Hampton was born on 20th April 1908 in Louisville, Kentucky, but moved to Chicago as a child, where he began his career as a drummer. He relocated to Los Angeles to play drums in Les Hite's band. They soon became the house band for Frank Sebastian's New Cotton Club, a popular L.A. jazz club.
During a 1930 recording date in the NBC studios in L.A., Louis Armstrong discovered a vibraphone. He asked Hampton if he could play it. Hampton, who knew how to play the xylophone, tried it and they agreed to record a few records with Hamp on vibes. Hampton is credited with popularizing the vibraphone as a jazz instrument.
In the mid-1930s, the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton play. Goodman asked Hampton to move to New York City and join Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and Gene Krupa who'd already formed a Benny Goodman Trio within the large band - to expand into the Benny Goodman Quartet. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated bands to record and play before wide audiences; they were just as well received at Goodman's famous 1938 Carnegie Hall concert as was the full Goodman band.
While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In the early 40s he left the Goodman organization to form his own touring band.
Hampton's band fostered the talents of Illinois Jacquet, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Royal, Jack McVea, Charlie Mingus, Monk Montgomery, Wes Montgomery, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson, Fats Navarro, Kenny Dorham, Clifford Brown, Dinah Washington, Betty Carter, Joe Williams, Arnett Cobb, Earl Bostic, and John Colianni among many others.
Hampton's recording of "Flying Home" (1939) with the famous honking tenor sax solo by Jacquet, later refined and expanded by Cobb (1946), is considered by some to be the first rock and roll record. He was known for his tireless energy and his skill on the vibes, drums, and lightning speed two-fingered piano. The bars on the vibraphone are laid out like the piano; Hampton played both instruments the same way.
Beginning in the mid-1980s, Hampton and his band started playing at the University of Idaho's jazz concert, which in 1985 was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. In 1987 the University's music college was renamed the Lionel Hampton School of Music, the first and only university music college to be named after a jazz musician.
Lionel Hampton died of cardiac arrest at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York on 31st August 2002. He was buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.
It
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
Without your love
It's a honky tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Say, it's only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
Hanging over a muslin tree
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
Without your love
It's a honky-tonk parade
Without your love
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
Just as phony as it can be
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me
It's phony it's plain to see
How happy I would be
If you believed in me
The song "It's Only a Paper Moon" tells the story of hope and the power of belief in someone or something. The first stanza describes the contrast between reality and imagination, with a paper moon sailing over a cardboard sea. However, the second line adds that it wouldn't be make-believe if you believed in me. The following stanza emphasizes that the canvas sky hanging over a muslin tree is fake, but believing in each other can make it real. These lines suggest that the world may appear phony and superficial, but it still holds its own magic that can be worth living for.
The chorus follows with the lines "Without your love, it's a honky-tonk parade / Without your love, it's a melody played in a penny arcade." These lyrics reveal the significance of love and the effect it has on everything. Without it, life would lack meaning and passion.
The song concludes with the line "It's phony, it's plain to see / How happy I would be / If you believed in me." This is the most crucial point of the tune, emphasizing the significance of believing in oneself or someone else. It is a heartwarming song that encourages people to have hope in their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Say, it's only a paper moon
The singer is suggesting that the object they are looking at, a paper moon, is not real and is only an illusion.
Sailing over a cardboard sea
The moon is depicted as being suspended in mid-air, over an ocean that is made of cardboard.
But it wouldn't be make-believe
The singer contrasts the moon's physical reality with the notion that it doesn't have to be fake.
If you believed in me
The artist implies that the moon can take on a real significance, if the listener trusts and believes in them.
Yes, it's only a canvas sky
The artist considers the sky to be fake and only painted on a canvas.
Hanging over a muslin tree
The sky appears to be suspended over a tree that is made of muslin.
Without your love
The singer is alluding to the idea that without the listener's affection, the world can feel empty and hollow.
It's a honky-tonk parade
The artist depicts the absence of love as a joyless parade that is being held in a rundown tavern.
It's a melody played in a penny arcade
The artist compares the lack of love to a mechanical tune that is being played repeatedly in a tacky arcade.
It's a Barnum and Bailey world
The artist sees the world as an artificial and empty place that is being run by greedy imposters.
Just as phony as it can be
The singer emphasizes that the world is devoid of authenticity and is completely fake.
It's phony it's plain to see
The artist reiterates that the world is filled with deception and that friends and lovers are hard to come by.
How happy I would be
The singer expresses their desire to be happy and wishes they were worthy of their listener's trust and love.
If you believed in me
The singer is pleading with the listener to trust them, so that they can live in a more fulfilling and sincere world.
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Rose, E. Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
pudman31
Look at the fun these musicians are having. This is how live music should be played, it's so pure and simple.
Jack Spry
RIP and long live Lionel Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002), aged 94
You will always be remembered as a legend.
Robert Silvestri
Had the privilege of not only seeing him in person, but playing this signature song, and grabbing a bite to eat with him after an outdoor concert back in the 70s. A true gentleman. Still have the menu he autographed for me. #FlyingHome
Gary Sporle
have an album of his my dad gave me with the track the nearness of you. Fantastic always plays in my mind.
Pat Cummings
XX crump
and don't steal the menu...
How uncouth!
PlanetRockJesus
Awesome. I was a fan since I was a little kid, and I remember much later that there was a fire in his high rise apartment decades ago. Cool you were able to met him!
Layla Simic
That's SO COOL! I have only met legends, but I haven't broken bread with them. Only one famous actor, but he is not a Legend. But he was super cool.
squeakystool
This was originally recorded in 1942 and music historians have stated that this is one of the first rock 'n' roll records. Great stuff fun to see the drummer and bass player in the groove.
Ghost of Warski
Do you have a source for that!
michavandam
Interesting remark!