Song stories

The "Stardust" Story

The song "Stardust" was and probably still is, the most recorded song
of all time. It has an introduction that is a song unto itself and has
been recorded that way. It’s a beautiful song. Its author, Hoagy
Carmichael, was a song-writing college student. One late evening he was
leaving school for home--realizing there was something musical
bothering him. The local private hangout was closed. Still, he saw the
manager in there and beckoned him and begged him to let him at the
piano briefly, because he had a tune running through his head. The
manager said no but Hoagy begged and the guy relented and let him in.
Hoagy went to the piano and immediately developed the basics of a tune
that would become "Stardust." So we have a bartender to thank for that
song. Hoagy knew he would lose it if he didn't 'get it down' right
away. "Get it down, man. Get it down on paper, on a recorder, but get
it down. You don't get it down, it can slip away from
you--you can lose it." Duke Ellington.

The "Danke Schoen" Story

In 1959, Bobby Darin sang what is probably the all-time blockbuster
hit. It charted #1 for 22 weeks. Everybody loved it. It wasn't possible
to scan a radio dial without hearing it at least once. It was a truly
amazing song brought to life by a truly amazing singer. It was "Mack
the Knife," a grizzly story about "Jack the ripper" stuff. Still,
everyone loved it. The song
was written by the musical director of "The Three Penny Opera," Kurt Weill, whose
wife, Lotte Lenya, sang it in the production--hence the tribute in the list of 'hookers.'
It was originally "Polly Peachem."
Later Frank Sinatra gave the good song a stab--it was awful--Frank the
"Boss," couldn't outdo Bobby Darin in any kind of singing! In fact,
Bobby Darin is probably our best singer of all time. Take a listen to a
Darin big band album!
In 1963 things were a bit quiet in the spring--Vaughn Meader, Kingston
Trio, Peter, Paul , and what's-her-name. But the following was going on
elsewhere.
Bobby Darin was readying his next song when he found his health failing...
with life-long heart problems--at 27! After a while he invited a very young Wayne
Newton to his house. He told Wayne he was giving him his next song. And
played an old slow German dirge for Wayne. Wayne was amazed and said
"Bobby, I can't sing that shit." Darin responded "Oh? Come in here" (to
Darin's personal recording studio.) There he played Newton a fully
orchestrated upbeat version of the "dirge." Then Wayne was really
amazed and graciously accepted the song. It was Darin's talent to see
that this prepubescent kid could sing it right. And he was right. The
summer of 1963 was all "Danke Schoen" ONLY---no rival hits at all. It
even would have remained popular except for a curious development: The
hegemony of all music, including early rock was eclipsed with two
savage blows: "I want to Hold Your Hand," and "She loves you, yeah,
yeah,yeah." That pair alone changed everything forever and will likely
never happen again.

The Louis Prima Story

Louis Prima was a jazz singer married to Keely Smith. Both wonderful
singers. They wrote and Louis sang "I Ain't Got Nobody/Just a Gigolo,"
a two-in-one song. It was wonderful. But the point here is brief: In
addition, Louis wrote a song called "Sing Sing Sing." It was long,
haunting, brooding, incredible instrumental song, with Gene Krupa,
Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton and the rest wrapping everything up with
with every musical figure of the style. Benny Goodman played it at his
first Carnage Hall Concert. Today it remains a world classic. Even
jazz-haters love it.

The "Ain't that a Shame" Story

When he was 14, my brother M. particularly liked a popular song, "Ain’t
that a Shame." I was nearly two years older and thought it was very
good but not tops. In 1980, the most underrated US band, "Cheap Trick,"
played it at Budokan in Tokyo. They’d recorded it before, but those
fans put it on charts, It was an amazing version. And about
versions...Pat Boone sang that song, protesting he, a Columbia U.
English student, couldn’t sing "ain’t," and that it must be "isn't".
They did ONE take and Pat himself said "No, 'isn't' ain't it, at
all"--they did more takes and it was a big hit.

The "Rhapsody in Blue" Story
The Gershwin brothers wrote a lot of songs together. Ira wrote lyrics and George composed the tune, usually. "Fascinating Rhythm" was named that when Ira heard George playing the tune. George played piano very very fast--he made his living in the early 1920's playing tunes in the "Five-and-Ten." In those days when you bought a piece of music, there'd be a player there to play it for you before you bought it--not that different from the booths of later years.
One day, George was playing a little ditty he developed, very fast. Ira had something to say to him and started speaking, while George slowed way down but continued the ditty, as musicians do when listening while playing. As they spoke the talented Ira noticed something and asked George to play the little ditty very slow. Neither had any idea that this was the birth of "Rhapsody in Blue," an orchestral piece that would be heard around the world, probably for all time. And it would change Ira's compositions to orchestral pieces, away from the popular stuff that sold in those days.
In 1926 or so, the Gershwins would put on a Carnegie Hall Concert, at which the introduction of that song would be the finale. There was a lot of excitement and the hall was loaded with everyone anticipating a wonderful Gershwin concert. It was a dreary show! Just groaning on an on until the intermission. At intermission there was much murmuring.
After the intermission the show resumed, continuingly dreary and people only hoped for the end. Well they really got it! As the crowd squirmed, a lone clarinet walked to the front stage and introduced the finale with an astonishing hale of beautiful notes all over the range of the clarinet. In about eight solo bars, the crowd was stunned into silence. It was beautiful--so beautiful people forgot the lackluster concert, and "Rhapsody in Blue" became a hit-- and it still is.