"Why Don't Ya' Do Right?" ("Weed Smoker's Dream") - Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee (1943)

This song is on just about all the CD’s in my car. It fits in well in any of the odd compilations I listen to. On one CD it can be heard between something by Ten Years After and Gillian Welch. On another it comes on at the end of “Maybe This Time” by Liza Minnelli and then followed by Abbott and Costello doing their best version of “Who’s on First.” It turns up again and again.

It’s not just the music that has held sway me on this one. Many times it’s that “back story” which adds something to the song, or just makes hearing it remind you of the story that goes with it. This is one that gets me on both levels; it’s a terrific song and a great story as well!

I love comparing the original versions of songs with their more famous ones. Take the song “I left My Heart in San Francisco” as an example. The Tony Bennett version is the most beloved. But my favorite is the live version by Dean Martin. As far as I’m concerned; and I know most people will disagree with me; he owns that song. But, I’m losing time here. Let’s get back to the “backstory” behind Benny Goodman’s version of “Why Don’t You Do Right (Like Some Other Men Do)”.

The song was never one which interested Mr. Goodman at all. It was recorded by the Harlem Hamfats on Decca Records in Chicago back in 1936. Written by Kansas Joe McCoy and Herb Moran it was originally titled “Weed Smoker’s Dream” with a subtitle of “Why Don’t You Do Now?” Lil Green recorded it a few years later as slow bluesy song which bears no real resemblance to Ms. Green’s recording.

That record became a favorite of Peggy Lee’s and she would blast it from her dressing room each night before the show. It was like a warmup for her. At first Mr. Benny was kind of annoyed with the repetition of the record night after night as he worked on arrangements for the band. Then one night he knocked on Ms. Lee’s dressing room door.

“You like that song a lot don’t you?”, he reportedly asked. “I sure do.” She is said to have replied. “Fine”, said Mr. Goodman, “I’ll have an arrangement made for you.” Then he went back to his dressing room and she went back to listening to the Lil Green record.

By July 27, 1942 they were in the studio recording the song in a slightly faster version of Ms. Green’s.  This would become the signature arrangement for this iconic song, which is still a staple of big band enthusiasts today. It’s also heard in some of the finer restaurants. Places where you hear “Black and Blue” by Louis Armstrong, or “Begin the Beguine” by Artie Shaw’s Orchestra.

At any rate, the record sold 1 million copies in a few short weeks, and though it only hit #4 on Billboard; which was a bit short of Mr. Goodman’s usual #1 recordings; it did become one of his most requested live numbers. It also served to bring Peggy Lee to the public’s attention. Her voice was more full and sensuous than most singers of the era; with the exception of Lena Horne, who defines both those terms.

In some respects this recording was the beginning of Ms. Lee’s long career as a solo artist. Indeed, she re-recorded it as a solo artist in 1947 after leaving Mr. Goodman’s band in 1943. She married the guitar player Dave Barbour; you have to watch out for the guitar players. But her performance of this song; especially on film; kept her in the public eye, and in 1947 she returned to recording with a new arrangement of the song. The one in my car is the same live version as above from the 1943 film "Stage Door Canteen".

Well, that’s the story that I enjoy so much that I had to share it. Probably seems a bit tame; no tricks involved. But here are the other 2 earlier version of the recording by Lil Green and the Harlem Hamfats. I’ve placed the Lil Green version first as it is at least recognizable. The Harlem Hamfats version will take a little effort to listen to.

Here is the 1941 recording by Lil Green, which is a bit slower than the Benny Goodman arrangement;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oavQY5V0xpg

And this is the original recording by the Harlem Hamfats. Aside from some signature hooks and phrases the song is almost unrecognizable from the later versions recorded by Ms. Green and Ms. Lee;

Cole Porter - "Begin the Beguine" - 2 Versions

Artie Shaw performed this iconic rendition of  Cole Porter's classic masterpiece “Begin the Beguine” in 1938 for a short film. His swing version has become the most familiar; it topped the charts at #3; and many people even think he wrote it. When Cole Porter met Artie Shaw he is said to have quipped, "I'm glad to finally meet my collaborator." Shaw asked him, in return, "Does this mean I get half of the royalties?"

The song was actually written in 1935 by Cole Porter while on a Pacific cruise aboard the Cunard liner Franconia. In October of that same year the song made its Broadway debut with June Knight singing it in the musical “Jubilee” at New York’s Imperial Theater. It didn’t cause any stir at all. Even the following year when Josephine Baker came over from France and performed the song with the Ziegfeld Follies as a dance, it garnered little notoriety. It would be two more years before the song found its place.

Artie Shaw, the great bandleader and clarinet player, heard the song and was drawn by its unusual composition of 108 bars; as compared to the standard “pop” song which has 32 bars; or measures. Artie Shaw, along with the help of his arranger Jerry Gray, scored the song as a swing number, which Mr. Shaw and his orchestra can be seen performing in the video above.

