Wednesday, April 30, 2008
FRANCES LANGFORD'S "LOVELY HULA HANDS"
Here's a couple of songs by Frances Langford, a popular singer and actress in the Big Band era. I wouldn't say that Langford is a great singer, but she's a really good one and that's no small thing. She has a great feel for pace. Some songs pay better when they're sung Langford-style: straight and sincere, with no mugging...songs like "Lovely Hula Hands (above).
I thought I'd add another Langford song just for the heck of it. Here she is (above) with Jimmy Cagney, singing "Over There." Once again she sings the song straight and that turns out to be just the right way to sell it.
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12 comments:
Hey, this is off topic, but I can't comment on John's blog without a blog of my own. Are those your storyboard drawings on John's latest post? The Ren and Stimpy drawings?
Anon: Great drawings, but they're not mine. Ask John.
Frances Langford also sang the song in "Once Upon a Wintertime" from Disney's animated "Melody Time". You should post that too Eddie - it's available on YouTube. A cartoon with absolutely gorgeous design!
Yeah, there's not a whole lot of flair in her voice, is there? More just straight forward, like you say.
I've noticed that in most of my favorites, beit movie directors, animators, musicians and authors, there's a lot of flair in the works. And yet I came out straight!
What do you think of my favorite female singer, Eddie, that being Nina Simone?
I could listen to that woman croon and play piano for hours... and have!
- trevor.
That slow crane shot of Cagney working alone, composing the song remains one of the most successful examples of visually externalizing the creative process ever put on film. Not even Martin Scorcese could top it with the dozens of frenzied, montage painting shots in his segment of "New York Stories" with Nick Nolte's Lionel Dobie character. There was economy, along with a considerable level of skill, on display in Michael Curtiz's "Yankee Doodle Dandy."
"...Once again she sings the song straight..."
But, how else could she or anyone have sung a song like that--especially in the thick of WW2?!
I think Langford is terrific.
Today it's hard to find a singer who thinks the melody alone is good enough. With today's melodies, maybe they're right. Tony Bennett did a duet with Christina Aguilar. Sounded like a singer and somebody with no restraint.
I was just listening to this song today!
Hey Uncle Eddie,
Completely off-topic, but I made a fake commercial, partially inspired by your recent stuff!
www.mindblowingthrills.blogspot.com
Whaddayathink?
Josh Heisie
Josh: Haw! I love the gag about the guy having the right compliment on the tip of his tongue!
Boo: Simone is great! What's a best song for her?
Anon: You're right, the crane shot was great! Glad you mentioned it!
Josh: Haw! I love the gag about the guy having the right compliment on the tip of his tongue!
Boo: Simone is great! What's a best song for her?
Anon: You're right, the crane shot was great! Glad you mentioned it!
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