The Honey Voice Of Jimmie Rodgers Remembered

I am sure just about everyone is familiar with many of the songs performed by Jimmie Rodgers, whose most well known work was produced in the late 50's to early 60's.  The song Honeycomb is probably the most familiar and can still be heard now and then on a few select radio stations.  When I was just a small boy my parents gave me a rocking horse that worked by using springs that suspended the horse body from a metal frame.  I think they still make these today.  It was one of my greatest pleasures to have my mother place a stack of 45's on the record player and let me bounce/rock to the music.  I was literally rocking and rolling to the music and Honeycomb was one of my favorites.  I always liked Jimmie Rodgers' upbeat, snappy melodies and the song lyrics that told a short story about people and life.

I know I like Jimmie Rodgers' music but I knew nothing about the man or his life.  Now I have taken this opportunity to do some research on the man and as usual was surprised to find out about his life and in this case how it has included some very bumpy periods.

James Frederick Rodgers was born September 18, 1933 in Camas, Washington.  Rodgers' mother was an accomplished pianist and taught him to play at a young age.  He sang in the local choir and after graduating from high school spent a year at college.  However, he dropped out to join the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.  While serving overseas he formed a small band and decided he liked performing.  In 1954 he was transferred stateside to a location near Nashville, Tennessee and on the side began performing in local nightspots.  

In 1956 he returned to Washington and continued to pursue a career in music.  This led to appearances on the Art Linkletter television show House Party and the Arthur Godfrey television show Talent Scouts.  Producers Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore heard Rodgers perform the song Honeycomb on the latter television show and offered Rodgers a music contract with Roulette Records.  In 1957 Honeycomb went all the way to number one on the Billboard Pop Charts.  Rodgers' next two singles, Kisses Sweeter Than Wine and Oh-Oh, I'm Falling In Love Again also went Top Ten, and while his fifth release, Secretly would prove to be his last visit to the Top Ten, he continued to record and tour, and hosted his own television series in 1959.  

Rodgers' run with Roulette Records ended on a down note after arguments over the non-payment of earned royalties.  Morris Levy, the owner of Roulette Records was known to have ties to the Genovese crime family and they had a history of intimidating artists and withholding earnings.  Needless to say,  in 1962 Jimmie Rodgers left Roulette Records to sign up with Dot Records.  Rodgers' live performance success continued while at the same time his recording success cooled.  It wasn't until 1966 with the recording of It's Over that Rodgers once again made it to the music charts.

In 1967 Rodger's signed a new deal with A&M Records and his song "Child Of Clay" once again made it to the music charts. It was at this time in December, while driving home from a Christmas party, that Jimmie Rodgers was pulled over and subsequently brutally beaten by a possible off-duty policeman.  Much of the detail is unknown about this incident and Rodgers to this day refuses to go into detail about the incident, sighting legal issues.  Speculation has it that the beating may have been connected to Rodgers' fall-out with the mob connected Roulette Records.  Because of a severe skull fracture, leading to the placement of a metal plate in his skull, Rodgers' health and career suffered.  He was often unable to perform for large segments of time due to illness.

Shortly after his 1967 beating incident, his first wife, Colleen nee McClatchey, with whom he had two children, Michelle and Michael, died as the result of a fatal blood clot. He remarried in 1970, and Jimmie and Trudy Rodgers had two sons, Casey and Logan. He and Trudy divorced in the late 1970s, and he remarried again. Jimmie and Mary Rodgers are still married today, and they have a daughter, Katrine, who was born in 1989.

Rodgers appeared in a 1999 video, Rock & Roll Graffiti by American Public Television, along with about 20 other performers. However, Rodgers' singing career was cut short later in life, since he has suffered from spastic dysphonia for a number of years (see video below). He has gone through several operations and treatments to regain the ability to speak. In 2007 the plate in Rodgers' skull was finally successfully removed.  

It should also be mentioned that Rodgers had brief acting appearances on shows throughout his career.  While his singing career has not been nearly long enough, luckily for us Jimmie Rodgers has left many memorable musical gems that I'm sure will continue to be played long into the future.

Here is one of my favorite and perhaps not as well know Jimmie Rodgers' songs; The Long Hot Summer from the motion picture soundtrack of the same name.

I'm Fascinated With Jane Morgan!!

The song "Fascination" is probably Jane Morgan's best known hit and, until recently, this was the only song by her in my music collection.  However, I came across a small collection of her music on a file sharing site. And, like most such discoveries, I was bowled over by this artist's outstanding vocal talent.  Why don't we hear more Jane Morgan songs on the radio?  I know modern stations don't touch this music genre anymore, but there are a few radio station gems that play music from this era, and still no playtime for this great artist. Since finding Jane Morgan, I have read her biography and been looking up her songs and performances on YouTube.  There is a large volume of her work to be found on YouTube, so there must be a lot more folks like me that appreciate Jane Morgan's talent.

