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Last broadcast on Sun, 4 Oct 2009, 21:00 on BBC Radio 2.
Synopsis
The coming of autumn, a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, has Russell searching for some of the off-beat songs that Tin Pan Alley and Hollywood have produced on the subject of apples. These include Harold Arlen (In The Shade Of The New Apple Tree), Jo Stafford (Apple Blossom Time), Betty Grable (May I Tempt You To A Big Red Rosy Apple?), The Mills Brothers (Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider) and others.
Russell also introduces us to singer Fiona Apple, gives us an insight into songwriter Sammy Cahn's way of working; and pays tribute to the recently departed singer Chris Connor.
This Week's Show
We touched on one of Sammy Cahn’s special phobias this week – his touchiness about using a title that’s been used before and this recalled, for us, a marvellous exposé carried out, on air, by the late, great Dick Vosburgh. It was in one of Dick’s quirky specials for Radio 2, a show called “Don’t Believe A Word Of It”: Dick played that portion of an interview where Cahn proclaimed most forcefully that he’d ‘always respect the title’ and would never dream of ever using even a portion of an existing one. Whereupon Dick proceeded, throughout the show, to introduce us to songs that Sammy wrote, followed by earlier songs by others - with the identical title! Gottler & Nicholls’ “Day By Day”, for instance – 14 years before Sammy’s. Others included ‘Time After Time’, ‘Some Other Time’, ‘There Goes That Song Again’ ‘I’ll Never Stop Loving You’ and ‘Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are’. How we miss you, Dick!
Our hunt for apples in song revealed plenty we’d not come across before – the little gem from “Wabash Avenue” was one – and we felt we’d just scratched the surface: We had no songs about Eve and the Apple, for instance and we know that Old Apple Tree has many more songs about it: Doris Day sang ‘I’m Still Sitting Under The Old Apple Tree’ and there’s one that Frank Crumit sang called ‘The Old Apple Tree’ that’s far too grim for us! Do you know of one that you’d like to bring to our attention? Let us know if you do – and we may include it if we produce another crop.
The Theme This Week: Apples!
Recommendations
A fine memento of the talents of the late Chris Connor is to be found on the Fresh Sound release “Chris Connor, Her complete Bethlehem Recordings” which gathers together on 2 CDs all her work for that label between December 1953 and April 1955 in varied company: There are 6 tracks with Sy Oliver’s orchestra but the bulk of the accompaniments here are by small groups – Ellis Larkins’ Trio, Vinnie Burke’s Quartet and Ralph Sharon’s Quintet. The material is predominantly in a reflective mood, though there are some up-tempo numbers too. The number is FSR-CD 454, see Fresh Sounds website above.
From just a generation earlier, Jo Stafford, is today, very well represented in the catalogues with Proper, JSP and Jasmine all boasting fat (and cheap!) boxed sets. We found her “I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Timer” on JSP’s “Her Greatest Hits, Expertly re-mastered” which boasts 108 classic sides cut between 1939 and 1956: “The Original Pied Pipers, Tommy Dorsey & Other Early Recordings”, “Wartime V-Discs, Airchecks, Solos, Collaborations”, “Hits & Best Sellers” and “Pops, Jazz Standards & Showtunes”. It’s on JSP 950. Proper’s set is chronological, from 1940 to 1950 with the advantage of a 39 page booklet (Properbox 36) while the latest addition, a new release this month from Jasmine – “Jo Stafford: Reflections” has more later sides than the others, includes the sessions with the Thurl Ravenscroft Quartet and many of Jo’s semi-religious recordings. That’s on JASBOX 22-4.
Tracklist
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Bing Crosby — Pocketful Of DreamsChronological Bing July – December 1938
Jonzo, JZCD 23 -
Frank Sinatra — Pocketful Of MiraclesSinatra’s Sinatra Arr. Cond. Nelson Riddle
Reprise, 7599-27025-2 -
Fiona Apple — Why Try To Change Me Now
The Best Is Yet To Come – Songs Of Cy Coleman
New West Records, NWA3046 -
Maude Maggart & Fiona Apple — It’s Only A Paper Moon
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Harold Arlen — In The Shade Of The New Apple Tree
Harold Sings Arlen (With Friend)
Columbia, 474902 2 -
Jo Stafford — I’ll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
Jo Stafford’s Greatest Hits Expertly Re-Mastered
JSP, JSP950b -
Blossom Dearie — Wnchester In Apple-Blossom Time
“Blossom Dearie Volume 1v”
Daffodil Records, LXCY 6234 -
The Mills Brothers — Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider
The Mills Brothers Chronological Volume 3
JSP, JSPCD 303 -
Betty Grable & Cast “Wabash Avenue” — May I Tempt You With A Big, Red, Rosy Apple
Betty Grable – More From The Pin-Up Girl
Jasmine, JASCD 137/8 -
Bob Merrill — My Truly Truly Fair
Bob Merrill – And Then I Wrote
Jasmine, JASCD 513 -
Chris Connor — I Hear Music
Chris Connor: Complete Bethlehem Recordings
Fresh Sound, FSR-CD 454 -
Chris Connor — I Guess I’ll Hang Mt Tears Out To Dry
Chris Connor: I Wonder What Became Of Me
London, HAK 2066 -
Barbra Streisand & Harold Arlen — Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead
Harold Sings Arlen (With Friend)
Columbia, 474902 2
Broadcast
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Sun 4 Oct 200921:00
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