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05/09/2010

Russell Davies celebrates the art, craft and inspiration of the popular song. Tonight's musical mix includes Duke Ellington, Andy Williams, Rita Reys and Walter Huston.

The arrival of September prompts a wish for an Indian Summer, courtesy of Singers Unlimited and Victor Herbert & Al Dubin's 1940 hit. Russell notes that also in 1940, on this day September 5th, Duke Ellington recorded Five O'Clock Whistle.

September is also the pseudonym of a songwriter who wrote Andy Williams' only hit single - Butterfly. Andy also recorded the much more complex Pretty Butterfly and Russell notes the long history of butterfly songs, often linked to Puccini's opera, and explains the origin of the 1916 evergreen Poor Butterfly. We hear Rita Reys' version.

After Michelle Pfeiffer's famous piano-top version of Makin' Whoopee, Russell introduces a sequence of tenuously-linked songs - It Might Be You, It Had To Be You, Ooh! Maybe It's you, It's You Or No-One, ending up with It's You. Finally, after a review of a new release of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, we conclude with the timeless version, by Walter Huston, of Kurt Weill's September Song.

1 hour

Last on

Sun 5 Sep 2010 21:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2

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29/08/2010

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19/09/2010

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Music Played

  • The Singers Unlimited

    Indian Summer

    β€œThe Singers Unlimited: Magic Voices” (7 CD Set)

    • MPS.
    • 539 133-2.

  • Duke Ellington Orchestra: Ivie Anderson, Vocal

    The Five-O-Clock Whistle

    Duke Ellington: The Blanton-Webster Band

    • Bluebird-RCA Victor-BMG.
    • 82876 50857 2.

  • Andy Williams

    Butterfly

    β€œHits Of ’57: All Shook Up”

  • Andy Williams - Pretty Butterfly

    β€œIn The Lounge With…Andy Williams”

  • Rita Reys

    Poor Butterfly

    β€œJazz Pictures At An Exhibition: Rita Reys”

    • Philips.
    • UCCU 5501.

  • Michelle Pfeiffer

    Makin' Whoopee

    β€œThe Fabulous Baker Boys” Original S’track:

    • GRP.
    • 2002-2.

  • Alan Bergman

    It Might Be You

    β€œAlan Bergman – Lyrically”

    • Verve.
    • 000889002.

  • Petula Clark

    It Had To Be You

    Petula Clark & Joe Henderson β€œPartners In Music”

    • Sepia.
    • SEPIA 1088.

  • Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra

    Ooh! Maybe It's You

    Paul Whiteman – Original 1927 Recordings

    • Nostalgia Arts.
    • NOCD 3006.

  • Bobby Darin

    It's You Or No-One

    Beyond The Sea: The Very Best Of Bobby Darin

    • WEA.
    • WSMCD 183.

  • The Boswell Sisters

    It's You

    The Boswell Sisters Collection Vol 1: 1931-32

    • Collector’s Classics.
    • COCD-21.

  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Manhattan

    β€œElla – Best Of The ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Vaults

    • ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Voyage.
    • None.

  • Walter Huston

    September Song

    Kurt Weill: From Berlin To Broadway Vol 1

    • Pearl.
    • GEMM CDS 9189.

Broadcast

  • Sun 5 Sep 2010 21:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2