Les had started by studying at the Ithaca Conservatory of Music and later led the Duke Blue Devils Band in North Carolina who recorded for Decca during the depression of the 1930's. After college Les found work in NYC leading a group who played at the Edison Hotel and were simulcast on NBC radio which lead to a contract with Victor subsidiary Bluebird. Soon they scored a young female singer who'd defected from Bob Crosby's band named Doris Day, but she soon left to get married.
Les got a break in 1941 with a novelty track about a NY Yankee baseball star called "Joltin Joe DiMaggio". They were broadcasting nearly 7 days a week from gigs in Long Island and Chicago when the outbreak of world war II slowed their progress with many band members drafted.
In 1943, Doris Day returned after divorcing her husband and when the recording ban ended they scored a hit with a track called Sentimental Journey, which became the perfect theme song for all of the young men returning home from the war.The Number One song in the country for some sixteen weeks,‘Sentimental Journey,’ stayed on the Hit Parade for months, and has since become an undeniable standard in the lexicon of the American popular song.
Les Brown relocated the band to Los Angeles after the war in 1945, centering their presence via regularly broadcast shows at the then very hot, Hollywood Palladium.
By 1947, Les had hooked up with number 1 box office draw Bob Hope, and in 1949 they brought movie starlet Doris Day back into the touring act. Les had the Number One instrumental tune in the country with ‘Love To Keep Me Warm,’ and Doris Day had the Number One vocal tune with ‘It’s Magic.’ They all went on a national concert tour that broke sales records wherever it landed.
When the Korean conflict broke out in 1950, Brown accopnaied Bob Hope on his first of 18 USO Christmas tours that would take Hollywood entertainment to the men on the front lines.
With the advent of television and the idling of the big band circuit, Brown eased off relentless touring in the 50's and early 60's. They appeared on numerous variety programs including the Ed Sullivan Show, The Steve Allen Show for a couple years and notably became the regular backing orchestra on the Dean Martin tv show for some 7 years beginning in 1961. Brown was also instrumental in bringing the Grammy awards to television for the first time ever, calling upon friends like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to perform on the first telecast.
He was recognized in 1996 by the Guinness Book of World Records for the distinction of being the leader of the longest-lasting musical organization in the history of pop music.
His final album recorded in 2000 at Capitol studios in Hollywood was called Session 55[/labum] (his 55th studio project), and featured guest vocalists Jane Monheit and Lou Rawls.
The group kept going under Les Brown's leadership until Brown's eventual death at age 88 from lung cancer on Jan. 4, 2001. "The world has lost a great musician," mourned Bob Hope in a public statement, "I have lost my music man, my sideman, my straight man, and a special friend."
Fear not music fans, the group continues to perform and record some 65 years since their inception under the leadership of Les Brown Jr.
http://www.lesbrownsbandofrenown.com
Blue Skies
Les Brown & His Band Of Renown Lyrics
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Even lightnin' bugs have dimmed their lights
Stars have disappeared from sight
And there's no moon at all
Don't make a sound, it's so dark
Even Fido is afraid to bark
What a perfect chance to park
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all way up above
This is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all up above
Aww, this is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Aww, there's no moon at all
There is no moon at all
No moon at all
Les Brown's song "Blue Skies" is a classic hit that tells a sweet romantic story of two young lovers who use the absence of the moon to embark on a romantic quest to find the perfect spot to park and share a kiss. In the opening lines, the singer sets the tone of the song, describing the night as being so dark that even the lightning bugs have dimmed their lights, and the stars have disappeared from sight. It's an eerie setting, with the absence of any light, not even the moon to illuminate the surroundings. The very idea of no moon jolts the listeners into a feeling of surrealism, and the song becomes even more profound.
The two young lovers take advantage of the darkness to go on a romantic outing, and the lack of the moon allows them to find the perfect parking spot. The lyrics "Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear, one kiss will make it clear that tonight is right, and bright moonlight might interfere" show that they need not rely on the moon to set the mood when they have each other. The absence of the moon reinforces the idea that the lovers make their world brighter and more meaningful through their love.
Line by Line Meaning
No moon at all, what a night
The absence of the moon creates a mysterious atmosphere at night.
Even lightnin' bugs have dimmed their lights
The darkness is so intense that even the light of the bugs has weakened.
Stars have disappeared from sight
The sky is so dark that even the stars are not visible.
And there's no moon at all
The refrain repeats the absence of the moon to emphasize the darkness of the night.
Don't make a sound, it's so dark
The darkness is so eerie that any noise seems to be amplified.
Even Fido is afraid to bark
Even the barking of a dog seems to be a disturbance at such a night.
What a perfect chance to park
The darkness provides a perfect opportunity for lovers to park and enjoy their solitude.
And there's no moon at all
The refrain repeats to emphasize the intensity of the darkness.
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
If we seek the right environment for our inspiration, my love
One kiss will make it clear
One kiss is enough to prove that we are in the right place and in the right mood.
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
Tonight is the perfect night for romance and the bright moonlight might spoil the mood.
No moon at all way up above
The moon is completely absent from the sky above us.
This is nothin' like they told us of
The reality is different from what we have been told or imagined.
Just to think we fell in love
Despite the unconventional setting, we have still fallen in love with each other.
And there's no moon at all
The refrain repeats the absence of the moon to highlight the unexpected situation.
Aww, there's no moon at all
The singer adds a touch of sentimentality to the situation.
There is no moon at all
The final line confirms the fact of the absence of the moon.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind