Monday, October 29, 2007

CASIOPEA and CASIOPEA


















I was looking for Casiopea's songs at http://www.radioblog.com, when I found Miryam Quinones' song: Casiopea.

The Casiopea that I was looking for is a Japanese Jazz Band, that I am a fan of them since many years ago.

(BTW, do you know the meaning of casiopea? Or Cassiopeia? It is A W-shaped constellation in the Northern Hemisphere between Andromeda and Cepheus.)

Never know about Miryam Quinones until a few minutes ago. Wow......., she has a wonderful voice! Then I try to find more information about her, and got her official website: http://www.miryamquinones.com, unfortunately, I could not understand a single word......, it is all written in Spanish.


















Click here to get Casiopea's Hearty Notes: http://muziekmuziek.multiply.com/music/item/115/Casiopea


Thursday, October 25, 2007

I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU













"I Only Have Eyes For You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.

This song was notably recorded in 1950 by Peggy Lee, and in 1959 by The Flamingos, becoming one of their most popular hits for the latter group. Rolling Stone ranked the Flamingos versionversion #157 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This version was also part of the soundtrack for the 1973 film American Graffiti.

A remake of the song by Art Garfunkel was a UK number one single in October 1975 for two weeks. The song was his first hit as a solo artist in the UK.

An episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is named after this song, and features the version by The Flamingos.
(copied from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Only_Have_Eyes_for_You)
























Harry Warren married Josephine Wensler in 1917. They had a son, also named Harry (who died of pneumonia in 1939 aged 19), and a daughter, Joan.

Warren wrote songs with Ira Gershwin, Mack Gordon, Johnny Mercer, Billy Rose, and Al Dubin. "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was the first gold record. Among his hits are "There Will Never Be Another You","I Only Have Eyes for You", "42nd Street", "Chattanooga Choo-Choo", "Serenade in Blue", "Jeepers Creepers" and "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me".


Warren is particularly remembered for his association with the films of Busby Berkeley. The musical 42nd Street celebrates this. He won the Oscar for Best Song with three different collaborating lyricists: "Lullaby of Broadway" with Al Dubin in 1935, "You'll Never Know" with Mack Gordon in 1943, and "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" with Johnny Mercer in 1946.


The only musical score Warren composed specifically for Broadway was Shangri-La, a disastrous 1956 adaptation of James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Warren is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles. The plaque bearing Warren's epitaph displays the first few notes of "You'll Never Know". (taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Warren)


Tuesday, October 23, 2007

BARRY MANILOW



Many years ago, I got a chance to try the highest model of a Yamaha Electone. I still remember how great was the new digital sampling technology developed by Yamaha that day. The voice produced very similar to the original music instruments imitated.

The instrument had wider foot bass range compared to the previous generation, giving a chance to a more rich arrangement. Those days the era of playing bass with both legs were started, seeing a musician playing the music instrument with both legs was another part of performance besides the music itself.


An arrangement of Manilow's Copacabana was the repertoire assigned for me to be played at that time. I was very happy, as it was beautifully done, and was able exploring the strength point of the instrument. Remembering the transposition part on the arrangement always made me feel eerie :-D

Ever since then I became a Manilow's fan and started collecting his CDs.
I love seeing how he directed American Idols' contestants - season ? (sorry can't remember which season). Definitely he is a great and talented musician!
Click here if you want to know more about Barry Manilow : http://www.manilow.com!

Saturday, October 20, 2007

ALL BY MYSELF - A PLAGIARISM?



















Sergei Rachmaninoff is one of my favorite composer. His work sounds very romantic for me. Vocalise, his piano concertos and preludes, I like it so much.

That day on an art community activity held in my friend's place, a senior artist from Netherland brought his CD of Carmen McRae. He played the record while we were doing our sketchs. Ooh......., I like Carmen's voice, very deep and powerful. When "All by My Self" tune was on its turn, I was freeze for a moment, thinking of the melody, and hardly remembered if I have heard that song before.



















Seeing my expression, the old Dutch man explained, the song "All by Myself" written by Eric Carmen (http://www.ericcarmen.com/eric/biography.htm) is similar to Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 2 - 2nd Movement (adagio sostenuto).

Is it a plagiarism? Nobody knows except Eric Carmen who is able to answer.

Despite of the issue, the lyric of All by Myself is touchy! It describes very true the reality of many people's life. A true contrast of glamorous and 'up to me' kind of life style during teens and 20 to 30's, compared to elderly period.

I attached a link to Celine Dion's version of All By Myself below.
If you are interested to know the Rachmaninoff Concerto's click on the play button of the video attached here too.





When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun
Those days are gone

Living alone
I think of all the friends I’ve known
But when I dial the telephone
Nobody’s home

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

Hard to be sure
Some times I feel so insecure
And love so distant and obscure
Remains the cure

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

When I was young
I never needed anyone
And making love was just for fun
Those days are gone

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

All by myself
Don't wanna be
All by myself anymore
All by myself
Don't wanna live
All by myself anymore

Friday, October 19, 2007

LEGIAN BEACH - SWAY





































I took the above pictures yesterday afternoon. I was really sleepy, when I decided to grabbed my camera and take a walk out of my office to the beach - the famous Legian Beach Bali. A good friend of mine who coincidentally was there at a surf shop near the beach bought me a plate of delicious fruit salad.
So we had our fruit salad and watched the waves. High tide!

First song appears in my mind when seeing the above pictures is "SWAY"
So here it is for you to enjoy.

LYRICS:
When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more

Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have that magic technique
When we sway I go weak

I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
You know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now

Thursday, October 18, 2007

THE MORE I SEE YOU





















The More I See You" is a popular song.

The music was written by Harry Warren, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was published in 1945, and featured in the film "Diamond Horseshoe".

Nina Simone recorded the song on her final album, A Single Woman in 1993.

It has also been recorded by Chris Montez (1966), Peter Allen, Michael Buble, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1980) and many others.

Chris Montez (born Ezekiel Christopher Montanez, January 17, 1943, in Los Angeles, California, the last of twenty children), is a Mexican American singer.

Montez grew up in Hawthorne, California, influenced by the Latino flavored music of his community and the success of Ritchie Valens.

In 1962, he recorded the single, "Let's Dance" on Monogram Records. It went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in the U.S. and to #2 on the U.K. Singles Chart.

One would expect such an auspicious start to be followed by a number of chart-toppers, but such was hardly the case. Though Montez would tour with Clyde McPhatter, Sam Cooke, the Platters, and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, there would be no more hits for Montez until four years later. This was despite a relatively new and highly popular group of Liverpudlians, who called themselves The Beatles, opening a London show for him while performing with Tommy Roe. It was once speculated that John Lennon started a fight with Montez at a London bar, when Lennon allegedly poured a beer over Montez' head.

1966 Comeback

With a desire to return to the charts, Montez returned to the recording studio in 1965, this time at A&M Records. Montez was searching for the same rock and roll formula that would replicate the success of "Let's Dance". During a recording session, A&M co-founder Herb Alpert dropped in and suggested that Montez try a different approach: a Middle of the road, soft ballad sound.

Montez had no desire to shift from rock and roll to adult standard, but trusted Alpert's instincts enough to give it a try. "Call Me" (a Tony Hatch composition) was the first single released from his 1966 A&M album, "The More I See You". The title single from the album, making its way to primarily adult-formatted radio stations, confused some non-rock and roll DJs, who were unfamiliar with Chris' past work. When back-announcing the song, the DJs would often refer to Chris as a female ( Likely because these songs were sung in a falsetto). But by the time the album was released, Montez' pictures on the front and back of the jacket cleared up any mystery surrounding his gender.

"The More I See You" album yielded three top 40 singles for Montez: The title cut, plus "Call Me" and "There Will Never Be Another You". Unfortunately, it was this album that would yield the most Top 40 hits for Montez.

Later Years

Montez would record three more albums for A&M: "Time After Time", "Foolin' Around", and "Watch What Happens". None of these albums mirrored the success of The More I See You album. The title cut album, "Time After Time", did hit the Top 40, but no other hits followed. Following the release of "Watch What Happens" in 1968, Montez left A&M Records.

In November, 1972, Montez charted a Latin hit in Brazil: "Loco por ti (Crazy about you)" became very popular in that country. Montez resurfaced in 1974 at CBS Records, with the release of a new LP, "The Best of Chris Montez", a mix of both old and new recordings, with the new ones having little to no resemblance of his past hits. This, and Chris' more mature appearance on the cover, with longer hair, a mustache, and a stylish (for the mid-1970s) patterned shirt, was proof that the album marked time.

Montez recorded one more album for CBS: Raza: Ay No Digas, which did well internationally, but failed to make an impact in the U.S. His final album, with exclusively Spanish-language material, was Cartas de Amor, released on the independent label AYM in 1983.

(taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Montez)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

TEA FOR TWO
























TEA FOR TWO, composed by Vincent Youmans
(September 27, 1898 - April 5, 1946) was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.

The song is in No No Nanette - a musical Broadway, becoming a jazz standard. The song is sung from the viewpoint of a lovestruck man, who plans the future with his new woman in mind.

Youmans was born in New York City and was a runner for a Wall Street brokerage firm. He was drafted to fight in World War I. He took an interest in the theatre when he produced troop shows for the Navy. After the war he was a Tin Pan Alley song plugger and a rehearsal pianist, and collaborated with lyricist Ira Gershwin on the score for Two Little Girls in Blue, which won wide acclaim. His next show, with lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II, was Wildflower. His most enduring success, was No, No, Nanette, with lyrics by Irving Caesar.

After Oh Please, Hit the Deck, Rainbow and Take a Chance, his career faded, in part due to heavy drinking.

Youmans was painfully aware that many of his fellow songwriters ended up impoverished, and he was determined to avoid that fate. He spent a substantial amount of his songwriting royalties on life insurance policies, intending to collect on the insurance if his songwriting talents ever failed. Eventually, when Youmans decided to retire and collect his insurance, he learned that the insurance companies would not pay off unless Youmans was physically incapable of earning a living: as long as his songs were performed or published, Youmans would not be deemed incapacitated. Consequently, in the mid-1930s, Youmans ceased to work professionally. He continued to write songs but did not submit them for performance, choosing to accumulate them as unpublished manuscripts.

In his last years, after collecting most of his insurance money, Youmans longed for the limelight again. An attempted comeback with a ballet revue in 1943 was a commercial and artistic failure.

He died of tuberculosis in Denver, Colorado. At his death, Youmans left behind a large quantity of unpublished material.

(taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Youmans)

Here is the lyrics of TEA FOR TWO, written by Irving Caesar:

He: I'm discontented with homes that are rented so I have invented my own,
She: Darling this place is a lover's oasis where lights where we chase is unknown,
He: Far from the cry of the city where flowers pretty caress the stream,
Both: Cozy to hide in, to live side by side in, don't let it abide in my dream.

He: Picture you upon my knee, just tea for two, and two for tea.
Just me for you, and you for me alone.
She: Nobody near us, to see and to hear us, no friends or relations
On weekend vacations, we won't have it known, dear, that we own a telephone, dear.
He: They will brake (?) and you'll awake, and start to bake a sugar cake
For me to take for all the boys to see.
Both: We will raise a family, a boy for you and a girl for me,
Can't you see how happy we will be.

Friday, October 12, 2007

I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

When listening to this song, I always imagine myself sitting alone at the corner of a music lounge, starring at a singer with a heavy voice and a pianist playing the tune in big black grand piano, whilst the saxophonist filling the improvisation part. Other audiences also sitting quietly putting 100% their concentration on the performers. :-)
Want to get the feeling of my imagination? Click on the following link (thanks to Porca who has uploaded the song)
(http://porca.multiply.com/music/item/298/Im_In_The_Mood_For_Love)


















I'm in the mood for love

Simply because you're near me Funny,
but when you're near me

I'm in the mood for love

Heaven is in your eyes
Bright as the stars we're under

Oh, is it any wonder
That I'm in the mood for love?

Why stop to think of whether

This littl
e dream might fade?
We've put our hearts together
Now we are one,
I'm not afraid

And if there's a cloud above
If it should rain, we'll let it

But for tonight forget it

I'm in the mood for love
Oh yeah Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade?

We've put our hearts together

Now we are one,
I'm not afrai
d
And if there's a cloud above
If it should rain, we'll let it

But, for tonight, forget it
Cause I'm in the mood for love

I'm in the mood for love
For love, for love.......

Do you feel the same when you are in the mood of love too? Most people do. But there are who don't. For them who is too logic, love is a mathematic, they said people who are in love is living in a dream world. (LOL........, huuughhh! what a difficult expression)













"I'm in the Mood of Love" was published in 1935. The music was written by Jimmy Mc Hugh, the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Being introduced by Frances Langford through a movie titled Every Night at Eight, a movie about 3 young girls who trying their luck to be singers.



