BostonPete.com News Updates

Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote “Why Was I Born?” for their Broadway show =Sweet Adeline= in 1929, hoping to duplicate their earlier, smash hit production of =Show Boat=!!  It was fairly successful, but not like their blockbuster of 1927.  The song, introduced in each show by Helen Morgan, was a carbon copy of  “Can’t Stop Lovin’ Dat Man” from =Show Boat= by writing it in the same tone and theme.  You’ll also hear their legendary, 1940 composition “All The Things You Are” with Oliver Jones and Charlie Biddle from Montreal. ==================================================================================== Also in 1927, The Gershwins wrote “S’Wonderful” for their Broadway production of =Funny Face= and now,  Diana Krall gives it a new interpretation on this week’s show.  Carlos Antonio Jobim has two songs, Zim Zemerel’s Orchestra play his “Meditation” and Frank Sinatra sings “How Insensitive”   Steve Allen’s All Stars play Gus Kahn and Isham Jones’ “The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else.”  The Swing Legacy do Rogers and Hart‘s “Blue Moon” with vocalist Carol Akerson, Jane Monheit sings a lovely version of “Blame It On My Youth,”  and Mike Douglas sings “Then I’ll Be Happy.” ==================================================================================== There’s a medley on this week’s SONGBOOK AMERICA with .....a French twist!  The LA Supersax play “April In Paris,” written in 1932 by Vernon Duke and Yip Harburg, Ella Fitzgerald sings Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris” and from the 1958 Academy Award winning film, Lerner and Lowe’s sound track of =Gigi= you'll hear two songs.  The title song sung by Louis Jordan, followed by Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold’s duet of “Thank Heaven For Little Girls.”   Thank heaven for all of you listening, please tell others about the web site and The BostonPete(dot)com Radio network! EMAIL THE SHOW: russ@bostonpete.com Thanks! =Russ Butler

Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote “Why Was I Born?” for their Broadway show =Sweet Adeline= in 1929, hoping to duplicate their earlier, smash hit production of =Show Boat=!!  It was fairly successful, but not like their blockbuster of 1927.  The song, introduced in each show by Helen Morgan, was a carbon copy of  “Can’t Stop Lovin’ Dat Man” from =Show Boat= by writing it in the same tone and theme.  You’ll also hear their legendary, 1940 composition “All The Things You Are” with Oliver Jones and the late-Charlie Biddle from Montreal. ===================================================================================== Also in 1927, The Gershwins wrote “S’Wonderful” for their Broadway production of =Funny Face= and now,  Diana Krall gives it a new interpretation on this week’s show.  Carlos Antonio Jobim has two songs, Zim Zemerel’s Orchestra play his “Meditation” and Frank Sinatra sings “How Insensitive”   Steve Allen’s All Stars play Gus Kahn and Isham Jones’ “The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else.”  The Swing Legacy do Rogers and Hart‘s “Blue Moon” with vocalist Carol Akerson, Jane Monheit sings a lovely version of “Blame It On My Youth,”  and Mike Douglas sings “Then I’ll Be Happy.” ==================================================================================== There’s a medley on this week’s SONGBOOK AMERICA with .....a French twist!  The LA Supersax play “April In Paris,” written in 1932 by Vernon Duke and Yip Harburg, Ella Fitzgerald sings Cole Porter’s “I Love Paris” and from the 1958 Academy Award winning film, Lerner and Lowe’s sound track of =Gigi= you'll hear two songs.  The title song sung by Louis Jordan, followed by Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold’s duet of “Thank Heaven For Little Girls.”   Thank heaven for all of you listening, please tell others about the web site and The BostonPete(dot)com Radio network! EMAIL THE SHOW AT russ@bostonpete.com Love to hear from you! =Russ

There’s a “double play” of a song by Herman Hupfeld on today‘s program.  Herman wrote “As Time Goes By” in 1931 for the musical =Everybody’s Welcome=, Rudy Vallee recorded it then with some success.  However, it wasn’t until it was revived in the 1942, Humphrey Bogart film =Casablanca= that it became a really big hit!  You’ll hear Patti Page and Perry Como singing this “double play” title. =================================================================================== Remember Felicia Sanders singing the theme from =Moulin Rouge= with the lush, Percy Faith orchestral arrangement?  It was a top record in 1953.  Percy Faith was one of the “founding fathers” of easy listening, and was a child prodigy on the piano, but his hopes for a career as a concert pianist ended when he injured his hands in a fire when he was 18. He switched to arranging and conducting, working in hotel and theater orchestras in Toronto, Canada and eventually landing his own radio show on CBC in 1938. He headed South and by 1950 he was working for Mitch Miller on the Columbia Records label.  He also wrote several film scores in Hollywood and was always in demand by legendary recording vocalists for his arrangements and smooth, easy style orchestral accompaniment.  He died in 1976. ================================================================================== There are two Ellington songs on SONGBOOK AMERICA: “Prelude To A Kiss” by June Christy and the Duke’s theme, “Take The ‘A’ Train.”  Sinatra, Lena Horne, Julie London, Dinah Washington and Nat Cole all make a musical appearance; Dizzy Gillespie leads his band while Johnny Hartman sings “You Go To My Head”; Gerry Mulligan, Eddie Harris. The Paul Smith Trio and The Art Abrams Swing Machine Big Band are all on this week’s show.  Pretty good stuff as always, eh?  Listen in and tell your friends about the BostonPete (dot) com Radio Network!  Thanks!

