Monday, April 23, 2001
My favourite songs - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Lists are an interesting thing. As documented in this space previous, I’ve complained that sometimes they are not perhaps a true exemplification of excellence. The opinion remains the same. That in mind, I ’ll proceed in this space to outline my favourite songs. These may be some of the worst songs ever written, but they are my preferred songs. Herewith for your perusal, approval and/or disapproval, in no particular order.
Burt Bacharach recently suffered a comeback into the world of music. It probably started with My Best Friend’s Wedding and we realised just how integral he was to pop culture’s previous. Somewhat kitsch, but the song of his that I like is "Alfie." The version that’s good could be his own, which you can probably catch on last year’s Oscar telecast. It’s actually a difficult song, as the range is remarkable -- so say the singers.
"Bye Bye Blackbird" is a great classic. Somewhere it must be the unofficial anthem of variety performers, and rightfully so.
Hoagy Carmichael’s contributions to the "Great American Songbook" are many. "Stardust" is perhaps the ultimate song written of the last century and which is up there for me. "Skylark" is another. As Tennessee Williams was to theatre, Hoagy Carmichael was to song. Both songs to me, are pensive and most melancholy.
"Smile" is a poignant song with a wonderful melody and lyric. It was written by Charlie Chaplin, which was used in irony as his theme song.
About a year ago, I heard "People Will Say We’re In Love" and thought it a song not of my particular taste. I actually hated it. Lately though, I’ve grown to enjoy the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. With sober second thought, it’s actually quite nice.
Jerry Herman wrote the scores to Hello, Dolly! and Mame, among others. The sardonic "I Won’t Send Roses" is both poignant and ironic; it’s a gem. Real life, if you will. Emotion personified in song.
The Beatles’ only song I can call a favourite is "Hey Jude." The only time they appeared on the Grammy telecast this is the song they sung.
"Street of Dreams" as sung by Sinatra in his famous concert with Count Basie at the Sands, is cool. A young Quincy Jones conducts.
Stephen Sondheim’s Company is a wonderful musical about the travails of relationship and the paradox it presents to the human heart. The main character at the end of the show sings "Being Alive," an ironic affront to the concept of love that moves ever so soberingly to realise the necessity of reliance.
"Put Your Dreams Away" was Frank Sinatra’s favourite song. He hated "My Way," but this song he just loved. It was his theme song for many years, and the only song of his he permitted played at his funeral.
The mere title of "Last Night When We Were Young" evokes a longing for yesterday. A longing of the past. Rightfully so -- this is a nice song by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.
Another Harold Arlen song (also with lyrics by Yip Harburg) is "Down With Love." The anti-love song, if there ever was one.
"Moon River" is a wonderful Harry Mancini (lyric by Johnny Mercer) song. I haven’t seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s thus don’t know the context with which the song first appeared in. Regardless, it’s a good song.
Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls is a towering force in the world of musical theatre. It spurned such songs as "Luck Be A Lady" and "If I Were A Bell". The song I like is "I’ve Never Been In Love Before." I guess that’s pure example of the madness of love -- tough guys crooning the reality of life and love.
"If I Had You" was used as theme in the picture The Clock. It’s a nice song. Two versions that are good are Liza Minnelli’s in her last record Minnelli on Minnelli and of course Sinatra’s in his giant Capitol collection.
A Christmas song that’s good and the only one I will add is "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." Judy Garland for this one.
Another Judy Garland performance is her rendition of "That’s All". Heartbreakingly tragic, you can find an obscure recording lifted from her TV show. As you’ll find "I Wish You Love."
"If Ever I Would Leave You" is derived from the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot. Robert Goulet playing Lancelot sings this to Julie Andrews and does so in fine vocal form. Great song.
Sinatra said if he could have anyone else’s voice except his own, he’d get Vic Damone’s. Damone has, as Sinatra said, "the best set of pipes in the business." His version of the ‘60s hit "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You" is the only one I can stomach.
Another Hoagy Carmichael song that’s nifty is "Lazy River". It makes one want to crawl up that river themselves.
"What A Difference A Day Makes" made the career of Dinah Washington. However, the version I find wonderfully melancholy is Bobby Darin’s.
Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz wrote songs to pictures that starred Fred Astaire. I don’t know if "I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan" was from an Astaire picture, but it’s good.
"Yesterday, When I Was Young" and "Stormy Weather" are terrific songs and both in the second act of Lena Horne’s tour de force on Broadway from 20 years ago.
"Everything Happens To Me" is a saloon song of the highest order. The protagonist laments his streak of bad luck from golf to love. Sinatra sings this masterfully.
Harry Warren was an obscure song writer but his songs are well-known. Among my favourites of his: "There Will Never Be Another You," and "The More I See You." Very simple and to the point. Great tunes.
Sinatra’s version of "Summer Wind" is both haunting and pensive. It’s not a sad song, yet it can take that persona if you so desire. It can be rather chippy too. Whenever I hear this it conjures up vivid images of my youth.
"Tangerine" is a nice song. Tony Bennett has it on his Here’s To The Ladies album in tribute to Helen O’Connell and her Jimmy Dorsey band.
John Kander and Fred Ebb spurned many musicals. From Zorba to Cabaret to Chicago to Kiss of The Spider Woman, they’ve created a vast catalogue of Broadway hits. "New York, New York" is theirs too, but the song that I choose to add is "Sing Happy." It’s from their first show, Flora, The Red Menace which nails down the exuberance and sheer joy of music, theatre and just plain euphoria.
In the operatic world, I’ll add "O Sole Mio," which everyone seems to know. And of course the two premier Puccini arias, "Nessun Dorma" and "O Mio Babbino Caro". Both were hits of Pavarotti and Maria Callas, respectively. The former sets the hair upon my neck rising and the latter, I defy anyone to listen to it and not weep.
This list could be longer. I was to have added a list equally long in another edition -- honourable mentions as it were. Perhaps in the future, but this is about it. Music definitely is the score to which life unfolds. For better and for worse, some of the songs I’ve picked fit the gamut of human existence brilliantly.
- 30 -
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .