Martin in the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen
Backgrou… Read Full Bio ↴Freddy Martin
Martin in the 1943 film Stage Door Canteen
Background information
Born December 9, 1906
Origin Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Died September 30, 1983 (aged 76)
Genres Jazz
Occupations Musician, bandleader
Instruments Saxophone
Frederick Alfred (Freddy) Martin (December 9, 1906 β September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist.
Early life
Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] Raised largely in an orphanage and with various relatives, Martin started out playing drums, then switched to C-melody saxophone and later tenor saxophone, the latter the one he would be identified with. Early on, he had intended to become a journalist. He had hoped that he would earn enough money from his musical work to enter Ohio State, but instead, he wound up becoming an accomplished musician. Martin led his own band while he was in high school, then played in various local bands. After working on a ship's band, Martin joined the Mason-Dixon band, then joined Arnold Johnson and Jack Albin. It was with Albin's "Hotel Pennsylvania Music" that he made his first recordings, for Columbia's Harmony, Velvet Tone, and Clarion 50 cent labels in 1930.
Early career
Martin in 1943
After a couple of years, his skill began attracting other musicians. One such musician was Guy Lombardo, who would remain friends with Martin throughout his life. After graduation from high school, Martin accepted a job at the H.N. White musical instrument company. When Lombardo was playing in Cleveland, Martin tried giving Lombardo some saxophones, which proved unsuccessful. Fortunately, Lombardo did get to hear Freddyβs band. One night, when Guy could not do a certain date, he suggested that Freddyβs band could fill in for him. The band did very well and thatβs how Martinβs career really got started. But the band broke up and he did not form a permanent band until 1931 at the Bossert Hotel in Brooklyn.
At the Bossert Marine Room, Freddy pioneered the "Tenor Band" style that swept the sweet-music industry. With his own tenor sax as melodic lead, Martin fronted an all-tenor sax section with just two brasses and a violin trio plus rhythm. The rich, lilting style quickly spawned imitators in hotels and ballrooms nationwide. "Tenor bands", usually with just the three tenors and one trumpet, could occasionally be found playing for older dancers well into the 1980s.
The Martin band recorded first for Columbia Records in 1932. As the company was broke and signing no new contracts, the band switched to Brunswick Records after one session and remained with that label till 1938. Afterwards Martin appeared on RCA's Bluebird and Victor Records. The band also recorded pseudonymously in the early '30s, backing singers such as Will Osborne.
Martin took his band into many prestigious hotels, including the Roosevelt Grill in New York City and the Ambassador in Los Angeles. A fixture on radio, his sponsored shows included NBC's Maybelline Penthouse Serenade of 1937. But Martinβs real success came in 1941 with an arrangement from the first movement of Tchaikovskyβs B-flat piano concerto. Martin recorded the piece instrumentally, but soon lyrics were put in and it was re-cut as "Tonight We Love" with Clyde Rogers' vocal - becoming his biggest hit.
The success of "Tonight We Love" prompted Martin to adopt other classical themes as well, which featured the band's pianists Jack Fina, Murray Arnold and Barclay Allen. At this time Freddy enlarged the orchestra to a strength of six violins, four brasses and a like number of saxes.
Musical style
Freddy Martin was nicknamed "Mr. Silvertone" by saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Chu Berry named Freddy Martin his favorite saxophonist. He has also been idolized by many other saxophonists, including Eddie Miller. Although his playing has been admired by so many jazz musicians, Freddy Martin never tried to be a jazz musician. Martin always led a sweet styled band. Unlike most sweet bands that just played dull music, Martinβs band turned out to be one of the most musical and most melodic of all the typical hotel-room sweet bands. According to George T. Simon, Freddy's band was,
"one of the most pleasant, most relaxed dance bands that ever flowed across the band scene."
Martin was probably one of the most respected tenor saxophonists of the dance band era.
He used the banner "Music In The Martin Manner." Ironically, Russ Morgan used a similar banner when he finally landed a radio series with his own band in 1936. (Morganβs title was "Music In The Morgan Manner"!). Russ had been playing in Freddyβs band and the two were good friends for years. Russ even used some of Freddy's arrangements when he started his band. Did Martin let the "Music In The ------ Manner" and the arrangement thing go? Yes. "Freddy Martin is such a nice man," said Larry Barnett. "Heβs almost too nice for his own good."
Later career
Martin also had a good ear for singers. At one time or another, Martin employed Merv Griffin, Buddy Clark, pianists Sid Appleman and Terry Shand, saxophonist Elmer Feldkamp, Stuart Wade (his most impressive male singer), violinist Eddie Stone, and many others. Helen Ward was a singer for Martin just before she joined Benny Goodman's new band.
Martinβs popularity as a bandleader led him to Hollywood in the 1940s where he and his band appeared in a handful of films, including Seven Days' Leave (1942), Stage Door Canteen (1943) and Melody Time (1948), among others.
In the 1950s and 1960s Martin continued to perform on the radio and also appeared on TV. Untroubled by changing musical tastes, he continued to work at major venues and was musical director for Elvis Presleyβs first appearance in Las Vegas. Still in demand for hotel work, Martin entered the 1970s with an engagement at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. In the early 1970s, he was part of two tours of one-nighters that were known as The Big Band Cavalcade. Among the other performers on the show were Margaret Whiting, Bob Crosby, Frankie Carle, Buddy Morrow, Art Mooney and George Shearing. When the tours ended, Martin returned to the West Coast. In 1977, Martin was asked to lead Guy Lombardoβs band when Lombardo was hospitalized with a heart condition.
