A Song A Day

Theme...

2011-04-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

SO, I plan on bringing some sort of method to my madness...but I tend to post sporiadically(sp?) more often than not. Anyway, I hopefully, next week will start doing "Theme Weeks" WHere the songs all mention the same word, are by the same composer, etc. something like that. Here's a random theme song to one of my favorite children's television shows to hold you over until then. And for the record,the guy who pulls the boat in...his hair ALWAYS creeped me out!

You Are My Sunshine.

2011-04-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

I have been in love with this song since I was a toddler. My favorite version is still when my mother sings it. (which she doesn't do as often now) When I discovered a few years ago that Bing Crosby had recorded it in the 40s my mother gained a close second to her first place.

Dream a Little Dream

2011-04-01T18:57:00.000-07:00

Dreams...they're usually connected with love and missing someone in a song. That's all! If I said more, you'd probably need a bucket.

Sunshine Day!

2011-03-31T20:17:00.000-07:00

Forgive me for this post. I've fallen behind here while trying to stay caught up at school. I'm working on 4 hours of sleep right now.

Musical Savants

2011-03-24T20:09:00.000-07:00

These people amaze me with their incredible talents!!

Counterpoint

2011-03-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

Such an old musical nuance.(?) I don't think that's the word I want. Always entertaining to the ears. I will memorize Kermit's part one day!!!

For the Beauty of the Earth

2011-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

The first place I'd ever heard this beautiful hymn was in the movie "Little Women", the one that had Winona Ryder as Jo. I still love the short simple arrangement of the first part of the song in that movie. It's been stuck in my head all day.

Spring!

2011-03-20T18:46:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of Spring (started officially around 7:20pm EST)One of the most beautiful things about spring is that MIDTERMS ARE OVER!!

Here's a link to a lovely song dedicated to the season.

Spring, Spring, Spring!

You Know, Those Artificial Flowers?

2011-03-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know much about this song or the singer....other than there was a biopic made about him not too long ago and I think he died in a plane crash. Anyway, I liked "Splish Splash" when I was younger, and didn't care for it much beyond the age of 10. I've never cared for "Beyond the Sea" probably Bobby Darin's best known song so I didn't consider myself a fan of him or his music. One day in the car when I was listening to a radio station that plays songs from the 40s, 50s, and 60s I heard this song and loved it. I wish they had played it twice! When they named the singer as Bobby Darin I was so surprised. I didn't expect to like anything he did because I'd already chosen not to.
"Artificial Flowers is such an interesting song. It's basically about an orphan girl who got money from making fake flowers, then she dies. Such sad subject matter but such an upbeat song. Give it a listen!!!

Music Jerome Kern Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II

2011-03-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

I read somewhere that when Mrs. Hammerstein over heard someone say how beautiful Jerome Kern's "Ol' Man River" was she turned around and remarked "Jerome Kern wrote 'Dun Dun Dun-Dun' My husband wrote Ol' Man River.

This is one of my absolute favorites. It's from the Broadway musical Show Boat Which opened on December 27th 1927, and was made into a movie in 1936 in which Paul Robeson gavce one of the most famous renditions of this song. Later it was sung by Frank Sinatra in "Till the Clouds Roll By" (1946) a biopic about Jerome Kern. Then in 1951 Showboat was remade and the song was performed by William Warfield. Judy Garland also gave a very powerful performance of this song in the 1960s on her own television series. Here are the latter 4 of those recordings mentioned.

2 Pieces of My Heart

2011-03-10T21:05:00.000-08:00

I always claim the original is best in just about everything. I will stand by that claim in this post. The only time I enjoy anything close to screamy music is when I hear Janis Joplin sing "Piece of My Heart." I think it's because she doesn't come off as just screaming her lungs out in the mic. There is some passion and emotion in in her voice.

Faith Hill recorded the same song and it became a country hit in...I don't even know...looks like the mid 90s. I really just don't like this at all, and I'm not one of those country music haters. It's just that I am a music lover and prefer the original of this song WAY more.
(You tube won't let me embed the vid, so click the link!!! :)
Faith Hill-Piece of My Heart

I'm Old Fashioned, I don't Mind It

2011-03-09T18:28:00.001-08:00

A Gregorian Chant. I think it's amazing how old some of these songs are.

Joe Iturbi's Gettin' Hep

2011-03-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

At Carnegie Hall, the joint jumps and Judy rocks the shoulder pads.

The Ländler

2011-03-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

A beautiful waltz by Mr. Richard Rodgers. I'm not sure if this is the one on the soundtrack...but It's Mr. Rodgers' music, just the same.