What's even more "fascinating" is Jane Morgan's biography.  I can only say such a person has to be labelled  brilliant.  Born Florence Currier on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan was the daughter of Bertram Currier and Olga Brandenberg Currier, both of whom were dedicated and accomplished musicians. She was the youngest of five children.

She performed throughout her childhood, but gained fame by moving to Paris, France and working the nightclub scene.  Jane Morgan became a sensation in France and eventually Europe, wearing designer clothes, and belting out songs, while at the same time being a relatively unknown talent in the country of her birth.  In the 1950's she moved to Montreal, Canada to perform at the Ritz Carlton, performing both English and French songs.  She then moved to New York to again perform in nightclubs and even had her own NBC radio show.

Wanting to broaden her career, she left her agent and began singing at Lou Walter’s Latin Quarter in New York. Walters, father of television newswoman Barbara Walters, kept Morgan at the Latin Quarter for a year. There she was noticed by Dave Kapp, an entrepreneur, who had just begun a new recording label, Kapp Records. Kapp signed Morgan at the same time pianist Roger Williams was contracted.  Her first album release was entitled The American Girl from Paris.



She recorded several additional albums and soon was paired with Williams, who had gained national acceptance with his recording of "Autumn Leaves." They recorded "Two Different Worlds," and it was the first time Morgan received a large amount of airplay by American radio disc jockeys.

In 1957 Kapp signed a then unknown group of musicians called The Troubadors.  Jane Morgan was asked to join this group in performing the song "Fascination."  Although written in 1904 by Italian F. D. Marchetti and entitled "Valse Tzigane," it had been modified and used in Paris at the Follies Bergere as a "strip" number. With English lyrics added by Dick Manning in 1932, it had also been played throughout Love in the Afternoon. The French words were written by Maurice de Ferandy in 1942. In the fall of 1957, Morgan and The Troubadors’ rendition was released, and it became an instant sensation, remaining on the best selling charts for 29 weeks and selling millions of records. It marked for the first time Morgan’s acceptance as a top flight vocalist by the American public.

With new found fame Jane Morgan was eventually able to live her dream of performing on Broadway and she appeared in many well known musicals.  She also made several television appearances and performed in Las Vegas as well.  In 1960 she married her then manager Jerry Weintraub, who helped her gain access to some of the finest performance venues in the United States.  Her television appearances included The Ed Sullivan Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Jackie Gleason Show, and The Perry Como Show.

Morgan’s first American recordings were on the Kapp label in 1956, but other recordings were made on the Epic, London, ABC Colpix, Elektra, MCA, and RCA labels. Morgan recorded more than 30 albums. In addition, she appeared on the RCA soundtrack Marry Me! Marry Me! in 1969. She has worked with Burt Bacharach, Roger Williams, The Troubadors, Frank Hunter, Nick Perito, Marty Manning, Peter Matz, Chet Atkins, Maurice Chevalier, Michele Legrand and has recorded in five languages.

Her career covers nightclubs, recordings, radio, stage and screen.  She became fluent in several languages and was able to perform flawlessly using the various languages.  At age 90 I read that she was finally given a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame (see below).  Yes, Jane Morgan's life is "fascinating" and her recordings leave a lasting legacy. 



My current favorite Jane Morgan song is The Moon Was Yellow
from the Jane In Spain album, but I have to say I like all the tracks on this album, Granada  being another fave.

 


Here are some other artists who have recorded the song "The Moon Was Yellow."





I'm going to continue to research all Jane Morgan's music where I'm sure I will find and be picking up more of her gems.  I've included below a few of her performance videos from YouTube.  I'm always impressed by artists from this era.  Notice there is no bumping or grinding going on, but the power of the voice coming from this beautiful and beautifully dressed artist is spectacular.








Another big hit for Jane Morgan The Day The Rains Came

I'd Never Gong Jaye P. Morgan

A popular singer, actress and comedienne, Jaye P. Morgan is an entertainer who became a household name in the 1950s and '60s. She appeared on several television programs, in films and sang and performed concerts, recitals and in nightclubs. Her husky voice became her trademark.

Born in Colorado, Jaye P. Morgan began her career at an early age constantly performing for family and friends. After a while she moved to California to graduate from high school and begin a singing career. In 1949 she graduated from Verdugo Hills High School. From there her professional singing career took off.

After graduating from high school, Jaye P. Morgan landed a spot as a vocalist with the Frank DeVol Orchestra. In 1950, a year after graduation from high school, she made a recording of "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries" which made it to the Top 10 in the U.S. Billboard record chart . Soon after, she received an RCA Victor recording contract, and she had five hits in one year, including "That's All I Want from You," her biggest hit, which reached #3 on the chart.   

