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 to the original surfaced as the show's theme in later years. Les and Larry reunited in 1963, but it would not last long; soon after, Les retired from performing altogether, 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", "American Patrol", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "Don't Be That Way", "Little Brown Jug", "Opus #1", "Zing Went the Strings of My Heart", and "String of Pearls" - that became so popular it even cracked the US Billboard Pop Singles chart (at #31) and Adult Contemporary chart (#20). 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.
Prelude To A Kiss
Les and Larry Elgart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
The song “Prelude to a Kiss” by Les and Larry Elgart is a beautiful love song that speaks of a person’s love for someone else. The lyrics are sweet, romantic, and deeply emotional. The song starts with the line “If you hear a song in blue, like a flower crying for the dew, that was my heart serenading you, my prelude to a kiss”, which immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is talking directly to the person they love, telling them that the song they will hear is a prelude to the kiss that they will share.
The lyrics go on to talk about how the song is a simple melody, but one that is full of emotion and sentiment. The singer speaks of the tenderness within their lover’s eyes and how their love is a prelude that will never die. The song is full of beautiful imagery and metaphors. It speaks of a love that is pure and true, one that will never fade away. The song ends with the same line as the beginning, “my love is a prelude that never dies, a prelude to a kiss”.
Overall, “Prelude to a Kiss” is a beautiful and timeless love song that speaks of the depth and intensity of true love. The lyrics are heartfelt and emotional, and the melody is simple but effective. This song is sure to tug at the heartstrings of anyone who has ever been in love.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear
If you happen to listen
A song in blue
A sad and depressing song
Like a flower crying
Just like a flower that weeps for dew
For the dew
For its beloved water, symbolizing that it is crying for its love
That was my heart serenading you
That was me, expressing my love through music for you
My prelude to a kiss
It is the preface to our romantic moment
If you hear a song that grows
If you chance upon a composition that is expanding
From my tender sentimental woes
That originates from my deep emotions of love
That was my heart trying to compose
It is actually an effort to create something beautiful and special
A prelude to a kiss
That will pave the way for a delightful kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
It may seem a straightforward tune
With nothing fancy
With no extravagant embellishments
Nothing much
Not projecting any aura of grandeur
You could turn it to a symphony
It is open for the listeners to amplify and produce an orchestral effect
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
It could have the elegance of Schubert's music merged with Gerswhin's style
Oh how my love song gently cries
Oh, how my song filled with love softly weeps
For the tenderness within your eyes
As a tribute to the warmth of love shown in your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
My love is continuous and eternal, and this is only the starting point
A prelude to a kiss
A preface to our affectionate moment
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind