Nancy Sinatra Interview with Doris  in July 2013

After listening to a current radio station in Baltimore (the most popular non country one called WMIX) for several hours this past week, I ask myself: Is all the music just plain horrible? I have to admit the answer to that one is No.  When they play some GOOD music, it is by people I actually like. I have heard ONE DIRECTION, ADELE, MICHAEL BUBLE, ROD STEWART,
and others that really are very good, but they don't play them often enough. As is the case with most current radio stations, they eventually resort to playing rap, hip hop, new country and a lot of "screaming meamies", which I hate.  There is nothing worse than listening to someone who is singing and doing what I call "trying to find a note by sliding up and down the musical scale."  As for rap, I can't think of any of its redeeming values...mainly, I don't even call that music; it is repetitious rhythm, and it really gets on my nerves.

After living through the music of the early and mid 50's and being spoiled by hearing 99 percent great singers, the point is obvious. There are not enough of them around today for me to waste my time turning on the radio.  I'd rather listen to my own station on live365 or to my cd collection. (you can link to my station from the sidebar menu on the website). 

For a period of about 2 years, I used to also tune in to the local country music station (WPOC), and although that station often played music by stalwarts like Dolly Parton and Reba McIntire and George Strait, it spent too much time supporting artists like Taylor Swift (I call her "the breathless wonder") and, of course, my one time  favorite, Kenny Chesney (who is by now highly over exposed). Think about it: too much exposure (and liasions) killed Garth Brooks. I miss the Dixie Chicks (they had a great blend), and Shania seems to have disappeared into the woodwork.

In my car, it is never a problem because I subscribe to Sirius Radio, and there are lots of choices. My favorite channels there are: 40's on 4; 50's on 5; Siriusly Sinatra and On Broadway.  MOST of them also play songs by Doris Day. (The broadway station has not yet learned that Doris and Frank Sinatra sing most of the Broadway songs better than they were ever sung in the original shows!) I have tried to impart the message to them: they don't listen.  Anyway, if I don't like what a station is playing, I simply change the channel. I will have to admit I have played very few cds in the car since I bought the car in May of 2012 when it came equipped with Sirius Radio.

Of course, everyone knows that today we have available a reincarnation of Frank Sinatra in the voice of Michael Buble'. I will happily admit that when he first came out, I really liked him. As he has continued to grow into one of the nation's most popular singers (because he learned early on the importance of singing the standards), he has also (like Kenny Chesney) become over exposed.
He tends to get too cute and full of himself instead of the humble, innocent young performer he once was. Success spoils. When he sings a ballad (straight up), he is one of the best.  That said, check out his new CD called TO BE LOVED. It is very good.

In the past few weeks, I have rediscovered Josh Groban. I knew he was always good, but I tended to forget because if anything he is very underexposed. We need to hear him a lot more...especially his latest CD, ALL THAT ECHOES.  Unless it is a CD by Doris Day, I rarely play a CD more than 2 or 3 times when I first buy it. Then I put it away with the 50,000 others I own, and play it occasionally. NOT TRUE OF THIS ONE.  I have it in the car, and have played it more than any other in the past year.  Josh's version of "I Believe When I Fall in Love, It Will Be Forever" cannot be beaten; it is amazing!  Ditto the first song on the CD, "Brave". I love every bit of it.

Although some folks will call me a trifle old-fashioned, it is because when I listen to music, I want to hear REAL MUSIC, and not amateur attempts at singing or playing. Those tv shows that feature new artists....what a joke! More screaming meamies and singers trying to find a note.  As I said before, I was spoiled by the 50's...at the time, we did not realize we were listening the best music ever. Today, we wish we could go back and resurrect it. I bet my girl, Doris, could still knock it out with the best of what current music has to offer, including Adele.

Speaking of new artists, I have become enamored of the voice of Joseph Leo Bwarie, and feature him frequently on my radio show. Among other things, he starred in JERSEY BOYS on Broadway in the part of Franki Valli.  He only has one CD out currently: Nothin' But Love...I call it, NOTHING BUT GREAT.  This young man is going places...if you don't know him, check out this great CD. I also feel the same way about Steve Tyrell, another great, current voice. Other current voices I enjoy: Eden Espinosa (star of WICKED) and Bruno Mars. Vince Gill is always a treat, and always current for me, as is Dolly Parton, old or not!

As for groups, they don't get much better than One Direction. I am not impressed by watching them and their appeal to squealing young ladies, but I do enjoy their sound.  Train, too, does a great job on songs like Hey, Soul Sister. On the Broadway stage, they don't get much better than Patina Miller, currently the star of PIPPIN, or Jeremy Jordan, former star of NEWSIES and featured in the TV show, SMASH.

But when all is said and done, there is nothing like Doris Day, and no one can beat her on 3 special albums: DAY BY DAY, LATIN FOR LOVERS and I  HAVE DREAMED.  Check them out!

Once we are spoiled by the near perfection of Doris Day's superb voice...it is difficult to find others to match her.

EACH YEAR (FOR THE PAST 4), we have offered fans and friends of Doris Day the opportunity to leave her a message by calling our toll free phone. Details are all over the website.  This year, 2015, we decided to forego the phone calls so they do not become old hat. But there are lots of ways to wish Dodo the happiest.
 
Some took advantage of the opportunity; many do not. Considering all the DD fans out there, we should be SWAMPED with phone and written messages. Let Doris know you are there by sending a special message. If nothing else, you can certainly call and say "Happy Birthday". (For those too shy to leave a message on our 800 free line, you can also send an email message which we will post on the website.) If you do that, please use CONTACT on the navigation menu to do so.
So...we have made it ever so easy for you to get inolved...what are you waiting for?

I am not actually referring to outer space or the universe in general; I am talking about right here on www.songsandmemories.com  Because we have several means of checking stats for the website, we know there are people coming in and checking things out. Unlike on facebook, here visitors view, read, listen and leave without comment. It makes me think I am talking to a silent world. You cannot possibly tell me (if you are a visitor) that you have no comment about anything you see or hear. So, please...let us know you are there. Say hello.

    CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS....WHAT ARE YOURS???

One of the most popular Broadway shows ever produced has had many revivals both on Broadway and off Broadway, and one of the main themes behind the entire musical is "tradition".  Check it:

Round the world, there are many "traditions" that are celebrated in honor of the Christmas Season. Before we look at ours, let's look at a few of these:

Okay, how about you?  What things are special to you in the way of traditions that you look forward to each year for the holidays.  Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Morning or do you not open presents at all?  Or does your present giving come at a different time or for a different reason?

In our house, we saved one or two presents for Christmas Morning as Santa Claus Dropoffs, but Christmas Eve was our time to celebrate giving of gifts for each member of the family.  These were always very special to us, but the ones on Christmas morning were the real highlights.  Because of that, we kids had to be in bed no later than 9:30 on Christmas Eve because it was a "rule" that we could not be up and awake when Santa came, or he would leave nothing!  Or worse, stockings full of coal. (Yes, I got a few of those some years.) But I had a savvy mother.  After every one else opened their presents and I was looking at my bag of coal, she would always come to me with a very special present that made it all okay.

And how about Advent Calendars?  Some people tick off the days before Christmas by using these devices or some other tool to keep track of how many days before the Big Day Arrives. I have seen these, and I know they are very popular in some homes, but we never had one. Other family traditions involve nativity scenes both in houses and churches where the "christ child" does not actually become part of the scene until December 25th. I also have some friends who bake a special white pound cake for the holiday.

Then there is the perennial Christmas tree. Do you have one? Is it real or fake? And either way, do you have to string the lights each year, or do you cheat with a pre-lit tree? And when do you decorate it? Or does Santa do that while you are sleeping? How about those of you who still have live trees? Is it a big event when you go shopping for the tree?  Does it have to have a special look or smell?

Even before that, we have the writing and sending of Christmas Cards. I have a friend who very religiously writes her cards every year, but guess what?  Even though they are written and addressed and ready to go, she ALWAYS forgets to mail them on time. So, we can always expect a holiday card from her to arrive anytime after the holiday. Another of my friends spends days and days making her own cards, and we anxiously await to see them every year. And do you, like me, send "special" cards to your friends who do not celebrate Christmas? Instead, the cards just say "Have a Happy Holiday". It is just that we like to share the joy of the season with others.  And although they may not celebrate the season with us, I am certain that they share in the joyous feelings.

How about cookies and candy?  Do you and your family make a big deal about making these goodies every year?  In some families, these two activities also become annual "events".  And in many cases, the cookies and candies become expected christmas presents by both family and friends.

And when Christmas Eve arrives, what other traditions do you celebrate?  Do you light a Yule Log?  Do you attend a service in a local church (denomination does not matter; most of them have a service in the evening, and many do it at midnight.) And for those who do, what do you do when you get back home?

And are there are any special traditions for Christmas Day itself? It is said that "Thanksgiving Day" is spent traversing over the river and through the woods to "grandmother's house".  How about Christmas Day?  At our house, it was a time for the whole family to gather, generally at one house, and everyone came.  As a kid, I remember that we ALWAYS had lots of snow, and part of the day was spent clearing places for visitors to park. I can't remember the last time we  had  real snow for a truly White Christmas, even though we may hear Bing sing the song a lot on the radio.

And then, after dinner, what did everyone do after the kids were tired of playing with the toys?  In our house, it was often a family sing-along (yeah, I know, old fashioned). We had a small baldwin organ in the living room, and our next-door neighbor, Joe, was a musician and played a mean organ. He and his wife celebrated the holiday with us because we considered them part of the family. We stayed up very late that night because it was the one night of the year when there was no enforced bed time.

What about the day after, once every one got out of bed. Was it still a time of celebration?  It was for us because all of the family was still there (somehow we found beds for everyone, and they all spent the night). And that morning, Mom would be up early in order to prepare and serve the "Day After Christmas Breakfast": eggs, bacon, home made rolls with gravy, grits, jellies and hot chocolate. We looked forward to that as well.

Of course, as we grow older, times change. In my family, Mom and Dad have been gone over 20 years. There is no longer a big family gathering.  But I spend the day going from sister to sister to sister because they still have all of their families for the day; it is just not the same celebration it was when I was a kid. You know how that is...it doesn't mean I don't miss it still.

So...what did I omit? Tell us about some of your traditions.

"Won't You Play A Simple Melody
Like My Mother Sang To Me"

Not sure what brought this one on....I guess listening to 3 different versions of this great duet. In all 3 cases (Bing & Gary Crosby, Georgia Gibbs & Jo Stafford), it is sung as a light Dixieland jazz tune, and I don't see how anyone could not like it. At this point, I guess I should say...here...listen:

See what I mean?  Very catchy.  I can't honestly say that I have ever been especially fond of pure jazz (especially of the progressive variety), but dixieland is something else, and some people do not really make a distinction between dixie and ragtime, except one features mostly piano while the other features a lot of brass.  Then, I thought of some other tunes in this idiom that I really like.  How about this one by Doris Day with Jack Smith from "Moonlight Bay"?  Doris and Dixieland?  Yep...it may start with a simple ukelele, but it sure does not end up that way. It is called "Love Ya, Honey".  Listen:

Jo Stafford in the early 50's did her thing with Dixieland, too, and she ended up with a really big record based on the old "Tin Roof Blues".  It was called: "Make Love To Me".  The Dixie beat is not as evident in this one, unless you listen in your brain.  Here it is:

Just so you can see what I mean, here we have a good example of a ragtime song (original) done as a swing/jazz tune. It is from Doris Day's second movie, "My Dream is Yours".  Listen to the words!
"Cuttin' Capers", when jazz men get together a play a few licks.
Dixie land is often the result.  Unfortunately, it lead to progressive jazz, and that is what I really cannot stand: no real melody. But this one, just fine!

I specs the best example of dixieland (none sung of course) is probably Bob Crosby and his Bobcats on almost anything at all. Here is one I like:

And so...........what say you???

When I was growing up, country music was called either bluegrass or hillbilly music, and everyone who heard either of those two terms knew exactly what they meant.  One was down home instrumental music with great emphasis on the banjo and lots of pickin', and hillbilly simply meant singers with a twang and lots of nasality. Think Hank Williams, Sr., Hank Snow, George Jones, Webb Pierce, a young Dolly Parton, Porter Wagner, Skeeter Davis, Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell. Even the names fit the mode.

And then came a kind of transitional period when hillbilly and bluegrass became labeled as "country music" in a catch-all genre. It was the beginning of the "Golden Age" of country music, primarily ushered in by artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Eddy Arnold, Johnny Cash, Glenn Campbell, an older Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Willie Nelson and hundreds of other "country" stars. There was still a bit of twang (but not too much), but now, the lyrics became increasingly more meaningful to forge a definite contrast to the growing music trends in rock and roll. It was music you could listen to, sing along with and dance to as well.

A combination of Rock and Roll and Hillbilly produced a whole new genre labeled "Rockabilly", and even then pop singer Guy Mitchell sang about it in songs like "Singing the Blues" and "Heartaches by the Number." Many major vocal stars of the 50's and 60's got on that country bandwagon, including: Jo Stafford, Doris Day, Johnny Raye, Frankie Laine and The Four Lads.  Country music was becoming more acceptable, and it was finding its way on the top of the music charts, right alongside the songs of rockers like Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino. Personally, I was a big fan of the Everly Brothers and their wonderful harmony (despite the fact that they had a country twang to their voices.) Certainly, no one could dispute the beautiful vocals on such songs as "Let It Be Me" and "Devoted To You",  In fact, Elvis and Ricky were right there with their take on various country hits, too.

Country went through several named periods including: The Nashville Sound, Countrypolitan , Countrysoul (ushered in by Ray Charles and his Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music hit album). Eventually, and not too many years ago, country became liberated enough to be considered MAINSTREAM. With good reason. Pop music had gone off the deep end when it started going into fanatical new directions (metallica, hip hop, range, rap...basically what I have called "crap music"). At least with mainstream country, the listener could understand the words, and there were hummable melodies (what used to be the main thing about pop music.)

The new era in country music began, for me, with Kenny Chesney as I indicated above, But there were others I enjoyed, too.  Who could not like Vince Gill, with his suave voice and brilliant vocals on such songs as "If You Ever Have Forever in Mind". And Garth Brooks caused a sensation when he produced a set of 7 albums for sale under $20...brilliant...everyone could afford them, and just about everyone bought them, too.  Reba McEntire became known by just her first name, as did Dolly, Kenny, George and Shania. Country music was becoming what the vocal music of the early 50's was to me, a pleasant sound to listen to on the radio once again.

How about right now? Like in all kinds of music, I have my favorites. And there are plusses and minuses.  Kenny is consistently good, in album after album, in concert after concert. He is truly a great entertainer, as are Dolly Parton, George Strait, Reba, Tim McGraw. I have lots of favorites, and I can actually listen to the current country stations before I  have to have my "fix" of real music.  Yeah, Yeah, I know. Country is real music, but it sure does not feature anyone to compare with Doris Day or Pat Boone.