He was born in New York City (but grew up in New Haven, Connecticut) and began learning the saxophone when he was 15 and by age 16, had begun to tour with a band. He reached Hollywood the first time, as a sideman with Irving Aaronson's band in 1931, performing at the famous Orange Blossom Room (site of the first Academy Awards ceremony in 1929). Returning to New York City in1932, he became a highly in-demand session musician, working for example as one of just a handful of accompanists to Bing Crosby's first signature radio show for William S. Paley's already powerful and influential CBS radio network. Ultimately, Artie (who was known strictly as "Art" Shaw until his fortuitous Summer, 1938 contract with RCA Victor records' Bluebird label commenced) organized and led five, full-time touring orchestras that were all extremely popular -save the last, from 1949, with its be-bop oriented book. Ironically, that final Shaw-led big band (populated with players like Al Cohn), is considered by most jazz critics to have been Artie's best. With time out to lead a Navy service band (in the Pacific combat theater) during WWII, Shaw's actual big band- leading career lasted less than a decade overall -yet, it was a remarkably productive one, populated with some fourteen "Gold" records. These included such mega-hits as "Begin the Beguine", "Stardust", "Frenesi", "Moonglow", "Temptation", "Dancing In The Dark" and "Summit Ridge Drive" -the latter by his famous quintet billed as the Gramercy 5.
Shaw was known for being an innovator in the big band idiom, pioneering strings with jazz and using unusual instrumentations. His Summer, 1935 piece "Interlude in B-flat" was one of the earliest examples of what would be later dubbed "third stream". In 1938 he convinced Billie Holiday to be his band's vocalist, becoming the first white bandleader to hire a full-time black female singer. This 1938-1939 orchestra became phenomenonally successful and appeared in the movie "Dancing Co-ed" which also featured one of his future wives, Lana Turner, in the cast. Artie's clarinet playing, had by now reached a level that was arguably the greatest in jazz, easily rivaling that of Benny Goodman. Longtime Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard, himself a highly talented musician -cited Shaw (in 1940) as his "favorite" clarinet player. Literally abandoning his famous 1938-1939 band at the absolute peak of its' fame and earning power (Artie, just himself alone pulling down more than $10K per week) in late November, 1939, Shaw "abdicated" to Acapulco, Mexico. Returning to the U.S. he organized an entirely new orchestra, with full string section in the Summer of 1940. A truly stellar aggregation, it lasted until mid-1941, featuring stars Billy Butterfield, Johnny Guarneiri, Nick Fatool and Ray Conniff as principal arranger. This outfit can be prominently seen in the RKO film "Second Chorus" starring Fred Astaire and Paulette Goddard. The final pre-war Shaw band, started in late, 1941, had Davey Tough and Hot Lips Page and big hits on St. James Infirmary Blues and Blues In The NIght. Artie broke this outstanding unit up shortly after Pearl Harbor so he could "enlist" in the Navy -refusing an offered commission. Back from the Navy, Shaw put together a new band that featured Roy Eldridge and an ambitious library stocked with arrangements by Eddie Sauter, Buster Harding, Ray Conniff and others. Hit records for this band included "Little Jazz" and "S'Wonderful" and by now Artie was married to Ava Gardner. His final public performances (as a clarinetist) took place in 1954, including with a sublime quartet in an extended Las Vegas booking. Apparently, he last picked up and played his fabled clarinet in about 1960 at his beach house in Spain (as recounted in final wife actress Evelyn Keyes' autobiography) and resisted all lucrative offers to return to the stage until finally fielding a "ghost" band under the highly capable aegis of outstanding clarinetist Dick Johnson in 1985. For about the first year, Artie often appeared on stage with this very fine orchestra at certain, prestigious bookings, but soon tired of the "grind" -and not to Dick Johnson's dismay. This now true "ghost" band is still appearing during Summer seasons (with much of the original Shaw "books"), principally in the New England area (Johnson lives in Boston) and is well worth seeing. Although he had more wives (8) than bands, Artie fell one wife short of Charlie Barnet's record (for a famous bandleadrer) of nine.
