Departure lounge

They're dropping like flies at the moment! House favourite here at Dolores Delargo Towers, the marvellous multilingual singer, guitarist, star of 50s/60s variety shows alongside the likes of Dean Martin and Fred Astaire, and schlager legend in Germany, Miss Caterina Valente has departed for the glittering environs of Fabulon, aged 93...

Caterina Valente - Malagueña

Caterina Valente - Bongo Cha Cha Cha

...closely followed by the star of one of my favourite TV shows when I was a kid Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) - as well as Coronation Street, That Was the Week That Was and Carry On films - Kenneth Cope [above, top left]. Here's the fantabulosa theme tune:

And an old classic:

Kenneth Cope on "the twilight world of the heterosexual" [That Was the Week That Was, 1963]

RIP, both.

You ain't been blue

As we're all in mourning for Her Majesty the Queen, I thought it somewhat inappropriate to whoop up a party atmosphere in my traditional way to mark the end of a week. Everything's cancelled anyway, including the Last Night of the Proms, so I foresee a quiet weekend afoot.

However, among the acres of coverage across our media, I did discover a surprising fact - that HMQ was a great fan of Mr Duke Ellington [and the feeling was mutual; he even wrote a whole suite for her]!

So here's something appropriate for our national mood:

Duke Ellington - Mood Indigo

And here's Ella's vocal version:

Ella Fitzgerald - Mood Indigo

You ain't been blue; no, no, no
You ain't been blue
Till you've had that mood indigo
That feelin' goes stealin' down to my shoes
While I sit and sigh, "Go 'long blues"

RIP, Queen and Duke...

Don't be that way

click to embiggen

Groan. A beautiful, hot and sunny long weekend is over, and bump! Back to reality...

We had a faboo time visiting the boys in Essex, and the treat of all treats was in store - as they took us to the internationally-renowned Beth Chatto Gardens on Saturday! Created by plantswoman Beth Chatto in 1960 from the gravel soil and bogs of the disused fruit farm belonging to her husband, botanist Andrew Chatto, the garden follows her innovative ethos of "right plant, right place", and encompasses a range of habitats from her famous (never watered!) gravel garden, to woodland, wetland, scree [as in the photo above, with just one ugly specimen spoiling the picture - me] and herbaceous planting - and it is utterly splendiferous! We thoroughly enjoyed it.

And, as usual, we trawled the garden centres all around the area and came back with bags full of new plants for the extensive gardens here at Dolores Delargo Towers...

But what did we miss while we were away..?

The news was much the same old, same old - COVID, that Nazi dictator in Belarus mouthing-off, banner headlines and gratuitous swimsuit shots in the tabloids just because there was actually sunshine on a Bank Holiday weekend, Denmark's "spy ring" was exposed... and Heinz Tomato Ketchup is going to be made in Britain again! Oh, and apparently Prince Harry's new job title means "penis" in Japanese.

We missed the late, great national treasure Dame Thora Hird's 110th anniversary, the legendary Edna Doré's centenary and the sadly-missed Eurovision host Katie Boyle's 95th, the 90th birthday of Baby Doll star and sex symbol Carroll Baker [still with us!], as well as the 60th birthdays of impressionist Harry Enfield and the gorgeous Roland Gift of Fine Young Cannibals, and Wicked star Idina Menzel's 50th.

Over the weekend, we mainly listened to/watched YouTube videos of camp pop (as is our wont) such as Kylie, Fangoria, Erasure and Steps, and 90s dance music, which was jolly. However, today marks the centenary of the birth of one Nelson Smock Riddle Jr., so I think we should have a selection of more sophisticated music from the great man's repertoire to greet our return to work. Like these:

Frank Sinatra with Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra - I've Got You Under My Skin

Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra - Route 66 TV Theme

Ella Fitzgerald with Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra - Don't Be That Way

How life should be.

Reminder to self: Must. Win. Euromillions Lottery. Tonight.

With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache

He's featured here before, of course - our "Head Gardener" here at Dolores Delargo Towers. We wish.