Other notable hits included "The Longest Walk" and "Pepper Hot Baby".  In the '50s, she also performed as a vocalist on television shows. Jaye P. Morgan made her television debut as a vocalist on Stop the Music, a quiz show which ran from 1954-55. After this show ended, Jaye P. Morgan decided to go it on her own. In 1956 she became the hostess and vocalist on her own show, The Jaye P. Morgan Show. She was also a regular on Robert Q. Lewis' daytime series and on the variety show Perry Presents. In 1960 she portrayed an old time singer on the popular daytime comedy My Three Sons.

During the '60s she led a rather obscure and private life performing infrequently on the nightclub scene. Jaye P. Morgan re-emerged in the '70s concentrating on an actress/entertainer career rather than a singing career. She portrayed herself on The Odd Couple in 1973 and was a plush horse singer in the television movie Adventures of Nick Carter. She is probably best-known for her antics, comedy routines and singing as a panelist on The Gong Show. The show lasted four years and also starred panelists Arte Johnson, Phyllis Diller, Jamie Farr and Rex Reed. the show was made into a movie in 1980 in which Jaye P. Morgan played herself. Her '70s television credits include being a regular on The Chuck Barris Rah Rah Show, The $1.98 Beauty Show and she made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show in 1977 where she used both her singing and acting talents.

Although not as prevalent a personality as she used to be, Jaye P. Morgan continued to be the singer, actress, comedienne and entertainer she was in the '50s. Her credits of the '90s included the films Night Patrol, Coming Attractions and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Her name, however, will most often be associated with her boisterous, fun-loving comedy of The Gong Show. 

Is That All There Is? I Don't Think So.

I've become a great fan of Peggy Lee.  She is one of those artists I never listened to or paid much attention to growing up.  Like many of the artists I have discovered her prime time could be said to have occurred before my time.  As a boy and even later I remember seeing her occasionally on television programs.  For some reason I can only remember her singing Send In The Clowns, a song that has never been one of my favorites, no matter who performs it.  It is interesting to note that I have not been able to find a recording of this song by Peggy Lee, although I am sure I saw her perform it on television. 

But with my new found love of the B4 music I started searching out and listening to Peggy Lee's catalog of music.  I'm sure many of you have come across a favorite song by an artist.  A song that just clicks and makes you appreciate that artist's talents.  With me it was Peggy Lee's version of Georgia.  Though this song is definitely pegged to Ray Charles and not Peggy Lee, her straight forward clear rendition of this song won me over. Of course the song tied most closely to Peggy Lee is Fever, which for some reason, again has never been one of my favorite songs.  I am always a bit crestfallen when a radio station plays Peggy Lee's  Fever for the umpteenth time, knowing at the same time what a wide range of beautiful Peggy Lee numbers are available.

Peggy Lee was born Norma Deloris Egstrom May 26, 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota and died in Los Angeles, California January 21, 2002 from heart failure further aggravated by prior strokes.  Her biography states that she had a difficult childhood after her mother died at an early age.  She worked with a group in Chicago until she was picked up by Benny Goodman in 1941 and became his band's principal singer.  She was so successful that she left Benny Goodman's band in 1942 and went solo.  She co-wrote several songs with her husband Dave Barbour.  In fact Peggy Lee was a talented songwriter and wrote or co-wrote over 200 songs and performed over 600 songs.

She also had a small movie career appearing in the 1952 movie "The Jazz Singer" and the 1955 movie "Pete Kelly's Blues" for which she received an Academy Award nomination.  She wrote several of the songs for and also did voice over  in the Walt Disney 1955 animated feature "The Lady And The Tramp."  In 1987,  having only been paid $3500 dollars for her work in this movie, she successfully sued Disney after they released it for sale to the public. Her later acting roles were confined to television appearances

Peggy Lee had a distinctive sultry, one might say in some cases, quiet voice that brought a unique flavor to everything she performed.  It is stated that she practiced this quality when she performed in the nightclub scene.  She couldn't belt out songs to overcome a nightclub's loud background noise so she restrained her voice which actually drew the audience in and riveted them to her performance. She was a very meticulous performer who worked at staging sets, lighting, makeup, costumes and even personal movements and gestures..

This only scratches the surface of Peggy Lee's long and illustrious career.  She was a one-of-a-kind talent and has left  us a wonderful legacy in her many recordings.

He's A Tramp


Black Coffee


From This Moment On




Some of my favorite Peggy Lee songs are:

I'm Looking Out The Window and Senza Fine



Didn't Want To Have To Do It  Some Cats Know and Walking Happy


Too Close For Comfort

The Folks Who Live On The Hill

Who's Sorry Now??.....Not Me!

