In 1928 (on his 25th birthday) Hines began leading his own big band. For over 10 years his was "The Band" in Al Capone's Grand Terrace Cafe — Hines was Capone's "Mr Piano Man". Hines recorded for Victor in 1929, then after a gap for Brunswick from 1932-1934, Decca from 1934-1935, then after another gap, Vocalion from 1937-1938 and Bluebird from 1939-1942 (nearly all among the best Black Jazz of the era). From the Grand Terrace, The Earl Hines Orchestra (or "Organization" as he more happily referred to it) broadcast on "open mikes", sometimes five nights a week and over many years, coast to coast across America — Chicago being well placed to deal with the U.S. live-broadcasting time-zone problem. Hines's band became the most broadcast band in America. Sometimes Nat "King" Cole was Hines's relief pianist (though Cliff Smalls was his favorite) and it was here with Hines that Charlie Parker got his first professional job...until he was fired for his time-keeping — by which Hines meant Parker's inability to show up on time despite Parker resorting to sleeping under the Grand Terrace stage in his attempts to do so. Hines led his big band until 1947, taking time out to front the Duke Ellington orchestra in 1944 while Duke was ill...but the big-band era was over. (Thirty years later, Hines's 20 solo "transformative versions" of his "Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington" recorded in the 1970s were described by Ben Ratliff in the "New York Times" as "as good an example of the jazz process as anything out there".)
At the start of 1949 Hines rejoined Armstrong in the latter's "All Stars" "small band", where Hines stayed through 1951. He then led his own small combo around the States and Europe. At the start of the jazz-lean 1960s he settled in Oakland, California, opened a tobacconist's, and came close to giving up the profession. Then, in 1964 Hines was "suddenly rediscovered" following a series of concerts in New York. He was the 1965 "Critics' Choice" for Down Beat Magazine's "Hall of Fame". From then till he died he recorded endlessly both solo and with jazz notables like Cat Anderson, Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Ella Fitzgerald, Paul Gonsalves, Sonny Greer, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges, Budd Johnson, Jimmy Rushing, Stuff Smith, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Venuti and Ben Webster. Possibly more surprising were Elvin Jones, Peggy Lee, Charles Mingus, Dinah Washington — and Ry Cooder. But his most acclaimed recordings of this period were his dazzling and endlessly inventive solo performances, which could show him at his very best, "a whole orchestra by himself".[12] Solo tributes to Louis Armstrong, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin were all put on record in the 1970s. Hines also toured Europe again regularly at this time, and added Asia, Australia and the Soviet Union to his list of State Department–funded destinations. At the top of his form, Hines also displayed his endearing quirks (not to say grunts) in these performances. Sometimes he sang as he played, especially his own "They Never Believed I Could Do It - Neither Did I". In 1975 he made an hour-long "solo" film for British TV out-of-hours in a Washington nightclub: the "New York Herald Tribune" described it as "The greatest jazz-film ever made". He played solo in The White House and played solo for the Pope — and played (and sang) his last job a few days before he died in Oakland, quite likely somewhat older than he had always maintained.
Body and Soul
Earl Hines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
The lyrics of "Body and Soul," as performed by Earl Hines, convey a deep sense of yearning and desperation for a love that has not been reciprocated. The singer's heart is "sad and lonely," and they spend their days "in longing" for the object of their affection. The fact that they address the person directly, in the second person, adds to the feeling of vulnerability - this is not just a general sense of sadness, but a specific love that has been unrequited. The repeated phrase "I'm all for you body and soul" emphasizes the depth of the singer's devotion, highlighting the all-encompassing nature of their love.
The second verse further elaborates on the pain that the singer is feeling - they cannot understand why their love is not being returned, and they feel as though their life is a wreck as a result. The lines "It looks like the ending / Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear" suggest that the singer is on the brink of giving up hope, but still holds out a glimmer of possibility that things could change. The final verse brings the song full circle, repeating the phrases "my life a wreck you're making / you know I'm yours for just the taking" as if to drive home the point that the singer is willing to put everything on the line for this love.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I am filled with sorrow and emptiness in my heart.
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I am constantly yearning and longing for you above all else.
Why haven't you seen it
I wonder why you have not recognized my love for you.
I'm all for you body and soul
I offer every part of myself to you completely and without reservation.
I spend my days in longing
Each day, I am consumed by unbearable desire and yearning for you.
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I question why I am the one being hurt and mistreated by you.
I tell you I mean it
I want you to understand that my love for you is genuine and sincere.
I'm all for you body and soul
I give myself fully and completely to you, without reservation or holding back anything.
I can't believe it
It is impossible for me to comprehend or accept.
It's hard to conceive it
I find it difficult to believe that you would reject my love.
That you'd turn away romance
I am shocked that you would reject the chance for us to be together romantically.
Are you pretending
I wonder if you are hiding your true feelings or intentions from me.
It looks like the ending
It seems that our relationship has come to an end.
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
If I had the opportunity to demonstrate my love for you, I believe we could salvage our relationship.
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing my life to fall apart and become chaotic.
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I am devoted to you and would do anything to be with you.
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I am willing to give up everything and devote myself completely to you, with every part of my being.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL MICHAEL BARRY, PHIL SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sugar Bear Mosher
why are there not more views on this? This song is absolutely beautiful.
Color Red
yea i agree
RPKIII
Sun Ra led me here. Something about this being possibly the first commercial use of an electric keyboard. Evidentally it's called the Storytone Piano. This is an extremely rare and historically important instrument. The Storytone piano was built in 1939 in a joint venture between Story & Clark and RCA - the piano has normal strings and action but no soundboard - the sound is amplified through pickups, circuitry and speaker system making it the world's first commercial electric piano.
Color Red
wow! that's interesting! any sources or so? i want to read more about that
and of sun ra about hines!
T M
Bought this album for 50p in Oxfam in Putney circa 1994. One of the best LPs I have ever heard.