[78-L] Jack Lawrence (1912-2009)

[David Lennick]

She also sang an entire chorus to me after not having heard it in maybe 60 years.

I can hear the similarities between All Or Nothing and Begin The 
Beguine..hadn't noticed them before.

dl

Kristjan Saag wrote:
> David Lennick wrote;
> 
>> Okay gang..I just spoke to my mother, who's 93 and knows every song ever
>> written and whose mother knew every other song ever written and she says 
>> "Yes
>> My Darling Daughter" is NOT "Minka". You want to argue with her, go ahead. 
>> (She
>> then phoned back and sang part of something that began "Don't forget me" 
>> and
>> that WAS based on Minka.)
> --
> I've gotta be good or mama will scold me
> Yes, yes, yes
> I asked her and this is what she told me
> Yes, yes, yes
> 
> Mother, should I keep my resistance? Yes, my darling David
> Mother, will you give me assistance? Yes, my darling David
> What If there's a tune, mama darling, and it sounds just like that big hit
> Mother, must I keep on arguing? Yes, my darling David
> What if he'll insist, mama darling, Minka was the one to fame it
> Mother, what should be my answer? No, my darling David
> 
> (melody: "Yes, My Darling Daughter")
> --
> Sorry, just couldn't resist.
> My best regards to your mother, David - I wish I still had one. Mothers are 
> great memory sources. Many years ago my mother told me a story about that 
> "Elvis Presley song" I mentioned a few days ago, "Aura Lee". She remember 
> having heard it as a child: her father brought the record home and played it 
> on the wind up gramophone back in Estonia in the 1920's. In the 1960's, when 
> my mother heard "Love Me Tender", she told some friends about this and they 
> all laughed. Presley in the 1920's - sure!
> But I was able to confirm her memories by searching for international 
> recordings of the song at that time. There were a few. And the hits in 
> Tallinn were the same as in Stockholm, Amsterdam or London.
> --
> About "Minka": I'm not trying to say that Lawrence used "Minka" as his 
> primary source - as I understand "Minka" was the basis for other Ukrainian 
> folk songs and popular songs. I haven't been able to find a recording of the 
> "Oy ne khody, Hritsu", so I can't tell the difference. But there are 
> structural similarities between "Minka" and "Yes, My Darling...", especially 
> some chord changes, that point to a common source.
> --
> Besides: am I the first to have noticed a strong similarity in the refrain 
> between "All Or Nothing At All" and Porter's "Begin The Beguine"?
> Listen to the part that goes:
> 
> So don't let them begin the beguine
> Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
> 
> And compare that with:
> 
> But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
> Don't smile or Ill be lost beyond recall
> 
> Most recorded versions of the song are extremely similar, with the melody 
> going up on "fire" ("Begin The Beguine") and on "lost"  on "All Or Nothing 
> At All". The only exception I've heard is Anne Shelton's recording with 
> Ambrose.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qULayAyC15c
> (After about 1'37)
> 
> There's a different melody solution in this part. My guess ins that Ambrose 
> deliberately choose to change it in order to keep the tunes apart. Anyone 
> possesses the score?
> Extra note: RIP, Jack Lawrence: these two songs belong to my all time 
> popular favourites - and "Tenderly" isn't bad either...Any guy who put his 
> name under those songs are worth his place in the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame.
> Kristjan
> 
> 
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