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I was fortunate to grow up in the 1950\u2019s, the last great flowering of the American Songbook. My musical tastes were formed by viewing the many television variety shows like Lawrence Welk and the Bell Telephone Hour as well to listening to Broadway show albums. My Uncle Joey on the Polish side of the family exposed me to the glory of Gershwin and Kern, the lush melodies of operetta and the songs of movie musicals. Curiously I discovered classical music all on my own. I have a great knowledge of classical music that I learned from reading the liner notes of records, over and over. It was my Uncle Joe who bought the first Hi-Fi that I would sit and listen in front of, transfixed like Nipper, the RCA dog.<\/p>\n
Here are few some songs that changed my life growing up through adolescence before the Beatles and rock and roll took over the airwaves:<\/p>\n
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\u201cOnly Make Believe\u201d (from Show Boat<\/em>)\u00a0 -My mother would sing this song a lot. Did she think her love was only that? Indeed Show Boat<\/em> has become a great influence on me as I identified with Julie LaVerne, the tragic chanteuse. I think my Uncle Joe and my mother saw the 1949 revival on Broadway so it was played a lot. \u201cOld Man River\u201d too of course.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I Loved You\u201d (from Carouse<\/em>l)\u00a0 – Another favorite of my mom, always tentative love. I still sob at the ending when Billy Bigelow says, \u201cI loved you Julie, know that I loved you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cRhapsody in Blue\u201d – One of the first LP\u2019s I bought at Merkels, a butcher that for some reason had a weekly record promotion.<\/p>\n \u201cOn the Street Where You Live\u201d (from My Fair Lady<\/em>) – Another LP but a lesson learned. I bought this at Woolworths for 99 cents. It was not the original cast recording as I soon discovered when I brought it home and played it.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Beer Barrel Polka\u201d and the \u201cToo\u00a0 Fat Polka\u201d \u2013 music to eat golumpki and kielbasie by.<\/p>\n \u201cVolare\u201d \u2013 My Italian uncle taught me this song on his guitar and I would sing it at family gatherings. OH OH!<\/p>\n \u201cShine on Harvest Moon\u201d \u2013 This is the song that I sang in the fifth grade at my parochial school talent show. From then on, I was nicknamed \u201cShine On\u201d by the lady who would sell meatball heroes for 25 cents at the deli next door.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Merry Widow Waltz\u201d\u00a0 (from Lehar\u2019s operetta) \u2013 I hummed this often and danced around the living room.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Drinking Song\u201d and the \u201cSerenade\u201d (from the Student Prince<\/em>) \u2013 Mario Lanza\u2019s voice in the movie sent chills down my spine.<\/p>\n \u201cCry\u201d sung by Johnnie Ray \u2013 \u201cIf your sweetheart sends a letter of goodbye.\u00a0 It’s no secret you’ll feel better if you cry …\u201d a closeted homosexual paean sung by one to one. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCome on-a My House\u201d sung by Rosemary Clooney. <\/span>The theme of inviting someone in with fruits and nice things to eat, but with the hidden offering of sexual favors.<\/p>\n \u201cSome Enchanted Evening\u201d (from South Pacific<\/em>) \u2013 My favorite song of all. I would hum \u00a0this to myself as I stood alone in Julius\u2019 looking for that stranger. I finally met him and his name is Gary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was fortunate to grow up in the 1950\u2019s, the last great flowering of the American Songbook. My musical tastes were formed by viewing the many television variety shows like Lawrence Welk and the Bell Telephone Hour as well to … Continue reading