Now the song has been recorded many times by many famous singers, such as: Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, included Rod Stewart. Kenny G also recorded this song with his clarinet.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

NEVER FOOLED A KID!



Being the youngest in the family at that time, PLUS a lot of different of age with my elder brother and sisters, made me a bit 'left' behind by them. They were a bit lazy in taking me out due to my age.

"You better stay at home, otherwise you will get sleepy and no one of us would carry you! You are too big to be carried now!" that what they always said, if I was begging to join them.

That they, I knew they planned to watch a movie. So......., I asked them to join.

"No.........., you may not join, this movie is not for children!"

Since they said the movie is not for children consumption, I said nothing. In my family is strictly forbidden for kids watching movie which is not intended for children.

Next day, I found in the news ads the title of the movie they watched is "SOUND OF MUSIC". I was curious to the picture of the movie, that it is actually for kids. I re-confirm to one of my sister, but she sticked on their explanation, the movie is not for kids.

Few years later, the era of VHS came. When seeing "Sound of Music" displayed on the VHS rental, I asked to borrow that. Seeing the movie for the first time.........., I noticed that I was being fooled!

Ever since then I watched the movie over and over again, un-doubtfully I love the songs in the movie. And I also make a promise that I won't fool a kid, as a kid has a very clean memory, and they will always remember once they are being fooled!


Tuesday, October 9, 2007

THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE






















The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as Love Theme from 'The Sandpiper', is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel, the lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was introduced in the 1965 movie The Sandpiper and became a minor hit for Tony Bennett. It won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Well-known versions of the song were recorded by Barbra Streisand (on her 1965 album My Name Is Barbra), Shirley Bassey, Perry Como and Frank Sinatra. It is also the album title from Astrud Gilberto. Connie Francis recorded the song in English, Spanish (La sombra de tú sonrisa), and in Italian (Castelli di sabbia). Lill Lindfors recorded it in Swedish as Din skugga stanna kvar. Marvin Gaye recorded several versions of the song. One can be found on "Romantically Yours", another on "Vulnerable" and a live version on "Marvin Gaye: Live at the Copa".

The Bobby Darin LP Bobby Darin Sings The Shadow of Your Smile was notable in that the album's first side contained all of the songs nominated for the 1965 Academy Award for Best Original Song.

In 2006 The Central Band of the Royal British Legion recorded an album with The Shadow Of Your Smile as the lead title track.

The shadow of your smile
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn

Look into my eyes, my love, and see
All the lovely things, you are, to me

Our wistful little star
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so, so did I

Now when I remember spring
And every little lovely thing
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
Your lovely smile


Saturday, October 6, 2007

A CALL FROM A MUSICIAN FRIEND














I was really surprised today.

Nearly late morning when the phone on my desk ringing. Picking it up without changing my attention from the work I am still doing, I thought it must be from the boss that was still in a bad mood since yesterday.

It was not him! After several, "Who is calling?" as I could not get the name of the person at the other side, I put my pen down when suddenly I recognized the voice of the caller!

He is a good friend - musician of mine who has been 'missing' for years. Oh my............!

Move back to those days.

I did not know him very well actually. His youngest brother who actually was my close friend. Getting around together with his little brother for many years made my relationship with him getting stronger too. We were getting closer and closer at that time, many songs we have played and performed together.

We never spoke about our feelings, but we knew we cared each other like how lovers do. I believe this kind of relationship has deeper meaning, and I prove it, it is! In our relationship we do not need being somebody else which usually happened to a declared lovers. Many people trapped to be somebody else by playing an angel character to get attention and admiring, while we did not.

He left our little town to study and then building his career, ever since then we never have any contacts. I know where he is and how he is from our other musician friend. I don't know if he also get information about myself from our friend. I never confirm this. I also knew that he was engaged and then broke up his relationship. After that I never heard that he has a serious relationship.

Due to my busy time with my work, I also lost communication with our musician friend - the source of the information, and I knew nothing about him since several years ago.

If I were asked, why I did not try to contact him or why he did not contact me? I don't know. But I feel happy when I got something about him.

Surprisingly, first sentence he mentioned when finally I noticed that it was him who is calling and a happy hello to each other: " I am going to get married next December."

