Today in Music (1951): “On Top of Old Smoky” charted for first time

On Top of Old Smoky traditional

Writer(s): traditional (see lyrics here) First Published: ? First Charted: March 30, 1951 (The Weavers) Peak: 2 BB, 12 HP, 12 CB (The Weavers) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 (Weavers) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 27.30 video, 1.14 streaming

Awards (overall): Click on award for more details. Awards (Weavers):

About the Song: The origins of “On Top of Old Smoky” are unclear, but it is believed to date back to the 1840s. AN It is a classic example of a song that was passed down through the generations. The lyrics are associated with the Smoky (Smokey) Mountains that run along the borders of Tennessee and North Carolina.. During World War I, English folklorist Cecil Sharp, with assistance from Maud Karpeles, did field recodings in the Appalachian Mountains and collected a version recorded by Miss Memory Shelton in Alleghany, Madison County, North Carolina, on July 29, 1916. WK According to AllNurseryRhymes.com, the earliest known recorded version of the song dates back to 1911 and is credited to an artist known as Belden. AN George Reneau is credited with making the first commercial recoding of the song in 1925. WK Its greatest chart success came in 1951 when versions of the song charted by The Weavers and Terry Gilkyson (#2 PM), Vaughn Monroe (#8 PM), and Burl Ives with Percy Faith’s Orchestra (#10 PM). It topped the Cash Box and Your Hit Parade pop charts and ranked in both publications’ top tens for the year. TY2 It has also been recorded by Libby Holman (1942), Minnie Pearl & Pee Wee King (1947), Hank Williams (1951), Eddy Arnold (1955), Pete Seeger (1957), Red Foley (1959), Mitch Miller (1959), Bing Crosby (1961), Connie Francis (1961), Harry Belafonte (1962), The Chipmunks (1962), Abba (1978), and others. SH The tune has also been used for the song called “The Little Mohee.” WK A parody of the song, “On Top of Spaghetti,” was recorded by Tom Glazer in 1963. Resources: AN AllNuseryRhymes.com SH SecondHandSongs.com TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 318. WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 11/30/2025.

50 years ago: The King and I opened on Broadway

The King and I Richard Rodgers (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: March 29, 1951 Charted: May 26, 1951 Peak: 2 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Released: June 11, 1956 Peak: 11 US, 148 UK Sales (in millions): 2.0 US Genre: show tunes

Songs: Overture I Whistle a Happy Tune My Lord and Master Hello, Young Lovers March of the Siamese Children A Puzzlement Getting to Know You We Kiss in a Shadow/ I Have Dreamed Shall I Tell You What I Think of You? Something Wonderful Song of the King Shall We Dance? Something Wonderful (Finale) Singles/Hit Songs: As was common in the pre-rock era, songs from musicals were often recorded by artists not associated with the musical and released as singles. Here are some of the most notable hit singles resulting from the show: “We Kiss in a Shadow” – Frank Sinatra (#22, 1951) ”Hello, Young Lovers” – Perry Como (#27, 1951)

Rating: 4.440 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Quotable: “One of the all-time greats among musicals.” – Daily Variety Awards (Cast Album): (Click on award to learn more). Awards (Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: The King and I was the fifth collaboration for Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical came about when Fanny Holtzmann, a theatrical attorney, was looking for a part for her client, Gertrude Lawrence. Holtzmann thought Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam, would be a perfect vehicle and contacted Rodgers & Hammerstein. WK The novel was based on the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, a British widow and school teacher who, in the 1860s, served as governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam. WK She was hired as part of the king’s effort to modernize his country WK and tutor him in how to become a cultivated English gentleman. DF The musical is marked by the conflict between the king and Anna and the love which neither can admit. WK Rodgers was concerned that “the aging Lawrence had a voice of limited range and she was notorious for singing flat.” DF They’d also never written a show designed for a specific performer, and had tried to liberate Broadway of that very habit. DF However, Rodgers, later wrote, of some of the appealing elements of the story: “there was the contrast between Eastern and Western cultures…there was the intangibility of the attraction between teacher and king…there was the warmth of the relationship between Anna and her royal pupils; there was the theme of democratic teachings triumphing over autocratic rule.” DF However, they were still challenged to find a worthy co-star. Rex Harrison played the part in a 1946 film based on Landon’s book – but he was unavailable. WK Alfred Drake and Noel Coward, Lawrence’s oldest and dearest friend, were also considered. DF They ended up holding auditions and the first candidate was an actor named Yul Brynner, whose only Broadway musical credit was in Lute Song, a failed 1946 show starring Mary Martin. DF Rodgers had never heard of him, but wrote about his first impression. He “was a bald, muscular fellow with a bony, Oriental face…He looked savage, he sounded savage, and there was no denying that he projected a feeling of controlled ferocity. When he read for us…Oscar and I looked at each other and nodded…we had our king.” DF The musical debuted at Broadway’s St. James Theatre on March 29, 1951. WK Brynner was an overnight sensation and Lawrence “was once again the toast of Broadway.” DF They both won Tonys for their performances; The King and I was also given the Tony for Best Musical. With a run of nearly three years, it became, at the time, the fourth longest-running Broadway musical in history. WK The 1956 film version was, at the time, the most expensive film to date for 20th Century Fox. DF Brynner was tapped to reprise his role, but Lawrence died of cancer on September 6, 1952, so was replaced by Deborah Kerr, at Brynner’s urging. DF “She had the gracious quality of an English lady, but her powerful performances in From Here to Eternity on the screen and Tea and Sympathy on the stage had the kind of sexual tension that Brynner wanted to emphasize in the relationship between Anna and the King.” DF “Chemistry sizzled between…Brynner and…Kerr…, and the rich multilayered story had an emotional pull that was rare in film musicals. The film made breathtaking use of color and of a new widescreen photographic process called Cinemascope 55. The format’s enhanced sound quality provided a sumptuous setting for the Rodgers and Hammerstein score.” DF Daily Variety called it the “Blockbuster of the year. One of the all-time greats among musicals. Sure to wow all classes and nations. Socko in all departments: story, performances, production, score.” DF The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning nine – including Best Actor for Yul Brynner.

Resources and Related Links: DF David Foil, liner notes from CD of The King and I soundtrack (1956/1993). WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 8/11/2008; last updated 12/22/2021.

Roland Orzabal's Tomcats Screaming Outside released

Tomcats Screaming Outside Roland Orzabal

Released: April 3, 2001 Peak: -- Sales (in millions): -- Genre: new wave

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Ticket to the World [5:48] Low Life (Orzabal) [4:36] (4/10/01, --) Hypnoculture (Orzabal) [3:13] Bullets for Brains [4:08] For the Love of Cain (Orzabal) [4:06] Under Ether [5:51] Day by Day by Day by Day [4:35] Dandelion [3:03] Hey Andy! (Orzabal) [4:25] Kill Love [5:40] Snowdrop [4:23] Maybe Our Days Are Numbered [4:47] All tracks written by Griffiths/Orzabal unless otherwise noted. Total Running Time: 54:35 The Players: Roland Orzabal (vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming) Alan Griffiths (guitar, keyboards, programming) David Sutton (bass) Nick D’Virgilio (drums)

Rating: 3.237 out of 5.00 (average of 14 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith formed Tears for Fears in 1981 after working with each other in the short-lived, ska-revival band Graduate. As Tears for Fears, they released three hugely successful albums in the 1980s before they went their separate ways. Orzabal continued to work under the Tears for Fears banner, releasing the albums Elemental in 1993 and Raoul and the Kings of Spain in 1995. Considering that Orzabal is the only constant through all the Tears for Fears albums, it is curious that Tomcats Screaming Outside is his first official solo album when it could just as easily be considered the third post-Curt Smith Tears for Fears album. In fact, this album and the previous two Tears for Fears’ albums all feature guitarist and keyboardist Alan Griffith, making him the sort of defacto Curt Smith replacement. Under any name, “Roland Orzabal is a musical actor, an abstract poet, and a music connoisseur. His lush lyrical imagery has provided vivid imagism and an emotion sparked from his own inquisitive nature.” AMG This album “illustrates Orzabal’s bright mind with classic philosophical disposition; however, he’s honest and eager, no longer concerned with the past. He refrains from psychologically picking his mind apart; rather, he’s plucking from social indifference and its want for quick desire. His focus on sharp electronics and the uncomplicated nature of songs such as ‘Hypnoculture’ and ‘For the Love of Cain’ present Orzabal’s newfound comfort. He’s still ambitious, yes, but not arrogantly so. ‘Dandelion’ grazes with nasty riffs, leaving Orzabal to twist his large vocals to stretch alongside them. ‘Ticket to the World’ and ‘Maybe Our Days Are Numbered’ ironically capture Orzabal’s fixation with a greater love, another hurt, and a life outside of what everyone already knows.” AMG “Tomcats Screaming Outside aptly defines his burgeoning creative desire as well as his hungry nature to write a song that reaches outside the heart and beyond the mind. The overall composition of this album is tough, a bit young with musical instrumentation, but a decent look at Orzabal’s keen talent as both a singer and a songwriter. He’s still got it.” AMG

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Roland Orzabal DMDB encyclopedia entry for Tears for Fears AMG All Music Guide review by MacKenzie Wilson WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/24/2008; last updated 2/22/2022.

Neil Finn One Nil released

One Nil Neil Finn

Released: March 9, 2001 Peak: -- US, 14 UK, -- CN, 9 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, 0.04 world (includes US + UK) Genre: adult alternative rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to charts. The Climber [4:13] Rest of the Day Off (Blake/ N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:49] (3/2/01, 77 AU) Hole in the Ice (Coleman/ N. Finn) [4:11] (9/10/01, --) Wherever You Are [4:46] (3/26/01, 32 UK) Last to Know (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:02] (7/24/01, --) Don’t Ask Why (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [3:54] Secret God (N. Finn/ Melvoin) [5:27] Turn and Run [3:46] Elastic Heart [4:00] Anytime [3:24] Driving Me Mad [3:58] Into the Sunset [4:12] All songs written by Neil Finn unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 48:46

Rating: 3.752 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: “Neil Finn remains, at his core, a purveyor of pure pop for now people. On this disc…he stays true to form, serving up something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.” BN “Finn's long-running lyrical concerns--love, loyalty, and, predominantly, self-doubt--have never been expressed more adroitly” AZ as Finn delivers his “most straightforward album since Crowded House's Woodface.” AMG “Curiously, for an album that plays to his strengths, a good portion is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Wendy & Lisa [best known for their stint in Prince & the Revolution], plus a production pairing with Tchad Blake and numerous cameo spots, including Sheryl Crow, Lisa Germano, and Mitchell Froom. For all the guests and star power, the record is surprisingly subtle…the songs are gently insinuating, slowly working their way into the subconscious.” AMG “The little details — the turns of phrase, the gently persuasive melodies, the slyly detailed productions — all confirm his status as a gifted craftsman.” AMG “Finn wastes little time in showing his considerable prowess. The opening track, The Climber, is vintage Finn, a superbly crafted mid-tempo pop tune with a sing-song melody.” RS “The swirling effects and treated guitars” AZ of “the bright, breezy Rest of the Day Off” BN “hint more at latter-day Split Enz and even, occasionally, Oasis, than Crowded House.” AZ Neil’s “wife Sharon is lauded as ‘the true companion at your side’ on Wherever You Are,” Q which, along with “the lilting Lullaby Requiem, [available only on the U.S. version] falls into the dreamy, introspective territory that yielded Crowded House's most memorable material, with wisps of vocal drifting over the arrangements.” BN In a similar vein, Turn and Run is “a rending ballad that teams Finn with Sheryl Crow,” BN although her contribution is limited to that of a backup singer rather than a full-fledged duet partner. However, “Finn does prove willing to kick things up a notch -- with the help of collaborators Wendy and Lisa Melvoin…who are brilliantly showcased on Last to Know, which snakes along with a Paisley Park-tinged gait” BN that “flashes Morrissey-inspired wit (‘Ill end up under a bus/ With my fingers crossed’).” EO They reappear again on ”Secret God where [they] assault a Joni Michell-ish jazz-folk canvas with grimy guitars, ravishing harmonies and a barking Bitches Brew outro.” Q “Monogamous shagging is unembarrassingly essayed on Don’t Ask Why;” Q “Elastic Heart has something of the soul about it.” Q “Anytime is a jolly song about popping your clogs and everywhere there are shafts of melody like sunshine in a wood.” Q Driving Me Mad appropriates its shuffling rhythm from the streets of New Orleans, though it's the song's melody – one of Finn’s trademark off-kilter doozies – that steals the spotlight.” BN This album once again displays that “Finn has become one of the most respected songwriters in music.” RS “How fine it would be if he were as big as Sting.” Q Still, even without that level of recognition, there is no doubt that this is “a very Finn, er, fine offering.” EO Notes: In the U.S. the album was released as One All with a different track listing.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Neil Finn AMG All Music Guide review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine AZ Amazon.com review by Sarah Dempster BN Barnes & Noble review by David Sprague EO Eonline.com Q Q magazine review, originally from 5/01 print issue (#176) RS RollingStone.com review by Steve Baltin, originally in 5/21/02 print issue Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/30/2008; last updated 6/1/2024.