100 years ago: “For Me and My Gal” charted for the first time

For Me and My Gal Van & Schenck

Writer(s): George Meyer (music), Edgar Leslie and E. Ray Goetz (words) (see lyrics here) First Charted: May 26, 1917 Peak: 13 US, 112 GA, 112 SM (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 3.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

For Me and My Gal Judy Garland & Gene Kelly

First Charted: January 24, 1942 Peak: 3 US, 6 GA, 8 HP, 12 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): 3.0 (sheet music) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, -- streaming

Awards (Van & Schenck): Click on award for more details.

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Awards (Garland/Kelly): Click on award for more details.

About the Song: George W. Meyer was a composer born in Boston in 1884. He had hits spanning many years, including “”My Song of the Nile,” “Lonesome,” “My Mother’s Rosary” and the great novelty song “Where Did Robinson Crusoe Go with Friday on Saturday Night?” PS However, his biggest hit was probably “For Me and My Gal.” He wrote the music and came up with the title and then tapped Edgar Leslie and E. Ray Goetz to write the lyrics. TY2 When Meyer died, his wife had the song title inscribed on his tombstone. RCG The song “was a forerunner of the jazz age.” RCG Its lyrics about “bells ringing and birds singing as two turtle doves go off to their wedding” RCG showed that in 1917, even as Americans were consumed by World War I, they still relished love songs. The popular vaudeville team of Van & Schenck recorded the song and took it #1. Others to sing it on vaudeville included Belle Baker, Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel, Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker. 1917 saw three more chart version in addition to Van & Schenck’s – Prince’s Orchestra (#5), Henry Burr & Albert Campbell (#7), and Billy Murray (#9). PM The sheet music moved three million copies. The song “was still on pianos all over America” RCG In 1942 when Gene Kelly and Judy Garland sang the song in the movie of the same name. The movie celebrated vaudeville and other hits from the World War I era. Their recording was a #3 hit featuring Garland’s then-husband David Rose and His Orchestra. DJ Guy Lombardo also charted with a version of the song in 1943, reaching #17. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Gene Kelly DMDB encyclopedia entry for Van & Schenck DJ David Jasen (2002). A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899-1999). Routledge: Taylor & Francis, Inc. Page 60. PS ParlorSongs.com Lessons in America’s Popular Music History RCG RimChiGuy.com The Old Songs (1900-1929) TY2 Don Tyler (2007). Hit Songs, 1900-1955. McFarland & Company, Inc.: Jefferson, North Carolina. Page 90. PM Joel Whitburn (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Record Research, Inc: Menomonee Falls, WI. Page 499. Related Links: First posted 5/26/2012; last updated 3/31/2023.

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The movie Singin’ in the Rain was released: April 11, 1952

Singin’ in the Rain was an Oscar-nominated film from 1952 which starred Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. Kelly and Stanley Donen directed the musical and Kelly also oversaw choreography. The comedic film follows the three main stars during Hollywood’s days of switching over from silent films to “talkies.”

Kelly plays silent film star Don Lockwood. He and co-star Lina Lamont (played by Jean Hagen) are a famous on-screen romantic couple and the studio has even promoted the idea that they are linked off-screen as well, even though Lockwood can barely tolerate her. When faced with the transition from silent film to talkies, Lamont’s shrill voice just won’t work and Lockwood faces career jeopardy.

Lockwood’s best friend, Cosmo Brown (played by O’Connor), suggests dubbing Lamont’s voice with that of aspiring actress Kathy Selden (played by Reynolds). Lockwood falls in love with her, which poses problems since Lamont is convinced her relationship with Lockwood goes beyond the screen.

The film wasn’t a big hit upon its initial release, but has achieved legendary status. It topped the AFI’s list of top musicals of all time and the AFI also ranked it as the fifth best American film ever made. Interestingly, while Kelly’s performance in the movie – especially the title cut – has become one of the most iconic images in movie history, he wasn’t originally cast for the role. Initially Howard Keel was slated to portray the character as an actor in Westerns, but the role become more one of a vaudeville performer.

Singin’ in the Rain

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Awards:

• National Film Registry
• Oscars – nominated for best picture
• BAFTA – nominated for best picture
• Directors Guild of America – Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly nominated for best director
• Golden Globes – Donald O’Connor won for best actor
• Golden Globes – nominated for best musical or comedy

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Resources and Related Links:

• Gene Kelly’s DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry
• Internet Movie Database
• Wikipedia

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50 years ago: Brigadoon opened on Broadway

Brigadoon Alan Jay Lerner (music), Frederick Loewe (lyrics)

Cast Album

Stage Debut: March 17, 1947 Charted: June 14, 1947 Peak: 4 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Soundtrack

