(above) header tab 5 generation browse demonstration: Page Index > Songbook site index > Songwriter > Songwriters to 1954 > Berlin, Irving > Berlin pages (11) — correction: The page Irving Berlin: selected songs of 1909 and 1910is now included in the Berlin drop down index.
ZOOMChat #1, 17 April 2020 — host Pablo Velez, Jr. (1999), with guests Jay Schertzer (1972-1973), Bernadette Yao (1972-73), Kenny Yates (2000, 2001), Frances Domond (2001), and Kaleigh Cronin (2001, 2002)
.
The Dr. Joe Show — Dr. Joe Shrand podcast, with assistant Mark Stiles and guests
ZOOM was one my favorite TV shows in the early 1970s, and the cast of season 1 was a great team.They sang and danced as if they meant it. They played and laughed together, and sometimes shared each other’s sorrows and concerns in ZOOMraps.
I remember being heartbroken and in disbelief when I learned that all of the original seven weren’t to return for season two. How could you just break them up? I’m sure that I cried about it. My memory is that the album Playgrounds, featured in the Always Friends page, came out well into season 2 of the series, when even the three remaining originals who had carried over to the beginning of season 2 were gone.
Somehow I’d heard the song “Always Friends” back in 1973, though I’d never bought the album. Might have been too expensive. I don’t recall whether I heard it played on PBS to advertise the album or whether it was played on the radio. The song was beautiful, but to me it was also a deeply cutting reminder of the heartbreak of learning that the original seven were not coming back, apparently gone from my life, and perhaps from each others lives as well, forever, or so it seemed…
We really do belong a team And we had the simple dream That we wouldn’t have to break apart
I hadn’t heard the song for well over forty years before coming across it again a few years ago.
If you’re a fan of the early ZOOM series, and particularly of the inaugural 1972 season, then don’t miss the March 4th Dr. Joe Show episode featuring a reunion of four of the seven cast members of that first season. Tommy White joins Dr. Joe Shrand and his assistant Mark Stiles in the studio while they connect to two others by phone, Tracy Tannebring calling in from Plano, Texas and Kenny Pires calling from Hampton, Virginia.
With the quorum moderated by Dr. Joe, they each take turns telling their personal stories of how they were chosen to be members of the first ZOOM cast, and the four share variously funny and touching stories of their experiences while engaged in creating the weekly episodes of the show. However, to me the highlight of the show was a blessing given by Kenny starting at about the 25 minute point, which I’ve transcribed below.
You know what the most special thing is, from the show, is that we were kids…and we met…we were from all walks of life…all over the place, and to this day, however many…I don’t even wanna know what the years are, I’m not gonna mention that…but we are still friends, to this day…and we haven’t, you know, a lot of us haven’t talked (um) through those years or whatever, and we’ve met for the reunions, and some of us have been there and some of us haven’t, but it doesn’t matter, because we had a special thing, back in the day…and I love them all. And we love each other so much to where, you know, it doesn’t matter how long we haven’t been together, when we get together again it’s like we weren’t apart.
So, seems like we were meant to be And I guess the world can see Nothing can be done to change this heart And so, even as the music ends We remain just like the start Always friends
ZOOM, original cast — from season 1 (1972) of the educational TV show ZOOM, produced by WGBH-TV in Boston and aired on PBS; possibly from the 9 January 1972 series premiere
original season 1 (1972) cast members: Nina Lillie, Kenny Marshall Pires, Jon Reuning, Tracy Tannebring Schulman, Joe Shrand, Nancy Tates, Tommy White
(below) alternate version, evidently from a later season 1 (1972) episode, featuring “other ways of getting rid of the invincible cat” that had been sent in by Zoom viewers who had seen the above version
1960 – At Last (Etta James version), Get Well Soon, P.S. I Love You (Starlets version), White Christmas (Statues version), You Belong to Me (Santo & Johnny version)
1961 – Can’t Help Falling in Love, Come Home Soon, Daddy’s Home, I Love How You Love Me, A Moment Ago, My True Story, A Sunday Kind of Love (Mystics version), Till (Angels version), Tragedy (Fleetwoods version)
1962 – Bring It On Home to Me, Cry Baby Cry, Don’t Make Me Over, The End of the World, Surfer Girl, You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me
1963 – Anyone Who Had a Heart, Go Now, I’d Die, In My Room
links: selected articles, forum threads, and videos on 12/8 time (bottom of page)
For items in the list in which a specific recording of a song is indicated, in each case this marks the first recording of the song in 12/8 or 6/8 time that I’ve identified. For all other songs in the list, the original recording is in 12/8 or 6/8 time time.
The Fleetwoods — issued in March 1961 on the single Dolton No. 40, b/w “Little Miss Sad One” – The title of this post, “Blown by wind, kissed by snow,” is how that line is sung in the 1958 recording of “Tragedy” by Thomas Wayne with The DeLons, and in various covers. In the 1961 Fleetwoods recording, the line is “Blown by wind, kissed by the snow.”
