#frankie laine

[dayniac]

Doris and Frankie Laine

They recorded Sugarbush and How Lovely Cooks The Meat in 1952.

[welleducatedinfant]

high noon by frankie laine sung soprano

[singeratlarge]

SONG OF THE WEEK: “That Lucky Old Sun” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/that-lucky-old-sun

The lyrics of "Lucky Old Sun" contrast the toil and hardship of the singer's life with the obliviousness of the natural world. Yet he sees a silver lining and God's deliverance behind it all. This song was written in 1949 by big band musician Beasley Smith and prolific Tin Pan Alley lyricist Haven Gillespie—who also wrote "You Go To My Head" (another favorite of mine). They said “Ol’ Man River” inspired this song, which gained more presence with me after hearing Brian Wilson's 2007 concept album based on this song. In 2020 I added it to my set list for when I perform in assisted living homes. My arrangement blends the definitive Frankie Laine recording with the soul of Louis Armstrong's (in 1949 both artists released "competing” versions). I've grown fond of singing it and I added a gospel flair to it. Please listen (feedback welcome), and don’t work too hard out there.

#luckyoldsun #GreatAmericanSongbook #OlManRiver #BeasleySmith #HavenGillespie #BrianWilson #LouisArmstrong #FrankieLaine #gospel #work #river #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge

[highbrow-hepcat]

[hit-song-showdown]

Year-End Poll #4: 1953

Moving on to 1953. This year continues to represent many of the trends featured in previous polls, such as traditional pop and folk staples. Another staple of the 1950s (and later the 1960s) is the novelty song, as seen with the inclusion of (How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?.

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[gracie-bird]

Frankie Laine visiting Grace Kelly, Celeste Holm, Frank Sinatra on the set of "High Society” in 1956.

[spilladabalia]

Dead Kennedys - Rawhide (lost session tapes)

[gatutor]

Frankie Laine-Constance Towers-Keefe Brasselle "Venga tu sonrisa" (Bring your smile along) 1955, de Blake Edwards.

[hiawathab]

New York City - late 40s

[hollywoodcomet]

Musical Monday: Bring Your Smile Along (1955)

It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals. In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals. This week’s musical: Bring Your Smile Along (1955) – Musical #780 Studio: Columbia Pictures Director: Blake Edwards Starring: Frankie Laine, Keefe…

[singeratlarge]

SONG OF THE WEEK: “That Lucky Old Sun” https://johnnyjblairsingeratlarge.bandcamp.com/track/that-lucky-old-sun

The lyrics of "Lucky Old Sun" contrast the toil and hardship of the singer's life with the obliviousness of the natural world. Yet he sees a silver lining and God's deliverance behind it all. This song was written in 1949 by big band musician Beasley Smith and prolific Tin Pan Alley lyricist Haven Gillespie—who also wrote "You Go To My Head" (another favorite of mine). They said “Ol’ Man River” inspired this song, which gained more presence with me after hearing Brian Wilson's 2007 concept album based on this song. In 2020 I added it to my set list for when I perform in assisted living homes. My arrangement blends the definitive Frankie Laine recording with the soul of Louis Armstrong's (in 1949 both artists released "competing versions"). I've grown fond of singing it and I added a gospel flair to it. Please listen (feedback welcome), and don’t work too hard out there.

#luckyoldsun #GreatAmericanSongbook #OlManRiver #BeasleySmith #HavenGillespie #BrianWilson #LouisArmstrong #FrankieLaine #gospel #work #river #johnnyjblair #singeratlarge

[mishalogic]

Cool Water

Song for the moment ... Misha

[allthemusic]

Week ending: 4th October

A changing of the guard, this week, with longstanding chart royalty passing the baton to a new challenger, one who's set to surpass everyone who's come so far, purely in terms of fame and recognition. There's a poetry to it - or perhaps I'm overstating things. Still, two songs, both of which seem to have stayed in the charts for an obnoxiously long time - so let's see how they shake out!

Hound Dog - Elvis Presley (peaked at Number 2)

You know this song. It's one of those songs that you are guaranteed to know, at least partially. That said, there were genuinely parts of this I hadn't ever really devoted much attention to, such as the "ohhhhhhh" instumental break with the guitar solo. Which is kind of cool.