Charted: November 13, 1964 Peak: 8 US Sales (in millions): -- Genre: show tunes

Songs on Cast Album: Song Title (Performers) [time] Overture / Once in the Highlands /Brigadoon Down on MacConnachy Square Waitin’ for My Dearie I’ll Go Home with Bonnie Jean The Heather on the Hill Come to Me, Bend to me Almost Like Being in Love There But for You Go I My Mother’s Weddin’ Day From This Day On / Brigadoon Songs on Soundtrack: Song Title (Performers) [time] Brigadoon: Main Title (MGM Studio Orchestra) [1:30] Once in the Highlands (Dick Beavers & MGM Studio Chorus) [0:52] Brigadoon (MGM Studio Chorus) [2:06] Down on MacConnachy Square (Villagers with MGM Studio Chorus) [3:13] Waiting for My Dearie (Carol Richards, Bonnie Murray, Anne Biggs, Betty Allen, & MGM Studio Chorus) [5:46] I’ll Go Home with Bonnie Jean (John Gustafson, Gene Kelly, Van Johnson, Paul Roberts & MGM Studio Chorus) [5:17] Come to Me, Bend to Me (outtake) (John Gustafson) [2:59] Heather on the Hill (Gene Kelly) [6:36] Almost Like Being in Love (Gene Kelly) [4:21] Talk to the Dominie (MGM Studio Orchestra) [2:29] Till the End of Our Days (MGM Studio Orchestra) [1:14] There But for You Go I (outtake) (Gene Kelly) [4:13] Two Hundred Years Later (MGM Studio Orchestra) [4:43] The Wedding Dance (MGM Studio Orchestra) [4:08] The Chase (John Gustafon, Bill Reeve, Ernie Newton, & MGM Studio Orchestra & Chorus) [3:48] Fiona’s Search (MGM Studio Orchestra) [1:01] From This Day On (outtake) (Gene Kelly & Carol Richards) [4:17] Heather on the Hill (New York – Reprise) (Carol Richards) [2:19] Even Miracles (MGM Studio Orchestra) [1:35] Brigadoon – Finale & End Credits (MGM Studio Chorus) [1:01] Dinna Ye Know, Tommy (outtake) (Carol Richards) [0:25] Come to Me, Bend to Me (outtake) (Carol Richards) [0:56] Heather on the Hill (instrumental reprise) (MGM Studio Orchestra) [3:43] 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: “Almost Like Being in Love” – Frank Sinatra (#20, 1947), Mildred Bailey (#21, 1947), Mary Martin (#21, 1947), Michael Johnson (#32, 1978)

Rating: 4.096 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings for cast album and soundtrack combined) Awards (Cast Album and Soundtrack): (Click on award to learn more).

About the Show: Brigadoon was the fourth time Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe collaborated on a musical. The first one, Life of the Party, didn’t make it past tryouts but the next two had moderate success. Inspired by the success of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and Carousel, Lerner & Loewe wrote Brigadoon with a serious love story for the main plot and a lighter romance as a subplot. The story deals with two American tourists who stumble across the mysterious Scottish village of Brigadoon which only appears one day every 100 years. A tourist named Tommy falls for Fiona from Brigadoon. The village was fictional, but named after the Scottish bridge Brig o’ Doon. The music incorporated elements of traditiona Scottish folk dance. The original production opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theatre on March 13, 1947, and ran for 581 performances. It starred David Brooks (Tommy), Marion Bell (Fiona), George Keane (Jeff), James Mitchell (Harry), and Pamela Britton (Meg). The musical opened on April 14, 1949, at Her Majesty’s Theatre on London’s West End and ran for 685 performances. The New York Daily Mirror’s Robert Coleman called it “an unconventional musical show of marked originality” WK and The New York Sun’s Ward Morehouse called it “a stunning show.” WK In the New York Herald Tribune, Howard Barnes called it “a scintillating song and dance fantasy.” WK Richard Watts Jr. wrote in the New York Post “I have seen other musical comedies that I enjoyed more, but few for which I have a deeper admiration.” WK In 1954, Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse starred in a film version of Brigadoon. A television broadcast aired on ABC on October 15, 1966, and won five Primetime Emmy Awards. It starred Robert Goulet (Tommy), Peter Falk (Jeff), Sally Ann Howes (Fiona), Edward Villella (Harry), and Marlyn Mason (Meg).

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 12/21/2021; last updated 12/23/2021.

 

Olivia Newton-John hit #1 with “Magic”

Magic Olivia Newton-John

Writer(s):John Farrar (see lyrics here) First Charted: May 23, 1980 Peak: 14 US, 13 CB, 11 GR, 13 HR, 12 RR, 15 AC, 32 UK, 2 CN, 4 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Airplay/Streaming (in millions): 1.0 radio, 15.5 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: After the huge success of Grease, it was a no-brainer to find another film vehicle for Olivia Newton-John. She agreed to do Xanadu because, as she said, “this musical fantasy appealed to me” FB and she would get to sing and dance with one of her idols – Gene Kelly. She played Kira, a muse who came down from Mount Olympus to inspire Sonny (Michael Beck) to open a night club. The roller-skating-themed movie, however, turned out to be what she called “a character-building” bomb. FB The soundtrack, however, was a success. Featuring music from Olivia and Electric Light Orchestra, it generated five top-20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The lead single was “Magic” and it found its way to the top of the U.S. pop charts for four weeks. The song played in the movie when Kira and Sonny first met, again when she has to go back to Olympus, and a third time when she reappears as a waitress at the nightclub. The song’s theme about finding “inspiration for pursuit of one’s dreams and love” WK was fitting in the context of the movie, but also had a broader message about “destiny and faith” SF that worked even for those who hadn’t seen the movie. Considering the failure of the movie, it was a good thing that the song worked outside of the context of the movie. The song boasts “an easy-going melody and clear vocals” SF that continued to push Olivia farther away from her more country sound of the early ‘70s. “Magic” was her third trip to the top following the 1974 ballad “I Honestly Love You” and “You’re the One That I Want,” her smash duet with John Travolta from 1978’s Grease. She went on to hit the top one more time – with the monstrous song “Physical” from 1981. It spent a whopping ten weeks on top of the charts, becoming the biggest hit of the ‘80s. Resources: FB Fred Bronson (2003). The Billboard Book of Number One Hits (5th edition). Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 528. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 10/24/2020; last updated 12/6/2022.

Xanadu soundtrack released

Xanadu Olivia Newton-John/ Electric Light Orchestra

Released: June 27, 1980 Peak: 4 US, 2 UK, 4 CN, 16 AU Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, -- UK, 3.07 world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop

Tracks: Song Title (Performer) (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Magic (Olivia Newton-John) (5/23/80, 1 US, 1 AC, 32 UK, 1 CN, 4 AU, gold single) Suddenly (Olivia Newton-John with Cliff Richard) (10/24/80, 20 US, 4 AC, 15 UK, 6 CN, 37 AU) Dancin’ (Olivia Newton-John with the Tubes) Suspended in Time (Olivia Newton-John) Whenever You’re Away from Me(Olivia Newton-John with Gene Kelly) I’m Alive (Electric Light Orchestra) (5/24/80, 16 US, 20 UK, 10 CN, 27 AU, gold single) The Fall (Electric Light Orchestra) Don’t Walk Away (Electric Light Orchestra) (11/22/80, 21 UK) All Over the World (Electric Light Orchestra) (8/2/80, 13 US, 11 UK, 16 CN, 78 AU) Xanadu (Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra) (6/6/80, 8 US, 2 AC, 1 UK, 6 CN, 2 AU) Total Running Time: 41:34

Rating: 3.529 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings) Quotable: -- Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: I turned 13 in 1980. That meant, among other things, that my musical tastes were just beginning to form and that my hormones were just beginning to stir. Even in my early adolescence, I was able to see that a roller-skating fantasy movie starring Olivia Newton-John was a laughable idea. After the monstrous success of Grease, it was a no-brainer to put ONJ in another music-fuelled movie, but this was not the right choice. Regardless of how bad the movie was, I was head-over-heels infatuated with ONJ. I also was just becoming enamored with pop radio and becoming one of the record-buying public. As a child of the ‘80s, I started out with eight-tracks before moving to cassettes and eventually CDs, but the soundtrack to Xanadu held a special place in my personal music history as my first cassette purchase. Musically, the soundtrack sounded like an idea as bad as the movie. Half were songs by Olivia Newton-John and half by Electric Light Orchestra. What act of lunacy drove anyone to think it was a good idea to pair an Australian country-turned-pop singer with a prog-rock-oriented British rock band? Critical reviews aside, the record-buying public anointed the project with its approval. Five singles from the album reached the top 20 in the U.S., including the #1 song Magic. Six songs hit the top 40 in the UK, including the #1 title song, which paired ONJ and ELO. In addition to that collaboration, Olivia duets with “British luminary Cliff Richard” AMG on Suddenly, a song which “seems better than most love themes.” AMG Whenever You’re Away from Me puts her together with Gene Kelly, who gave his final film performance in this movie, capping an outstanding career with a career lowlight. The oddest mix, however, is “the doomed swing/rock hybrid Dancin’,” AMG which the “appearance of the Tubes almost saves…but the two styles should never meet.” AMG In addition to the title cut, ELO served up three more charting singles with I’m Alive, All Over the World, and Don’t Walk Away. The latter song and “The Fall stand as two of Jeff Lynne’s finest.” AMG This was definitely a work tied to a specific era and it doesn’t hold any long-term value beyond nostalgia. However, if you were 13-years-old and in love with pop radio and Olivia Newton-John, this is a work which, however laughable, will always hold a special place.

Resources and Related Links: Olivia Newton-John’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry Electric Light Orchestra’s DMDB Encyclopedia entry AMG All Music Guide review by Doug Stone WK Wikipedia First posted 10/14/2020; last updated 6/7/2021.