JIMMY McHUGH, SONGWRITER He was a Bostonian, but settled in Hollywood to become a most prolific songwriter. Three of his hits are showcased on SONGBOOK AMERICA this week: “When My Sugar Walks Down The Street” sung by Vic Damone; “Where Are You?” by Aretha Franklin; and, Andy Williams recording of “It’s A Most Unusual Day.” In all, Jimmy wrote over 279 songs from the 1920’s to 1950’s and you’d know every one! Stan Kenton does a cha cha of his famous “Opus In Chartreuse” - Keely Smith sings “A Foggy Day,” the way London was described by The Gershwins for their 1937 production of =Damsel In Distress=. Chet Baker and an ensemble of legendary West Coast musicians all play “Darn That Dream” - Helen Merrill does a fine interpretation of Frank Loesser’s “If I Were A Bell” and John Pizzarelli sings “All I Saw Was You” while Tony Tedesco plays brushes…on a phone book! Now, that’s something different, right? And, Kenny Rogers sings “It Had To Be You” - that’s a departure from his usual recording repertoire. Dean Martin stands on the corner and watches the girls go by, of course - it’s another Frank Loesser tune from 1956 Broadway‘s =Most Happy Fella=. Ella Fitzgerald has blues in the night, Frank Sinatra see strangers in the night while Julie London cries a river. Hoagy Carmichael has a couple of songs on the program, too: “Stardust” by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and “Small Fry” by Rebecca Kilgore. It’s all for you right now on SONGBOOK AMERICA. Thanks for listening and tell your friends about the BostonPete (dot) com Radio Network =Russ Butler EMAIL THE SHOW: russ@bostonpete.com

From colonial brewmasters to today's micro-brews, Anheuser-Busch to the trials of Prohibition, trace the fascinating history of American brewing. Brewing beer is one of humanity's oldest activities, dating back thousands of years before the birth of Christ. When the Puritans first landed on America's shores, they brought recipes and thirst with them. BREWED IN AMERICA is a comprehensive history of an often-overlooked industry that has long been a mainstay of the American economy. Extensive interviews with industry insiders including Richard Yuengling (president of the oldest brewery in America), August Pabst and William Coors provide a privileged view of their companies. Anheuser-Busch corporate historian Dr. William Vollmar details the impact and legacy of social movements like Temperance and Prohibition on American brewing, and visits to breweries show how beer is made today, from craft-brewing to corporate giants like Miller. And explore the massive impact that advertising has had in shaping the modern brewing industry. From the original Sam Adams to Carrie Nation to Bud Light, this is the fascinating history of BREWED IN AMERICA.

The Kentuckian: Western Legends - Burt Lancaster (DVD) Burt Lancaster both directed and starred in this tale of a Kentucky woodsman who dreams of settling in the west. Big Eli sets off for Texas along with his son and dog, but along the way he finds more adventure, danger and romance than he imagined possible. Among the people he encounters are an indentured servant girl trying to free herself from the nasty barman who "owns" her; an attractive small-town schoolteacher who temporarily diverts Eli from his journey; and several backwoods villains. Film debut for Walter Matthau. Color by Technicolor. Shot in CinemaScope. Additional cast: Donald MacDonald (Little Eli).

Happy New Year from all of us at The Boston Pete (dot) com Radio Network!! On SONGBOOK AMERICA beginning this first week in the new year, some legendary favorites like Sinatra, Ella, Streisand (from her newest CD), Bobby Darin, Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, and Dean Martin. But wait…there’s more! ================================================================================== Queen Latifa sings the Barbara Lewis hit from 1963, “Hello Stranger,” The Flamingos repeat their 1956 big record “I Only Have Eyes For You” which was originally written in 1934. Ahmad Jamel in concert at The Alhambra plays “We Kiss In A Shadow” from The King And I. Andre Gagnon, another talented pianist from Montreral plays “Embraceable You” from The Gershwins 1930 Girl Crazy production. =================================================================================== The big band and jazz orchestras are also on board the program this week: Buddy Bregman’s “All Of You” a hit song from Cole Porter’s last Broadway production Silk Stockings in 1955, Henry Mancini plays “Robin’s Nest” and DIVA, the all-woman jazz orchestra from NYC swing “80 Chestnut Street” from their No Man’s Band CD. =================================================================================== It’s all online right now at www.bostonpete.com/russ Thanks for your support of the web site and programs all year with your secure purchases from the BostonPete Timeless Media Store. Well, 2010 is now ahead of us, so let’s just get out there, keep on dancing’, make the most of it, be positive, stay healthy and everything will be alright! All the best to you in 2010. Thanks for listening. =Russ Butler Email the show: russ@bostonpete.com