On this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town, we have Number One records, songs from France and Nigeria, a bevy of ladies, a number for dictaphone, a very marmitey song, and a memorable ride over the 59th Street Bridge.
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Last week's tribute to the multitalented Caterina Valente attracted a lot of comment. Soren Rasmussen, a Danish member of The Mark Steyn Club, says:
I was surprised at how sad I became on hearing of the passing of the amazing Caterina Valente. It was only last month I was reminded of her and checked that she was still alive.
It was an odd kind of reassurance to feel, given that her performing years have long been in the past, but her name conjures special meaning, as I distinctly recall how much my parents enjoyed her performances. My father still remains, but my mother died two years ago, when - having for years successfully managed to hold off a rare leukemia - the Covid vaccines seem to have triggered her cancer to go into turbo mode and kill her off within a few short months.
I cannot help but recall a gathering a decade or so back of some of my parents' friends, and at one point someone mentioned Caterina Valente. The reaction was a such a wistful sigh from nearly every member of the group, at which point I realized that practically all of the men present must have been at least a little bit in love with her in their youth in the 50s and 60s.
My parents had some of her German schlager LPs and her voice was a small but important part of my own childhood in the 70s. I defy anyone to see her One Note Samba bit with Dean Martin and not marvel at how easy she makes it all look.
For sheer concentrated charm and talent, she was truly one of the greats. I never met her, but I shall miss her.
Oh, and the Romano Mussolini anecdote was perfect.
Here's that "One-Note Samba" Soren's talking about:
We didn't use that on last week's show, because it's a visual clip - you need to see the fun Dean and Caterina are having together. But that's the point: it's primarily a light-hearted entertainment moment - it's about the playfulness between the two stars - and yet, as Soren notices, it's actually quite a technically demanding moment if you're the one playing the guitar. And yet Signora Valente never looks down, except just the once - and then because Dean's been yukking it up with her and she wants to make sure her fingers are still in the right place. Even the world's best guitarists would be keeping their eyes on their instrument all the way during that. But Caterina was both a superb musician - and terrific at all the chemistry and banter, too.
Robert Fox, a First Week Founding Member of The Mark Steyn Club, enjoyed Miss Valente's opening number:
As I was driving to work Nocturne For The Blues almost gave my car a heart attack. The bass guitar thumped almost out of the dashboard. Being a former brass player, I especially enjoyed the giggling and muted trumpet flourishes. The deep trombone parts that snuck in there were fabulous too. Everything. The vocals. The arrangement. The conducting. They don't make recordings like that anymore. What a busy arrangement, both instrumental and vocal. But if all fit beautifully together like a hand in glove.
Thanks Mark for bringing that one to life. I'm going to listen again and again. Great story about Mussolini at the end of the show.
The arranging and conducting are Sy Oliver at his very best, Robert. As to that Mussolini anecdote, Fraser writes:
I missed the last six minutes of the show, (listening in the early hours of Sunday morning). That was entirely Mark Steyn's fault. I laughed so much at the Chet Baker anecdote that it blotted out the rest of the programme. It's now 0607 hours and I'm still laughing! One might even say 'what a drag'. Yet another aspect to this supreme programme (minus 6 minutes).
One more from Chris on our Jule Styne special:
Wow---"conducting and arranging are not the same thing". Never thought of it that way-- and never figured Nelson Ridddle as anything BUT a great conductor since he was so heralded as an arranger. Here I thought I knew a little something about music...and MS slaps me senseless once again.
Love the hour, but stealing time while my wife is looking at Thursday Night football seems like I'm having an affair. Always loved Jule Styne and felt him underappreciated despite some of the boffo hits and standards. 'Hey Look, No Cryin" was unknown to me---fabulous. and MS says Jule Styne's greatest musical is Gypsy but Kyle says MS picks it as the greatest ever. A bit surprised.
"Hey, Look, No Cryin'" is indeed fabulous, Chris. No arguments there.
Re Riddle as a conductor, a handful of Sinatra's regular players from that time told me that, by the late Fifties, Frank was more or less as good a conductor as Nelson - and they contrasted Sinatra conducting Riddle's arrangements on Peggy Lee's album The Man I Love with Riddle struggling to pull off his own charts on Frank's Only the Lonely.
Thanks for all your comments - including the critical ones. 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 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.