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Last broadcast on Sun, 28 Jun 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
Every Sunday Russell Davies presents the history of popular song, spotlighting its greatest exponents.
He focuses on top songwriters and composers like the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer, as well as some lesser-known names such as Roy Turk and Fred Ahlert; Ted Koehler, Walter Donaldson, Jack Lawrence and Peter Tinturin.
Russell features the artists who gave their songs wings: Fred Astaire, Ella, Bing, Peggy Lee, Sinatra, Julie London, The Mills Brothers, Boswell Sisters and many more. He pays birthday and centennial tributes, marks important deaths, and finds topical items that illuminate the subject in a variety of entertaining ways, with the occasional star interview.
This Week's Show
The Joe Young investigations produced a lot of interest, we thought – and like the work of so many of the ‘lesser ranked’ writers, it could have furnished much more than just the handful of songs we had time for. We purposely avoided the work Joe did with his regular collaborator, Sam Lewis on this occasion but will re-visit them at some future date. Coincidentally, we received an email, before the programme went out, from a listener asking about the ‘20s song “Sweet Hortense” which he recalled being plagued with while doing his national service. Well, that proved to be a Joe Young-Sam Lewis work, with Walter Donaldson writing the music.
Returning to matters arising from an earlier show, we’re grateful to author and Crosbyphile Ken Crossland for pointing out what we should have realised – that the derivation of the name of Perry Como’s vocal group “The Satisfiers” was from the US radio show for which they were created: The Chesterfield Supper Club. Chesterfield claimed that theirs was the “cigarette that satisfies”. Ken informs us that the biography of Perry that he and Malcolm MacFarlane have written is due to be published in US shortly. We look forward to that, a good companion, we’re sure, to Ken’s earlier biography of Michael Holliday – “The Man Who Would Be Bing”.
Much of the career of the late Kenny Rankin who’s “In The Name Of Love” opened the show, is beyond our boundaries but you can discover much more from a website (see above) devoted to his work and life.
Played in this week's show: Tony Bennett
Recommendations
It’s a while since we turned the spotlight on Magic Voices – a 7 CD box containing almost all the work that superb vocal quartet Singers Unlimited recorded for MPS & we make to apologies for re-visiting it. By our reckoning its as important as the Sinatra Capitols and the Ella songbooks and one of the most satisfying popular music documents of the 20th century. Under the leadership of Gene Puerling they give us extraordinarily imaginative stylings and harmonisations of a wide range of the choicest songs – 141 in total – many multi-tracked in the most complex yet musical way, some A Capella, others with the benefit of the finest orchestral backings from Robert Farnon, Rob McConnell, Clare Fischer, Patrick Williams etc. and yet others using small groups led by the likes of Oscar Peterson, Art Van Damme & Roger Kellaway. And needless to add, sensationally recorded by the MPS engineers. It comes with a fully detailed, fully illustrated book and for students of the art of arranged singing it’s a must. Number is MPS 539 130-2
Just enough space to commend Barbara Rosene’s album “It Was Only A Sun Shower”, if you’re a lover of ‘20s music. On this album Barbara is in ‘Annette Hanshaw mode’, many of the numbers having first been sung by Annette. However, she drops the Hanshaw daintiness for numbers like ‘The right Key But The Wrong Keyhole’! The musicians assembled behind her (her ‘New Yorkers’) are all past-masters at the re-creation business. It’s on the Stomp Off label: CD 1422.
Tracklist
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Peggy Lee — In The Name Of LoveIn Love Again/In The Name Of Love, EMI/Capitol, 7243 5 21096 2 3 -
The Ink Spots — The Sweetest DreamThe Golden Age Of The Ink Spots, Jasmine, JASBOX 6-4 -
Randy Newman — KingfishGood Old Boys, Reprise, 927 214-2 -
The Singers Unlimited — Lullaby Of The Leaves
The Singers Unlimited – Magic Voices, MPS, 539 136-2 -
Lew Stone & His Band — Annie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
The Essential Collection – British Dance Bands, Avid, AVC 869 -
Count Basie and Tony Bennett — Life Is A Song
Together At Last – A Perfect Combination, Jasmine, JASCD 482 -
Jean Sablon Avec Accompagnement D’orchestre — Cette Chanson Est Pour Vous, Madame
Jazz Á La Gitane Vol 4: Cherchez La Femme!, Saga, 983 977-2 -
Johnny Long and his Orchestra — In A Shanty In Old Shanty Town
“Big Bands Of The Swingin’ Years, Legacy, 1102965 -
Rebecca Kilgore — I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
Becky Kilgore’s ‘Remembrance Of Maxine Sullivan’, Audiophile, ACD 308 -
Mel Tormé — You’re A Heavely ThingMel Tormé – Jazz & Velvet, Proper, PROPERBOX 73 -
Barbara Rosene — Oo-Oo-Ooh! Honey What You Do To Me/Ooh! That Kiss
‘It Was Only A Sun Shower’ B.R. & Her New Yorkers, Stomp Off, STOMP OFF CD 1422 -
Janis Carnes — Ooh! What You Said
Hoagy ‘N’ Me: Janis Carnes Sings Hoagy Carmichael, Peer Southern Productions, 658489128120 -
Charioteers — Ooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty
Hot Harmony Groups 1932-1951: Viddle De Vop Vol 2., Acrobat, ACRCD 205 -
Billie Holiday — What A Little Moonlight Can DoThe Essential Collection: Billie Holiday, Avid, AVC 911
Broadcast
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Sun 28 Jun 200921:00
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