1) Andrew Dewey Kirk (May 28, 1898 in Newport, Kentucky – December 11, 1992 in New York City) was a jazz bass saxophonist and tubist best known as a bandleader. He started his musical career playing with George Morrison's band, but then went on to join Terrence Holder's Dark Clouds of Joy. In 1929 he was elected leader after Holder departed. Renaming themselves Twelve Clouds of Joy they set up in the Pla-Mor Ballroom on the junction of 32nd and Main in Kansas City and made their first recording for Brunswick Records that same year. Mary Lou Williams came in as pianist at the last moment, but she impressed Brunswick's Dave Kapp, so she became a regular member of the band.
The pianist she replaced, Marion Jackson, did not take well to this but otherwise Kirk's band would be fairly stable with the incorporation of Williams. Many of its members later became known in their own right including: Buddy Tate (tenor saxophone), Claude Williams (violin), Pha Terrell (vocals) and Mary Lou's then husband, John Williams, Dick Wilson, Floyd Smith, Don Byas, "Shorty" Baker, Howard McGhee, Jimmy Forrest, Fats Navarro, and (briefly) Charlie Parker. The band was smaller than most swing bands of the time, which had advantages and disadvantages, one of which was that the loss of individuals could be more damaging. In 1941 saxophonist Dick Wilson died and in the following year Mary Lou Williams began an independent career. The band still had successes after that, as the more poppish singer was more liked by the masses. In 1942, Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy recorded take it and git which, on October 24th, 1942, became the first single to hit #1 on The Harlem Hit Parade, which later became Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. In 1948, Andy Kirk folded the band and continued to do music after that, but eventually switched to hotel management and real estate and also served as an official in the Musicians' Union.
2) Since persuading his parents that the idea of buying turntables and a mixer for Christmas as a 13 year old was a good idea, the now 25-year-old Andy Kirk has since been developing his early interest to way beyond just mixing records.
Guided by the early rave and jungle scene combined with hip hop influences, Andy worked his way through mixing records until in 1997 Camel Bobsled Race by DJ Q-Bert started to play whilst in a local record store in Sunderland. This subsequently sparked a transformation in the way he viewed the turntable and began to create his own scratch patterns and ideas.
Since then Andy has performed at the Annual Ministry of Sound Event in Perth Australia in 2002 and on a local radio station while on his stay in W.A. On his return from down under he teamed up with Newcastle DJ, Maroon, to form an all scratch duo called NozL and have recently been signed to Grand Central Records sub label GC3. To add to that, the pair are almost ready to unveil their own project, NozL Recordings, to release their debut EP “The Man Who Brought Us Here Has Vanished”. Whilst focusing on writing all scratch tracks, Andy’s enthusiasm for ambient electronica is almost limitless as he uses melodic themes inspired by artists such as Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Mum and Chris Clark as a basis for his own creative relaxation and experimentation.
3) Andy Kirk, 22, is a worship artist living in Nashville, Tennessee.
Until the Real Thing Comes Along
Andy Kirk Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you (Whatever that is)
And if that isn't love, it'll have to do
Until the real thing comes along
I'd gladly move the Earth for you
To prove my love, dear, and its worth for you
If that isn't love, it will have to do (Gotta do)
With all the words, dear, at my command
I just can't make you understand
I'll always love you, darling, come what may
My heart is yours, what more can I say?
(You want me to rob a bank? Well I won't do it)
I'd sigh for you, yes,
I'd even cry for you, yes
I'd tear the stars down from the skies for you
If that isn't love, well skip it, it'll have to do
Until the real thing comes along
Listen baby
I'd even sigh for you, I'm 'bout ready to cry for you
I'd tear the stars down from the skies for you
If that isn't love, it'll have to do, baby, yes
Until the real thing comes along
(Here's the real thing, baby)
The lyrics to Andy Kirk's Until The Real Thing Comes Along express complete devotion and willingness to do anything for the person he loves, even if it means being a slave or a beggar. He's willing to prove his love by moving the Earth and tearing down the stars from the skies. However, despite all the words he has at his command, he is unable to make the person understand his depth of feeling. His heart belongs to the person and he'll do whatever it takes to show it. The final stanza brings a little bit of humor to the song as the person asks him to rob a bank and he refuses.
