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Doodle-De-Doo to The Ho-Ho Song: All life is here!

Russell Davies has music from Jo Stafford and Julie London, both with songs titled Make Love to Me, a salute to Woody Herman and tracks by Billie Holiday and Maurice Chevalier.

All sorts of musical subjects engage Russell this week - a very minor song from the Twenties adapted by two major late 20th century cabaret artists opens the show and a connection with this to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings leads Russell to a massive hit of the '50s (an adaptation of the old jazz standard, 'Tin Roof Blues' which itself, he reveals, was an adaptation of an older - and ruder - song from the earliest days of Jazz in New Orleans). But the title wasn't new in 1954 - it had already been used a dozen years earlier so we hear Jo Stafford and Julie London singing two quite different songs called 'Make Love To Me'. The composer of the 2nd one also wrote a hit for Dickie Valentine and a much earlier one for Artie Shaw's orchestra, both of which Russell introduces - before moving to another bandleader, whose centenary falls this week.

In salute, Russell picks Woody Herman's 'Lemon Drop' (a wild one by the band), 'Louise' sung by Woody himself - and Woody's later band accompanying Frank Sinatra at Madison Square Garden in Jim Croce's 'Bad, Bad Leroy Brown'. A discovery that Frank was a Jeri Southern fan presents an opportunity to play her smouldering version of Rodgers and Hart's 'Dancing On The Ceiling' and, from the same period, as a birthday salute to composer Burt Bacharach, Patti Page's 'Keep Me In Mind'. Co-composer of this song, Jack Wolf, is the connection to an unlikely one - Red Buttons and 'The Ho Ho Song' - and also to Billie Holiday's 'I'm A Fool To Want You', which Wolf co-wrote with Joel Herron and Frank Sinatra. Russell wraps up the show with a review of some new releases, playing Maurice Chevalier from a celebration of TV's 'Mad Men' and, from a re-issue of some '60s albums, Jack Jones.

57 minutes

Last on

Sun 12 May 2013 21:00

Music Played

  • Hugh Shannon & Blossom Dearie

    Doodle-De-Doo

    鈥淗ugh Shannon & Blossom Dearie 鈥 Disgustingly Rich鈥

    • Harlequin (US).
    • HQ 703.
  • Jo Stafford

    Make Love To Me

    鈥淛o Stafford: Make Love To Me 鈥 Her 54 Finest 1942-53鈥

    • Retrospective Records.
    • RTS 4112.
  • Julie London

    Make Love To Me

    鈥淛ulie London: Lonely Girl / Make Love To Me (2 Lps)鈥

    • Capitol.
    • 7243 5 41668 2 2.
  • Dickie Valentine

    The Finger Of Suspicion

    鈥淗its Of 鈥55: The Fabulous Fifties 鈥 Moments To Remember鈥

    • Living Era (Sanctuary Records).
    • CD AJA 5555.
  • Artie Shaw and His Orchestra

    They Say

    鈥淪weeter As The Years Go By 鈥 Helen Forrest W. Artie Shaw鈥

    • Jasmine.
    • JASMCD 2550.
  • Woody Herman and His Orchestra

    Lemon Drop

    鈥淭he Woody Herman Story Vol 4: Four Brothers鈥

    • Proper (4 CD Set).
    • P 1160.
  • Woody Herman

    Louise

    鈥淲oody Herman 鈥 Songs For Hip Lovers鈥

    • Verve.
    • 559 872-2.
  • Frank Sinatra with Woody Herman Orchestra

    Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

    鈥淪inatra 鈥 The Main Event From Madison Square Garden鈥

    • Reprise.
    • 7599-27219-2.
  • Jeri Southern

    Dancing On The Ceiling

    鈥淭he Very Thought Of You: Jeri Southern 鈥 The Decca Years鈥

    • Decca/GRP.
    • GRP 06712.
  • Patti Page

    Keep Me In Mind

    鈥淧atti Page: Another Time 鈥 Another Place鈥

    • Jasmine.
    • JASBOX 30-4.
  • Red Buttons

    The Ho Ho Song

    鈥淩ed Buttons, Barbara Cook On Us Television 鈥

    • Sepia.
    • Sepia 1125.
  • Billie Holiday

    I'm A Fool To Want You

    鈥淏illie Holiday 鈥 Lady In Satin 鈥

    • Columbia Legacy.
    • CK 65144.
  • Maurice Chevalier

    Sweepin' The Clouds Away

    鈥淭he Many Moods Of Mad Men鈥 (Music From Us Tv Series)

    • Fantastic Voyage.
    • FVDD159.
  • Jack Jones

    Sunshine, Lollipops And Rainbows

    Jack Jones: Our Song / For The 鈥業n鈥 Crowd

    • Zone Records.
    • Zone 1018.

Broadcast

  • Sun 12 May 2013 21:00