On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town, we celebrate the many talents of Caterina Valente, who died earlier this month. Plus the autumnal Sinatra - along with Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Petula Clark, John Denver, and one of the all-time greatest showbiz anecdotes.
To listen to the programme, simply click here and log-in.
Last week's Jule Styne special attracted a lot of comment. Fraser says:
Steyn's On the Town: if you could devise the perfect radio programme then nothing would beat sixty minutes of Jule Styne intertwined with peak Sinatra all inimitably presented by Mark Steyn. Plus Harry Lauder, Susan Birkenhead anecdotes and, to complete the joy, Willie Nelson! Just great. Roll on next Saturday!
Well, Saturday has rolled on, Fraser. We hope you enjoy today's show. Richard, an Illinois member of The Mark Steyn Club, writes:
The On the Town programs are a rare and special delight -- part history, part travelogue, part cultural commentary, but mostly, of course, great, great music.
Jackie in Pennsylvania agrees:
Another enjoyable show Mark. I particularly enjoy all the background trivia and interviews and I wonder how you were able to meet with such a variety of artists and song writers. Was that always your interest? Did you start your career in music? I apologize that I don't know much of your background but it is obvious that you have had many opportunities in music. Thank you for enlightening me.
Cara, a New Jersey Steyn Clubber, makes a perceptive observation:
Dear Mr. Steyn,
I hope you're feeling stronger and better each day -as always.
Today as I listened to On the Town, and you played, "All I need is the girl," I never realized how well FS pronounced "best pressed tweed, best vest, etc." I've been on my teenage daughter past few weeks about her barely pronouncing the letter "t" in any given word. I grew up in Hoboken, and have a New York accent. My kids do not have the accent, we live forty minutes south of Hoboken. Anyway, my daughters are very familiar with Sinatra's songs, style, and history so this lesson was poignant . I explained: Sinatra didn't want to sound like an uneducated person and he was very aware of his articulate pronunciation when he sang.
She listened to the song, smiled and said "I heard him, I understand why you've been me correcting me."
Anyway, thank you Mr. Steyn- I hope my five minute distraction make you smile. I'm so grateful to be part of your club and thankful for all of the beautiful music you bring to my home each Saturday and Sunday.
God bless you,Cara - Colts Neck NJ
That's very true, Cara. The "t" and "d" sounds are especially important when you're singing. Mark once mentioned that the first time he sang "Goldfinger" the end came out as "He loves only goal", which sounds like a football song.
From our West Coast music maven, Gary Alexander:
I loved your Styne show. I post something similar in my New Year's Eve Big Band Bonanza each year, I open with the Harry Warren & Mack Gordon songs, starting with the Glenn Miller hits (honoring Warren's Christmas eve birthday) for one hour, then move on to an hour of Jule Styne & Sammy Cahn's wartime big band hits with a special emphasis on how they touch the soul of the nation in the three stages of wartime separation.
Styne & Cahn wrote of (1) the loneliness of separation, such as in the two walking songs (I'll Walk Alone, and I Don't Want to Walk Without You + Saturday night is the loneliest night of the week, 1942-44), then they wrote of (2) the happy reunion songs of 1945 (Kiss me once, twice, one more time... It's been a long, long time, Give me 5 minutes more, Let it Snow, etc.), then (3) they wrote of the sad state of divorces in 1946 (I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry, The Things We Did Last Summer) since 1946 had our highest divorce rate until the mid-1970s, as war changed young men exposed to that carnage, and the women who stayed home grew up and they weren't the same people in 1946 that they were in 1941.
But at least half of the wartime couples kept true for life, hence "Time After Time."
All this came out in Styne & Cahn's hit songs. Surely there's a Masters' Thesis in there somewhere.
And one more from Diane Calabrese:
Made my day to hear that Cole Porter's favorite Styne song was 'Just in Time' – something in common with CP, more or less.
Not much of a Styne fan, but see Dean Martin and Judy Holliday dancing on the terraced patio (Bells are Ringing) every time I hear 'Just in Time'. And have always loved 'Let it Snow' because sometimes we should just let it snow...
Felix Slatkin, Nelson Riddle, Sinatra, Styne – quite a group, no wonder it was difficult to square. Felix brought to mind son Leonard and his treatment in the 'metoo' heyday...guess some of it has been forgotten because I read several days ago about the 80th birthday commemorative concert for Leonard Slatkin.
Quite a program...much to think about...High Button Shoes, how many songs begin with 'I' or 'If' (suppose we're all narcissists and at our core have hope).
Thanks for the program, MS.
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 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, 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, fricasseeing 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 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.