At Me

 

[The Internet]

Accentuate the Positive

I love this song, Porcelain Doll! 🙂 Bing with the Andrews Sisters....🙂

 

[Bugman]

I love this song, Porcelain Doll! 🙂 Bing with the Andrews Sisters....🙂

Yep, you can never go wrong with Der Bingster. Love the Andrews Sisters. Patty was the last one to pass on, in 2013 at 94.

 

[porcelaindoll2]

My grandma turns 90 this October. Bing was her favorite and I have heard these songs a lot growing up.

 

[porcelaindoll2]

I could post forever, but I'll stop with this.

 

[The Internet]

I could post forever, but I'll stop with this.

No, don't stop! I'LL stop! Or...we can both continue! 🙂 "Let's do it!"

What a fun Bing/Jane Wyman duet! (she sounds great, fantastic attitude!) (so does Bing). I didn't know this one! Thanks!

(...and an early Happy 90th to Grandma Doll!)

***********************************************

Ok, yet another Cole Porter one.....Porcelain'll handle the Bing, I got the Cole, lol....

Ella Fitzgerald: Let's Do It

 

[Bugman]

Since the Andrews Sisters were mentioned in the thread, I thought we should sample some of their music.

 

[Bugman]

And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine. Lyrics by Joe Greene, music by Stan Kenton and Charles Washington. Released in 1944, Anita O'Day vocals with Kenton's orchestra. The song has also been covered by Ella Fitzgerald and Lauren Bacall.