Then he continued, "I am late for a marriage, am I?"
He is several yours older than I am.

I replied, "Don't say that! I am happy that finally you find your soul mate! Nothing is to late related to happiness!"

We continued our conversation, I told him my love ones, he told me his. I am happy for him. His soul mate is a good singer too, he said that they made an indie label record. He also told me that he started to play saxophone several years ago. So he developed his other talents in music....., I only knew that he is a good guitarist. Difficult repertoires by Tarrega was easily played by him on those days!

Now, while writing, Mozart's divertimento start singing in my head. The guitar & piano version of that song was the first song that we performed together.

And today............................., I am very happy for him. His sound on the phone was a happy person voice!

I hope for your happiness as always my friend!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

COLE PORTER



I would like to confess............., many times I listened, played and sang songs without paying attention to the composers or the singers. Mostly to non-classical repertoires. In a shorter words, I did not know who the composer of the song, the singer and even badly I did not know the title of the song. BUT I know the song!

"Do you know ....... (title of the song) by.............(the composer/singer)?"
or
"Do you have the score of ......(title of the song)?"
Usually my friends ask me like that. Then I will reply, "Sing the song for me!"
If he / she can sing the song they want to perfectly....., then 90% I know which one they mean. But some of my friends have a really bad pitch (LOL!), they sang the song with their own out of tunes melody.......... !




















My turning point was when I did not know COLE PORTER. So embarrassing!
I have played his songs many times.

One day a friend of mine came visiting me and said, " Have you got a chance watching "DE LOVELY"?

I said, "No......, what is the movie all about? And where is it played?"

He laughed and start telling me the story of the movie, which immediately tackled my mind to get a copy and watch it.

DE LOVELY is a biography movie of COLE PORTER, which is done so nicely!

Before that he lent me a CD Music......., when seeing the title of the songs, I nearly stop breathing. I knew all the songs! But how come, I do not know COLE PORTER (http://www.coleporter.org/).

Ever since then, I put my attention whenever start knowing a new song, I will surf to get the information about the composer, the singer and anything related to it like what I did to my classical reportoires.

I must admit......, by knowing the background of the composer, I have a better understanding of the song and more easily fine tuning my emotion when playing it back.

Here it is, a music score SO IN LOVE, a song by Cole Porter.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

MY FOOLISH HEART
















I like this song very much. The arrangement as per the above scores beautifully describe how romantic the song is. I like best the ending part....., if you wish to play it........try to do it in ritardando and hold for seconds the last note until the echo gone. Oh..........my!

(N.Washington, V.Young)

The night is like a lovely tune, beware my foolish heart!
How white the ever constant moon, take care, my foolish heart!
There's a line between love and fascination,
That's hard to see on an evening such as this,
For they give the very same sensation.
When you are lost in the passion of a kiss.
Your lips are much too close to mine, beware my foolish heart!
But should our eager lips combine, then let the fire start.
For this time it isn't fascination, or a dream that will fade and fall apart,
It's love this time, it's love, my foolish heart!



Here I copied information related to the song from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Foolish_Heart_%28song%29
"My Foolish Heart" is an Academy Award-nominated popular song that was published in 1949.












The music was written by Victor Young and the lyrics by Ned Washington. The song was introduced by the singer Martha Mears in the 1949 film of the same name. The song failed to escape critics' general laceration of the film; Time wrote in its review that "nothing offsets the blight of such tear-splashed excesses as the bloop-bleep-bloop of a sentimental ballad on the sound track."[1] Nevertheless, the song was nominated for an Oscar, losing out to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser.

The song was also a popular success, with two recordings of the song listed among the top 30 on the Billboard charts in 1950. Gordon Jenkins's recording of "My Foolish Heart" reached #22 and Billy Eckstine's version reached #28. Later recordings were made of this standard by numerous artists, including Bill Evans, Joe Williams with George Shearing, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Carmen McRae, Astrud Gilberto and Mel Tormé. More recently, "My Foolish Heart" has been covered by pianist Liz Story, guitarists John McLaughlin and John Abercrombie, Charlie Haden's Quartet West, singers Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, Jane Monheit and Ann Hampton Callaway, and a capella quartet The Idea of North.

The song also featured in "The Body in the Library," an episode of the television series Marple.