![]() Billy Butterfield’s orchestra provides a lush but not overbearing backdrop for Whiting’s sweet voice.īetty Carter and Ray Bryant Meet Betty Carter and Ray BryantĪccompanied wonderfully by Ray Bryant’s trio, vocalist Carter offers an early classic among modern jazz interpretations of Moonlight in Vermont.” Her relatively straightforward reading of the melody belies the innovation that was to come from her. This faithful rendition of “Moonlight in Vermont” was a big hit and introduced the song to the world in 1944. Margaret Whiting Capitol Collectors Series McElrath - Musicologist for Ĭlick on any CD for more details at A Japanese Haiku is a three-line poem with a 5/7/5 syllable count. Of additional interest is that all of the “A” sections of Moonlight in Vermont are in haiku form. In her book The Craft of Lyric Writing, Sheila Davis quotes lyricist John Blackburn as saying, “After completing the first 12 bars of the lyric, I realized there was no rhyme and then said to Karl, ‘Let’s follow the pattern of no rhyme throughout the song. Yet they work perfectly, picturing fall in New England with the glinting water of streams, ski trails in the snow, falling leaves, and bird song. The lyrics for “Moonlight in Vermont” are unusual in that they don’t rhyme. The tune was scheduled to appear in a 1943 motion picture with the same name, but was pulled prior to the picture’s release, proving to be a major error by Universal Studios since the rest of the soundtrack music, with the exception of Rodgers and Hart’s “Lover,” went nowhere. ![]() ![]() The number was a special favorite of the troops overseas, since the song so poignantly describes what many longed for back home. “Moonlight in Vermont” sold two million copies in the first two years following its release in 1944. We were like two instruments.” When Mercer heard the playback, he knew he had a hit. Then, when Billy Butterfield’s trumpet came in, all silver and glittering, it changed my voice. Breaking the song into sections, I could feel the sad warmth of fall, the smell of leaves. In her autobiography It Might As Well Be Spring, Whiting explains: “Johnny had worked so hard with me before we came into the studio. ![]() Mercer came to the rescue, encouraging her to imagine what Vermont was like in the fall. Blackburn and Karl Suessdorf, caught the fancy of the young Whiting, but she didn’t really comprehend Blackburn’s lyrics. Whiting met with Mercer and Capitol musical director Paul Weston to select material to record. ban was settled, Mercer hired Butterfield to back Whiting. His initial recording session for Capitol with Whiting impressed Mercer. Trumpeter Billy Butterfield had graced the bands of Bob Crosby, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, was a swinging jazz artist, and had the experience to organize and direct a big band. Although neither produced a huge hit, the records sold well and Capitol president and artists-and-repertory director Johnny Mercer thought Whiting had hit potential.īecause Mercer was operating on a small budget, he needed vocalists and musical groups that were in need of exposure-artists with talent whose careers needed a boost. Eighteen in 1942, she recorded a session with Freddie Slack and his band and one with a big band under the leadership of trumpeter Billy Butterfield. Margaret Whiting was one of the vocalists Capitol recorded prior to the ban. Once the strike hit, and then the wartime usage of shellac (the material records were made of at the time) made the material scarce, the company put future plans on hold. At the time of its formation, the American Federation of Musicians strike loomed, and Capitol quickly recorded and released several sides, two of which (by bandleader/pianist Freddie Slack and Johnny Mercer), became big hits. The brainchild of lyricist/vocalist Johnny Mercer, it was intended to be the West Coast competition for big East Coast recording companies like RCA Victor and Columbia. Billy Butterfield and His Orchestra (1945, Margaret Whiting, vocal, #15) Ĭhart information used by permission from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954Ĭapitol Records began operation on April 8, 1942.She recorded it again 10 years later, and this version charted as well: Vocalist Margaret Whiting, daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting, introduced this number in 1944, and it was her first big hit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |