Variety (April 1953)

OI(VE$ntAS>MU$IC psmsr? 'Wednesday, April 22, 1953 Jocks, Jukes and Disks ■By HERftl SCHOBNFELD* Eddie Fisher: “I’m Walking Be- hind You’-“Just Another Polka” (Victor). “Walking Behind You “ a British import, is getting off to a flying start via this etching. Frank Sinatra's cut of this sentimental Item for Capitol will give the Fish- er slice a close run for the money, it being Sinatra's best vocal in a long time. On the Victor flip, “Just Another Polka” is a light bouncy tune with a cute lyric. It could step out big as another “Hoop-De-Doo.” Hugo Winterhalter orch backs up smartly. Jo Stafford: “Just Another Pol- ka”-“My Dearest, My Darling” (Co- lumbia). Jo Stafford’s bright work- over of “Polka” has solid click po- tential. Snappy pace makes it a natural for juke spins. On the re- verse, Miss Stafford warbles a fine country-styled number in the “Keep It A Secret” groove, Paul Weston orch accomping tastefully. Mills Bros.: “Say Si Si”-“I’m With You” (Decca). This revival of “Say Si Si,” looks like another hit for the Mills Bros. They bounce this oldie in their glossy harmoniz- ing style foC top impact. “I’m With You” is an okay rhythm number with fair prospects.. Vaughn Monroe: “Ruby”-“Less Than Tomorrow” (Victor). “Ruby” has stepped out via Dick Hayman’g instrumental version for Mercury but this cut by Vaughn Monroe could move to the top. It's a fine lyric by Mitchell Parrish and Mon- roe’s vocal ranks among his most effective. Nick ’ Perito’s accordion slice of this number for Coral also is standout, Ori the Victor flip. offbeat for commercial impact. “Lovers” is one of those dramatic ballads usually associated with ; Frankie Laine’s style. Miss Kitt delivers it strongly but the popi values are dubious. Flip is a Tur- kish folk song, sung in Turkish lingo by Miss Kitt with a bizarre bazaar background by Henri Rene’s orch, Miss Kitt supplies some Eng- lish interpolations but the lyric is still as clear as halvah. Champ Butler: “I’m Walking be- hind You"-“Take These Chains From My Heart” (Columbia). Champ Butler also comes up with a. fine slice of “Walking Behind You” and will add to the tune’s pulling power. Butler delivers in simple direct style suitable for this lyric. British songstress Dorothy Squires has another neat interpre- tation of “Walking” for.Coral. Wally Cox: “What A Crazy Guy”- “Tavera In The Town”- (Victor). Wally Cox, the “Mr. Peepers” of the NBC-TV show, delivers one of his nitery' monologs, “What A Crazy Guy (Dufo)” with his under- played screwball comedy style. On “Tavern,” he demonstrates his trick pipes by a simultaneous multiple- voiced workover of the lyric. Both sides will probably appeal only to the Cox cultists. The Commanders: “Honey In The Hom”-“Swanee River Boogie” (Decca). Decca’s new orch, The Commanders,” register as a prom- ising combo in this coupling. “Honey” is a rhythm tune which this crew moves at a neat clip through an interesting arrange- Longhair Disk Reviews Best Bets EDDIE FISHER I'M WALKING BEHIND YOU RCA Victor Just Another Polka JO STAFFORD JUST ANOTHER POLKA Columbia My Dearest, My Darling MILLS BROS. SAY SI SI Decca .... I'm With You VAUGHN MONROE RUBY Victor .Less Thau Tomorrow GORDON JENKINS ORCH. ONE WILD OAT Decca ... ... When They Speak of You- Monroe does a fair cover job on HamisK Mcnzics* original side for Decca. > Gordon Jenkins Orch: "One Wild Oat”-“When They Speak of You” (Decca). “One Wild Oat” is a catch- ing sagebrush tune with a good lyric. Gordon Jenkins' interpreta- tion has cliclc ingredients, the Mc- Quaig Sisters and Charlie Lavere handling the vocal. Reverse is a pretty ballad, Lavere again regis- tering nicely. The Modernalres: “Say You’re Mine Again”-“He Who Has Love” (Coral). “Say You're Mine Again” has been getting plenty 'of wax coverage and this effort by The Modernalres is among the tops. The pretty ballad is projected lucidly. Flip is a fast rhythm number with okay chances. Eartha Kitt; “Two Lovers”-“Uska Para” (Victor). Eartha Kitt, legit musical songstress from the “New Faces” revue, has a couple of off- beat sides on this disk. Maybe too ment. Flip is in a familiar boogie groove. Lorry Raine: “There’s Nothing Left To Do”-“A Wooin’ We Will Go” (Kem). Lorry Raine is a fine stylist and she gets suitable mate- rial in “There’s Nothing Left To Do,” a blues number with a solid beat. This could be a big one for Miss Raine. Flip is a light polka- styled tune with doubtful pros- pects, Hadda Brooks: “You Let My Love Get Cold”-“Dreamin’ and Cryin’ ” (Columbia). Hadda Brooks is a superb handler of blues songs but her efforts are almost lost in ? ;immicked-up echo chamber efforts n “You Let My Love Grow Cold.” It’s a solid number for the genre but mechanically overdone. Flip is an okay blues number handled straight by Miss Brooks. Bas-Sheva: “Caravan”-“My Moth- er’s Lullaby” (Capitol). Bas- Sheva, recent addition to Capitol’s rosteri should stir, up plenty of LAWRENCE WELK and his CHAMPAGNE MUSIC 87th Consecutivs Weak, Aragon Ballroom, Santa Monica, Calif. Exclusively for Coral Records “MINNIE THE MERMAID” Backed by “BAY IT ISN’T SO” noise with her slice of “Caravan.” Gal delivers in G an exciting piping style, and she gives the tune its proper . near-eastern atmosphere. LeRoy Holmes has a standout dance arrangement of the same tune on the M-G-M label, Bas- Sheva also scores with the ballad lullaby on the reverse. Album Review . Harry James Orch: “One Night Stand” (Columbia). Taped at an ac- tual one-night stand at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago last year, this set showcases, the Harry James crew at its best. The vitality of the band here is in contrast to the some of the tired sides made in the recording studios in recent years. James’ trumpet solos are ; commercially excellent with the usual pyrotechnical display on “The Flight of the Bumble Bee.” Standout sides are “Mam Bongo,” “Blues From ‘An American From Paris’,” “There They Go,” “Don’t Stop” and “You- Go To My Head.” Platter Pointers Ricky Vallo continues to impress on “There’s No You” (M-G-M) . . . Lawrence Welk has an okay slice on “Ohio” (Coral) ... Ernie Rudy orch has a fair coupling in “You Took. the ‘Sweet’ Out of Sweet- heart” and “Ott in a Eddo” (Coral) . . . Buddy Costa’s big pipes show up well on “Heaven Forbid” on the indie Pyramid label . . . Betty Clooney works over the novelty, “An Onion and You,” on the indie Round label for okay results . . . Dickie Valentine has fine*- etching of “Broken Wings” (London) . . . Dick Stabile’s “Makin’ Up for Lost Time” on the Capitol label rates spins. M-G-M Tap* Al Trace Vet orchster Al Trace has been inked to a longterm pact by M-G-M Records. Trace’s initial M-G-M coupling, out iu two weeks, will feature femme vocalist Betsy Gay. Berlioz: Romeo And Juliet (Co- lumbia, $5.45). First recording of the complete orchestral score of the dramatic choral symphony, with all its romance and tragedy ably caught in the brilliant, lushly- sounding performance of the N. Y. Philharmonic, under Dimitri Mitro- poulos. . , , Wagner: Parsifal and Schubert: Rosamunde (RCA Victor, $5.45). Glowing, richly-toned performance of selections from “Parsifal,” and gay reading of*“Rosamunde” ballet music, by Leopold Stokowski and his orch. “Rosamunde” side a little cloudy in spots. " Liszt: Concertos No. 1 in E Flat, No. 2 in A (Westminster, $5.95). Full-bodied, engaging performances of the two Liszt concertos by pian- ist Edith Farnadi, with the Vienna State Opera orch under Herman Scherchen for competent backing. Pianist's mannish touch and com- petent technique stand out. Rimsky-Korsakov: Le Coq d’Or Suite and Capriccio Espagnol (Lon- don, $5.95). L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, under Ernest Ansermet, in a vividly recreated reading of the dashing "Espagnol ’> Exotic “Coq . d’Or” is somewhat sedately played at times, very ex- citingly at others. Dvorak: Slavonic Dances (Urania 2 LP. $11.90). Complete set of 1« delightful folk-dances, played with great authority, feeling and flour- ish by the Czech Philharmonic under Vaclav Talich. Utterly charm- ing album. Delius: Eventyr and North Coun- try Sketches (Columbia, $ 5 . 