Gibbs was the youngest of four children of Russian Jewish immigrant parents.Her father died when she was six months old, and she spent her first seven years in an orphanage in Worcester, separated from her other siblings.
She revealed a natural talent for singing at a very young age, and was given the lead in the orphanage's yearly variety show. She was reunited with her mother (who had visited her once every other month) when the latter found employment as a midwife. However, her job often forced her to leave her daughter alone for weeks at a time with only a Philco radio for company.
Gibbs began her professional career at the age of thirteen, and was singing in Boston's Raymor Ballroom the following year. She cut her first record with the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra in 1936 (aged 16 or 17). "You don't really know loneliness unless you do a year or two with a one-night band, Gibbs said of her life on the big band circuit. sing until about 2 a.m. Get in a bus and drive 400 miles. Stop in the night for the greasy hamburger. Arrive in a town. Try to sleep. Get up and eat." (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, May 12, 1994.)
She soon found steady work on popular radio shows including Your Hit Parade, Melody Puzzles and The Tim And Irene Show. Gibbs freelanced in the late 1930s and 1940s singing with the bands of Frankie Trumbauer, Hal Kemp, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. It was with Shaw's band (then billed as Fredda Gibson) that she scored her first hit, Absent Minded Moon (1942).
In 1943, she changed her name to Georgia Gibbs and began appearing on the popular Camel Caravan radio program, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore (it was Moore who bestowed the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs" upon her). The nickname is a playful reference to her diminutive stature of barely over 5 feet. She was a regular performer on this show until 1947.
Gibbs signed with Majestic Records in 1946, and while she recorded many great records she would have to wait until 1950 for her first hit single, If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked A Cake (on the Coral label). During this period she also was the featured singer on tours with comedians Danny Kaye and Sid Caesar. Miss Gibbs had a natural talent for comedy as well, and worked well in support of the immensely popular Kaye. But success as a singer continued to elude her. As noted in a 1952 Time article:
"Georgia," they kept telling her, "you gotta get a sound." Musical soothsayers were trying to get Songstress Georgia Gibbs into line with the latest fashion. Perhaps, they thought, she should sing mechanized duets with herself (like Patti Page), or she might try an echo chamber background (like Peggy Lee). But gimmicks were not Georgia Gibbs's cup of tea. She had a big, old-fashioned voice, a good ear, a vivacious personality, and she knew how to sing from the shoulder. She would stick with plain Georgia Gibbs.
And she eventually had success "sticking with plain Georgia Gibbs". Possessed of a versatile voice, she cut a long list of great records in every category from torch songs to rock-and-roll, to jazz, swing, old fashioned ballads and cha-chas. Her most successful record was Kiss Of Fire which reached the #1 position on the pop music charts in 1952. Kiss of Fire was adapted from the Argentinian tango El Choclo and the lyrics, arrangement and delivery communicate passion on a Wagnerian scale. It immediately became one of the defining songs of the era.
Sultry and throbbing, with a touch of vibrato, Georgia Gibbs' voice is best showcased on romantic ballads and torch songs like Melancholy Baby, I'll Be Seeing You, Autumn Leaves and You Keep Coming Back Like A Song. Yet she could be equally thrilling belting out a red hot jazz numbers like Red Hot Mama and A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz, or jiving with tunes like Ol Man Mose and Shoo Shoo Baby. Her Swingin' With Her Nibbs album (1956) demonstrated her natural affinity for improvisation as well.
Gibbs continued to be a frequent visitor to the charts throughout the first half of the decade (with over 40 charted songs), and was briefly successful doing rock 'n' roll songs as well. She appeared on many television shows throughout the decade, including the legendary Ed Sullivan show, and hosted one of her own, Georgia Gibbs And Her Million Record Show. She cut her final album, Call Me (1966) and rarely performed after that.
She spent many years being best known for her cover versions of Etta James' The Wallflower (recorded by Gibbs with modified lyrics under the title Dance With Me Henry) and of LaVern Baker's Tweedle Dee (which created some ado due to Ms. Baker's vociferous complaints) and for her novelty number The Hula Hoop Song, which was her last hit, in 1958.
Georgia Gibbs died of leukemia on December 9, 2006, aged 87, at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
I Love Paris
Georgia Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris
Because my love is here
Ooh-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Doo, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
I love Paris every moment
Every moment of the year
I love Paris
Why, oh, why do I love Paris?
Because my love
Because my love is near
The song "I Love Paris" by Georgia Gibbs is a tribute to the French capital city and its enchanting atmosphere all year round. The song expresses the love the singer feels for Paris during the different seasons, describing how it looks and feels in each of them. The first line sets the tone, as the singer declares her love for the city in the springtime, which is often considered the most romantic season. The following lines mention the fall, winter, and summer, highlighting the fact that every season holds a particular charm and allure in Paris. Whether it's the drizzling winter rain that adds to the city's charm or the sizzling summer heat, the song paints a vivid picture of Paris and sets a romantic atmosphere that transports the listener to the French capital city.
The chorus repeats the singer's love for Paris throughout the year and expresses the reason behind her affection. The singer says she loves Paris because her love is there, suggesting that she must have found love in the city, and that is the reason why Paris holds such a special place in her heart. The song's melody is simple but catchy, which makes it perfect for singing along, tapping your feet, and feeling the romance and the joy that the lyrics evoke.
Line by Line Meaning
I love Paris in the springtime
I adore being in Paris during the season of Spring.
I love Paris in the fall
The season of autumn in Paris is one of my favorites, I cherish it.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I have a special fondness for Paris in the winter season when it is raining lightly.
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
During the season of summer, when temperatures peak, being in Paris is a delightful experience.
I love Paris every moment
I cherish and adore every single moment spent in Paris.
Every moment of the year
I always enjoy each and every moment in Paris, irrespective of the time of year.
I love Paris
Paris is a city that I utterly adore.
Why, oh, why do I love Paris?
I sometimes wonder why I love Paris so much.
Because my love is here
But then I remember that my beloved is here in Paris with me.
Ooh-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
Instrumental interlude.
Doo, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Instrumental interlude.
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I have a special fondness for Paris in the winter season when it is raining lightly.
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles
During the season of summer, when temperatures peak, being in Paris is a delightful experience.
I love Paris every moment
I cherish and adore every single moment spent in Paris.
Every moment of the year
I always enjoy each and every moment in Paris, irrespective of the time of year.
I love Paris
Paris is a city that I utterly adore.
Why, oh, why do I love Paris?
I sometimes wonder why I love Paris so much.
Because my love is near
But then I remember that my beloved is here in Paris with me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
oskibor
Hei, this song was in the same record I lost long time ago. It had 4 tracks and I recall a third one was Under Paris Skies. Maybe I'll find it here now!!! Thanks.
grant chapman
What a great song
Dmc194
Mission impossible vibes at the start
nape jack
great song but fantasti version
Bryan Ortiz 憲紀
I'm starting to remember the dalmatians scene lol
Meme Lord
Cruella