The song is essentially an expression of deep love and devotion. The lyrics highlight the sacrifices the singer is willing to make for the person they love. It's a rather simple and straightforward message, but the passion and sincerity with which it's delivered make it all the more impactful.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd work for you, I'd even slave for you
I would do anything for you, even humiliate myself
I'd be a beggar or a knave for you (Whatever that is)
I would go as far as becoming a criminal for you, if necessary.
And if that isn't love, it'll have to do
If my extreme devotion isn't enough for you to see how much I love you, then I don't know what will be.
I'd gladly move the Earth for you
I would go to unimaginable lengths for you
To prove my love, dear, and its worth for you
To show and demonstrate to you the depth and value of my love
If that isn't love, it will have to do (Gotta do)
If my actions aren't enough to convince you of my love, then that's all I can give for now
With all the words, dear, at my command
Despite being articulate, I cannot find the words to express the depth of my love
I just can't make you understand
I am frustrated that you can't see or comprehend the intensity of emotions I have for you
I'll always love you, darling, come what may
Regardless of what happens or what you do, my love for you will never change
My heart is yours, what more can I say?
I surrender my heart to you, there's nothing left for me to say or do to prove my love
(You want me to rob a bank? Well I won't do it)
I won't resort to any illegal actions to show my love
I'd sigh for you, yes,
I would sigh heavily in sadness or longing for you, even
I'd even cry for you, yes
I would even cry tears of joy or sorrow for you
I'd tear the stars down from the skies for you
I would move heaven and earth for you, do anything for you
If that isn't love, well skip it, it'll have to do
If my immense devotion still isn't convincing you of my feelings, then I don't know what will
Listen baby
Pay attention to what I'm saying, please
I'd even sigh for you, I'm 'bout ready to cry for you
My emotions for you are so intense that I could break down in tears or sadness
If that isn't love, it'll have to do, baby, yes
If my love isn't satisfactory, then unfortunately that's all I can give at the moment
(Here's the real thing, baby)
The true embodiment of love has yet to present itself in our relationship
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: GERALD MARKS, SEYMOUR SIMONS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kim-Lien Chavez
This has to be one of the earliest and sweetest versions of the song.
Bernard Frederick
I love his singing voice!
Yasmin Zimnowodzki
This is just beautiful. And sums up love beautifully.
OmniverSiddhi AlterDestiny
I am so happy to have found your channel !!!
Jonathan Pearl
Despite the high voice, Pha Terrell was a tough guy, had been a nightclub bouncer.
Irene Mccann
Best version.
Thomas .Hennessey
Up to this record, Kirk like most Black bands of this era had been limited to hot mostly up-tempo numbers. From the success of this record on, they were the only Black band where half of their output was soft slow ballad vocals most by Terrell.
Trombonology Erstwhile
Well, this version, which put the great Kirk orchestra on the map, has always been my favorite. Metronome writer, George T. Simon, famously referred to our earnest (and ill-fated) warbler as "Pha Terrible," but I've always loved his voice and the apparent sincerity that he brought to all his work. Maybe he over-used the concluding high note a bit too much but, hey, I'm sure he was encouraged to after striking gold with it here. Pha (pronounced Fay ) was very much admired by Ellington vocalist, Al Hibbler. I love Mary Lou Williams' simple eight bar intro, Ted Robinson's discreet guitar rhythm and that beautiful sixteen bars from the reeds after Pha's full chorus.
Daniel Weinstein
There is an earlier version, with a complicated full ensemble intro, that apparently sold so well that they had to re-record it for a new master. Mary Lou's arrangement, I believe.
Trombonology Erstwhile
@Daniel Weinstein Right! -- with drummer Ben Thigpen on the vocal. That take has a charm of its own.