[78-L] Glee

[Cary Ginell]

I started watching "Glee" because of my job - I produce piano/vocal songbooks and wanted to see what songs are being used in this show that we might want to put in one of our books. I was pleased and surprised to hear "When You're Smiling," which was performed very reverently and sweetly by one of the cast members. I can imagine millions of teenagers now hunting for a version of that song to listen to, and it could only come on a 78 era record. Any show that can put songs like that and "Dream a Little Dream of Me" in it is all right in my book. It's a pretty funny show, with some broadly drawn stereotyped characters, but it doesn't take itself seriously, is well-written, and I'm not ashamed to say I like it. I learn a lot of newer songs, too, that I never would have listened to otherwise.

"Dream a Little Dream of Me," in my opinion, was just another dance band song.  I have the original Wayne King version on Victor 22643 and it's kind of plain and dreary. I grew to love the song when Mama Cass Elliot recorded it in 1968. (She sings it solo; John Phillips does a spoken introduction, but it's all Cass after that.)

I'm off to N'awlins.

Cary Ginell

> Date: Wed, 19 May 2010 05:13:01 +0000
> From: fnarf at comcast.net
> To: 78-L at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: [78-L] Glee
> 
> I dunno if any 78-Lers watch the TV show "Glee", or would like it if they did. They do a lot of song and dance numbers in it (it's about a high school show choir), and while most of the songs are from more recent times they do an occasional 78-era number as well. 
> 
> Tonight's episode ended with a rather sweet version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me" sung by the Artie, the wheelchair-bound boy who wants to dance (yes, really; the show manages to be sappy, snarky, and ridiculous all at the same time). 
> 
> I have seven versions of this song in my iTunes, and I'm sure there are a hundred more. I thought it sounded like a Hoagy Carmichael number but it's by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt with lyrics by Gus Kahn. Ozzie Nelson had the first hit with it in 1931, but the one that comes to my mind is Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, though both Dean Martin and Doris Day had nice versions. Ella Mae Morse had a crack at it in 1957; did that ever come out on a Capitol 78, or was that too late? The last appearance on the US charts was probably the Mamas and Papas. Just a few years ago the French actress Arielle Dombasle did an album of standards featuring a shaky but charming version with some lovely sweet-band horns.
> 
> 
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