Happy holidays, folks! Wishing each of you all the best this holiday season. May your days be full of cheer and joyous celebration, or quiet contemplation, as is your wont.
The page is an extension of the previously published page “Earth Angel” to “Good Timin'”: doc’s pick of 12/8 and 6/8 time songs, 1954-1978. The new page is focused on a portion of the period covered in the parent page, and includes a recording of each featured song or recording in this portion. For items in the selected list in which a specific recording of a song is indicated, in each case this marks the first recording of the song in 12/8 or 6/8 time that I’ve identified. For all other songs in the list, the original recording is in 12/8 or 6/8 time.
songs and specific recordings included in the new page:
1956 – Blueberry Hill (Fats Domino version), In the Still of the Night, My Prayer (Platters version), One Night (Smiley Lewis), A Thousand Miles Away, The Way You Look Tonight (Jaguars version)
1958 – 16 Candles, Donna, Ebb Tide (Avalons version), I’m So Young, It’s All in the Game (Tommy Edwards version), It’s Only Make Believe, Since I Don’t Have You, Tears on My Pillow, To Know Him Is to Love Him
links: selected articles, forum threads, and videos on 12/8 time (bottom of page 2)
The plan is to eventually publish two more parts to cover the remaining years (1960-1978) of the original page, with each part to include about twenty recordings.
from popular post by Curtis Lindsay, pianist, composer: I have seen printed arrangements in 4/4, with The Animals’ guitar strumming notated as triplets; I’ve also seen it in 6/8 and, less often, in 12/8 — which is actually the most logical choice to my mind, given the phrase structure, harmonic rhythm, and typical groove family.
The following articles have been modified in the past month or so. In some cases, articles that were previously presented in two separate parts have been condensed to a single article with multiple pages. In other cases, long single page articles were split up into multiple page articles to improve loading times. In every case, links to all pages in the article are found at the bottom of each page.
The page The Gumm Sisters on film, 1929-30 and 1935 was also recently revised. Among the changes were corrections to my transcription of the song “Blue Butterfly” and inclusion of a couple of additional 1929 recordings of that song.
Today’s post features the lyric of the song “So It’s Spring,” written by Tommy Wolf (music) and Wayne Arnold (words). I’d been unable to find the lyric online so I decided to transcribe the words myself, a job which I completed late last night before retiring. The lyric is found below the video in the post, and has also been added to my page on the song, which I’d published about a year ago. That page is here: So It’s Spring.
The earliest recording of “So It’s Spring” that I’m aware of is that released on the 1958 Tommy Wolf album Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most, Fraternity Records F-1010. The album was recorded on 5 & 6 September 1957, and features a trio consisting of Tommy Wolf (piano, vocals), Monty Budwig (bass), and Shelly Manne (drums). Other recordings include the following:
Jackie & Roy with Bill Holman’s Orchestra, released on the 1958 album Free and Easy!, ABC-Paramount ABC-207
Carol Lawrence with orchestra conducted by Harry Betts, released on the 1962 album This Heart of Mine, album produced by Jackie Mills and Tommy Wolf
Ed Vodicka & Friends, released on the 1987 CD album Portfolio, Best Recordings BR89-512
These are actually the only four recordings of the song that I’ve yet found.
When the snow and the sleet are done And the woolens are put away Everyone shouts hooray! It’s spring, hooray!
But I never have figured out What the hullabaloo’s about Why do the people shout Hooray! hooray!
I don’t give a tooralay If it’s April, March, or May This is what I’ve got to say
chorus:
1 So it’s gonna be spring, so what? So it’s spring Is that good? When I walk through the park I just walk through the park And go home to my own little bed
2 So the bird’s on the wing, so what? I should care Let it wing All that passionate cooing The pigeons are doing Don’t matter a smidgen Unless you’re a pigeon I’m not, and so what if it’s spring
3 Each bud that is bursting in bloom Unfolds to the delicate bee And though such hocus-pocus May tickle a crocus It’s kind of revolting to me
4 Gee, so it’s gonna be spring, so what? So it’s spring Nitchevo If you’re only a guy with a gleam in his eye And with no one exciting for hand-to-hand fighting It might as well be Halloween See what I mean! So it’s spring
(repeat 3) Each bud that is bursting in bloom Unfolds to the delicate bee And though such hocus-pocus May tickle a crocus It’s kind of revolting to me
(repeat 4, with variation) Yes, it’s gonna be spring, so what? So it’s spring Nitchevo If you’re only a guy with a gleam in his eye And with no one exciting for hand-to-hand fighting It might as well be Halloween See what I mean So it’s spring!
~ lyric transcribed by Jim Radcliff (doc), 7 April 2019, from the 1957 Tommy Wolf recording
Today’s new page is on the song “Like a Breath of Springtime,” written by Joe Burke (music) and Al Dubin (words). The song was copyrighted on 20 May 1929 and used in the 1929 romance film Hearts in Exile, which is considered a lost film.
