The Obvious Song
Britain faces ice and cold until Christmas thanks to the same type of weather system which caused the “big freeze” three years ago, forecasters predict.
Only one song for this:
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan’s version is a bit too brisk and slick.
I prefer this version. The pace is right.
There’s much more character in Bob Dorough’s voice – he does sound like an old hand at seduction. His voice has really been around the block.
Blossom Dearie’s performance is wonderfully ingenuous. Her girlish voice is just right for this song.
The pair of them get across the song’s humour.
A nice, colourful tribute video as well.
Jim Denham said,
November 30, 2012 at 8:37 pm
Good choices, Rosie!
I like Bob Dorough (not least for his various Hoagy Carmichael tributes) and – of course – love Ella.
Louis Armstrong sang the song regularly at his “All Stars” concerts in the fifties with Velma Middleton: she wasn’t the superb singer Ella was, but nevertheless, a gal whose heart was as big as her (considerable) girth:
But my favourite version is by Hot Lips Page and Pearl Bailey:
brucerob said,
November 30, 2012 at 11:33 pm
This had me reaching for the version by Ray Charles and one of my favourite singers, Betty Carter, who sings it in a rather babyish high-pitched tone. This dates from my top jazz year 1961 and employs early stereo recording to keep the two protagonists apart.
Jim Denham said,
December 1, 2012 at 12:34 am
You mean this, Bruce?
Yup, it’s good. But not as good (imho) as Lips and Pearl…
Rosie said,
December 2, 2012 at 5:18 pm
The Pearl and Lips is good fun.
Cerys Matthews and Tom Jones live. Cerys has got the right kind of voice and looks like she is enjoying herself. She makes a couple of mistakes in the lyrics. Don’t care for the old knicker dart-board’s performance though.
The official promo video for those two is a bit creepy and over the top. They’ve tried to get round the date rape angle (“Hey, what’s in this drink!”) by making Jones a conceited would-be Don Juan and Cerys some kind of dominatrix who wins in the end – but not till after a kind of pole-dancing routine.