On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town we're in a vernal mood with an especially springy Sinatra Sextet plus additional selections for the season from Johnny Mercer and Edvard Grieg, with side-trips to Sweden and South Africa.
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~Thank you for your kind comments about last week's edition. Fraser, an English Steyn Clubber from Ipswich, surveys the set-list:
When the pre Saint Patrick's Day running order contains Frankie Laine, a brace of 'Tea for Two', a truly scandalous justification for the Sinatra sextet: if you stand in Athlone and look south ...cue Jimmy Kennedy's 'South of the Border, Down Mexico Way', the exuberant linguistic dexterity of Caterina Valente's 'Istanbul not Constantinople' and sunshine-personified Dino's 'Write to me from Naples' then you truly have the Infectious Joy Edition and the very best yet.
All these talents - but for me Melanie Scholtz's beguiling, bouncing 'Tea for Two' (and the memorable phrasing of 'sugar' in the line 'start to bake a ...') and Rhoda Barfoot's take on 'Galway Bay' ( after which Mark's 'hmm' said it all) crowned this best ever edition. Tremendous.
Much appreciated, Fraser - although I should clarify that, if you're seeking Jimmy Kennedy's turf, you look north from Athlone. I don't want to re-draw any borders. I find, if one is chit-chatting with sons of Erin of republican bent and happen to mention former governors general of Canada with Irish titles (the Earl of Athlone, the Duke of Connaught) a certain tension in the air can sometimes descend - although, admittedly, chit-chatting about Canadian viceroys with Irish nationalists is a bit of an abstruse conversational scenario.
Chris writes from Dublin:
Thank you Mark for the tribute to Jimmy Kennedy and for the nugget of information that his brother was a broadcaster on Housewives Choice, also for settling the debate as to Victor Herbert's birthplace. I was impressed as you were by the young lady that sang the final item . I will listen to the repeat as I missed her name. Serenade deserve great credit regarding the Irish performers that they feature such as Val Doonican, Ruby Murray, The Pattersons, The Bachelors etc. Our national station are aiming at a different demographic.
Perhaps next St Patrick's day you might think of looking at the work of Richard Farrelly composer of 'The Isle of Innisfree' and many other ballads. Hollywood to its shame did not give him composer credit for The Quiet Man all of it going to Victor Young who in fairness adapted the tune in the score.
Happy to play Mr Farrelly's compositions, Chris. I've always liked that early song of his Anne Shelton had a modest hit with. As to the young lady singing "Galway Bay", that would be our friend Rhoda Barfoot, whose performance of another Irish classic, the Wexford Carol, was a highlight of our Christmas Eve show. You can find out more about Rhoda's fine album, Across the Sea to Ireland, here.
From Chris's fellow Chris - albeit this time a Steyn Clubber from the Western Hemisphere:
Well, I was prepared for some sort of Irish celebration And after the terrible fall down the Grand Canyon I didn't think I would get much of 'Zombie' by The Cranberries or 'Mother Machree' by John McCormick. But what a tribute to Jimmy Kennedy! He was so adept at those songs I'm sure he could have done something to rhyme with 'curragh' instead of focusing on Capri et al.
Boy, I loved 'Faithful', unknown to me unlike all those others. But you redeemed yourself to this Irishman when you ended with Galway Bay, my grandfather's favorite song. He was Irish through and through but arriving at Ellis Island in 1912 he changed his name from Patrick Joseph to Joseph Patrick because he 'was an American now.' He joined the AEF as a volunteer a few years later and fought at St Mihiel. Pop and I spent many an afternoon listening to the nascent but dreadful NY Mets on his old Rambler car radio on our street in Queens in the early 60's. A wonderful man, and thus I am 'Pop' to my 10 grandchildren, hoping to do as well. Thank you, Mark...and Slainte!
Nancy, a Mark Steyn Club member from Montana, says:
Well what a tour-a-lura-lura that was! My Italian heritage (which celebrates the Feast of St. Joseph on March 19) was greatly pleased with the Frank Sinatra, Caterina Valente, Dean Martin, and Connie Francis offerings. My love of obscure trivia was grateful of your mention of Cass Daley, who is all but forgotten today, I liked her.
Rhoda Barfoot's haunting 'Galway Bay' was a fitting close to an all-over-the-map program.
But wait - there's more! St. Finian the Leper took a turn for his big day on the 16th!
What else could we expect from the Ides of Mark?
Yeah, I rather regret not doing a one-hour Finian the Leper special, Nancy. Maybe next year.
One more - from Sarsfield, a First Year Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club:
I so hoped you would play a version, any version, of 'Donald Where's Your Trousers'! St. Andrew's Day?
I think that arises from the accompanying illustration here. Maybe St Andrew's Day - or maybe Hogmanay.
Thanks for all your comments - including the critical ones. On the Town is my weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm Greenwich Mean Time - that's 6pm in western and central Europe or (for this month only) 1pm North American Eastern. You can listen from anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here.
As you know, I'm a great believer in old-school appointment listening, and love 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.
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Because some parts of the world have sprung into summer but others haven't, for this month only Mark Steyn on the Town can be heard on Serenade Radio at the following times:
Saturday 5pm London time/1pm New York
Sunday 5am London time/10pm Los Angeles
Steyn's Song of the Week continues on Sunday, Monday and Thursday at the usual hour GMT, but one hour later than usual in the Americas.
