In 1943, Torme made his movie debut in Frank Sinatra's first film, the musical "Higher and Higher." He went on to sing and act in a number of films and television episodes throughout his career, even hosting his own television show in 1951-52. His appearance in the 1947 film musical "Good News" made him a teen idol for a few years. In the last years of his career he toured and sang with the wonderful George Shearing Quartet, often sitting in at drums, for a number or two in a set. To hear two such accomplished jazz artists was an evening not to be forgotten.
In that year he also formed the vocal quintet "Mel Torme and His Mel-Tones," modeled after Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers. The Mel-Tones, which included Les Baxter and Ginny O'Connor, had several hits fronting Artie Shaw's band and on their own, including Cole Porter's "What is This Thing Called Love?" The Mel-Tones were among the first jazz-influenced vocal groups, blazing a path later followed by The Hi-Los, The Four Freshmen, and The Manhattan Transfer.
In 1947, Torme went solo. His singing at New York's Copacabana led a local DJ, Fred Robbins, to give him the nickname "The Velvet Fog", thinking to honor his high tenor and smooth vocal style, but Torme detested the nickname. As a solo singer, he recorded a number of romantic hits for Decca (1945), and with the Artie Shaw Orchestra on the Musicraft label (1946-48). In 1949, he moved to Capitol Records, where his first record, "Careless Hands," became his only number one hit. His versions of "Again" and "Blue Moon" became signature tunes. His composition "California Suite," prompted by the Gordon Jenkins's "Manhattan Tower," became Capitol's first 12 inch LP. Around this time, he helped pioneer cool jazz.
From 1955 to 1957, Torme recorded 7 jazz vocal albums with Red Clyde's Bethlehem Records, all with groups led by Marty Paich, most notably "Mel Torme with the Marty Paich Dektette." These recordings proved a creative peak for Torme and for Paich, a leading figure in the West coast jazz of the time.
When rock & roll music (which Torme called "three chord manure") came on the scene in the 1950s, commercial success became elusive. During the next two decades, Torme often recorded mediocre arrangements of the pop tunes of the day, never staying long with any particular label. He was sometimes forced to make his living by singing in obscure clubs. He had two minor hits, his 1956 recording of "Mountain Greenery," and his 1962 R&B song "Comin' Home, Baby," arranged by Claus Ogerman. The latter recording led the jazz and gospel singer Ethel Waters to say that "Torme is the only white man who sings with the soul of a black man." It was later covered instrumentally by Quincy Jones and Kai Winding.
In 1963–64, Torme wrote songs and musical arrangements for the The Judy Garland Show, and made two guest appearances on the show itself. A few years later, after Garland's death, his time with her show became the subject of his first book, "The Other Side of the Rainbow." Although the book was praised, it led to an unsuccessful lawsuit by Garland's family.
Torme continued to play jazz drums as an adult, and befriended drummer Buddy Rich, who became the subject of his book "Traps-The Drum Wonder-The Life of Buddy Rich." Torme also owned and played a drumset that renowned drummer Gene Krupa had used for many years.
Although a jazz and popular musician, Torme also respected classical music, especially that of Frederick Delius and Percy Grainger.
The resurgence of vocal jazz in the 1970s resulted in another artistically fertile period for Torme, whose live performances during the 1960s and 70s fueled a growing reputation as a jazz singer. He found himself performing as often as 200 times a year around the globe. In 1976, he won an Edison Award (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) for best male singer, and a Downbeat award for best male jazz singer. For a number of years around this time, his September appearances at Michael's Pub, on the Upper East Side would unofficially open New York's fall cabaret season.
Tormé viewed his 1977 Carnegie Hall concert with George Shearing and Gerry Mulligan as a turning point. Shearing later said:
"It is impossible to imagine a more compatible musical partner… I humbly put forth that Mel and I had the best musical marriage in many a year. We literally breathed together during our countless performances. As Mel put it, we were two bodies of one musical mind."
Starting in 1982, Torme recorded a number of albums with Concord Records, including:
* Five albums with pianist George Shearing;
* His big band work with Rob McConnell and his Boss Brass orchestra (see Mel Torme, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass);
* A reunion with Marty Paich, resulting in a live recording in Tokyo (In Concert Tokyo) and a studio album (Reunion).
In the 1980s, he often performed with pianist John Colianni. In the last years of his career he toured and sang with the wonderful George Shearing Quartet, often sitting in at drums, for a number or two in a set. To hear two such accomplished jazz artists was an evening not to be forgotten.
Torme made 9 guest appearances as himself on the 1980s sitcom Night Court whose main character, Judge Harry Stone (played by Harry Anderson), was depicted as an unabashed Tormé fan. In the mid-90s, Torme gained a following among Generation Xers by appearing in a series of Mountain Dew commercials and on an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld, in which he dedicates a song to the character Kramer (played by Michael Richards). Torme also recorded a version of Nat King Cole's "Straighten up and Fly Right" with his son, alternative/adult contemporary/jazz singer Steve March Torme.
In February 1999, Tormé was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. On August 8, 1996, a stroke abruptly ended his 65-year singing career; another stroke in 1999 ended his life. In his eulogistic essay, John Andrews wrote about Tormé: "Tormé's style shared much with that of his idol, Ella Fitzgerald. Both were firmly rooted in the foundation of the swing era, but both seemed able to incorporate bebop innovations to keep their performances sounding fresh and contemporary. Like Sinatra, they sang with perfect diction and brought out the emotional content of the lyrics through subtle alterations of phrasing and harmony. Ballads were characterized by paraphrasing of the original melody which always seemed tasteful, appropriate and respectful to the vision of the songwriter. Unlike Sinatra, both Fitzgerald and Tormé were likely to cut loose during a swinging up-tempo number with several scat choruses, using their voices without words to improvise a solo like a brass or reed instrument."
Tormé wrote more than 250 songs, a number of which became jazz standards. He also often wrote the arrangements for the songs he sang. He often collaborated with Bob Wells, and the best known Tormé-Wells song is "The Christmas Song", often referred to by its opening line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire." First recorded by Nat King Cole in 1946, it has been a holiday favorite ever since. Tormé said that he wrote the music to the song in only 40 minutes, and that it was not one of his personal favorites.
Bewitched
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A simpering, whimpering child again
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Couldn't sleep and wouldn't sleep
When love came and told me I shouldn't sleep
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
She is cold, I agree
She can laugh but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to her, each Spring to her
And long for the day when I cling to her
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I
Lost my heart but what of it?
She is cold, I agree
She can laugh but I love it
Although the laugh's on me
I'll sing to her, each Spring to her
And long for the day when I cling to her
Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered am I, am I
The song is about falling madly in love with someone who is not good for you. It begins with the singer drinking heavily and becoming intoxicated, acknowledging that she has had her share of men in her life but this one has her completely bewitched. She is ashamed that a man who is clearly not good for her has such a hold over her. She sings with a vocal intensity that matches the desperation and confusion she feels, punctuated with lines like "Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I" repeated multiple times throughout the song.
As the song progresses, the singer's love becomes more all-consuming, she can't sleep or eat and she is just overwhelmed with emotion. Even though she knows he's not good for her and even calls him a "fool," she is still hopelessly in love with him. She is begging for his love, saying that she'll do anything for him, even sing to him every spring. Finally, in the last lines of the song, she realizes that the man is not good for her and she is moving on, but not before acknowledging that she has learned a lot from the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
After one whole quart of brandy,
After consuming a large amount of brandy,
Like a daisy I'm awake.
I feel refreshed and alert,
With no Bromo Seltzer handy,
Without any Bromo Seltzer available to treat my hangover,
I don't even shake.
I don't feel shaky or ill,
Men are not a new sensation,
I have experienced men before,
I've done pretty well I think,
I have been successful in these experiences,
But this half pint imitation
This particular man,
Put me on the blink.
Has caused me to feel unwell or out of sorts,
I'm wild again, beguiled again
I am once again falling under the spell of love,
A whimpering, simpering child again
I am acting childish and emotional,
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I.
I am under a spell, troubled, and confused by love,
Couldn't sleep, wouldn't sleep
I was unable and unwilling to sleep,
When love came and told me, I shouldn't sleep.
Due to my feelings of love, I cannot bring myself to sleep,
I lost my heart, but what of it, he is cold I agree
I fell in love, but he does not reciprocate my feelings,
He might laugh, but I love it, although the laugh's on me.
I enjoy his laughter and humor, even though it is at my expense,
I'll sing to him, bring spring to him
I will serenade him and bring joy to his life,
And long, for the day when I'll cling to him.
I yearn for the day when we can be together,
He's a fool and don't I know it,
I am aware that he is foolish,
But a fool can have his charms,
Despite his foolishness, he can still have attractive qualities,
I'm in love and don't I know it,
I am completely and undoubtedly in love,
Like a babe in arms.
I feel vulnerable and helpless in my love,
Love's the same old sad sensation,
Love is a bittersweet feeling that I have experienced before,
Lately I've not slept a wink,
Recently, I have been unable to sleep at all,
Since this half pint imitation,
Due to this particular man,
Put me on the blink.
I am feeling ill or out of sorts because of him,
I've sinned a lot, I mean a lot,
I have made many mistakes,
But I'm like sweet seventeen a lot,
Despite my mistakes, I am still youthful in my pursuit of love,
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, am I.
I am under a spell, troubled, and confused by love,
I'll sing to him, each spring to him,
I will sing and perform for him to express my feelings,
And worship the trousers that cling to him.
I am enamored with his clothing and physique,
When he talks, he is seeking,
When he speaks, he is searching for something,
Words to get, off his chest.
He is trying to express his thoughts or feelings,
Horizontally speaking
When it comes to physical intimacy,
He's at his very best.
He is most comfortable and successful,
Vexed again, perplexed again,
I am once again frustrated and confused,
Thank god I can be oversexed again.
I am grateful to feel passionate and driven by desire again,
Wise at last, my eyes at last,
I have finally become wise and perceptive,
Are cutting you down to your size at last,
I am no longer blinded by love and can see your true nature,
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more.
I am no longer under a spell, troubled, or confused by love,
Burned a lot but learned a lot,
I have experienced significant pain and growth through my pursuit of love,
And now you are broke so you earned a lot,
You have lost me and experienced significant negative consequences because of your actions,
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more.
I am no longer under a spell, troubled, or confused by love,
Couldn't eat, was dyspeptic,
I was unable to eat and felt physically unwell,
Life was so hard to bear,
I found life extremely difficult to endure,
Now my heart's antiseptic,
Now that you have left me, I have healed and become immune to love,
Since you moved out of there.
Since you are no longer a part of my life.
Romance finis.
The romance is over.
Your chance finis.
Your opportunity is over.
Those ants that invaded my pants finis.
Those unpleasant feelings and thoughts are gone for good.
Bewitched, bothered and bewildered, no more.
I am no longer under a spell, troubled, or confused by love.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MUCKMUCKity
Would love to see a video of this
@CarloAchdjian
...only one Velvet Fog
@douglesayera138
what's a voice