[78-L] Memories of you

[David Palmquist]

Julian Vein asked
What possessed Bluebird to reissue Duke Ellington's "Memories of 
You"?  One of Duke's dullest despite a freakish vocal by Dick Robertson.

I suspect Memories of You was re-released because it was very 
commercial recording.  The crooning and very sweet playing is mood 
music and it appeals to a market that may not always care for hot 
jazz, and it is perhaps suitable to play during a romantic dinner.

You have to give vocalist Dick Robertson credit for hitting that high 
note so accurately each time.

In Duke Ellington, A Listener's Guide, at pp 39-40, Eddie Lambert wrote :

"The band was back in New York and the change of studio may in part 
account for the poorer overall sound of the ensemble.  The second 
chorus of Memories of You ... has an odd bit of experimental scoring 
involving Whetsol (sic), Tizol, Hodges' soprano sax and the and over 
bowed bass, but the rest of the performance is easily forgotten."

I have blue and yellow Bluebird labels on the 1930-1932 page of the 
Dooji Collection. .  Go here:
http://ellingtonweb.ca/Hostedpages/DoojiCollection/DoojiCollection.htm

You can listen to the recording as well if you go to the Ellington 
page of the French "Jazz Old Time On Line" or "Old Time Jazz Online" site:
http://www.jazz-on-line.com/Duke_Ellington.htm

A bit of trivia:
The blue label with the music staff on it, the first one I show, 
seems to have been an early release since it doesn't have the Not 
Licenced for Radio Broadcast warning on it.  It's intereresting that 
this Bluebird label shows the record was made by RCA Manufacturing 
Co. Inc., while the Victor label right above it, You're Lucky To Me, 
recorded in the same session , was put out by RCA Victor Company, Inc.

David in Delta



At 08:04 2010-05-14, you wrote:

>Message: 21
>Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 09:52:34 +0100
>From: Julian Vein <julianvein at blueyonder.co.uk>
>Subject: [78-L] Duke's "Memories of You"
>To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>Message-ID: <4BED0F52.3030608 at blueyonder.co.uk>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>What possessed Bluebird to reissue Duke Ellington's "Memories of You"?
>One of Duke's dullest despite a freakish vocal by Dick Robertson.
>
>       Julian Vein
>