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.
How Are Things in Glocca Morra
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
Then tell me please
How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that little brook still leaping there?
Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
How are things in Glocca Mora?
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye
Come smilin' by and does she walk away,
Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,
And each lass that comes a-sighin" Too ra lay
How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?
Mel Tormé's song "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" is a nostalgic ode to an idyllic and mythical Irish village. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the poet's longing for the peaceful and simple life he remembers from his childhood in Glocca Morra. The song begins with the poet hearing a bird from his hometown of Londonderry, which he hopes is bringing him good news. He then hears a breeze from the River Shanon and imagines it has followed him across the sea.
The lyrics then ask a series of poignant questions about the state of Glocca Morra, wondering if the brook that ran down to Donny Cove is still leaping there, and if the willow tree is still weeping. The poet asks about a lassie with a twinkling eye who used to come walking by and wonders if she still comes by, only to walk away, sad and dreamy, now that he is not there. The lyrics evoke a mood of longing and melancholy, as the poet looks back at an idealized past that he can never regain.
Overall, "How Are Things in Glocca Morra" is a masterful example of a nostalgic ballad, using vivid imagery and plaintive questioning to create a fully realized portrait of a lost paradise. The song is a tribute to the power of memory and the emotional resonance of an imagined past.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear a bird, Londonderry bird,
I hear a bird singing, which may indicate that it has good news for me.
It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
The bird's song may be conveying a message of hope or happiness.
I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
I feel a light wind, which may be blowing from the River Shannon.
It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
The wind may have traveled with me from across the seas.
Then tell me please
I request information.
How are things in Glocca Morra?
I want to know about the current state of Glocca Morra.
Is that little brook still leaping there?
I wonder if the small stream is still flowing energetically in Glocca Morra.
Does it still run down to Donny cove?
I am curious about whether the brook runs through Donny Cove as it used to.
Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
I am wondering if the stream still flows through other places such as Killybegs, Kilkerry, and Kildare.
How are things in Glocca Mora?
I am once again requesting more information about Glocca Morra.
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
I am asking whether the willow tree is still standing and appearing to be crying.
Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye
I want to know about a particular girl who has a sparkling look in her eyes.
Come smilin' by and does she walk away,
I am inquiring if she still walks by while smiling and then walks away.
Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
I am wondering if she appears sad and lost in thought, perhaps because she doesn't see me there.
So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,
I am asking each sad-looking willow and every stream I encounter on my journey.
And each lass that comes a-sighin' Too ra lay
I am inquiring about every girl who comes my way, who may be sighing for me or for some other reason.
How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?
I am asking about the current state of Glocca Morra on this particular day.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Burton Lane, Edgar Yipsel Harburg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexsoleta882
I hear a bird, Londonderry bird,
It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
Then tell me please
How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that little brook still leaping there?
Does it still run down to Donny cove?
Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
How are things in Glocca Mora?
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye
Come smilin' by and does she walk away,
Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,
And each lass that comes a-sighin' too ra lay
How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?
@phillipgreenfield8120
What a wonderful song and a trip down memory lane from an 85 year old lover of music. Wherever it may take you
@maryfoxcouzens8763
Every St. Patrick's Day when I was a child, I would wake up to my (non Irish) Dad blasting his Bing Crosby Irish '78's! My Mother who had a drunken Irish father was NOT amused...
@davidwolf226
I still miss that great baritone voice!
@tribeofjudah
My pops (RIP) used to play this song on 8-Track tape in his Ford Maverick. I was just a kid.
@simonlevante2257
Bing, the best ever!
@itamackechnie8913
Love it
@lizryan6289
Der Bingle. 💔
@alexsoleta882
I hear a bird, Londonderry bird,
It well may be he's bringing me a cheering word.
I hear a breeze, a River Shanon breeze,
It well may be it's followed me across the seas.
Then tell me please
How are things in Glocca Morra?
Is that little brook still leaping there?
Does it still run down to Donny cove?
Through Killybegs, Kilkerry and Kildare?
How are things in Glocca Mora?
Is that willow tree still weeping there?
Does that lassie with the twinklin' eye
Come smilin' by and does she walk away,
Sad and dreamy there not to see me there?
So I ask each weepin' willow and each brook along the way,
And each lass that comes a-sighin' too ra lay
How are things in Glocca Morra this fine day?
@chrislawrie4381
Buddy Clark the best
@herasmarket
Love petunia's version and of corse Fred Astair's version.