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31/05/2009

Spotlighting three female balladeers who surfaced in the fifties - Lucy Reed, Audrey Morris and Paula Castle.

It was a surprise to find how many songs with bona fide vocal choruses (as opposed to instrumentals) there were with Benny Goodman's name attached, even if the attachment may have been more economic than artistic. But we don't begrudge Benny's name on Don't Be That Way and Stompin' At The Savoy for it was he, more than any other performing artist, who gave these and other songs their permanence.

We've mentioned before the erroneous crediting of songs and in the case of Benny's signature tune, a grave injustice is done - by Gregory Stone and Joseph Bonime to the originator of that familiar melody Let's Dance - for it is merely a disguised translation into four-four time of the main waltz theme in Carl Maria Von Weber's 1811 composition, Invitation To The Dance Op. 65.

Our appeal for further "grudging love-songs" (of which we ourselves came up with another this week - "Until The Real Thing Comes Along") has elicited quite a flurry of suggestions though none that we consider properly reluctant yet loving: Plenty of cheerful "hate" songs were offered but that's another category. Nearest, perhaps, is one put forward by Blair Miller - You're Awful (from On The Town) but this, with its deceptive starts to sentences ("You're nothin'" "You're frightening" and so on), simply goes on to laud the subject in the usual way ("..Awful good to look at.." "nothin' if not dazzling..") so hardly a reluctant, half-hearted admirer!

1 hour

Last on

Sun 31 May 2009 21:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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24/05/2009

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07/06/2009

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Music Played

  • Frank Sinatra

    Don't Be That Way

    • Sinatra Swings….
    • Reprise.
    • 7599-27018-2.

  • The Modernaires W. Sonny Burke Orch

    Let's Dance

    • The Modernaires.
    • Coral.
    • Q 72135.

  • Benny Goodman Orchestra: Billie Holiday, Vocal

    Your Mother's Son-In-Law

    • Benny Goodman 1931-1935: 2 Cd Set..
    • Timeless.
    • CBC 1-065.

  • Nat King Cole

    Until The Real Thing Comes Along

    • Tell Me All About Yourself / The Touch Of Your Lips.
    • Capitol/EMI.
    • 7243 8 55390 2 2.

  • Judy Garland

    Stompin' At The Savoy

    • Judy Garland: Over The Rainbow.
    • Avid.
    • AVC 536.

  • Benny Goodman Orchestra/Jimmy Rushing, Vocal

    He Ain't Got Rhythm

    • Benny & The Singers Fine Collection: 12 Singers.
    • Memoir.
    • CDMOIR 516.

  • Benny Goodman With Rosemary Clooney

    It's Bad For Me

    • BG Complete 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert Plus.
    • Avid.
    • AMBX 151 (4 Cd Set).

  • Rosemary Clooney W. The Benny Goodman Trio

    Memories Of You

    • BG Complete 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert Plus.
    • Avid.
    • AMBX 151 (4 Cd Set).

  • Peggy Lee & Benny Goodman - That Did It, Marie

  • Peggy Lee and George Shearing - If Dreams Come True

  • Frankie Laine

    If Dreams Come True

    • One For My Baby / Mr Rhythm.
    • Collectables.
    • COL-CD 6058.

  • Bobby Troup

    Jamboree Jones

    • Bobby Troup Sings Troup, Mercer & More.
    • Jasmine.
    • JASCD 648.

  • Voice Trek

    Take Five

    • An A Cappella Trek.
    • Club House Records.
    • VT 52005.

  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Wait Till You See Her

    • Ella Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook.
    • Verve.
    • MGV 4002-2.

  • The Venuti-Lang All Stars

    After You've Gone

    • Benny Goodman-Jack Teagarden: BG & Big T In NYC.
    • GRP/MCA.
    • GRP 16092.

Broadcast

  • Sun 31 May 2009 21:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2