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.
Just You Just Me
Lionel Hampton Lyrics
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Let's find a cozy spot
To cuddle and coo
Just us, just we
I've missed an awful lot
My trouble is you
What are your charms for?
What are my arms for?
Use your imagination!
Just you, just me
I'll tie a lover's knot
'Round wonderful you!
In Lionel Hampton's song "Just You Just Me," the lyrics center around the desire for intimacy and connection with someone special. The opening lines invite the listener to join in a search for a "cozy spot" where they can "cuddle and coo" together. The lyrics then reveal that the singer has "missed an awful lot," indicating that they have previously been without this kind of meaningful connection. The central conflict in the song seems to be the admission that the singer's "trouble" is the person they are singing to, suggesting perhaps a fear of vulnerability or of being hurt.
Despite this hesitancy, the singer encourages the other person to use their imagination and embrace the possibility of a closer relationship with them. The chorus repeats the title phrase "just you, just me," emphasizing the importance of their connection as a duo. The final line, "I'll tie a lover's knot 'round wonderful you," suggests a commitment to the other person and a desire to create a lasting union between the two of them.
Overall, the lyrics of "Just You Just Me" convey a longing for closeness and intimacy with another person, despite the potential risks and challenges that may come with it. The song encourages listeners to imagine the possibilities of a loving relationship and to take a chance on opening themselves up to another person.
Line by Line Meaning
Just you, just me
Let's spend some intimate time together, just the two of us
Let's find a cozy spot
Let's go somewhere quiet and comfortable where we can be alone
To cuddle and coo
To hold each other close and speak affectionately
Just us, just we
It's just the two of us, together
I've missed an awful lot
I've been longing for you and the time we spend together
My trouble is you
You're the cause of all my worries and concerns
Oh, gee!
Wow! I'm amazed by your beauty and charm
What are your charms for?
What is it about you that makes you so attractive and alluring?
What are my arms for?
My arms are meant to hold and embrace you
Use your imagination!
Think of all the wonderful things we can do together
I'll tie a lover's knot
I'll make a strong commitment to loving and caring for you
'Round wonderful you!
I'll cherish and adore you always
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs
Written by: JEFFREY DAVID STEVENS, MARV GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind