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.
Chloe
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Someone's calling, no reply
Nightshade's falling, hear him sigh
Chloe! Chloe!
Empty spaces in his eyes
Through the black of night
I've got to go where you are
If it's dark or bright
I've got to go where you are
I'll go through the dismal swampland
Searching for you
For if you are lost there
Let me be there, too
Through the smoke and flame
I've got to go where you are
For no ways can be too far
Where you are
Ain't no chains can bind you
If you live, I'll find you
Love is calling me
I've got to go where you are
The song Chloe by Benny Goodman is a melancholic tune that tells the story of someone searching for their lost love. The repetition of the name Chloe is a cry of longing for the person that the singer cannot find. The first two lines, "Someone's calling, no reply/Nightshade's falling, hear him sigh" suggest that the singer is calling out to Chloe, but there is no response. The night is falling, and the singer is alone and sad.
The next lines, "Empty spaces in his eyes/Empty arms outstretched, he's crying" describe the pain and emptiness the singer feels without Chloe. He is outstretched and crying, alone in his sorrow. The chorus, "Through the black of night/I've got to go where you are/If it's dark or bright/I've got to go where you are" conveys the message that the singer is so desperate to find Chloe that he would go to any lengths, up to even looking for her in a dismal swampland or in the presence of fire and smoke, to find her and reunite with her.
The final lines, "Ain't no chains can bind you/If you live, I'll find you/Love is calling me/I've got to go where you are" sums up the determination of the singer to find his loved one, emphasizing that neither distance, time, nor any other obstacle can stop him from reaching her.
Line by Line Meaning
Chloe! Chloe!
Addressing the person named Chloe.
Someone's calling, no reply
The singer is calling out for Chloe, but there is no answer or response from her.
Nightshade's falling, hear him sigh
The darkness of the night is descending, and the singer is sighing in despair or sadness because Chloe is not there with him.
Empty spaces in his eyes
The singer's eyes are empty and hollow, reflecting the sense of longing or sadness he feels without Chloe by his side.
Empty arms outstretched, he's crying
The singer is crying with outstretched arms, longing to hold or embrace Chloe.
Through the black of night
The singer is willing to venture through the darkness of the night.
I've got to go where you are
The singer must find a way to be with Chloe no matter the obstacles they may face along the way.
If it's dark or bright
The singer is willing to go to Chloe, no matter the time of day or night.
I've got to go where you are
The singer reiterates his determination to be with Chloe, no matter the circumstances.
I'll go through the dismal swampland
The singer is willing to go through the desolate and difficult terrain to find Chloe.
Searching for you
The singer is actively looking for Chloe, putting in the effort to find her.
For if you are lost there
The singer acknowledges the possibility that Chloe may be lost and in need of finding.
Let me be there, too
The singer wants to be with Chloe, even in the midst of her struggles or hardships.
Through the smoke and flame
The singer is willing to face even the most dangerous or destructive environments to be with Chloe.
For no ways can be too far
No distance is too great for the singer to be with Chloe.
Where you are
The singer wants to be wherever Chloe is, no matter the location.
Ain't no chains can bind you
The singer believes there is nothing that can prevent or limit Chloe's freedom or ability to be with him.
If you live, I'll find you
The singer will never stop looking for Chloe until he can find her.
Love is calling me
The singer is driven by his love for Chloe, and this love motivates him to find her whatever it takes.
I've got to go where you are
The singer repeats his desire to be with Chloe, emphasizing his unwavering commitment to her.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NEIL MORET, GUS KAHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Landeros
This song is beautiful!
Ed McDowell
This is great but the band has another recording of Chloe in which they kick it up a notch and it really swings.
Marc Babin
Guitarist Joe Pass recorded a version of this on hi 'INtercontinental record. It's inspiring to me to hear him play it and that after 30 years I go back to listen to it.
MARKMANIATT
Wonderful !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Benny Goodman
My quan discovery
Today I have 44
And nothing has changed
I still love it
Ed McDowell
Tx but I have it on CD just forgot it was live. Some years ago I picked up a two disk CD BG album of all live broadcasts with some really great stuff. I would upload some but don't have a clue as to how its done. There's a swinging cut of Caravan with a mind blowing Harry James trumpet riff circa 1937 I would love to share.
SheridanJazz
This is Harry James' first recording with the band, Jan. '37.
songanddanceman100
And the Tommy Dorsey version is very good, too!
Evan McElfresh
there is a 'live' performance recording with this group playing this number at a slightly faster tempo-like all live recordings it just has more snap...
catman916
I have heard it, Evan.