Topic Has anyone heard of a BP album called Weekend of a Private Secre from the General Chit-Chat forum.
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| Author | Topic: Has anyone heard of a BP album called Weekend of a Private Secre |
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 Chip1012
Registered User
Registered:
7/13/2003
From:
Boston | posted: 3/18/2004 at 10:22:09 PM ET
A friend recomended it to me, saying it was a Bernadette album he used to have but I've never heard of it and can't find any record (no pun intended) of it online.
Anyone know anything about this?
It's called "Weekend of a Private Secretary"
"The child is so sweet and the girls are so rapturous. Isn't it lovely how artist's can capture us?~" Sunday in the Park with George
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 3/19/2004 at 9:29:04 AM ET
It wasn't an album, but one track on her second album, Now Playing. It's a song from the thirties about a secretary from Brooklyn who goes on a budget trip to Cuba and falls in love with Cuban men. Very funny. It was also released individually as a full-sized extended play disc with a picture cover of a laughing Bernadette with a fruit basket on her head a la Carmen Miranda. Very cool item.
| Anonymous
Anonymous Poster
From Internet Network:
66.243.147.x | posted: 4/3/2004 at 7:22:03 PM ET
hey,
the song you mention was first made famous in 1938 by Red Norvo and his wife, the amazing singer Mildred Bailey. I recommend tracking down the Norvo/Bailey version, which is excellent.
-Andy J.
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 4/3/2004 at 7:48:07 PM ET
Thanks, I didn't know that. I knew the song had been co-written by Johnny Mercer, but I've never actually heard any other version. I've heard Mildred Bailey singing Hoagy Carmichael and some other stuff on a couple of CDs I borrowed, and she really was amazing. OK, you've convinced me--tomorrow I go try to buy this recording (besides, my copy of Flahooley is ready for pick-up).
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 4/3/2004 at 9:55:29 PM ET
Probably should have added that Mercer collaborated on the song with Bernie Hannighan, who also co-wrote the jazz standard "Round Midnight". Another trivia tidbit is that Eddie Sauter, who provided many arrangements for Red Norvo, also is credited with the orchestrations for the musical "La Strada".
| Karen
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2002 | posted: 4/4/2004 at 8:01:56 PM ET
Follow-Up: Thank you to Andy J. Today I bought the anthology CD "The Incomparable Mildred Bailey", which I'm just loving. She has a unique voice which maybe sounds just a tad like Maxine Sullivan (to my musically ignorant ears). The material is great, and the personnel are a cross-section of the top-drawer jazz/Big Band musicians of the era. Much as I've always loved Bernadette's "Weekend of a Private Secretary", this one is probably better. Eddie Sauter's arrangement is a lot more sprightly and jazzy than Peter Matz's, and Bailey has a more restrained but somewhat more sophisticated and swinging delivery. Actually, I like them both a lot. One historical comparison which I hope isn't offensive to note: the 1938 recording goes "they can get an Earl or Marquis, or a Russian or a darkie" whereas the 1981 lyric has been changed to "they can get an Earl or Pasha, or a guy with lots of cash-a". Interesting to be reminded of the weird stuff that was considered perfectly acceptable back then. Anyway, that CD turned out to be a real winner. Hey Andy, do you happen to have any more recommendations?
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