More sunshine this afternoon! More gardening. It's only the end of February, and I feel like I've caught the sun already...

Speaking of the end of February, I do feel sorry for those poor buggers whose birthday only comes around once every four years (hell for a child, but at least as an adult one can pretend to be a quarter of one's real age!)

Two of those "leap year babies" just happen to be "house faves" here at Dolores Delargo Towers - and both eminent purveyors of the kind of music that's just perfect for a sunny Sunday - Miss Dinah Shore [with a bit of Ella thrown in for good measure] and Mr Jimmy Dorsey:

Dinah Shore and Ella Fitzgerald - Sentimental Journey

Jimmy Dorsey's Orchestra with Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell - Tangerine

Tangerine, she is all they claim
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine, when she dances by, señoritas stare and caballeros sigh
And I've seen toasts to Tangerine
Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Yes, she has them all on the run, but her heart belongs to just one
Her heart belongs to Tangerine

Tangerine, she is all they say
With mascara'd eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine, with her lips of flame
If the colour keeps, Louis Philippe's to blame.
And I've seen clothes on Tangerine
Where the label says "From Macy's Mezzanine".
Yes, she's got the guys in a whirl, but she's only fooling one girl
She's only fooling Tangerine!

Ah, the mellow mood...

I think I'll travel on to Avalon

A more rewarding day spent in the garden today - the weather has been generally sunny, we've moved our new bench out of the "firing line" of the bloody wood-pigeons and their elderberry-fuelled purple shit, shifted some of the pots around, and generally pottered around dead-heading and feeding the plants. With everything in pots, getting things in order and watered is a bit of a task - but we'll need to make sure everything's in the best of health for when we're away.

In keeping with the "Sunday mood", here's some "Sunday music" - a delightful meeting of three great voices, in perfect harmony...

Perry Como, Caterina Valente, Ella Fitzgerald - Avalon

Perfection.

The lyrics and the melody don't even rhyme

Gay Pride on Saturday was a bit of a carnival at times.

Another little piece of news we missed amongst the mayhem of last weekend was one of those peculiar existential moments when you hear about the passing of a famous individual, and only at that point realise you never even knew they were still going...

Thus is was when I found out that Senhor João Gilberto - the "father of bossa nova" - had departed for Fabulon. The songs he brought to the fore (many in collaboration with his contemporaries Antônio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz) were, and remain, absolute classics; notably The Girl From Ipanema, One Note Samba, Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) - and this one!

João Gilberto - Desafinado

And, for your delectation, here's the classic version by the legendary Ella:

Ella Fitzgerald - Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)

RIP, João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira (10th June 1931 – 6th July 2019)

Her heart was warm and gay; no matter how they changed her, I'll remember her that way

We have a centenary to celebrate today! And it's one very close to our hearts... the eternally lovely Miss Jo Stafford.



With her languid vocal style, her impeccable diction and her hugely varied repertoire of songs, Jo was an integral contributor to the American songbook, working closely with the likes of Johnny Mercer.



The beauty of her voice is perfectly illustrated by the following...

Jo Stafford and Ella Fitzgerald - Love songs medley

Jo Stafford - You Belong To Me

Miss Stafford was never afraid of venturing further afield in her musical choices, however, not least by contributing her vocals as "Cinderella G Stump" to this gem:

Red Ingle featuring Cinderella G Stump (Jo Stafford) - Tim-tay-shun

Facts:

• Jo first came to prominence as part of the vocal harmony group the Pied Pipers, who sang backing vocals for Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and many others.
• When she finally went solo, it was alongside Margaret Whiting and Peggy Lee at Capitol Records that she cemented her reputation as one of "America's sweethearts", performing concerts for the forces overseas both during and after WW2.
• Her choices of vocal material ranged from Big Band to American folk, to pop and ballads, to Jazz, before retiring altogether in the mid-1960s.
• It was also at Capitol that she met and married composer, arranger and bandleader Paul Weston; they worked together professionally throughout her "golden years" in the 50s, and remained together till his death in 1996.

And - of course! - I could not let a tribute to Miss Stafford go by without a mention of her and Mr Weston's ultimate creation - the phenomenon that was Jonathan and Darlene Edwards! Originally a bit of a party-piece for friends, "The Edwards" eventually overtook Jo and Paul's own fame - and indeed won Miss Stafford her only Grammy...

Jonathan & Darlene Edwards - The Last Time I Saw Paris

It gets me laughing (and "honking" along) every time...

Jo Elizabeth Stafford (12th November 1917 – 16th July 2008)

A precious Pearl

The outrageously fabulous Miss Pearl Bailey, had she lived, would have been 96 years old today.

She was not only a ground-breaking artist in her own right, making a successful crossover from Harlem nightclubs and singing with big band-leaders such as Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington to become a genuine all-round entertainer; she was also an early supporter of gay rights (she steered the career of drag superstar Mr Lynne Carter), headed a Tony Award-winning all-black cast of Hello Dolly! and had her own very successful TV variety show during the 70s.

She even wrote her own cookbook!



Miss Bailey also sang with everyone who was anyone in showbiz, including Carol Channing, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Ethel Waters, Moms Mabley and many many more. Like these...

Here she is with Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams:

Three music legends on the Pearl Bailey Show

And here, the lady forms a formidable - and never to be repeated - trio with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan!

Pearl Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan - 1979

Phenomenal.

Pearlie Mae Bailey (29th March 1918 – 17th August 1990)

The eyes have it

Two birthdays. Two legends. Two "Angel Eyes".

Compare and contrast...

Ella Fitzgerald - Angel Eyes

Ella Fitzgerald (25th April 1917 – 15th June 1996)

Abba - Angel Eyes

Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA (born 25th April 1945)

Miss Shore goes into battle

"I never wanted to set the world on fire. So I never had to burn any bridges behind me." - Dinah Shore

Today would have been the 94th birthday of Miss Dinah Shore, American variety show darling, and a fine singer to boot.

She is, however, somewhat drowned out while attempting to do battle with two of the great voices of the 20th century - Ella Fitzgerald and Dame Joan Sutherland!

Ella Fitzgerald, Dame Joan Sutherland and Dinah Shore - Lover Come Back to Me

A bizarre combination...

Speaking of bizarre combinations, Miss Shore was for several years during the 70s in a relationship with none other than Burt Reynolds, who was 20 years her junior. Her various relationships were the tabloids' dream.

She was in fact, despite her "squeaky-clean" TV persona, a bit of a girl!

Dinah Shore Fan Club

You'll see pretty browns in beautiful gowns, tailor-mades and hand-me-downs

"A lean loose-jointed Negro had commenced plunking a guitar beside me while I slept... As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of the guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars....The singer repeated the line three times, accompanying himself on the guitar with the weirdest music I had ever heard."

Thus, the remarkable W.C. Handy (who was born on this day in 1873) described his discovery of a new musical sound - one which he would transcribe and popularise in the early part of the 20th Century, and so earn himself the nickname the "Father of the Blues".

In recognition of the genius of the man, here are some of his most memorable (and continually re-worked) compositions...

A rare gem! The incomparable Bessie Smith, providing a suitably melodramatic version of his classic St Louis Blues:

Bessie Smith - St Louis Blues

In complete contrast, the ultra-smooth tonsils of Ella Fitzgerald (here with Nat King Cole in the film of WC Handy's life, made in 1958 - the year the great man died) turn Handy's Beale Street Blues into a refined "late night cocktail song":

Ella Fitzgerald - If Beale Street could talk!

Miss Billie Holiday here performs (beautifully) a medley including his Loveless Love (itself based upon the traditional song Careless Love). Handy changed the lyrics to:

Oh love oh love oh loveless love
Has set our heart on goal-less goals
From milkless milk and silkless silk
We are growing used to soul-less souls

Such grafting times we never saw
That’s why we have a pure food law
In everything we find a flaw
Even love oh love oh loveless love

Billie Holiday - Loveless Love and All Of Me

And to conclude this tribute, from Madame Arcati's own collection, here is one of Dolores Delargo Towers' patron saints Miss Mae West (here with Duke Ellington) crooning Memphis Blues with a sassy twist:



Enjoy!

