What Is This Thing Called Love?

Steyn On-line ^ | June 13, 2021 | Mark Steyn

[Twotone]

This month we are marking the centenary of Nelson Riddle, perhaps the greatest of all arrangers of popular song. That's what Frank Sinatra thought, and we cite "I've Got the World on a String", "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" as merely the obvious examples. This week's selection is less frequently cited, but is a particular favorite of mine.

On March 27th 1929 the Charles B Cochran revue Wake Up And Dream opened at the London Pavilion, with a host of West End talent, including Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale, Tilly Losch and Douglas Byng. And at one point in the evening Britain's "Radio Sweetheart Number One", Elsie Carlisle, stepped forward and sang:

I was a humdrum person
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my humdrum heart
Love flew in through my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again...

Don't recognize it? Well, the introductory verse is pretty superfluous and (although musically distinguished) somewhat crude as a set-up for a most misterioso ballad:

A quarter-century later Frank Sinatra junked the intro entirely and got right to the nub of it:

What Is This Thing Called Love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?

[SharpRightTurn]

Riddle was definitely one of the greats.

[AndyJackson]

Thanks for posting this. It has made my day a bit brighter. And Steyn reminds us that music reminds us in these trying times what it means to be human. And that is pure gold in a time of dross.

[lee martell]

Another song about Love; not nearly as well known or culturally significant,
would be “The Meaning Of The Verb ‘To Love’” by Todd Rundgren. From around 1976. I love a great deal of Todd’s early music.
He does not have the best singing voice, but does have perfect pitch and an incredible ear for melody.

I try to compartmentalize the music from the man. Rundgren has become extremely Liberal and proudly intolerant in his dotage. Almost as bad as Barry Manilow, who stood up and left at Talk Show couch when the guest following him was someone seen as conservative.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Bookmark

[Fungi]

Absolutely, but don’t forget Neal Hefti, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Glenn Miller and a host of others in that genre. Summer Wind with Frank Sinatra is an incredible classic, featured in the film “A pope From Greenwich Village.” Don’t forget the 11 albums he did with Ella Fitzgerald and one with Linda Ronstadt. He was a humble genius.

[bigbob]

This never fails to paint a mental picture of a white stripe down the middle of an endless stretch of asphalt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbRoyJXSfQ

[genetic homophobe]

Thanks Tommy!

[Fiji Hill]

I've never heard Elsie Carlisle's version before, but I love it. I like the fact that she sings in her native English accent and doesn't try to sound American.

The song was a hit in the USA a year later.

What Is This Thing Called Love?--Ben Bernie & His Orchestra (1930)

[Fiji Hill]

Don’t forget Neal Hefti, Gordon Jenkins, Billy May, Glenn Miller and a host of others in that genre

I won't Gordon Jenkins recorded my favorite song of the 1950's.

Bewitched--Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra (1950)

[Fiji Hill]

Another great tune featuring Elsie Carlisle that seems relevant to today.

The Clouds Will Soon Roll By--Bert Ambrose & His Orchestra (1932)

[PerConPat]

That’s a great list. And George Martin also rates a “possibly the greatest” nod.

[Fungi]

You should know about this station, Saturday and Sunday
“Swing time” with Johnny Magnus, 7-10 AM. https://kkjz.org/

He is repetitive at times, plays too much of Nat Cole, which is great, and too much of Diana Krall, who was never a part of that genre and cannot sing, but talks while whispering.
Worth a listen if you have time early on the weekends.

[BradyLS]

Interesting you should mention Magnus. I used to listen to Chuck Cecil’s syndicated radio show “The Swingin’ Years” as a kid. That show lasted some 50 or 60 years covering big-band swing from the 30’s through the 50’s. Great fun!

[Fiji Hill]

I used to listen to Chuck Cecil’s syndicated radio show “The Swingin’ Years” as a kid. That show lasted some 50 or 60 years covering big-band swing from the 30’s through the 50’s. Great fun!

I first heard Chuck Cecil's "Swingin' Years" broadcast in 1968 when I was getting a haircut. The barber had his radio tuned to KFI, which was broadcasting his show (KFK would later be Rush Limbaugh's home in the Southland). I immediately became hooked and started recording his shows on reel-to-reel tapes.

While my peers were listening to the Rolling Stones, Iron Butterfly, Steppenwolf and Led Zeppelin, I was listening to Erskine Hawkins, Will Bradley, Gene Krupa, Ray Noble, Freddie Martin and Paul Whiteman.

[steve8714]

What’s this thing called, love? Punctuation matters.

[BradyLS]

That must have been a crazy time to listen to the show! I started listening from the mid-70’s through the mid-80’s. The show was still going 30 years later when Cecil finally l ended it in...2016?

[Fiji Hill]

Chuck Cecil started his show in 1956 and maintained the same style throughout its existence. I suspected that many of his later broadcasts were recordings from previous years—such as when he made a reference to the 1974 “streaking” fad in a late-90’s broadcast.

[Fiji Hill]

Rundgren has become extremely Liberal and proudly intolerant in his dotage

I have a transcription disc of a series of Get-Out-The-Vote radio ads put out by a left-leaning group that sought to get young people to the polls in the 1972 presidential election. Although they don't endorse a candidate, it is clear that the ads are encouraging young people to vote Left.

One of these ads is by Todd Rundgren, who announced his candidacy for president in 1984, when he will be old enough to run.

[Fungi]

Chuck Cecil was fabulous, listened to his show too, educated me on the swing era. Magnus interrupted Chuck during one of his shows and sneaked in a plug for himself as the future host.