Bea Wain – Happy 95th Birthday!

April 30, 2012

stianeriksen Music, Short facts about artist , , , , 70 Comments

This entry may be regarded as yet another one of my portraits of Big Band Singers, but is it also a celebration of the great Miss Bea Wain, perhaps THE best singer who came out of the big band era! Bea Wain is very much still alive, and today she turns 95 years old!

A fairly recent photo of Bea Wain

Born on April 30th 1917, much of Bea Wain’s recording career was over and done with by the outbreak of WWII. She started recording in 1934, and her last commercial records were made in the mid-1940s. She was the featured singer with Larry Clintons orchestra, and with his band she put approximately 65 songs on records, but even before that she had made another 15 records with other bands. She was signed to RCA Victor as a solo artist in 1939, releasing another 50 songs on different singles up to 1947. During her years as a recording artist, Bea Wain scored 4 No. 1 hits; “Deep Purple”, “Cry Baby, Cry”, “Heart & Soul” and “My Reverie”.

Photo from the late 1930's. Style and class was evident in both her voice and looks

Rightly considered by many to be one of the best female vocalists of her era, Bea had a full, flexible voice that showed off a natural feeling for swing, yet she could also wring the last drop of emotion out of a ballad. Years before Adele, Dusty Springfield, Bonnie Bramlett and other white singers who can sing “black”, Bea Wain was maybe the first white girl singer who had true “soul”! She also recorded a couple of bluesy songs, sounding right at home even in that kind of material. She had excellent pitch, and a good sense of dynamics, making everything she sang sound convincing and unforced. A lot of singers at the time sang only the chorus of the songs. Bea, however, always did the verses as well – to make the song more complete, and perform the lyrics as a story, not just something to hum along to.

24 of her RCA Victor recordings 1939-1941

Baldwin Street Music put together 2 excellent CDs in 2000, compiling almost all of Bea Wains solo output for RCA Victor. Volume 1 is titled “You Can Depend On Me”, volume 2 is titled “That’s How I Love The Blues”. I would highly recommend both of them, as they represent the best of Bea Wain’s work, and even if you’re just curious about this great singer, it’s a good place to start out!

25 other recordings made for RCA Victor from 1939-1947

From the late 1940’s, Bea worked mostly on radio, in addition to singing in clubs. I’ve heard that she made records up to 1955, but so far I’ve not seen nor heard of any proof that this is correct. Bea was married to radio presenter Andre Baruch for 53 years, and they worked together as a husband-and-wife disc jockey team in New York on WMCA, where they were billed as “Mr. and Mrs. Music”.

Bea Wain and her husband, Andre Baruch

In 1973, the couple moved to Florida, where for nine years they had a top-rated daily four-hour talk show on WPBR before relocating to Beverly Hills. During the early 1980s, the pair hosted a syndicated version of Your Hit Parade, reconstructing the list of hits of selected weeks in the 1940s and playing the original recordings, many of which I would assume were sung by Bea herself! Around the same time, Bea was featured on TV’s “Jukebox Saturday Night”. She was sensational, proving that her voice was still very much intact and looking like she had the time of her life!

Very much an underrated singer even from the start, Bea Wain’s musical legacy was further obscured by the fact that most of it remained out of print and circulation for so many years. Luckily, the CD age rectified that – and today most of her records are available again on CD and digitally.

25 tracks by Bea as featured with Larry Clinton's orchestra 1937-38

Larry Clinton himself enjoyed a long and fruitful career, and in the mid-fifties he even remade some of Bea’s hit songs, using Helen Ward as vocalist. 2 great volumes of Larry & Bea have been released on CD (se above and below).

A second CD, compiling Bea's work with Larry Clinton

Ted Ono from Baldwin Street Music interviewed Bea when compiling the 2 CDs that came out in 2000. He was full of praise, saying she was funny, gracious, a delight to talk to, intelligent and witty. He also stated she was very much “computer literate, and uses email”. Personally, I hope Bea still is computer literate and that she herself reads this blog post!

If justice be done, today will see at lot of praise in print and on radio, to honor this great, legendary vocalist on her 95th birthday. She must be pleased that after making her first records 78 years ago, she still has a lot of fans around – and that we still appreciate how that golden voice wrapped itself around some of the best music made in those days!

