[78-L] Martha Tilton & other Canaries

Fri Nov 6 10:25:21 PST 2009

Speaking of canaries, I just came across a record by Eddie South on a label I've never seen before. The titles are "Hot Canary" and "Best Years of My Life" on the Gold Seal label (not Herschel Gold Seal, obviously). No record numbers, but the masters read 2005-ES and 2006-ES. Anyone know where these came from and when they were done? It appears to be post-war.

Cary Ginell

> Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:35:42 -0500
> From: dlennick at sympatico.ca
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Happy 100th, Johnny Mercer
> 
> 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
> _______________________________________________
> 78-L mailing list
> 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l

_________________________________________________________________
Find the right PC with Windows 7 and Windows Live. 
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/pc-scout/laptop-set-criteria.aspx?cbid=wl&filt=200,2400,10,19,1,3,1,7,50,650,2,12,0,1000&cat=1,2,3,4,5,6&brands=5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16&addf=4,5,9&ocid=PID24727::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WWL_WIN_evergreen2:112009