A bit of background on the song itself; the term Beguine derives from the 13^th century, when it denoted a Christian woman living in a religious community without taking the ordinary vows.  The term was somehow corrupted to mean a “white woman” in the Creole communities of the Caribbean on Martinique and Guadeloupe. After that it became the term for a slow style of “couples” dancing, which was a staple of Latin and French ballroom dancing. When Cole Porter used the term in song, and Artie Shaw made the song popular, the term became a part of ordinary language.

Due to its unusual composition, Cole Porter claimed he could never remember it without having the music in front of him. Over the years just about everybody has recorded their own version of this classic. It’s no easy feat to perform. All of the big bands released their own versions, and all of the great vocalists; from Frank Sinatra to Ella Fitzgerald and even Elvis Presley have taken a turn at it. Even the great painter Max Beckmann used the title for one of his paintings.

To give you an example of how versatile this song is; without losing its original beauty in any genre; here is a link to the most unlikely vocal interpretation by Pete Townsend, who originally recorded it in 1970 and then re-released it sometime in the late 1970’s. Though the version by Artie Shaw is my favorite instrumental rendition of the song , Pete Townsend’s is my favorite vocal arrangement. The flash player says it’s too big to upload here; so I have provided the link instead;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb45wFMNZG8

And here are the beautiful lyrics from Mr. Cole Porter;

When They begin the Beguine by Cole Porter

When they begin the beguine
It brings back the sound of music so tender
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
It brings back a memory ever green.

I'm with you once more under the stars

And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
When they begin the beguine.

To live it again is past all endeavor

Except when that tune clutches my heart
And there we are, swearing to love forever
And promising never, never to part.

What moments divine, what rapture serene
The clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
I know but too well what they mean.

So don't let them begin the beguine

Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine

O yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play

Till the stars that were there before return above you
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
And we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When they begin the beguine.

When they begin the beguine.

Cab Calloway - "Minnie the Moocher" (1931)

One of the greatest bandleaders of all time, Cabell “Cab” Calloway III was born on Christmas Day 1907 in Rochester, New York. It was a fitting day for him to have been born;  a day when people exchange presents; for with his inimitable style he has left us all the gift of his music.

One of his best known numbers is the rousing “Minnie the Moocher”, which is really a variation on the old “call and response” songs which were popular with African-Americans as far back as the days of slavery, when the music was used to accomplish work in unison. It was also a hallmark of early African-American Christianity. In the rural churches which sprang up in the black community after the Civil War, there was often a shortage of hymnals and prayer books. The preacher would say, or sing, a line from a prayer, or hymn, and the congregation would answer back in kind.

“Minnie the Moocher” is an example of how gospel influences would spill over into popular music, much as it did again later with the advent of rock and roll. The lyrics are said to be based on “Willie the Weeper”, while the melody is based on “St. James Infirmary”, a blues standard of the era.

This version of the song was performed on television in the early 1950’s. There are older, and even better, versions of this song on You Tube, but for some reason blogspot will not accommodate their download. And while you’re googlin’ around, don’t forget to look at “Reefer Man” by Cab Calloway and His Harlem Maniacs. This was one of the best scenes in the 1933 film “International House” with W.C. Fields. Never mind, here it is;

Dean Martin - The Capitol Years

I have always been a fan of Dean Martin. I love the arrangements and of course, the singing. Dean Martin is one of the "whiskey throated" smooth voiced singers of the 1940's through the 1960's. Along with Nat King Cole, Mr. Martin was largely influenced by the sound of Bing Crosby in his phrasing of the lyrics, as compared to the earlier stylings of singers such as Rudy Valee. That difference in styling marked the change from "crooning" to what we now consider real singing.

This double CD has it all, including Nat King Cole and Dean Martin's rousing duet of "Open Up the Dog House" to Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis singing "Every Street's a Boulevard", from the 1954 soundtrack of "Living It Up." The pop hits with orchestral backings are a refreshing change from the Top 40 sounds that comes over today's radio. They don't write songs like "I'd Cry Like A Baby" anymore. I'd wager, that if that recording were ever released as a single today, it would top the charts. Laugh if you will, but remember, this is the voice that knocked The Beatles off of the Top Ten in the summer of 1964 with "You're Nobody Til Someday Loves You." Who'd have thought?

Some of my favorite tracks, as usual, are the "previously unreleased" stuff, which gives you a chance to see where the hits came from. It's a glimpse into the creative process that lends an extra attraction to the listening experience. It's the stuff I prefer to hear in my car, where it all seems so personal.

The disc covers every genre of Mr. Martin's unique talent during the years 1949 - 1957. It includes such hits as "Sleepy Old New England Town" and "Solitaire", with their sweet sentimentality, to the rollicking renditions of "Beau James" and "Good Morning Life." And with 40 selections to chose from this collection still manages to keep you in the mood for more.