1929 recordings include those by Roy Ingraham and his Orchestra, Harold “Scrappy” Lambert, Henry Busse and his Orchestra (vocal: Burt Lorin), Sam Lanin Orchestra (vocal: Marvin Young), Pete Woolery, and Adrian Schubert and his Salon Orchestra (vocal: Scrappy Lambert). “Burt Lorin” is a pseudonym for Scrappy Lambert, so Lambert is the vocalist on three of the seven recordings included in the page. Most, if not all, of these recordings were released under the copyright title “Like a Breath of Spring-Time.” I’ve modified the spelling of the last word of the title to conform with modern usage. Here’s a link to the new page:
A verse is sung in the 15 September 1929 Scrappy Lambert recording, as well as in the Pete Woolery and Sam Browne recordings, preceding the chorus. I’d been unable to find the full verse online, so I made the following transcription on 22 March 2019:
Winter blows its breath on the low lands Over every green covered glen All in vain I’ve wandered the snow lands Looking for the sunshine again, then…
Recordings included in the page::
Roy Ingraham and his Orchestra — recorded on 5 August 1929; issued on the 78 rpm single Brunswick 4544, b/w “Deep in the Arms of Love” (w.m. Lou Davis, Roy Ingraham)
Harold “Scrappy” Lambert — recorded 15 September 1929 and issued on the 78 rpm single Brunswick 4556, c/w “When The Real Thing Comes Your Way”
Henry Busse and his Orchestra, vocal: Burt Lorin (pseudonym of Harold “Scrappy” Lambert) — recorded on 20 September 1920; issued 8 November 1929 the 78 rpm single Victor 22140, b/w “Since I Found You” (m. Ray Perkins, w. Herman Ruby) — In the UK, the recording was issued in January 1930 on the B-side of HMV B 5751, the A-side being a recording of “Sunny Side Up” by Johnny Hamp’s Kentucky Serenaders.
Sam Lanin Orchestra, vocal: Marvin Young (pseudonym of Irving Kaufman)– recorded on 26 September 1929 (Columbia matrix W149055); issued on the 10-inch 78 rpm single Harmony 1018-H, c/w “Melancholy”
Pete Woolery, accompanied by violin and piano — recorded on 9 October 1929 (Columbia matrix W149069); issued on Columbia 2004-D, c/w “Deep in the Arms of Love” (w.m. Lou Davis, Roy Ingraham)
Adrian Schubert and his Salon Orchestra, vocal: Harold “Scrappy” Lambert — recorded on 1 November 1929; issued on the following US singles (all except Banner 507, c/w the Irving Berlin song “To Be Forgotten”):
(US) Pathe 37066 – as Adrian Schubert and His Salon Orchestra, acc. to Henry König; as Adrian Schubert SO, acc. 78discography.com
Domino 4447 – as Russ Carlson and His Dance Orchestra, acc. to Henry König, as Adrian Schubert Society Orchestra, acc. 78discography.com
Banner 507 – as Russ Carlson and His Dance Orchestra, acc. to Henry König; as Russ Carlson’s Dance Orchestra, acc. to 78discography.com — c/w “A Waltz That Brings a Memory,” by Willie Creager and his Orchestra
also issued on the French Pathé label on the following single:
Pathé X. 6300, b/w “Lady Luck” (Ray Parkins) – as House Orchestra
Sam Browne — issued on 30 October 1930 on the 78 rpm single (UK) Edison Bell Radio 1388, as the B-side of “Dancing with Tears in My Eyes” (m. Joe Burke, w. Al Dubin)
_________________________
Other recordings that I haven’t found yet include those by Dr. Eugene Ormandy’s Salon Orchestra, OKeh 41319, 17 September 1929; Debroy Somers Band, (UK) Columbia CB 90, 2 June 1930; as well as several others by British dance bands and vocalists.
Today I published a short page on the song “In the Spring of the Year,” with music by Alec Wilder and words by Lee Kuhn, including the only four recordings of the song that I’ve found so far. According to WilderWorld podcast 129 the song was written in 1947. However, the copyright date is 20 April 1949. I’ve included a transcription of the lyric that I did today using the 1951 Lee Kuhn recording. In other versions, the order of sections vary, as do the number of times certain sections are sung. Here’s a link to the new page:
In the Spring of the Year (m. Alec Wilder, w. Lee Kuhn)
~lyric transcribed by doc on 30 March 2019, from the 1951 Lee Kuhn recording
In the spring of the year All of a sudden The bloomin’ and buddin’ Get into your blood ‘n’ you sing Not a sigh do you hear in the spring Of the year
In the spring of the year Some hocus-pocus Induces the crocus To blossom and grow ’cause it’s spring There’s a magic that’s queer in the spring Of the year
Birds are singier Vines are clingier Bells are ringier too The sun is sunnier Bees are honeyer Rabbits are bunnier too
In the spring of the year Folks get an itchin’ For wooin’ and hitchin’ Bewitchin’ to beggar and king For the fling of the year in the spring Of the year
Trees are sappier Wings are flappier Laughs are laughier too The moon is moonier Tunes are tunier Dreams are balloonier too
About the site
1890-1899 selected hits and standards