A photo of Bea ca. 2007, when she was 90 years old

Bea: a very, very happy birthday to you from me! And a great big THANK YOU for creating all that wonderful music!

Fran Warren – An every day kinda love…

April 13, 2012

stianeriksen Music, Short facts about artist , , , , 2 Comments

Next up in my series of Big Band Singers who went on to solo stardom, is the fabulous Fran Warren. She started out singing very young, and by the time she was 22 she had left big band singing behind and was enjoying her newfound solo stardom. For a short time in the late 40’s and 50’s she was one of the most versatile girl singers, a vocal powerhouse and physically very beautiful. She definitely was both ear candy and eye candy at the same time!

Fran - totally gorgeous, ca. 1948

Fran WARREN (March 4, 1926 – ) was born in New York City. She was just 15 when she started out as a chorus girl at the Roxy in New York, and at 16 she auditioned for Duke Ellington’s band without success. She did get to sing with a couple of other bands though, and for the next three years she was very visible and audible around New York singing with the bands of Randy Brooks, Art Mooney and Billy Eckstine. She replaced Kay Starr in Charlie Barnets orchestra, and by 1947 she was hired by Claude Thornhill.

In May of 1947 Columbia released “A Sunday Kind Of Love” by the Claude Thornhill band, Fran Warren’s first charted record. It was a good seller and made it into the Top 20. It’s regarded as one of the most soulful big band ballads of its time, and was also recorded later by Etta James. Fran recorded 14 sides with Thornhill during 1947, some notable songs are “I get the blues when it rains”, “We knew it all the time”, “You’re Not So Easy To Forget”,  “Love For Love” (with a sax solo by Lee Konitz), “Early Autumn”, which reached 22 on the charts in late 1947,  “Tell Me Why”, “I Remember Mama”  “Just About This Time Last Night” and “For Heaven’s Sake”. Fran’s complete recordings with Claude Thornhill’s band have been released on CD.

Her complete recordings with Claude Thornhill 1946-47

By 1948 Fran, who was maybe just too attention-grabbing to be just another band singer, was all set for a solo career. Despite a recording strike going on in 1948, she still managed to make enough records and public appearances to get started on her own. She was signed to RCA Victor records and began recording in mid 1948. “Why Is It?”, “Joe”, “Why Can’t You Behave?”, “What’s My Name?” were all among her first solo recordings.In July of 1949 “A Wonderful Guy” from the Broadway show “South Pacific” was a hit, reaching number 17. This was followed by “Envy” which hit number 12. She then made a duet with Tony Martin; “I Said My Pajamas And Put On My Prayers”. It’s quite a silly little novelty tune, but none the less performed convincingly. It was stuck in the charts for 4 months and got to number 3.

A great collection of Fran's 1946-50 records

The 1950’s was truly Fran’s golden decade. She spread her talent all around, making a lot of records, she was in an Abbott & Costello movie, she was on TV and did concerts and club dates all around the USA.

In the spring of 1950 another duet, this time with Lisa Kirk on “Dearie” was a top 25 seller and was followed by more duets with Tony Martin: “Darn It Baby That’s Love”  and “That We Is Me And You”. In late 1950 Fran Warren recorded “I Love The Guy” on RCA #3848, another top 25 seller. Other notable songs from the early 1950’s are:  “My Silent Love”, “Look To The Rainbow”, “I’ll Know”,  “Stranger In The City” and a cover of Ruth Brown’s recent hit “Teardrops From My Eyes”.

Fran also got to record her versions of some well-known standards like “Stormy Weather”, “Over The rainbow”, “One For My Baby”, “I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues”,  “Let’s Fall In Love”,  “Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea” and “The Boy Next Door”.  In late 1953 Fran had one last hit on the best seller charts; “It’s Anybody’s Heart”.

The one song from this period that really stands out is “Temptation”, on which Fran sings only accompanied by drums. It is the most remarkable performance she ever made, and it’s totally unique. It sounds like nothing any other singer recorded at the time, and even today her version of this song is a true masterpiece. If music videos had been made then, I picture Fran as some sort of temple goddess, singing surrounded by torches in some exotic location focusing her attention on some handsome guy who obviously is all “temptation”…

CD collection of Fran's complete 1950-55 recordings

Strictly more of a pop singer, than a jazz interpreter, Fran could still at various points be considered to have a feeling for jazz, and even the blues. An emotional singer when the material calls for it, she bites into the lyrics and is a convincing performer of songs that need an extra touch of emotion. Verve was the leading jazz label from the 1950’s on, and in 1955 Fran had the chance to make an album for them. “Mood Indigo” didn’t set the charts or the critics on fire at the time of release. Still, it’s a very good album, and one I’m happy to see now being available in digital version by iTunes. You get none of the cute, funny stuff here – but it’s a perfect chance to hear Fran from her most bluesy and soulful  side.

