[78-L] Happy 100th, Johnny Mercer

[David Lennick]

And Margaret Whiting, the daughter of his late writing partner Richard Whiting. 
Capitol was probably bulging with canaries by the time Mildred might have been 
available. Me, I like Martha Tilton.

dl

Jeff Sultanof wrote:
> Jeff,
> 
> You make some very good points. Capitol during the Mercer era was a label
> where musical decisions were made first. I've always believed that Mercer
> recorded "They Didn't Believe Me'' not only because he loved the song, but
> it was a personal appreciation directed to his friend Kern. Like a thank
> you.
> 
> Tilton was available, Mercer liked her and that was that. Yes, she was not
> the greatest singer at the time, but she was good enough, and she did sell
> records. His other early signings were Gordon Jenkins, Stan Kenton, Bobby
> Sherwood, and Ray McKinley, quite an eclectic group. The set on Collector's
> Choice of Tilton's Capitol sides was very revealing; I'd hadn't heard them
> before, and many of them were quite good. Off the top of my head, I can't
> remember who else recorded John Benson Brooks' "Where Flamingos Fly" during
> that time.
> 
> Interesting thoughts about Mildred Bailey, but those Decca contracts were
> really weird. She may have been signed for a multi-year period because she
> needed the money, and was simply not available. She was also her own worst
> enemy sometimes.
> 
> And yes, "On the Nodaway Road" is one of the best of the Mercer-PIpers
> sides. The song was written in 1935 and hardly got any attention, even after
> Mercer recorded it. Part of the reason was the way it was published, as an
> art song. At least the Capitol recording was at a danceable tempo. "You and
> Your Love" and "You Grow Sweeter as the Years Go By" are also beautiful from
> that first Mercer album.
> 
> I could write about the Mercer Capitol sides endlessly. There is so much
> good music going on in them, and as my mentor would point out, every one of
> them had a special, unforgettable moment that made you want to listen to
> them many times.
> 
> Jeff Sultanof
> 
> On Fri, Nov 6, 2009 at 9:41 AM, Jeff Austin <jaustin214 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> 
>> Part of what made Mercer's Capitols so much fun was his ability to do
>> pretty much as he wished in terms of material.  Who knows what propelled him
>> to make his early side of "They Didn't Believe Me," other than his regard
>> for the song, which didn't have much currency at that moment.  I was glad to
>> see that one of my favorites, "On The Nodaway Road," which has much the feel
>> of a Willard Robison song, finally made it to a recent CD issue on DRG.  I
>> don't think that "Missouri Walking Preacher," which was Robison's, has ever
>> shown up in any form beyond its first issue.
>>
>> One thing that was a little surprising, in the context of the documentary,
>> was the attention given Glenn Wallachs.  My understanding had been that his
>> primary allure to Mercer and DeSylva was based on having access to a
>> significant quality of high-quality shellac.
>>
>> If there is any single question I have regarding Mercer and Capitol
>> Records, it would be why Mercer never opted to throw a bone to Mildred
>> Bailey during the latter part of her life.  The label's early embrace of
>> Martha Tilton always struck me as a little misguided, with no disrespect
>> intended toward Her Liltin'-ness.  Mercer was outspoken in his regard for
>> Bailey (she certainly helped put any number of his songs on the map), and
>> Decca never seemed quite the right home for her in the early '40s.  Capitol,
>> no doubt due to Mercer's presence, always seemed to allow its artists room
>> for a little edginess and even silliness that might have allowed Mildred to
>> flourish in way she couldn't quite on other labels.
>>
>> This, btw, is my first posting to this list.  I don't know why I have not
>> joined prior to now, but it seems like a interesting group of extremely
>> knowledgeable people.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ________________________________
>> From: Jeff Sultanof <jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
>> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Sent: Thu, November 5, 2009 11:10:19 PM
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] Happy 100th, Johnny Mercer
>>
>> Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records with Jo Stafford, the Pied Pipers or just
>> himself with Paul Weston's Orchestra (often the arrangements were written
>> by
>> Skip Martin) are among my favorite recordings of all time. Fantastic vocal
>> and instrumental arrangements, near-perfect performances - there is so much
>> love on these records.
>>
>> I well remember afternoons with my mentor Jerry Graff, who had one of the
>> greatest vocal groups ever, The Beachcombers. We would sit and listen to
>> these records and Jerry would tell me what to listen for and why something
>> worked as well as it did. Sharing these records with him turned out to be
>> great arranging lessons.
>>
>> I have one great favorite, "Movie Tonight," a record I first heard when I
>> was three years old. I still get shivers when I hear it.
>>
>> May Johnny rest in peace.
>>
>> Jeff Sultanof