Temptation
Artie Shaw Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I should have known you were temptation
You smiled, luring me on
My heart was gone, you were temptation
It would be thrilling
If you were willing
If it can never be
Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours
Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part
I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation
You were born to be kissed
I can't resist.
You are temptation and I am yours
Here is my heart, take it and say
We'll never part
I'm just a slave
Only a slave to you, temptation
The lyrics to Artie Shaw's song Temptation tell the story of being drawn in by desire towards someone who is, in essence, a temptation. The singer reflects on his own vulnerability, acknowledging that he should have known better when they first met, but was nevertheless enticed by the other person's smile and alluring demeanor. Despite knowing that giving in to their feelings could lead to disaster, they express a desire to take the risk anyway, to be thrilling and tempting.
The line "My heart was gone, you were temptation" expresses a sense of losing oneself to the other person, while "If you were willing, if it can never be, pity me" shows a reluctance to let go of the desire despite recognizing the impossibility of a relationship. Finally, the singer declares themselves to be a slave to temptation, unable to resist the other person who is "born to be kissed."
Overall, these lyrics capture the feeling of being drawn towards someone who is bad for us but irresistible, exploring the idea of succumbing to temptation and the power dynamics that play out between two people in this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
You came, I was alone
You arrived in my life when I was lonely
I should have known you were temptation
I should have realized that you were a source of seduction and allure
You smiled, luring me on
You enticed and drew me in with your charming smile
My heart was gone, you were temptation
You captured my heart completely and I was helpless against your tempting presence
It would be thrilling
It would be exciting and intense
If you were willing
If you were open to the idea
If it can never be
If our relationship is impossible
Pity me for you are temptation and I am yours
Feel sorry for me because I am captivated by you, and you have power over me
Here is my heart, take it and say
I am giving you my heart, hoping you will accept it and reciprocate my feelings
We'll never part
We will always be together, never separated
I'm just a slave
I am controlled and consumed by your desires
Only a slave to you, temptation
I am only loyal to you, even if it means risking my own happiness
You were born to be kissed
You were created to be kissed by someone who is pulled in by your magnetism
I can't resist.
I cannot control my attraction towards you
You are temptation and I am yours
You are temptation personified and I am under your spell
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LARRY JOHNSON, LARRY CURTIS JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jody Wilke
Such a talented man--and I'm so thankful, that he and his orchestra went around, and entertained the troops in WW2!😔⛪
Kirk Barkley
Once the band gets going, the interplay in this one is amazing.
Sleep is The Cousin of Death
This is some good stuff
Elizabeth Gonzales Jauregui
Me gusta sus música de artie shaw
Elizabeth Gonzales
es un bombo música muy buena
Justice M
I had just ordered this tune on a victor 78 from eBay (sorry im new too swing only a year in lol) costed about 20 bones luckily, came faster then expected too....I dropped it....and it split, currently I cant find any more listings on this tune which "stardust" was on the B side, however, this has always been my favorite Artie song, it has so much life and just feels like it belongs in a cartoon which im a 15 year old "aspiring" Cartoonist, I always ADORED the last pitch at the end, I actually noticed in a couple of Arties other songs he displays this "final" high note, I cant recall which ones since the names are burried somewhere in my record collection of swing, but overall this is proabaly my 3rd favorite swing theme, I hope I can find another user selling this on 78 but for now, thanks for posting this upload pal :)
Best Part: 2:48
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Glad you enjoyed it Let me know if you have any requests.
Justice M
@A Trip Down Memory Lane I was looking around looking to see if you had posted it already but, do you think you can do Artie Shaws "non stop flight" that one is one of my favorites! thanks pal! I appreciate all of your videos so dearly!
A Trip Down Memory Lane
@Justice M Your wish is my command....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHbnZ_KHTZE
Bharat Bhagwat
When Music was MUSIC .