The 1955 LP she made for Verve; highly recommended!

During the mid-50’s, Fran starred in the musical “The Pajama Game” for a long run, and one of the songs from that show was made the title track of the album she made in 1957; “Hey There! Here’s Fran Warren”. It seems to be her most popular album ever, and rightly so. It shows off all the best of Fran’s talent, and is probably the album for which she is best remembered. It has been released in both digital format and on CD. The last CD edition expands the album with 12 bonus tracks, most of them single sides she made around the same time.

Her classic 1957 album, the expanded CD version

After the advent of Rock ‘n Roll, Fran  – like most other classic pop singers – had to reconsider her musical directions. It’s was either go with the current flow, or stick to your own thing. Luckily, Fran chose that latter – making a very good album in 1962, dedicated to songs from the Great American Songbook, as well as some recent musical hits. “Something’s Coming From Fran Warren” is currently available again, and it is also highly recommended.

Her great 1962 album - get it!!

Fran went on tour with Harry James and his band in the mid-60’s, and she also starred in one of the many performances of the musical “Mame” – seemingly well suited to playing the title character. She rounded out the 1960’s by releasing 2 albums in a row; 1968 saw her trying out new directions by going country on “Fran Warren in Nashville”. This album contains the hilariously funny “All American Sport”, about a newly wed bride unable to get her marriage consummated because her husband is just watching sports on TV and running around with his friends to all sorts of games! In 1969, another album came out, called “Come Into My World”. This is very much a middle-of-the-road pop records of its time, and Fran does a wonderful version of “By The Time I Get To Phoenix” here, as well as the musical hit “If I ruled the world”. As far as I know, this 1969 album marks the last time Fran recorded. I know of no other records being made after this, even though she kept on singing actively for many years.

"Come into my world" (1969), Fran's last original studio album

She seems to have worked very little during the early 1970’s, but by 1979 she was once again back on the scene. Hooking up with trumpet player Joe Cabot, the two of them toured with a revue called “The Big Broadcast of 1944”. They did this for 3 years, ending with a couple of sold-out engagements in 1982 at “Michael’s Pub”, a very popular New York Jazz Club. Fran, like many of her colleagues from the 30’s and 40’s, was also seen on TV’s “Juke Box Saturday Night”. She was still sounding good, and looking as though her debut record from 35 years earlier must have been made at the age of 10!

Publicity photo of Fran from around 1979

From the mid-1980’s, she seems to have faded from view, and settled in Connecticut. I’m sure she’s happy about the fact that most of her wonderful recordings have been re-released during the last two decades, and she’s probably gained a lot of new fans who weren’t around when she started out almost 70 years ago.

She still makes public appearances every now and then, but as a singer she seems to have gone into a complete retirement, one that has lasted – at this writing – into her 87th year.

Fran might have yearned for a “Sunday kind of love” way back 65 years ago – but I think she will receive love every day of the week from anyone who’s heard her sing. She easily ranks with the very best of the classic pop singers of the 21st century!

Fran at the age of 78, attending the celebration of cabaret singer Hildegarde's 98th birthday. Still looking great!

Lita Ford – Heavy and Heavenly

January 16, 2012

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My appreciation and admiration for Lita Ford goes some 35 years back, to when I (aged about 12) discovered this amazing guitar player and singer for the first time. Since then, Lita Ford has been one of the very few female rockers to whom I’ve stayed completely dedicated. And it all has to do with her music! Lita Ford is a one of a kind singer, and her talent and diversity never ceases to amaze me.

British born, Carmelita Rossanna Ford came into the world in Streatham, London in September 1958, her family relocating to the US when she was four years old. At age 11 she got her first guitar, thus creating an instant interest in playing that instrument. After a while she got some work as a guitar player for local bands. 1976 saw her being recruited by Kim Fowley to play in the first female rock group ever, The Runaways. Lita was one of the constant members, staying with the group from 1976 until they dissolved in 1979. Besides her skilled playing on all five official Runaways albums (4 studio, one live) she also contributed songs, like “Fantasies” on the “Waiting For The Night” album, and singing lead on “I’m a million” from their last album “And Now… The Runaways”.

Lita (far right) in 1976, with The Runaways

After the group she set her goals for a solo career, but for the first 4 years nothing much happened and she had a string of regular jobs; gas station attendant, perfume sales lady, hairdresser and fitness instructor. I’m sure the last three all suited her perfectly, as each and every record cover during her 30 years as a solo performer have made the most of her shapely figure and beautiful face.

Her first solo album, “Out For Blood” came out 1983, her last so far, “Living Like A Runaway” was released 2012 – with 6 other regular studio albums in between the two, one live album (with new studio track) and the odd hit collection also being released during this period. Lita was also twice nominated for Grammy Awards in the category Best Female Rock Performance: for  “Gotta Let Go” (1984, losing it to Tina Turner) and also “Shot Of Poison” (1991, this time losing it to Melissa Etheridge). A brief survey of Lita’s albums and the best songs on them follows here…

The “sexy blonde” image

Out For Blood (1983) contains the stand-out tracks “Stay with me baby”, her version of “Any way that you want me”, the fast and furious title track and the ballad “Just a feeling”. A much rougher sound than anything recorded by the Runaways, this one kick started Lita’s solo career and made her the Queen of Heavy Rock of the 80s & 90s!

Dancin’ On The Edge (1984) is where you find hit songs like “Gotta let go” and “Fire in my heart” and raucous rockers like “Run with the money” and the title track

Lita (1988) was her biggest album success, spawning hits like “Kiss me deadly”, “Back to the cave” and her Top 40 duet with Ozzy Osbourne, “Close my eyes forever”. However, there isn’t a bad song on this album – so if you never heard Lita Ford and looking for an album to start with, THIS is the one!

Stiletto (1990) is her second album in a row to embrace the metal-pop style, and like its predecessor most of this is also quite commercial. “Hungry”, “Lisa” and “Only women bleed” were the biggest hits off this one, but other tracks worth checking out is “Cherry Red”, “Dedication” and “Aces & Eights”

Dangerous Curves (1991) contains four of the best songs Lita ever recorded: “Playing with fire”, “Shot of poison”, “What do you know about love” and “Larger than life”. On these four tracks, she fuses all her best qualities, playing and singing into four different rock masterpieces! Nothing wrong with the rest of the record, but the songs pale in comparison to these four!

Black (1995) shows Lita going into much harder and heavier material. Some of the hit-making, commercial aspects are gone and this record has an overall darker feel than her earlier records. Some hidden gems are to be found though, and the tracks “Loverman”, “Killin’ Kind” and “War Of The Angels” easily rank with her best work. It was recorded for a German label, had a limited release and might be hard to get…

In Concert (2000) is a collection of live tracks that has been repackaged and released on several different budget labels. I still think you should get it, as it shows our heroine doing her thing on stage. And it does contain one new studio track “Nobody’s Child” which is very good, and sounds like it could have been recorded around the same time as her 1991 album. It’s a powerful pop-metal track with good lyrics and Lita is in marvellous voice on this one!

Wicked Wonderland (2009) after a 14 year hiatus out of the studio, she came back with this, a very heavy record showing that at age 50 she still has the talent for creating fabulous rock music, her voice and talent intact and also very much keeping up with current trends. A little hard to access at first playing, believe me – this one will grow on you with each repeated listen!

Living Like A Runaway (2012) is her latest album, and what a stunner!! Stylistically more along the lines of the albums she made 1988-91, this is Lita at her best! There’s not a bad track on the album, but the one song that really stands out is the title track, “Living like a runaway”. A very personal lyric is combined with maybe the most commerical music she has ever recorded, this song just about tops anything she has ever done on record. It’s the kind of song that should land her another Grammy nomination, as well as high chart placings! It also proves, that while she was always a great singer, her voice has now taken on yet another dimension and she sings about her own life with great conviction and a real “joie de vivre”.  There’s just one thing to say about this album: “Every home should have one“!

Lita ca. 2009

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