Three Little Fishies

2011-03-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

Per request of one of the followers: a song by the Andrews Sisters. I tried to find something rare, hopefully this is, and something fun...well, it made me laugh.

It's a Beautiful Day

2011-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

Theme song of my all time favorite TV show! What's yours?

Snow Time Ain't No time....

2011-03-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

The Garland Sisters

2011-02-26T20:04:00.001-08:00

After a few more rehearsals and a name change they sounded like this.

3 Songs from the 3 Gumm Sisters

2011-02-25T18:05:00.000-08:00

Beautiful. The youngest Gumm, Frances, later changed her name to Judy Garland.

You'll Love Me at Once

2011-02-23T18:32:00.000-08:00

The man who does the voice of the prince is Bill Shirley. He portrayed composer Stephen Foster in the 1952 biopic "I dream of Jeannie" which has nothing whatsoever to do with the television series. On the subject of a series...I'm planning on doing a series of Stephen Foster posts on here once I do some readong on the subject. I've read one really old biography just for fun about 5 or 6 years ago, and would like to read it again.

There's No Place Like Home

2011-02-21T20:00:00.001-08:00

Just got back to my home today after visiting my other home. :) This was so me yesterday...the tears. I love both my homes.

When Your Heart is in Your Dreams

2011-02-18T19:57:00.000-08:00

Keeping along with the Disney theme. I Love the beginning of this song before the singing starts. And the voice, Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards is absolutely unmistakeable.

Whistle While You Work!

2011-02-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

My friend is cleaning her room. Happily ever after...

It's My Heart

2011-02-15T19:15:00.001-08:00

I missed Valentine's Day. Here's 2 to make up. Sort of.

Take 1 Bing Crosby, add 1 Irving Berlin song, 1 Pretty girl, and 1 Reel of film. The Sum: Beautiful.

And how does it look colorized?

But What it Pours!!

2011-02-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Family coming down with the flu, furnace stops working, no heat or hot water...etc. You get the idea.

Recut

2011-02-12T19:05:00.001-08:00

Well, I didn't have the most marvelous day today. Most of my days are pretty good, but like everyone...I hit a bump in the road once in a while. I started watching The Sound of Music because I ALWAYS watch it when I'm feeling bad. I know, I know... ♪♪And then I don't feel so bad.♪♪ When I looged on to make a post here I started looking for a song from The Sound of Music but realized I poseted a couple not too long ago. So I looked at the suggested videos and saw one of the SOM horror trailers. It was pretty funny. There are quite a few different ones so I watched about 5 I think. Insted of posting a song today I'm gonna post my two favorite "Recut Sound of Music Horror Trailers"

Funny Girl & Judy

2011-02-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

WEll, I watched funny girl, the movie was alright but it didn't make me a Barbra fan. I guess the only time I'll ever really enjoy listening to Barbra Streisand is when she's singing with Judy Garland.

Don't Rain on My Parade!

2011-02-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

I'm going to watch Funny Girl for the FIRST time tomorrow!

Buttons and Bows

2011-02-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Because I like , and because it won an Oscar, and because he doesn't use autotune.
it

How Very Special are We?

2011-02-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

Regadless of the stuff that's out there today, music wise. we are SO lucky that there was an era where there were so many beautiful songs written, even this one from Charlotte's Web (The 1973 animated version with Debbie Reynolds) is just so pretty, and fairly recent comapared to most of what I listen to. The music in this film was supervised, arranged, and conducted by Irwin Kostal. He's the same guy that conducted the music in The Sound of Music.

Just think...

2011-02-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a song sung by a Debbie Reynolds. A girl who entered a beauty contest with her friend just for the free blouse and scarf given to all entrants. She won the contest. The prize? A contract with Warner Bros. Studios. Of course she was later loaned to MGM and they bought out her contract and made her a star. The only MGM gal I've had the privelege and pleasure to meet so far.

When You're Smiling.

2011-02-05T18:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know anything about this song except that it's good.

Shall I Tell You....

2011-02-04T17:55:00.000-08:00

Deborah Kerr's vocals were dubbed by Marni Nixon in the 1956 film The King and I. Deborah did part of the singing in a deleted song called "Shall I Tell You What I Think of You?" According to Marni in the liner notes of the CD, she sang the lines with the longer notes for Deborah and actually had a cold during recording which deepened her voice and helped her mimic Deborah's voice even better. See if you can tell who's singing which parts.

