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.
What's New?
Les and Larry Elgart Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And miss it each night and day
I know I'm not wrong, the feeling's getting stronger
The longer I stay away
Miss the moss-covered vines, tall sugar pines
Where mockingbirds used to sing
I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi
The moonlight on the bayou
A Creole tune that fills the air
I dream about magnolias in bloom
And I'm wishin' I was there
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
When that's where you left your heart
And there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for
More than I miss New Orleans
The lyrics to Les and Larry Elgart's song, "What's New?" stir a feeling of nostalgia and longing for the city of New Orleans in the listener. The lyrics express the emotions of missing a place that holds a special place in the heart of the singer, and also missing the loved one they left behind in that place. The repetition of the line, "Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans?" emphasizes the depth of emotion and attachment the singer has to the city.
The lyrics also include vivid descriptions of the natural beauty of New Orleans, including the "moss-covered vines," "tall sugar pines," and "old lazy Mississippi." The mention of a "Creole tune" and "magnolias in bloom" adds to the sensory experience of the city the singer longs for.
Overall, the lyrics of "What's New?" convey a sense of homesickness and yearning for a place and person that once held great significance in the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans
Do you understand the deep feeling of longing for New Orleans?
And miss it each night and day
Missing it constantly, both during the day and at night.
I know I'm not wrong, the feeling's getting stronger
I am certain that my longing for New Orleans is valid, and it is only intensifying.
The longer I stay away
The more time I spend away from New Orleans.
Miss the moss-covered vines, tall sugar pines
Longing for the picturesque image of moss-covered vines and tall sugar pines.
Where mockingbirds used to sing
Recalling the beautiful chorus of mockingbirds that used to sing in New Orleans.
I'd love to see that old lazy Mississippi
Desiring to witness the slow and steady flow of the Mississippi River once more.
Hurrying into Spring
Surging ahead towards the season of rebirth and renewal - Spring.
The moonlight on the bayou
The moon's soft glow above the bayou is an image worth longing for.
A Creole tune that fills the air
Imagining the sweet melody of a Creole song filling the air.
I dream about magnolias in bloom
I yearn for the sight of magnolias blooming again.
And I'm wishin' I was there
Wishing to be present in the midst of all these pleasant memories associated with New Orleans.
When that's where you left your heart
New Orleans holds the heart of the singer, hence their longing to be there.
And there's one thing more, I miss the one I care for
Apart from missing New Orleans, there is someone the singer cares deeply for and longs to be with.
More than I miss New Orleans
This person is missed more intensely than even New Orleans itself.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eddie De Lange, Louis Alter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind