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.
For You for Me for Evermore
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never such a happy pair
Everybody must excuse us
If we walk on air
All the shadows now will lose us
Lucky stars are everywhere
As a happy being
Here's what I'm foreseeing
For you, for me, forever more
It's bound to be forever more
It's plain to see
We found, by finding each other
The love we waited for
I'm yours, you're mine
And in our hearts
The happy ending starts
What a lovely world
This world will be
With a world of love in store
For you, for me, forever more.
What a lovely world
This world will be
With a world of love in store
For you, for me, forever more.
The lyrics of Mel Tormé's "For You, For Me, Forevermore" is about two people who are perfectly matched for each other and who have found true love. The song sets a dreamy and romantic tone as it talks about how the two lovers are insulated from the rest of the world and all its troubles. The lyrics describe the immense joy and happiness that they are experiencing, and how all the obstacles that may have once been in their way have now vanished.
The line "Paradise can not refuse us" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The lovers are so happy and filled with love that even the gates of paradise would open up for them. The line "Everybody must excuse us, if we walk on air" is symbolic of how the lovers stand apart from the rest of the world, and they are so happy that they are practically floating on air. The lyrics suggest that the couple is experiencing something rare and exceptional, an otherworldly connection that is beyond the mundane realities of life.
This classic song paints a picture of two people living in a utopian world, where love conquers all, and happiness knows no bounds. It is a beautiful tribute to love and the power that it possesses to transform people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Paradise can not refuse us
We feel so happy and blessed that not even paradise could deny us.
Never such a happy pair
We have never been as happy as we are now as a couple.
Everybody must excuse us
We are so overjoyed that we might seem a little too carefree to others.
If we walk on air
We are so in love that we feel like we are floating on air.
All the shadows now will lose us
Our love is so strong that it will overshadow any negativity in our lives.
Lucky stars are everywhere
We feel fortunate to have found each other and see signs of good luck all around us.
As a happy being
Being in love has made us both truly content.
Here's what I'm foreseeing
I can see a future full of love and happiness.
For you, for me, forever more
Our love will continue to grow and last forever.
It's bound to be forever more
Our love is so strong that it is inevitable that it will last forever.
It's plain to see
It is obvious to everyone that we are meant to be together.
We found, by finding each other
Our search for love ended once we found each other.
The love we waited for
Our love was worth the wait because it is everything we wanted.
I'm yours, you're mine
We belong to each other and will always be by each other's side.
And in our hearts
Our love is deep within us and will guide us through life.
The happy ending starts
Our love story is just beginning, but it is already full of happiness.
What a lovely world
Being in love has made the world seem even more beautiful than before.
This world will be
The world will become a better place because of the love we have for each other.
With a world of love in store
Our future is full of even more love and happiness.
For you, for me, forever more.
Our love will continue to grow and last forever.
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind