Constance Foore "Connee" Boswe… Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 - October 11, 1976) was an American female vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With her sisters, Martha and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell, she performed in the 1930s as The Boswell Sisters and became a highly influential singing group during this period via recordings and radio. Connee herself is widely considered one of the greatest jazz female vocalists and was a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald who said, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it....I tried so hard to sound just like her."[1]
In 1936, Connee's sisters retired and Connee continued on as a solo artist (having also recorded solos during her years with the group).
The Boswells came to be well known locally while still in their early teens, making appearances in New Orleans theaters and radio. They made their first recordings for Victor Records in 1925, which included "Cryin' Blues" where Connee is featured singing in the style of her early influence, the African American singer Mamie Smith. The Boswell Sisters became stage professionals that year when they were tapped to fill in for an act at New Orleans' Orpheum Theatre. They received an invitation to come to Chicago and perform in 1928 and honed their act on the Western Vaudeville Circuit. When their tour ended they traveled to San Francisco. The hotel that had been recommended had a less than savory reputation, and the man at the desk suggested that these three young ladies might be better off in another hotel. That man, Harry Leedy, would later become their manager on a handshake and become a permanent part of Connee's life.
The Boswell Sisters travelled to Los Angeles where they performed on local radio and "side-miked" for the soundies, including the 1930 production "Under Montana Skies." did not attain national attention, however, until they moved to New York City in 1930 and started making national radio broadcasts. After a few recordings with Okeh Records, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records from 1931-1935. In 1935, the sisters had a #1 hit with "The Object of My Affection", the biggest of twenty top 20 records they would enjoy.
In 1936, the group signed to Decca Records and after just three releases called it quits (the last recording was February 12, 1936). Connee Boswell continued to have a successful solo career as a singer for Decca.
All through her career with The Boswell Sisters, and well into the 1940s, her name was spelt "Connie". She later changed the spelling to Connee, reputedly because it made it easier to sign autographs.
Connee Boswell was also an arranger (the legendary Boswell Sisters harmony arrangements are hers) and a composer.
Connee sang from a wheelchair - or seated position - during her entire career, due to either a childhood bout with polio or a childhood accident (sources differ). The general public was not aware of her condition although Boswell herself did not keep this secret. During World War II, she tried to get involved with the U.S.O. tours but was not given permission to travel overseas. The "powers that be" apparently thought it might not be a morale-booster to have a "cripple" perform for the troops.
Connee Boswell was a favorite duet partner of Bing Crosby and they frequently sang together on radio as well as recording several hit records as a duo in the 1930s and 1940's. Boswell, Crosby, and Eddie Cantor recorded a version of Alexander's Ragtime Band that was a #1 hit in 1938.In 1939, Crosby and Boswell had three hit duet records that each climbed into the top 12 on Billboard; "An Apple For The Teacher" climbed all the way to #2.
Connee Boswell also had several dozen solo hits, including "Moonlight Moon" in 1942. Boswell's career slackened in the 1950s but she still recorded occasionally and would be featured on a number of television broadcasts including a regular stint on the 1959 series "Pete Kelly's Blues".
Connee Boswell died at age 68 in 1976. A number of her recordings are now available on CD, both as a soloist and part of the Boswell Sisters.
Make Love to Me
Connee Boswell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make love to me!
Make love to me, my darling,
While there is still a moon.
Must I extend an invitation?
Make love to me!
Make love to me, my darling,
There are moments when my lips adore addressing you,
But tonight my lips are only for caressing you,
How about you?
Before the mood that I'm in changes,
Make love to me!
Make love to me, my darling,
I'm so in love with you!
Must I extend an invitation
To make love to me?
Make love to me, my darling,
Tonight will end so soon.
There are moments when my lips, my lips adore addressing you,
But tonight my lips are only for caressing you,
But how about you?
Don't let the mood I'm in change,
Make love to me!
Make love to me, my darling,
I'm so in love with you!
The lyrics to Connee Boswell's song "Make Love to Me" focus on the desire for physical intimacy with a partner. The singer urges their lover to put aside conversation and instead engage in a night of passion with the promise that the moment will not last forever. They suggest that their partner does not need to be asked as the moment should be spontaneous and exciting. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been thinking about their partner and cannot resist the urge to be physically close to them.
The lyrics effectively convey a sense of longing and desire for intimacy. The repetition of the phrase "make love to me" emphasizes the urgency of the situation and the need for physical release. The use of language like "caressing" and "adoring" suggests a deep emotional connection between the two lovers. The final lines emphasize the singer's love for their partner and the desire to be physically and emotionally close to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Instead of making conversation,
Rather than talking, let's engage intimately.
Make love to me!
Express your lovemaking intentions.
Make love to me, my darling,
Perform sexual activity with me, my love.
While there is still a moon.
Before the romantic moment passes, let's act on our desires.
Must I extend an invitation?
Do I need to explicitly ask for sexual intimacy?
Tonight will end so soon.
Let's make the most of the limited time we have together.
There are moments when my lips adore addressing you,
I enjoy speaking to you, but...
But tonight my lips are only for caressing you,
This evening, my lips are exclusively for your physical pleasure.
How about you?
Do you feel the same way?
Before the mood that I'm in changes,
Act now while the romantic ambiance is still present.
I'm so in love with you!
I have strong feelings of love and attraction towards you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ISMAEL ANGEL LEDESMA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PennAgain
Note: this is NOT the ORIGINAL Original Memphis Five whose base group
stopped recording in 1931, but the name used by Phil Napoleon for other
groups that continued to use the name all the way up to 1990. Connee
would only have been 10 years old when they started.They're cooler and
more Pop here, but (okay, arguably) way hotter between 1922 and 1931.