Begin the Beguine

2011-02-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

I just started using Pandora radio. This is the first song it played, Begin the Beguine---the Andrews Sisters. Not my favorite, and I don't know much about it. usually I post songs that I've been picking up bits of information on pretty much since I was in the womb. This is nice though. I'm not an itunes person. If I'm gonna own this osng, I've got to have a CD in my hands with the song on it. My search will probably begin very soon.

Edelweiss

2011-02-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

Speaking of the Sound of Music. Here is one of the most beautiful recordings of Edelweiss I've ever heard. Just a little background on the flower and the song: Edelweiss is a small flower that grows high in the mountains, and is very hard to get. Because of this, a person would give Edelweiss to someone to show them how much they truly loved them. --Edelweiss was the last song that lyricist Oscar Hammerstein wrote before he died. thorughout the years, many have mistaken it to be an Austrian song. The sweet timeless melody and heartfelt lyrics have continued to make this a well known and well loved song all over the world.

Snowflakes that Stay...

2011-02-01T07:37:00.000-08:00

On my nose and eyelashes. I just wish they wuoldn't stay on the roads and in m driveway so much.
Interesting thing about this song. This is from the Ooooooriginal (as in 1959) Broadway Cast of The SOund of Music. In the movie, Maria sings My Favorite Things to calm the children during the thunderstorm. In the play, Maris sings it with the nuns to calm her own nerves about leaving the abby to be a governess to seven children. Later during the thunderstorm she sings Lonely Goatherd to the children.

Homework

2011-01-31T18:04:00.000-08:00

I have homework to do tonight. Sometimes I think I would already be successful and well off if I had learned to dance like this:

The Sunny Side of Life.

2011-01-30T15:43:00.000-08:00

Today, it seems like gloom and doom are the main attractions in the news and even everyday conversation, and yes...in modern music (Ha, yes I'm going to sterotype, and NO, you can't make me listen to anything modern.) Look For the Silver Lining, music by the incomparable Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Buddy DeSylva was written in 1919. First made Popular by Marilyn Miller, singing it here, to Joe E. Brown.

It later became well known as sung by Judy Garland, who sang it at a Jerome Kern Memorial, and later in the Jerome Kern biopic, Till the CLouds Roll By. Here is Judy singing Look For the Silver Lining at the Jerome Kern Memorial broadcast.

True Love

2011-01-29T12:49:00.000-08:00

True love...That's what I have for classic musicals. True Love is also the title of an Oscar winning, I believe, song by Cole Porter from High Society (1956) Grace Kelly, yes, that's her voice there, sang a duet with Bing Crosby. While I know many Judy Garland fans have their beef with Grace's Oscar win for The Country Girl, I enjoy her in High Society, and in a couple other movies, which are not musicals. I am willing to give just about any actor/actress a chance to win my admiration. (hence the previous post, somewhat...) When I am in the mood for a simple, soft song and pretty harmony, this is perfect.

Oh [my] Man...

2011-01-28T12:28:00.000-08:00

Oh man, I've given in. Over the past 5 or so years I've had different friends tell me that I NEED to watch Funny Girl. I do not consider myself a Barbra Streisand fan at all. In fact, I'm not ashamed to admint,I can't stand a lot of her songs. I've known who Babra is for a long, long time. And went from tolerating to genuinely enjoying her duet-medley with Judy Garland. But by herself, something lacks...something in her voice, her mannerisms. She sings good, you know, in tune, but still, I just don't like it. But this song is the one that started to give me a change of heart...My Man. In Funny Girl Barbra portrays Fanny Brice, and unlikely lass to become a Ziegfeld girl. When Fanny Brice sang this song in the 1921 Follies, It became associated with her, as Barbra sings here, "forever more!"

Snow!

2011-01-27T12:20:00.000-08:00

The weather up where I am has been...SNOW many many many times over the past couple of weeks. There's probably about 12 inches of snow on the ground still, and that's after quite a bit has melted on the few sunny days there have been. It took me 4 attempts to get in my driveway today, after I slid much of the way too and from school. Here's a song from White Christmas (1954) by Irving Berlin. It's about the nicer activities that can occur in the snow, and please note, driving is not mentioned.

I must mention, as the song says "I want to wash my hands, my face, and hair with snow." I have never done that, and never will.

Here is "Snow"

Out of My Dreams

2011-01-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

I have been away for almost a year. Now I'm going to try to start up again. Ahhh busy life. I have been travelling around just getting things done, growing up, etc. Well, Here's a song that I found is VERY good driving music on the winding, hilly roads where I live. I was listening to the "Out of My Dreams Ballet" from Oklahoma on the way to work one day (not my favorite place to be) and just as I turned into work it reached the point where Laurey Williams screams. I think that Richard Rodgers really fed into past, present, and future when he wrote music. It's like a pair on nice jeans, it goes with just about everything. Here's part of the song:

2010-03-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

Echoooooo....