45 > Idyllic, impressive-, somewhat som- bre music, loyally and expertly offered by Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic. Mendelssohn: -Scotch Symphony (Capitol, $5.95). Good, solid record- ing by the Pittsburgh Symphony under William Steinberg, with-rich orchestral sound. Brahms: Concerto No. 1 in D Minor (Vox, $5.95). Impressive, spacious and a. little slow-paced performance of Brahms’ noble con- certo by Friedrich Wuhrer, assisted by the Vienna State Philharmonia under Hans Swarowsky. Piano work is thoughtful, poetic and accomplished. Bron. \ »10 ^ Sellers on Coin-Machines : 1. DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW (11) Patti Page Mercu 2. PRETEND (8) Nat (King) Cole .......Capii 3. TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU (16) Teresa Brewer Coi 4. SIDE BY SIDE (12) ,... Kay Starr Capi\ 5. TELL ME A STORY (5) ‘.... F. Laine-J. Boyd Columl 6. I BELIEVE (1) . Frankie Laine Columl ; DON’T LET THE STARS GET IN YOUR EYES (18) ..., Perry Como Vici 8. HAVE YOU HEARD (14) j 0 ni James .... M-G- 9. TELL ME YOU’RE MINE (14) Gaylords . Mercu 10. YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART (7) ,. Joni James ........... M-G- Second Group- YOUR CHEATIN’HEART ■ Frankie Laine Columl SOMEBODY STOLE MY GAL. Johnnie Ray Co!umt SEVEN LONELY DAYS Georgia Gifcba, Mercu anna NHEABTED ***** Fisher Vto _ .••••' Sylvano Mangano M-G- 1 M SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD Paul-Ford rw, S? vou believe me : Jont big MAi«ou *? ar z H ? man -. Merm CARAVAN Pete Hanl ' y 0k ' ; say it with your heart:::::::::::::::: • pl“„T ic Me n rcu , : NO HELP WANTED .. . Ca " 1 •• Deri PRETEND pf? ?™f r . MeTCU ' ■ (Figures m parentheses indicate number of consecutive weeks song has been in the Ton 10] 1111 l VI »♦ ♦ » ♦ M t « ♦ ♦ ♦ i 4 + Songs With Largest Radio Audience The top 30 songs of week (more in case * of ties), based on copyrighted Audience Coverage Index & Audience Trend Index. Published by Office of Research , Inc., Dr, John Gray Peatman, Director, Alphabetically listed. Survey Week of April 10-Aprll 16, 1953 (Listed Alphabetically) * A Fool Such As I. Robbins-M April In Portugal Chappell Breeze Leeds Caravan American Doggie In The Window. Saritly-J Don’t Let The Stars' Get In Your Eyes Four-Star Downhearted Paxton Have You Heard . v . Brandom Haven’t Got A Worry Famous Hot Toddy • Coachella How Do You Speak To An Angel-—'►“Hazel Flagg”.. Chappell Hush-A-Bye—t“The Jazz Singer” Remick I Believe Cromwell I Confess Witmark I’m Sittin’ On Top Of The World Feist Kee™ It A Secret Shapiro-B My Jealous Eyes Famous Nearness Of You Famous Ohio—’►“Wonderful Town” Chappell- Open .Up Your Heart Longridge Pretend * Brandom Seven Lonely Days *, Jefferspn Side By Side Shapiro-B Song From Moulin Rouge—f“Moulin Rouge” Broadcast Suddenly Hill-R Tell Me You’re Mine , Capri Till I Waltz Again With You Village Twice As Much Porgie Why Don’t You Believe Me Brandom Wild Horses Simon Your Cheatin’ Heart Acuff-R Second Group A Little Love Anywhere I Wander—t“Hans Christian Andersen” Blue Gardenia—t“Blue Gardenia” Ecstasy Tango Golden Years—t“Houdini” ; Gomen Nasai Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. Kaw-Liga Lady Of Spain Little Red Monkey Lonesome My One And Only Heart No Help Wanted Pojur Me A Glass Of Teardrops Quiet Girl—’►“Wonderful Town” Ramona Ruby—t“Ruby Gentry” Sweet Thing '. Thumbelina—t“Hans Christian Andersen” When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin’.. Will-O’-The-Wisp Romance Wish You Were Here—’►“Wish You Were Here”.,’ Without My Lover Lion .Frank .Harms Jefferson Paramount Disney Mills Milene Fox Miller Miller Roncom Acuff-R Advanced Chappell Feist Miller Hill & R Frank Bourne Triangle .Chappell Bourne Top 10 Songs On TV (More in Case b f Ties) April In Portugal Chappell Breeze f......... Leeds Doggie In The Window Santly-J Hush-A-Bye Remifck i B ® lieve • Cromwell No Two people Frank When The tf Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbin’Bourne Your Cheatin’ Heart Acuff-R Five Top Standards- (More In Case of Ties) Lady Of The Evening Berlin kover Famous Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody .Berlin Waitin’ For The Robert E. Lee Alfred-H Without A Song Miller t Filmusical * Legit musical.