Martin continued leading his band until the early 1980s, although by then, he was semi-retired. Freddy Martin died on September 30, 1983 in a Newport Beach hospital after a lingering illness. He was 76 years old.
The 1947 song "Pico and Sepulveda" was recorded by Martin under the alias of "Felix Figueroa and his Orchestra" and was frequently featured on Dr. Demento's syndicated radio show.[2] It was also featured in the surrealist film Forbidden Zone.
Dancing In The Dark
Freddy Martin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Message keeps getting clearer
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
Baby I just know that there is
You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You sit around getting older
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on baby this laugh's on me
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now baby gimme just one look
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Hey baby
The lyrics to Freddy Martin & His Orchestra's song "Dancing in the Dark" speak of the singer's feelings of boredom, restlessness and a desire for change. The first two verses describe his monotonous routine, coming home from work feeling tired and unfulfilled. He expresses a yearning for something more, and hopes that someone will come along and bring some excitement into his life. The chorus offers a glimmer of hope, emphasizing the importance of taking action ("You can't start a fire without a spark"), even if it's just by dancing with someone.
The third verse reveals the singer's dissatisfaction with his appearance and his life in general. He feels stuck in a rut and is desperate for a change. The song's bridge includes some humorous self-deprecation, as the singer acknowledges the irony of his situation and takes ownership of his predicament. The final verse offers a sense of urgency, with the singer's desire for action growing more intense. He wants to break free from his mundane existence and find love and excitement.
Line by Line Meaning
I get up in the evening
I wake up in the late afternoon when the day is almost over
And I ain't got nothing to say
I have no words to express how I feel or what's been happening in my life
I come home in the morning
I return back to my place early in the morning as if I was out all night
I go to bed feeling the same way
I end the day with the same emotions and thoughts as I had in the beginning
I ain't nothing but tired
I'm exhausted and drained from everything that's been going on in my life
Man I'm just tired and bored with myself
I'm fed up with my monotonous routine and want some excitement
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help
I'm asking for someone, maybe a partner or friend, to help me feel less alone and add some zest to my life
You can't start a fire
You cannot create something new or exciting without taking a risk
You can't start a fire without a spark
In order for something great to happen, you need to have a starting point or catalyst
This gun's for hire
I am ready to take that risk and make a change
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the situation isn't clear or the future is uncertain, I'm still willing to take that chance
Message keeps getting clearer
The more I think about it, the more this idea becomes more obvious and necessary
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I'm listening to the radio and trying to find a way to escape from my current situation
I check my look in the mirror
I take a look at myself in the hopes of seeing something different or inspiring
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
I need something new, something different, a complete makeover to make me feel better about myself
Man I ain't getting nowhere
I'm feeling stuck and like I'm not making any progress in my life
I'm just living in a dump like this
My surroundings and environment are not helping my situation and making it worse
There's something happening somewhere
I have this feeling that something great is happening or waiting for me somewhere
Baby I just know that there is
I have a strong belief that something amazing is about to happen in my life
You sit around getting older
I'm wasting my time and not making any progress, as each day passes by making me older but not wiser
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I realize in hindsight that I was the one making a fool of myself and not taking any risks
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
I am determined to get rid of my worries and responsibilities and start anew
Come on baby this laugh's on me
I'm ready to make fun of myself and move forward with a new perspective and attitude
Stay on the streets of this town
If you stay in the same place and don't take risks, you will never progress in life
And they'll be carving you up alright
The people around you, who also don't take risks, will criticize and judge you for trying to be different or make a change
They say you gotta stay hungry
People say that in order to succeed or make progress, you have to maintain the same drive and hunger as when you started
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight
I'm desperately looking for ways to make a change in my life and I'm willing to take a risk and try anything
I'm dying for some action
I need something exciting and rewarding to happen in my life, to break out of this stagnant phase
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I'm tired of working in the same place, doing the same things day after day, and not making any progress towards my goals or dreams
I need a love reaction
I need to feel alive and passionate again, to find something or someone that inspires me to keep going
Come on now baby gimme just one look
I'm asking for a chance, for someone or something to take a chance on me and give me a fresh start
You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
You can't let past troubles and heartbreak dictate your life, you need to look forward and take a chance
This gun's for hire
I'm ready to take that chance
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the situation isn't clear or the future is uncertain, I'm still willing to take that chance
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
You can't let your worries and fears hold you back from taking a chance and making a change
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the situation isn't clear or the future is uncertain, I'm still willing to take that chance
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the situation isn't clear or the future is uncertain, I'm still willing to take that chance
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
Even if the situation isn't clear or the future is uncertain, I'm still willing to take that chance
Hey baby
Addressing the person I'm talking to, acknowledging their attention and interest in me
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ester Dean, Maureen Mcdonald, Mikkel Eriksen, Robyn Fenty, Tor Hermansen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Herron
Happy Birthday to the Late Freddy Martin and Merry Christmas βοΈπ Go HUG someone today IF they're been vaccinated or not π« Greet all the Christians with a Holy EMBRACE 1 Thessalonians 5 26 and do it responsibly Blessings and Hugs ππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ!