Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." He could also be incredibly self-absorbed; it is reported that when eating an egg onto which a ketchup bottle cap had fallen, Goodman simply ate around it. At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend asked him why one time, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out."
Some suggest that Elvis Presley had the same success with rock and roll that Goodman achieved with jazz and swing. Without Goodman there would not have been a swing era. It is true that many of Goodman's arrangements had been played for years before by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. While Goodman publicly acknowledged his debt to Henderson, many young white swing fans had never heard Henderson's band. While most consider Goodman a jazz innovator, others maintain his main strength was his perfectionism and drive. Goodman was a non - pariel virtuoso clarinetist and -along with only Artie Shaw, amongst the most technically proficient jazz clarinetists of all time.
Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America. In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws. Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him ] in the Autumn of 1936. He then added Lionel Hampton on vibes in December, 1936, and in the early Summer of 1939 he augmented the famous "quartette" with pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his untimely death from tuberculosis less than three years later. To give an understanding of American history at this time, Goodman's integration of popular music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson entered Major League Baseball. "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." By the mid- Summer of 1941, Benny had hired the incomparably rhythmic and show-man drummer, legendary "Big Sid" Catlett, the (later) famous John Simmons on bass, and still possessed the incomparable Charlie Christian on electric guitar -plus Cootie Williams was in the middle of his one-year contract... This amounted to virtually one-quarter of the orchestra of black heritage, but of course -following Jimmy Munday and Fletcher Henderson (who also joined the band as pianist for 6 months in July, 1939) it was really an orchestrated white extension of black big band jazz -only, curiously -better.
All I Need Is You
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make my dreams come true
Baby, all I need is you
I don't need a fortune teller
To tell my troubles to
Baby, all I need is you
For at last I realise
I found the sun, I found the stars
Shining in your eyes
I'm right at the gates of heaven
And I could walk right through
Baby, all I need is you
Baby, all I need is you
The lyrics to Benny Goodman & Peggy Lee's song All I Need Is You convey a sense of contentment and satisfaction with the presence and love of a significant other. The singer asserts that they do not require material possessions or even guidance from a fortune teller to find happiness and fulfillment - all they need is the companion of their beloved. This is emphasized by the repeated use of the phrase "Baby, all I need is you," which creates a sense of focus and simplicity in the singer's desires. The lines "Don't need the sun, don't need the stars / For at last I realise / I found the sun, I found the stars / Shining in your eyes" further reinforce this idea; the singer sees that their partner holds all the beauty and wonder of the universe within themselves.
The final line, "I'm right at the gates of heaven / And I could walk right through," adds a spiritual dimension to the song. It suggests that the connection between the two lovers is so strong that it has the power to transcend earthly boundaries and bring the singer closer to a higher plane of existence. Overall, the lyrics to All I Need Is You celebrate the power of love and the joy that can be found in simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need a million dollars
I don't need an enormous sum of money
To make my dreams come true
to achieve what I desire
Baby, all I need is you
I only need your presence for my dreams to come true
I don't need a fortune teller
I don't need someone to tell me about my future
To tell my troubles to
to share my worries with
Don't need the sun, don't need the stars
I don't need the light coming from celestial bodies
For at last I realise
I finally understand
I found the sun, I found the stars
I found the light in your eyes
Shining in your eyes
a reflection of the love I see in your eyes
I'm right at the gates of heaven
I'm on the threshold of eternal happiness
And I could walk right through
and I could achieve eternal happiness
Baby, all I need is you
I only need your presence to be in heaven
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUY THEODORE SEBASTIAN, ADAM REILY, ALUN BENJAMIN FIRTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@foghatrocks
My God...I had no idea she was so great. The only thing I have heard by her up till now is "Is That All There Is" I had no idea her voice was that great.
@SergioVellatti
I loved this, buddy! Benny Goodman + Peggy Lee = Magic! Wonderful upload! Thanks! * * * * *
@chicaviszla
this is a great recording for 1942, Peggy Lee sounds like she is right next to me, good upload
@kerstinsundgren6296
Wonderful music and voice. I miss that kind of music today. Nearly all modern music are badly played, arrangements missing totally and if you want to keep your hearing for a few more years, turn it down!
@ronaldciccone260
Hot Chic in the 40s