Well, It's me again...not that anyone's listening. I hope one or two people have stumbled across my little internet abode and found some enjoyment form the songs.

I KNOW I should keep up with posting...but alas...I have fallen behind.

Here. Memory. Betty Buckley.

Beautiful echo at 1:28. Oh I wish I could have been there. JUST beautiful....Imagine her voice from it's own power made it to the back of the theatre and the sound came nback to the stage. SO. POWERFUL. *sigh* I love belting.

Well.....

2010-03-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry....I don't think I'm apologizing to any readers, but I said it just incase my wishful thinking is true. I've taken far too long of a break and have no excuse for it this time.

There is a song that I'll post tomorrow that made me want to post again. but for now. I have a medly of how my brain works--I go on music binges at least once or twice a week and get songs stuck in my head, learn new ones, etc. I do have plenty to post.--
This medley between two legendary belters (Yes legendary, but moreso in theatre and not movies)-Shows how my mind works most of the time. There's always one or two songs running through my head, not always in harmony/with a counter melody, but they're there.Then other songs I get stuck in my head throughout the day will have bits and pieces sung while there is still another song running in my head...None of them actually run into each other. the music stops for a second between songs and then just keeps right on going.

I don't think that made sense. But I hope you find the video entertaining.

- I can't embed it, but the link should work-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG8zxWMPDkM

<3

2010-01-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Harmonies and counter-melodies
Mary Martin and Bing Crosby!!
LOVE IT!

Warning,you will tap your feet.

Well.....I've taken a short vacation

2010-01-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

SO Here,a lovely song...I was hibernating sung to sleep by this i guess

Ahhhhhhhh Frank....
Frank SInatra, Brahms Lullaby--well the first half anyway.

Unexpected

2010-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

(started this last night, the 6th, but got to deep into a conversation with another person, it got too late to finish lol)

1984...modern...for me anyway. But if it was a car, that would make it at least a classic, wouldn't it???

Well, "Unexpected song", from the show "Song and Dance" by Andrew Lloyd Webber really captures everything you hear in a love song from an old musical. The feeling of true love really never change, and when someone ca capture them in a song, that song always seems to be relevent to someone in someway, no matter how old it gets, it remains ageless.

Now, Bernadette Peters, from the show she was "actually in and sang this actual song in the show."

Till There was....Two

2010-01-05T22:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, so yes, in my little intro post I mention that this would basically be old music, and that is exactly what I meant, because today I want to show you a song, two versions. Both of these are quite near and dear to my heart--I love originals of everything, so the original "Music Man"(1962) with RObert Preston, Shirley Jones, and Ron Howard is my favorite, but as far as that goes... I can only listen to Shirley's version of "Till There was You." The main reason being that it's just not a comfortable key for me to sing in. If I am in my room alone watching a musical, I NEED to sing. I go on Music binges where I will listen to and sing with a song over and over for literally hours. Which is what I did today.

I watched the Disney television version of the music man with Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Broderick when it was aired in 2003. This is the versoin of "Till There Was You" that I played constantly on youtube today. I sang right along, except the high notes, (ha, those were not going to happen) "Till There Was You" is a beautiful song that was also recorded by the Beatles (they're too modern, look that up yourself ;) )

Here are the two film versions.

Shirley:

Kristin:

Andrews & Elliott : Simon & Garfunkel

2010-01-04T21:48:00.000-08:00

This unlikely duo of an operatic, showtune singing, English lady, and a pop music singing contralto blend beautifully singing the songs of the duo of Simon and Garfunkel.
Ahhhhhh.....the wonders of a REAL GOOD variety show <3 Those were the days...

I'm Patient as Can Be....sort of

2010-01-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Well, is this a love song? Or one of those ambitious ballad things they throw in at the climax of a show?

Incidently,though i'm not searching terribly hard, I can't find any information about this song. I've found two other songs by the same title, but neither are the "It's Just a Matter of Time" that I'm looking for.
So, I will guess that this song is one of those original French Charles Aznavour songs that was translated into English, but I could be very wrong.

Anyway, it's a nice song...difficult to explain. Ambitious, excited, driven, I suppose.

We'll Meet Again

2010-01-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

I found this song randomly while searching youtube, but it was the Julie Andrews version from the 70s, when she talks about how it was to live in wartime England. i fell in love with the song as soon as I heard it. Especially love that Julie BELTS it!

