Bostic was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He turned professional at age 18 when he joined Terrence Holder's band. He made his first recording with Lionel Hampton in 1942 where he played along with Red Allen, J.C. Higginbotham, Sid Catlett, Teddy Wilson and Hampton. Before that he performed with Fate Marable on New Orleans riverboats. Bostic graduated from Xavier University in New Orleans. He worked with territory bands as well as Arnett Cobb, Hot Lips Page, Rex Stewart, Don Byas, Charlie Christian, Thelonious Monk and other jazz luminaries. He formed his own band in 1945, and turned to rhythm and blues in the late 1940s. His biggest hits were "Temptation," "Sleep," "Flamingo," "You Go to My Head" and "Cherokee." At various times his band included Jaki Byard, John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Tommy Turrentine, Keter Betts, Sir Charles Thompson, Teddy Edwards, Tony Scott, Benny Carter and other musicians who rose to prominence in jazz. Bostic held his musicians to a high standard and demanded that they read music faultlessly. He was influenced by the great Sidney Bechet. John Coltrane in turn was influenced by Earl Bostic. James Moody said that Bostic was the chief influence on John Coltrane. Moody mentioned that "Bostic knew his instrument inside out, back to front and upside down."
His virtuosity is documented in records such as Up There In Orbit, Earl's Imagination, Apollo Theater Jump, All On, Artistry by Bostic, Telestar Drive, Liza, Lady Be Good and Tiger Rag. Bostic was a master of the blues and he used this skill in a variety of musical settings. Although Bostic recorded many commercial albums, some notable jazz based exceptions on the King label include Bostic Rocks Hits of the Swing Age, Jazz As I Feel It and A New Sound.
Bostic's King album titled Jazz As I Feel It featured Shelly Manne on drums, Joe Pass on guitar and Groove Holmes on organ. Bostic recorded the King Album "A New Sound" about one month later again, featuring Holmes and Pass. These recordings allowed Bostic to stretch out beyond the 3 minute limit imposed by the 45 RPM format. Bostic was pleased with the sessions which highlight his total mastery of the blues but they also foreshadowed musical advances that were later evident in the work of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy.
He wrote arrangements for Paul Whiteman, Louis Prima, Lionel Hampton, Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden and Alvino Rey.
Bostic's signature hit, "Flamingo" was recorded in 1951 and remains a favorite among followers of Carolina Beach Music in South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Their style of Beach Music is heavily influenced by Rhythm-and-Blues music from the 40's, 50's and 60's. Bostic recorded for Cincinnati-based King Records, a small label that was well known for releasing "R and B" and Bluegrass records. In fact, the biggest star on the King label was "the Godfather of Soul", James Brown. Bostic was also popular among R&B and jazz followers in the United Kingdom, thanks to his records that were released on the Parlophone label.
Bostic died from a heart attack in Rochester, New York, while performing with his band in 1965. His widow, Hildegarde, was still living in San Francisco as of the mid-1990s.
I Can'T Give You Anything But Love
Earl Bostic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" by Earl Bostic is a tale of a man who is down on his luck, struggling to make ends meet, and unable to provide material possessions to his loved one. He tells his partner that he cannot give her all the luxuries she deserves, but he promises to make up for it with love. He acknowledges that life is tough and unfair, and he is willing to wait for the lucky day when things will turn around for them.
The lyrics are poignant and convey a sense of hope and resilience amidst difficult circumstances. The line "Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse" captures the frustration and helplessness of poverty. The phrase "Dream awhile, scheme awhile, we're sure to find happiness" is a reminder that happiness is not always found in material possessions. The song is a message of love, hope, and endurance in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being broke is hard, it's a difficult situation to be in.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being broke is not a laughing matter, it's like a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
Things are not getting better, they are getting even worse than before.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
Maybe someday I'll have good luck too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Things will start to get better for me.
Now though I see what our end is,
I understand what our situation is right now.
All I can spend is just my time.
All I have to offer is my time.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
The only thing I can give you is my love.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
I may not have much to give, but I have plenty of love to offer.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
Let's dream and plan for a better future.
We're sure to find Happiness and I guess
We will definitely find happiness, I believe.
All those things you've always pined for.
Everything you've ever wanted will come true.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
I'd love to see you looking great and happy.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
I can't afford to buy you expensive gifts like diamond bracelets.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
Until we are lucky enough to have better times, you'll have to settle for my love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
Great things take time to build, it's a slow process.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
You have to work hard for what you want.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
I'm willing to be patient and wait for better times.
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I will always remember and love you.
You have a lifetime before you.
You have your whole life ahead of you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
I will always love and adore you, no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present,
Please don't be sad or upset about our current situation.
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
It's really nice to hear you speak kindly.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob Anderson
What a tone and technique. He used to play a Grafton Acrylic and he could make it growl or be sweet. A legend!
neilx49
I READ THAT HE USED A TENOR REED ON HIS ALTO. I'VE TRIED IT AND IT WORKS FOR ME, GIVING ME A FULLER SOUND WITH MY JODY JAZZ MOUTHPIECE, BUT I STILL DON'T SOUND LIKE HIM! LOL!
SELMER B.Action
One of the alto sax master... with a prodigious technique
gilles durand
Un génie!
albert gerace
THE MEMORIES GO RIGHT TO MY HEART FOR A LOVE WHO I WILL NEVER FORGET. INCREDIBLE!
Juggalo5588
Oh OH oh, Bring back the magic, Earl Bostic will never get old for me!
Patricia Gullickson
Juggalo5588 badass horn player
Ole Birger Pedersen
As teenager we used to dance to Earl Bostic. Especially his " Flamenco" was played to every party. An incredibly sound..
Jacek A. Pecherski
Flamingo.
Samson Benji
That note at the end killing me.