On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town Mark suffers from a surfeit of prostitutes, plays highlights from The Jacques Brel Songbook and The Mrs O'Leary Songbook, and offers a glass-half-empty Sinatra Sextet.
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~Thank you for your comments about last week's show. Debra Silver, a First Quarter Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club, says:
I think this must be my favourite and I have loved each in turn... but the Jamaican numbers (that I sang way back when) had me dancing in my seat and then the fabulous Gwen Verdon with Damn Yankees... off the charts... and Frank and Elvis et al... a true delight!! I danced til the end! thank you...
Fraser Sutherland agrees:
After a night of Presbyterian cold, curtains swept open, earbuds in, 'and now here's Mark Steyn with On the Town....'.
They say the best artists create their own, immediately recognisable world; well, welcome to the Steynian universe. Gwen Verdon, Damn Yankees, Sweet Charity, Nino Rota, Le Notti di Cabiria, and Ornella Vanoni's release of her new album at the age of 90 years!
And that's just the first 20 minutes, with Frank, Elvis and, yes, King Radio to follow. How come Steyn gets all the best gigs? Gwen running through her Damn Yankees dance moves for Mark... I'm not bitter. Fantastic.
Stephen writes simply:
The inimitable Mark Steyn. This kind of music radio is precious.
Peter Fattorini, a UK Steyn Clubber, enjoyed last week's Café Continental:
Amazing to hear that Ornella Vanoni has released a new album - at 90. It's not bad either.
I've always been a fan of Italian popular music. In many ways Italian songs are the equal of the best of the great American songbook, but possibly didn't travel, not being in English. I'm thinking of classics such as l'appuntamento or Senza fine from Ornella or from Gino Paulì La gatta and Albergo an Ore (possibly the darkest popular song ever).
One that did travel was Nel blu dipinto di blu - thank you for explaining the bizarre lyrics from Chagall's paintings. I still have the original 45 stamped on beautiful blue vinyl - you don't get that with Spotify.
Indeed. James Fulford followed up Mark's aside re Gwen Verdon's family:
I looked up Gwen Verdon's brother who joined the RCAF. William Farrell Verdon is buried in California (1922-1992) so he survived the war. It turns out he was born in Montreal, part of his parents' process of migration from Blighty to California—in 1922 any Englishman could emigrate to Sydney, Toronto or Cape Town, with no questions asked, and vice versa.
Proving that the Verdons bred true, his grave marker gives his name as William F. 'Red' Verdon.
Steve, a First Fortnight Founding Member from Manhattan, also enjoyed our GV birthday observances:
A wonderful episode from Mark (pbuh - pocket-squares be upon him)! The words 'posterior' and 'superior' will never sound quite the same after this.
So, once upon a time one could attend a Broadway show and—in response to a performer taking off her pants on stage—one could hear an audience member gasp 'Oh no!' Those were the days!!
Fran, a New Mexico Steyn Clubber, enjoyed the improbable combination of vocalists on "Heart":
If you had one last song to sing as a very popular singer and dance star, I don't think you could beat singing that number with Mark Steyn, who certainly does have more heart than the average bear...
If Gwen Verdon had a posterior superior, I could very well say that with Mark Steyn his brains reigns, his voice choice and ear clear.
And one more from our West Coast music maven Gary Alexander:
I loved Dorothy Fields' clever lyrics and Gwen Verdon's delivery of said gems in this wonderful tribute of yours. I'm proud to say that Dorothy and I share a birthday (July 15), 40 years apart, and she was the first female inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame. Papa Lew Fields and the whole macho world set up a gang of roadblocks to her career, but she steamrolled through them all.
Thanks for all your comments - including the critical ones. On the Town is Steyn's weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm Greenwich Mean Time - that's 6pm in western and central Europe/12 midday North American Eastern. You can listen from anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here.
Mark is a great believer in old-school appointment listening, and loves the way Serenade's Saturday schedule flows through the day. However, we appreciate that many potential listeners are, at the appointed hour, shampooing the cat. So, as a bonus for Steyn Club members, we post On the Town at SteynOnline every weekend. You can find all our previous shows here.
We do enjoy your comments on our weekend programming. Steyn Clubbers are welcome to leave them below. For more on The Mark Steyn Club, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership.
Mark Steyn on the Town can be heard on Serenade Radio at the following times:
Saturday 5pm London time/12 noon New York
Sunday 5am London time/9pm Los Angeles
Steyn's Song of the Week continues on Sunday, Monday and Thursday at the usual hour.