On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town, I celebrate the birthday of a great Broadway lyricist, Lee Adams, who turns one hundred years old this Wednesday. We'll be playing songs from Bye Bye Birdie and his other shows, as rendered by Dick Van Dyke, Ann-Margret, James Taylor and more.
Plus: If they asked him, he could write a book - a Sinatra Sextet with a literary bent. Also: Roberta Flack, Kim Novak and Harold Wilson!
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Last week's shimmering summery edition of On the Town attracted a range of comment. Terry Barker, a Florida Steyn Clubber, says:
Mark, you remind us of the depth and richness of life through musical appreciation. A lovely, lovely gift. Thank you.
My delineation of France's Route Nationale 7 set off Peter Lucey's sweet tooth:
Thank you for another cheerful and uplifting broadcast - I needed it!
You mentioned Montelimar on R7. We drove through it in 1978 on the way to the Cote d'Azur. It seemed a nondescript town, but once inside the city limits both sides of the road were crammed with nougat factories. Until the 'Montelinar' sign, with a diagonal red stripe, that denoted the town limits - of course, you can only call the sweet Montelimar if made in the town!
Many other listeners responded to my childhood recollections of motoring down RN7 somewhat sceptically. Nick Russell, a Steyn Club member from the English Home Counties:
Hey Mark, I was born in 1952 and each summer my parents drove us across France to Italy and my mum, like yours had to crane her head out of the car window to guide my father when overtaking. But surely by the mid to late sixties the Autoroute du Soleil was pretty much completed and how on earth did your family fit into a two-seater? TR4? Lotus Elan?
Actually, both the Triumph and the Lotus had narrow bench seats in the rear. They were a bit cramped even for my seven-year-old self, but, if we grew restless and fidgety, my dad had a trick he liked to do with the top down: he'd press the windshield wiper and the liquid would sail over my parents in the front seat and squirt me and my sister in the back. I think they've refined the precision a bit since then.
Jake from the English West Country is showing disturbing signs of warming to the Frogs:
I've actually really enjoyed the past few French tunes you've played and their curiously odd arrangements. Does this mean I'm becoming a Francophile? (As Del Boy would have it, 'Menage a trois, Rodders!')
'Route Nationale 7' was a treat despite it being an instrumental to my ears but part of its charm was probably the delightful mind picture you created of your family's driving holidays abroad. Occasionally our family got to drive down to Hayling Island's rocky beach in a Ford Anglia whereas you could motor down to the south of France in a TR4 - not fair!
The Sinatra selection included a solid gold standard unknown to me, the wonderful 'The Summer Knows'. Your description of its lyric was consummate...
I thought the Coca-Cola song at the end was sung by the brilliant Jim Croce! It brought to mind a time when TV ads were often more entertaining than the actual programmes...
Thanks for a sweet hour's distraction, Mark.
Alison Castellina writes:
Thank you for cheering us with a 40s version of 'La Mer' only previously known to me via its use as the theme song of Mr Bean's Holiday. I tried via YouTube the Edith Piaf earlier version of 'L Hymn d Amour' sung by Celine Dion on the Eiffel Tower last week and I was more impressed by Dion. Sometimes renditions of classic songs mature with age. What luxurious, lush orchestrations Sinatra sang to.
Sorry, what was that about Céline and Sinatra, Alison? I couldn't get past only knowing "La Mer" from Mr Bean...
As to "Hymne à l'amour", do check out my dear friend Patsy Gallant on the Steyn Show a couple of years ago.
Josh Passell, a First Weekend Founding Member from Massachusetts, enjoyed Alan Bergman's recollection of saying no to Sinatra:
Alan and Marilyn Bergman wrote art songs, not Tin Pan Alley numbers. Which isn't meant as a put-down of either genre, just an awestruck observation. They put me in mind of Fauré and Duparc. That means a lot to me. No wonder they couldn't change a lyric.
Oh, I don't know, Josh. I wouldn't call the theme from "Champion the Wonder Horse" or their rewrite of "Ol' MacDonald" "art songs", and I regard the latter as a masterpiece.
One more from Jackie, a Steyn Clubber in Pennsylvania:
Another great show today Mark. You are a gift and a wealth of knowledge. Love the background and you even manage to find interviews. I find myself just floating along and, suddenly, it's over. Where did the hour go? Now I have to wait another week.
See you in a se'nnight, Jackie.
Thanks for all your comments. On the Town is my weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm British Summer 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.
As listeners 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 the shows here every weekend.
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 hours:
Saturday 5pm London time/9am Los Angeles
Sunday 5am London time/12 midnight New York
Steyn's Song of the Week continues at its usual hour on Sunday, Monday and Thursday.