Larry Elgart was born in 1922 in New London, Connecticut, four years younger than his brother, Les. Their mother was a concert pianist; their father played piano as well, though not professionally. Both brothers began playing in jazz ensembles in their teens, and while young Larry played with jazz musicians such as Charlie Spivak, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, Freddie Slack and Tommy Dorsey.
In the mid-1940s, Les and Larry started up their own ensemble, hiring Nelson Riddle, Bill Finegan and Ralph Flanagan to arrange tunes for them. Their ensemble was not successful, and after a few years, they scuttled the band and sold the arrangements they had commissioned to Tommy Dorsey. Both returned to sideman positions in various orchestras.
In 1953, Larry met Charles Albertine and recorded two of his experimental compositions, "Impressions of Outer Space" and "Music for Barefoot Ballerinas". Released on 10" vinyl, these recordings became collector's items for fans of avant-garde jazz, but they were not commercially successful at the time. Larry and Albertine put together a more traditional ensemble and began recording them using precise microphone placements, producing what came to be known as the "Elgart sound". This proved to be very commercially successful, and Larry enjoyed a run of successful albums and singles in the 1950s.
In 1954, the Elgarts left their permanent mark on music history in recording Albertine's "Bandstand Boogie," for the legendary television show originally hosted by Bob Horn, and two years later, Dick Clark. Clark took the show national, to ABC-TV, in 1956 and remained host for another 32 years. Variations of the original surfaced as the show's theme in later years. Les and Larry reunited in 1963, but it would not last long. Les moved to Texas and performed for the rest of his life with The Les Elgart Orchestra while Larry continued to perform and record regularly for decades.
Larry's biggest exposure came in 1982, with the smash success of a recording called "Hooked on Swing". The instrumental was a medley of swing jazz hits - "In the Mood", "Cherokee", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", "American Patrol", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Don't Be That Way", "Little Brown Jug", "Opus #1", "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart" and "A String of Pearls" - that became so popular it even cracked the US Billboard Pop Singles chart (at #31) and Adult Contemporary chart (#20). This was the final hit for any artist in the year-long "medley craze," that lasted from 1981 to 1982. Billed as "Larry Elgart and His Manhattan Swing Orchestra," the LP from which the tune was taken hit #24 on the US charts. The follow-up, Hooked on Swing 2, debuted at #89 on the album charts, and soon after Larry was back to the jazz touring circuit. He continued to tour internationally and record into the 2000s.
Les Elgart began playing trumpet as a teenager and was playing professionally by the age of twenty. During the 1940s he was a member of bands led by Raymond Scott, Charlie Spivak, and Harry James, occasionally finding himself alongside his brother Larry. They formed the Les & Larry Elgart Ensemble in 1945, hiring Nelson Riddle, Ralph Flanagan, and Bill Finegan to write arrangements. The union was short-lived, however, due to the Musician's Union strike and the waning of swing jazz's popularity. The ensemble broke up in 1946.
In 1952, the brothers reunited and released albums on Columbia Records, many to considerable sales success. Among their popular tunes was "Bandstand Boogie", which was used by Dick Clark as the theme song for the television dance show American Bandstand. By the end of the decade, Elgart quit performing, preferring to handle the business aspects of the band.
The brothers reunited again in 1963, hiring arrangers Charles Albertine and Bobby Scott for music that could be categorized as easy listening. Les Elgart worked until his death from heart failure in 1995.
Downtown
Les & Larry Elgart Lyrics
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用不着说那些无关紧要的事
于是话外音转向抠动扳机的手指
奇怪吧 干脆放弃 无聊的奔跑吧
也可以假装换一些不同的方式
但你一定会知道一些事它无法改变
实现和现实之间总误打误撞
期待这将成为你的欢迎典礼
毕业典礼
成人典礼
毕业典礼
又没有人能够给你加冕
用不着说那些无关紧要的事
于是话外音转向抠动扳机的手指
奇怪吧 干脆放弃 无聊的奔跑吧
The lyrics to Les & Larry Elgart's song "Downtown" reflect a sense of disillusionment and resignation towards the pressures and expectations of adulthood and graduation. The opening lines, "No one can crown you again, there's no need to talk about those irrelevant things," highlight a feeling of being let down and unsupported by others. It suggests that no one else can validate or celebrate one's achievements, and that it's unnecessary to engage in discussions that are not meaningful or important.
The lyrics then shift to a portrayal of external voices turning towards triggering actions, represented by the phrase "the sound outside turns to the finger fiddling the trigger." This image conveys a sense of unease and confusion, as if one is caught in a cycle of boredom and aimlessness. The lines "strange, just give up, the boring run" suggest a desire to break free from the monotony and conformity of society, perhaps by pretending to adopt different ways of life.
However, despite attempting to change and adapt, there are certain things that cannot be altered. The lyrics state, "But you will surely know that there are things it cannot change." This line hints at the conflict between dreams and reality, between what one hopes for and what life actually presents. The lyrics then express a sense of expectation and anticipation, that this struggle will eventually become a rite of passage, a welcome and graduation ceremony, symbolic of transitioning into adult life.
Overall, "Downtown" by Les & Larry Elgart explores themes of disillusionment, resignation, and the conflict between dreams and reality when facing the pressures and expectations of adulthood and graduation. It conveys a sense of yearning for validation, while also recognizing the limitations and complexities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
又没有人能够给你加冕
No one can crown you
用不着说那些无关紧要的事
There is no need to talk about irrelevant matters
于是话外音转向抠动扳机的手指
So the background noise turns to the fingers pulling the trigger
奇怪吧 干脆放弃 无聊的奔跑吧
Isn't it strange? Just give up on boring running
也可以假装换一些不同的方式
You can also pretend to change in different ways
但你一定会知道一些事它无法改变
But you will surely know that there are some things it can't change
实现和现实之间总误打误撞
The collision between dreams and reality always happens by accident
期待这将成为你的欢迎典礼
Hope that this will become your welcome ceremony
成人典礼
Adult ceremony
毕业典礼
Graduation ceremony
成人典礼
Adult ceremony
毕业典礼
Graduation ceremony
又没有人能够给你加冕
No one can crown you
用不着说那些无关紧要的事
There is no need to talk about irrelevant matters
于是话外音转向抠动扳机的手指
So the background noise turns to the fingers pulling the trigger
奇怪吧 干脆放弃 无聊的奔跑吧
Isn't it strange? Just give up on boring running
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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