The Great Riddle

Today would have been the 90th birthday of the magnificent Nelson Riddle, bandleader, composer and orchestrator of some of the greatest musical moments of the 20th century (including his work with house favourites such as Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney and Keely Smith).

In 1950, Riddle was hired by composer Les Baxter to write arrangements for a recording session with Nat King Cole at Capitol Records. Although one of the songs Riddle had arranged, Mona Lisa soon became the biggest selling single of Cole's career, the work was credited to Baxter. However, once Cole learned the identity of the arrangement's creator, he sought out Riddle's work for other sessions, and thus began a successful partnership that furthered the careers of both men at Capitol.

Nat "King" Cole - Mona Lisa

Mr Riddle was called upon to arrange sessions for Frank Sinatra in 1953, when the great man had just jumped ship from his old record label. Their collaborations were a huge success and he is often credited with relaunching the singer's slumping career - and a long and fruitful partnership between the two artists was born.

Frank Sinatra w/ Nelson Riddle and his Orchestra - Moonlight In Vermont

In the 60s he worked closely with the amazing Ella Fitzgerald, notably on several of her American Songbooks, such as that dedicated to Jerome Kern:

Ella Fitzgerald w/ Nelson Riddle & His Orchestra - All The Things You Are

In the 1970s he concentrated most significantly on film and TV themes, including Route 66, episodes of Batman and other television series, and motion pictures including The Great Gatsby, Robin and the 7 Hoods and the original Ocean's Eleven.

Then in the 80s, Mr Riddle made a resurgence in the unlikely company of rock/country singer Miss Linda Ronstadt - and their collaboration produced three hit albums, the last of which was released in the year of Mr Riddle's death in 1985 (so he never saw it win a Grammy).

Linda Ronstadt - What's New

RIP a musical luminary...

Nelson Riddle official website

I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree

A double anniversary today - on this date 89 years ago the late Erroll Garner, jazz pianist and composer was born, and sadly in 1996 we lost one of the greatest singers in the world ever, Miss Ella Fitzgerald.

So what is the connection? It is this beautiful piece - Mr Garner's finest hour, and his most famous song; that provided Miss Fitzgerald's golden tonsils with another enduring standard to perform to perfection (as only she could)...

Ella Fitzgerald - Misty

Look at me,
I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree
And I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud
I can't understand,
I get misty just holding your hand

Walk my way,
And a thousand violins begin to play
Or it might be the sound of your hello
That music I hear,
I get misty the moment you're near

You can say that you're leading me on
But it's just what I want you to do
Don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost
That's why I'm following you

On my own,
Would I wander through this wonderland alone
Never knowing my right foot from my left
My hat from my glove
I'm too misty, and too much in love

You make me smile with my heart

We are still unable to get into our flat today as apparently there is still no loo, and the carpets are only being laid this afternoon.

Sigh.

So even though we are finally leaving the kind hospitality of Baby Steve and Houseboy Alex and their lovely caravan in Essex this afternoon, it seems we will be taking up residence for at least one night in another of our landlady's flats in North London. This means no internet (except when I get back to work tomorrow) for a while.

Double sigh.

Never mind, we'll have a (hopefully) lovely refurbished flat to go back into, it's a another sunny day and the tan isn't fading yet! So today I feel like some mellow music - and as it is the 60th anniversary of the birth of a lady with one of the 20th century's sweetest pop voices, Miss Karen Carpenter, here she is duetting with another of those all-time classic singers, the sublime Miss Ella Fitzgerald... Enjoy!

Karen Carpenter and Ella Fitzgerald - This Masquerade/My Funny Valentine/I'll Be Seeing You/Someone To Watch Over Me/As Time Goes By/Don't Get Around Much Anymore (1980 television special Music, Music, Music)