Turns out(I found this out after surfing youtube for another song one day)that this song sort of "belongs to" another British singer Vera Lynn. Who has an amazing strong voice, seems like a very charming woman in a fairly recent interview.
Enjoy, both this lovely lady's song and her stories.

2010-01-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Alright. I know, I missed a day...I was one minute past midnight when I realized it and that made me think of a new year song that would have suited last night better buuuuut there was a Blue Moon ;)

Well I don't know if anyone has EVER heard this song unless they've seen Bing Crosby in "Holiday Inn" which I believe was released in 1942 and was the movie in which the song "White Christmas" was introduced. The situation in the video may have been better for last night, but the title is still good for the very first (or second) day of the year.

Bing Crosby sings Irving Berlin's "Let's Start the New Year Right"

New Years Eve...

2009-12-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

Nope....I don't want to know "What are you doing?"
But actaully, I'd like to point out, as you may already know it's a blue moon tonight. There is a beautiful song by Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart (the guy he worked with before Oscar Hammerstein) that is called "Blue Moon." I assume that a lot of people have heard this song because it is more well known than most old music. This one would probably be considered a standard rather than just an old song.

It also a song that has a special little place in my heart.

I think the couple of dialogue lines at the beginning are Italian...just a random bit of info lol

The man in the chair is Mickey Rooney, The singer is Mel Torme, and the movie is "Words and Music." The song, as you know, is "Blue Moon."

The end of a year, the end of a decade, and a blue moon...a rare occurance together.
And so sound very cheesy...rare, like the beauty of an old, but well written song, that can stand up to many new years.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2010!

Liza??? SO WHAT!?

2009-12-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright. This lady, for the most part has die hard fans or the people who can't stand her and constantly, unjustly, claim that she is a drunk, a druggie, and other thing I will not mention. I personally am a fan of this lady. I like people who belt, who can actually "sling they're larynx around" as Jackie Cooper's character says in the movie Ziegfeld Girl(1941) And also, though her voice may have detriorated, thickened, become richer, however you want to describe it--through years of belting and smoking, Liza, to my knowledge, does not use autotune.

I made a semi convert of one of my college friends when we were both sick of doing homework one night, and I said that we should just stop...it wouldn't matter much in the long run. Maybe that wasn't wise...but, it sure was fun.

And now...from John Kander and Fred Ebb
Meine damen und herren
Mesdames et Messieurs
Ladies and Gentlemen
I give you...
SO WHAT!

In Othah Woids....

2009-12-29T19:44:00.000-08:00

Second day on the job and I'm coppin' out on ya. Well, I've got a neeasty co-weld so I fig-yud that you could watch this *ACHOO* Woo Bless me! Please, enjoy.

I Have Dreamed

2009-12-28T14:18:00.000-08:00

How many songs mention dreams? You could probably sit here all day shouting out titles and still not name them all.

"...and the dreams that you dare to dream..."

"A dream is a wish your heart makes..."

"Dream a little dream of me..."

"I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love even more than I usually do..."

"..one dream in my heart..."

One song though, that seems to capture the longing for a dream to come true, and the excitement of waiting and yet wanting to hold onto the dream and experoence it over and over is

"I Have Dreamed"

It's been sung by many people since it's debut in teh broadway production of The King and I in 1951. Apparently Richard Rodgers "lifted" aka stole the melody from a part of Alfred Newmans underscoring for "Keys of the Kingdom" Newman's song was called "The Hill of Brilliant Green Jade" That song can be heard by following this link http://www.filmscoreclicktrack.com/2009/11/lost-in-the-shuffle-xix/

The song in the context of the 1944 movie, and Newmans score is when a Chinese Nobleman befriended Father Chisholm after he saves his son. So there was obviously the Eastern influence that Richard Rodgers was looking for to put into the music of "The King and I"

The song, "I have Dreamed" was cut from the 1956 film of the King and I yet was still recorded by many singers and can be heard in the animated version of "The King and I" released in 1999.

Anyway, here are a couple of my favorite recordings of this lovely (Newman)/Rodgers and Hammerstein song.

I won't be that technical-ish or long winded in my other posts. I want this to be fun. :P

Intro...

2009-12-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hello,

I decided rather than argue with the world about music, I'd argue with myself and allow people who are intrigued by the subject to read as much as they want and stop when they please.

Sometimes It's not really enough to debate an issue in person I always feel like I've missed something, some crucial point to back up my opinions. Now I'll just ramble on here when I have the time and see if it generates any interest at all.

Oh, and by the way. I'm just going to talk about music. Post a song and talk about it. Facts, opinons, emotions, just anything. For the most part it will be "old" music.