Today I'm going to review another one of my favorite artists who doesn't get much playtime anymore,  although she is still around and still performing.  That artist is Connie Francis.  Growing up I had heard many of Francis' standards like Whose Sorry Now? and Together.  I also vaguely remember her appearing in films during the 60's, usually beach movies for the teenage crowd.  When I rediscovered the "B4" music (see an earlier post for an explanation) my search naturally led me to Connie Francis as one of those artists.

Connie Francis was born Italian-American Concetta Rosemarie Franconero on December 12, 1938 in Newark, NJ.  Francis started her music career at three, playing an accordion bought for her by her contractor father, George. Her father's dream was not for his daughter to become a star, but for Francis to become independent of men as an adult with her own accordion school of music. At age ten, she was accepted on Startime, a New York City television show that featured talented child singers and performers. The show had no one else who played an accordion. Its host, legendary TV talent scout Arthur Godfrey, had difficulty pronouncing her name and suggested something "easy and Irish," which turned into Francis. After three weeks on Startime, the show's producer and Francis' would-be manager advised her to dump the accordion and concentrate on singing. Francis performed weekly on Startime for four years.

By 1957 Francis had had little professional success and was considering leaving the singing profession when by chance she was asked to record a 1923 song called Who's Sorry Now? After a false start, she sang it in one take. When Dick Clark played Who's Sorry Now? on American Bandstand, he told the show's eight million viewers that Connie Francis was "a new girl singer that is heading straight for the number one spot.

Who's Sorry Now? was the first of Francis' long string of worldwide hits. By 1967, she had sold 35 million worldwide, with 35 U.S. Top 40 hits and several number ones (Everybody's Somebody's Fool, My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own, Don't Break the Heart That Loves You, and Stupid Cupid) to her credit.  She still challenges Madonna as the biggest-selling female recording artist of all time which makes me very happy, since I've never bothered to acquire any music performed by this tasteless artist. 

Released in 1963, In the Summer of His Years, written as a tribute to the assassinated John F. Kennedy, remains one of the earliest known charity records, with proceeds donated to dependents of the policemen shot during the incident.  I just recently heard In the Summer of His Years and it is a very stirring song and one I have added to my library of music.

Francis had an affinity for languages and was one of the first pop singers to record her songs in other languages; 1961's title song from the movie Where the Boys Are was recorded in six languages. She starred in four (nondescript) films, sang voice-overs in movies for actresses who could not sing, and was a guest star on innumerable TV shows. Music critics who didn't take kindly to Francis' pop music years were eventually won over by her versatility. Her Italian and Jewish albums transformed Francis from a teenage idol to a mature performer at leading nightspots around the world. She has also had a long history being a composer's first choice to interpret songs that went on to become major hits for other artists, including Somewhere My Love, Strangers in the Night, Angel in the Morning, and When Will the Apples Fall.

Francis' personal life has been filled with much tragedy also. She has had several failed marriages and in fact had decided to retire to domestic life in 1969 with her third husband.   Encouraged by her husband to return to the entertainment world in 1974, she was subsequently raped in the hotel where she was staying after only her third performance.  This incident ultimately led to a divorce from her then husband.  In 1975 she underwent nasal surgery that temporarily robbed her of her singing voice.  She was on the comeback trail in 1981 when her brother, George, was brutally murdered. It took seven years to determine that through all of those events, she was also a manic depressive. She finally made her return to the stage and recording in 1989, and Connie Francis has continued to sing to sold-out audiences into the new millennium. She has recorded more than 70 LPs.

Okay, on to what this blog is about, the music.  In my my never ending search for new "B4" music I have discovered countless Connie Francis songs that I never knew existed and that have also become some of my favorites.  She is one of those artists I can just sit and listen to without losing interest after a while and switching to other artists for variety.   I am a romantic at heart and one of my favorite Francis' songs is That's My Desire.  It would be great to slow dance to this number with your significant other.  A sexy song by Francis is Love Eyes and I think this song holds up very well by contemporary standards. She is the only artist so far that I have found that has performed Melancholy Serenade.  You may remember the instrumental version of this song by the Jackie Gleason orchestra for the TV show The Honeymooners.  I love both the slower and faster versions of Lock Up Your Heart.  

 Other greats that I often return to are You Are My Special Angel, Be Anything, I'll Close My Eyes, It's The Talk Of The Town and No One.  A couple of songs that I really enjoy and that might be considered more pop oriented are Roundabout and It's A Different World.  I could go on and on.  Francis' catalog of music is wide and deep and I find new discoveries all the time. 




Here are some other of my favorite artists performing That's My Desire: