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.
When The Sun Comes Out
Benny Goodman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And that rain stops beatin' on my window pane
When the sun comes out
There'll be bluebirds 'round my door, singin' like they did before
That ol' storm broke out
And my man/gal walked off and left me in the rain
Though he's/she's gone I doubt
Love is funny, it's not always peaches, cream and honey
Just when everything looked bright and sunny
Suddenly the cyclone came, I'll never be the same
Til that sun comes out
And the rain stops beatin' on my window pane
If my heart holds out
Let it rain and let it pour, it may not be long before
There's a knockin' at my door
Then you'll know the one I love walked in
When the sun comes out
The song "When The Sun Comes Out" by Benny Goodman & his Orchestra; vocal by Helen Forrest is about finding hope and love again after experiencing heartbreak. The opening lines set the scene for the song, expressing the desire for the rain to stop beating on the window pane and for the sun to come out. This imagery serves as a metaphor for the singer's emotional state, which is dark and rainy due to the heartbreak she has experienced.
The second verse of the song continues the metaphor, explaining that the storm broke out and her man or gal left her in the rain. However, the singer expresses doubt that her love interest will stay away for good, and she would stop living if he/she should. This shows the intensity of the singer's love for the person who has left her, and her desire for their return.
The third verse of the song uses the metaphor of a cyclone to describe the suddenness of the heartbreak the singer has experienced. She expresses her belief that she will never be the same again, but holds onto the hope that the sun will come out and change her emotional state.
Overall, "When The Sun Comes Out" is a song about the fragility of love and the power of hope. It expresses the emotions of heartbreak, but ultimately ends on a hopeful note, with the singer anticipating the return of the person she loves.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sun comes out
The moment when the sun is finally out after a long period of rain and darkness.
And that rain stops beatin' on my window pane
When the sound of the raindrops hitting my window fades away, and I can finally sit by the window and enjoy the sunlight.
When the sun comes out
The time when everything seems to be full of hope and positivity and when you can see things more clearly, simply because the sun is shining.
There'll be bluebirds 'round my door, singin' like they did before
Nature will come alive and join me in my happiness, just like the birds that used to sing outside my door.
That ol' storm broke out
A metaphorical reference to the painful and emotionally turbulent experience of a relationship ending.
And my man/gal walked off and left me in the rain
The sadness and loneliness that comes after a breakup, which leaves one feeling lost and abandoned, like being stuck in the rain.
Though he's/she's gone I doubt
Despite the hurt and pain, there is still a small glimmer of hope and desire for the loved one to come back.
If he'll/she'll stay away for good,I'd stop livin' if he/she should
The thought of the possibility of the loved one never coming back is unbearable, and the lover feels like they cannot go on without them.
Love is funny, it's not always peaches, cream and honey
Love is a complex emotion, and often not as simple and perfect as we want it to be.
Just when everything looked bright and sunny
The sudden change in circumstances, from good to bad, even when everything seemed perfect.
Suddenly the cyclone came, I'll never be the same
The emotional turmoil, pain and trauma of a breakup is like a cyclone, and one feels like they will never be the same person.
Til that sun comes out
Waiting and hoping for the sun to shine again in their life.
And the rain stops beatin' on my window pane
Hoping for an end to the pain and sadness of the past and the beginning of happier times.
If my heart holds out
Trying to remain strong through the heartache and not give up hope for the future.
Let it rain and let it pour, it may not be long before
Accepting the challenges and difficulties of the present, knowing that they might not last forever and better times may be on the horizon.
There's a knockin' at my door
A sign of hope and the anticipation of good things to come.
Then you'll know the one I love walked in
Feeling the joy and completeness of having the loved one back in their life, knowing that they are the one they truly love.
When the sun comes out
The metaphorical sign of a new beginning, and the hope that things will get better, brighter and more positive in the future.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., S.A. MUSIC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trombonology Erstwhile
I've long believed this one to be possibly Helen's finest vocal with Goodman.
Kirk Barkley
Think exactly the very same thing!
Rich D
Funny story. Helen and I were close friends for 25+ years. I am the HF #1 freak and I used to torture her when we were in the car-
made her listen to her long forgotten performances--especially THIS ONE I told her it was/is (arguably) the greatest interplay between band and singer EVER. She laughed and said "your prejudiced." She thought her work with Artie Shaw and especially Benny Goodman were never more than a precursor to her huge success with Harry James. And because Goodman was very jealous of her (he was always trying to show everybody that he could sing!) -he made her life miserable -- always noodling behind her to distract the audience from her-to himself. When he refused to accept her "notice to leave" for the 3rd time (he was making a fortune off her records with Columbia)--she gave him a final notice when the reached the Hotel Sherman in Chicago on 8/1/41--I'm leaving at the end of the engagement "whether you find another singer or not." Enter Norma Eggstrom (Peggy Lee) who he found singing in the lounge and brought her on immediately--then demanded that Helen stay until her contract was up (8/31/41)--AND made her sit on the bandstand without allowing her to sing for the entire month. Poor Peggy Lee who got stuck inheriting all of Helen's songs on the books withered initially -and because Benny was so cheap--he refused to change the arrangements into Peggy's key. As told by Peggy herself--it was a disaster - causing one critic to say "she is pretty enough and sings ok--but make no mistake--Peggy Lee is NO Helen Forrest! She couldn't have been oblivious to who's shoes she was attempting to fill and remained very bitter about it for many years after.Trombonology Erstwhile
@Rich D It's great to learn that your enthusiasm for this side matches mine! ... I read both Helen and Peg's autobiographies several years ago and, thus, am aware of what BG put both Helen and (perhaps unintentionally) Peg through when Helen was making her break with the band. What a petty man! -- the leader of the finest swing orchestra, mind you, but still, a little man, in many ways. It's not surprising, of course, that Helen believed she was at her peak when she was with the Harry James orch: Though versatile, she was, first and foremost, a ballad singer and her stay with the James band coincided with a shift toward more sentimental material and more languid tempos, occasioned by WWII. Artie -- who, at best, tolerated singers -- essentially tried to sabotage Helen with the brisk pace he always insisted on. In the case of Goodman, I've always considered Helen's recording debut with the band, the inferior "Busy As A Bee" to be indicative of bad breaks to come. Helen should have been given more material to truly make her own, rather than being forced to compete with Sinatra or Eberly-O'Connell hit versions. ... I loved her book -- she was an extraordinary talent, who managed to maintain a sense of humor, despite the adversity she faced throughout her life.
Rich D
@Trombonology Erstwhile Thank you for the thoughtful reply. I hardly ever provide commentary on the tube-
but like many others I'm going buggie while locked away during the big C. With all due respect (truly)--I'd like to respond accordingly: 1st off - up until Helen with Harry and Sinatra with Dorsey - Band Vocalists were at best featured briefly like any other talented sidemen. People went to see and hear Swing primarily in order to DANCE.and as Helen said "we had to play and sing for dancing." The singers "worked for" the band leaders and in Helen's case-never had choice of material and/or tempo--and I would assume same was true for the lot. I disagree with your take on Artie Shaw re singers.. Artie (unlike Goodman) always wanted the best singers he could afford (most notably Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, etc)---and to the contrary--he LOVED working with Helen. In fact---he gave her the highest compliment(s) he ever doled out which was " She never got the credit she deserved." {and if you know anything about his temperament you can easily surmise the value of such a comment from him}. And while Helen became forever associated with the war time ballads she made with Harry James--she was equally adept at "hot jump tunes." Just a few examples --listen to her aircheck with Artie of "I Cried For You" and recording of "Perfidia" with Goodman. Lastly I would be remiss if I didn't add that it was not my intention to denigrate Peggy Lee in any way. She ultimately prevailed before the end of her tenure with Goodman and went on to become a very great artist with her own very unique style. Final question--if you know--who and why would my previous entry have been edited? There was certainly no "inappropriate" material within??? God Bless and Stay SafeAl Biondi
excellent quality recording
Alessandro Miniero
Helen favolosa
Mike Zirpolo
For the story behind this recording, go to swingandbeyond.com.
felltone
Yes I went there. Great website.