Vanity - trying to think of an oldie, with almost nothing to go on

12/23/14 | NewJerseyJoe

[NewJerseyJoe]

Hi folks. I consider myself a "student" of oldies (1950s-early 1960s), but I'm having a terrible brain freeze on this one.

There is a song I've heard over the years, but I cannot recall the name or the artist. I have almost no clues for you to go on, but I know that some music-history fans consider that a challenge! Here goes:

1. Song had a slow tempo -- a ballad or very much like one. Very soaring vocals by the solo singer.
2. Male singer with great range. The comparisons that spring to mind are Perry Como and Bobby Hatfield.
3. Unsure of this one -- but I seem to remember that the song was one of those where the title bore little or no relation to the lyric contents. (Note: it's NOT "Unchained Melody")

That's all I got. :-( Any suggestions? I will look up your suggestions on YouTube, to see if I can track it down. Thank you!

[Kackikat]

Are you thinking ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes’?

[Bigg Red]

The kind thing to do here would be to ask the mods to add to your title “Update at #108”.

[Bigg Red]

Update at #108

[Iscool]

If it's not ,

This One,

[Iscool]

It has to be This One...

And if it's not that one, it should be...

[Fiji Hill]

Ebb Tide--Vic Damone (1953)

[shibumi]

I really don’t feel like plowing through 100+ responses to see if anyone posted this, but I think (seriously) this might be what you’re looking for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB7H6pT3DW4

[trisham]

Beautiful.

[Fiji Hill]

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes--Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (1933)

[Fiji Hill]

Southern Cal Lowriders

Cherry Pie--Marvin & Johnny (1954)

A Thousand Stars--The Rivileers (1954)

[Slings and Arrows]

If it ain’t on that list, it ain’t worth finding. ;^)

[Flycatcher]

"Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" has the verb "deride" in it.

I challenge you to name any other song that has the verb "deride" in it.

[Fiji Hill]

A tribute to a neighborhood in southeast Los Angeles:

Watts--Brother Woodman & the Chanters (1955)

[tet68]

Probably “Rubber Biscuit” by The Chips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hz0UvIZw-Y0

[Fantasywriter]

“You snipe so steady, you snub so snide

So ripe and ready to diminish and deride

Oh you’re so quick to condescend my opinionated friend

All you deface, all you defend is just a borderline

Just a borderline, another borderline, just a borderline”

Read more at http://www.songlyrics.com/joni-mitchell/borderline-lyrics/#M7mjfWrdjecpk6PH.99

[Not a Joni Mitchell fan; I just took the challenge.]

[Flycatcher]

Very, very good.

I actually didn't think there were any songs with "deride" in them.

Happy to be shown the error of my ways!

[Fiji Hill]

Some more possibilities:

• I Can't Go On--Dion & the Belmonts (1958)

• Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu--Dickie Doo & the Don'ts (1958)

• Hooty Sapperticker--Barbara & the Boys (1958)

• Op--The Honeycones (1958)

• Rock and Ree Ah Zole (The Teen-Age Talk)--The Bobbettes (1958)

• Good Googa Mooga--The Magic Tones (1953)

• Rang Tang Ding Dong (I am the Japanese Sandman)--The Cellos (1957)

• Mope-Itty Mope--The Boss Tones (1959)

[Fantasywriter]

If you had qualified your challenge by excluding obscure songs nobody ever heard of, you’d have been right. :)

[morphing libertarian]

Thanx

[morphing libertarian]

In 1984 I was the administrator for the cal youth authority training academy. After one orientation we were approached by one of the trainees Guillermo Garcia. He asked if we recognized his name. I said, sorry, no.

He said what about willie g and the midnighters. I immediately said yes.

He said, I’m willie g. Gave us all a copy of a disc of their biggest hits.

I notice in the 90s he and the band got back together.