Originally a Big Mama Thornton song from 1952, written by pop royalty Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the titular "hound dog" was apparently originally meant as a euphemistic reference to a gigolo that a woman's throwing out of her house (!)

On a side note, I appreciate the way that at just about every point in this process, Leiber and Stoller seem to be both appreciative of and a bit intimidated by Thornton!

Anyway, the song seems to have been a runaway success, with loads of cover versions coming out, including one by Freddy Bell and the Bellboys, who Elvis meets while performing in a casino, his first ever Las Vegas appearance. It's kind of interesting to me that Elvis is already pulling gigs like this; I more associate it with his later career. But maybe Elvis has always had a bit of Vegas glam?

Either way, the song was apparently originally performed at a slower piece, with a bit of a burlesque sensibility to it all, a kind of parody of the black musical tradition of bawdy songs and innuendo - this changed as the song left the casino, though, with Elvis listening to and adapting into the song elements of Thornton's performance, including the faster pace and some vocal elements and stylings. A change for the better, methinks.

The song this leaves us with is excellent, with Elvis giving it some real welly throughout as he sings about how this mystery lover ain't nothin' but a hound dock / Just crockin' all the time, and complaining about how they said you was high-classed / Well, that was just a lie. Savage stuff, and all of it's underscored by a backing that's heavy on distorted, messy guitar, startling machine-gun drum fills, hand claps, and Latin-style habanera rhythms. It's a potent mix, drawing from RnB and blues traditions, but also the more distorted, country-tinged rockabilly sounds of Bill Haley and company, and I love it!

Also, like I mentioned at the start, there's a whole guitar solo that legitimately rocks, while the backing singers go for a sort of tightly harmonised "ohhhhhh" that wouldn't be out of place in a Beach Boys song. I appreciate it - it's clearly not part of the song that I've devoted much attention to in the past, and it made for a refreshing break in an otherwise very full-on song. The guitar is also kind of a mess, in a good way - it even seems to out of tune at one point, in what's probably a first? It's a cool effect, and I hope we see more songs doing this!

Yeah, more generally, I can really see how this was influential - it's just very good at synthesising trends we've seen elsewhere, all with a catchy beat and lyrics that stick in the brain, partly through sheer repetition! Good job, Elvis.

A Woman in Love - Frankie Laine (1)

This reached Number 1 and Hound Dog didn't. Huh. Sometimes the charts baffle me.

Not that this is a bad song at all. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I quite like it, and particularly, I quite like the way it changes halfway through from a tango into a swing song. This means that we start with horns and drums and strings, as well as what sounds like an accordion? It sounds like something you'd hear on the streets of Buenos Aires, in a good way - and then suddenly, the rhythm's changed and we've got a double bass doing something cool. It shouldn't work, but the transition's smooth and well done, and it just kind of flows.

Frankie's also on fine form here, all smooth and seductive as he sings about how Your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love. It's the sort of line that could come off as a smug sort of "I just know you like me!" in the hands of a less skilled performer, but Frankie mostly just sounds appreciative as he continues, singing about how no moon in the sky / Ever lent such a glow, and wishes may they gaze ever more into mine. Which is just cute. He's got his love rumbled, and he just really loves her eyes, okay?

It's a good song, just on its own merits, but I'm also now seeing that it was apparently from a musical? Which I can also absolutely see - it was apparently written for the 1955 film version of Guys and Dolls, a musical about a gambler and a mission worker falling in love, and I can really see this tune advancing the plot well, even if wasn't in the original stage version of the show. It was sung by Sinatra, in the film, but Frankie's version has its own glamour, and did best in the UK.

It's almost a shame this is up against Hound Dog, because honestly, this is also a pretty great tune.

Yeah, I liked both of those. Still, one felt way more forward-looking, and has clearly had more influence through the years. Also, I really enjoyed the hand clapping and distorted guitar.

Favourite song of the bunch: Hound Dog

[ghassanrassam]

1956 Lucy Marlowe is abducted