Freddy Martin

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 – 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 Freddy’s band. One night, when Guy could not do a certain date, he suggested that Freddy’s band could fill in for him. The band did very well and that’s how Martin’s 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 Martin’s real success came in 1941 with an arrangement from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s 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, Martin’s 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. (Morgan’s title was "Music In The Morgan Manner"!). Russ had been playing in Freddy’s 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. "He’s 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.

Martin’s 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 Presley’s 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 Lombardo’s 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.

In the Middle of May
Freddy Martin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the middle of May
I met a gal named June;
Took her out in July,
And 'neath an August moon,

And all through Sept'
I kept admiring her charms,
And all through Oct'

We were locked in each others arms!

From November to Jan'
The runaround began!
February and March,
I was a worried man!

It wasn't till April
That she said okay,
And we were married
In the middle of May.

In the middle of May
He met a gal named June;
Took her out in July,
And 'neath an August moon,

And all through Sept'
He kept admiring her charms,
And all through Oct'
They were locked in each others arms!

From November to Jan'
The runaround began!
February and March,
He was such a worried man!

It wasn't till April,
That's the day she said okay,

And they were married
In the middle of May.

Overall Meaning

The song "In the Middle of May" tells a story about a man who meets a woman named June in May, takes her out in July, spends months admiring her charms, goes through a period of uncertainty and worry, and finally gets married to her in May the following year. The repetitive chorus reinforces the idea that their love and affection for each other grew stronger with each passing month. The lyrics paint a picture of a traditional courtship, where a man takes time to get to know a woman and win her heart before getting married.

This song was written by Sunny Skylar, a prolific songwriter who wrote hits for artists like Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Doris Day. It was first recorded by Freddy Martin and His Orchestra with vocal by The Martin Men in 1949. The song went on to become a top-10 hit on the Billboard charts and was also featured in the movie, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."

Line by Line Meaning

In the middle of May
The story starts in May, which is the middle of spring season in most regions.

I met a gal named June;
The singer meets a woman named after the following month, June, which is considered a symbol for love and passion.

Took her out in July,
In the following month, July, he goes out on a date with her, possibly for the first time.

And 'neath an August moon,
Under the bright light of the full moon in August, the artist and June share a romantic moment together.

And all through Sept'
Throughout the whole month of September, the artist continues to admire June and her attractive qualities.

I kept admiring her charms,
He cannot stop thinking about her and being captivated by her beauty and personality.

And all through Oct'
In October, they continue to have a close and affectionate relationship.

We were locked in each others arms!
They were so enamored with each other that they spent a lot of intimate moments, hugging and embracing each other.

From November to Jan'
As the winter months approached, their relationship started to become more complicated and challenging.

The runaround began!
His partner began to avoid him or play games with his feelings, causing him to feel anxious and unsettled.

February and March,
As the cold winter months dragged on, he continued to struggle with uncertainty and worry about their relationship.

I was a worried man!
He was distressed and full of concern for the future of their relationship.

It wasn't till April
Finally, in April, they had a breakthrough in their relationship that brought them closer together.

That she said okay,
She finally agreed to his proposal or suggestion, which he had been waiting for all this time.

And we were married
Eventually, they decided to tie the knot and get married, which was a happy and joyous occasion for both of them.

In the middle of May.
Their love story culminated in May, which was the month that they first met and the month when they officially became husband and wife.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: AL STILLMAN, FRED AHLERT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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