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 High The Moon
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon
The song "How High The Moon" by Mel Tormé is a romantic ballad that expresses the feelings of a person who is in love and yearning to be with their beloved. The opening lyrics "Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune" suggest that even though the music might not be audible to everyone, it exists somewhere, representing the emotions and passion of the lovers. The next line, "Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon" reinforces this idea by portraying how high and intense the emotions of the lovers are. The metaphor of the moon and heaven symbolizes the intensity of love that the singer feels for their beloved.
The second verse "There is no moon above, when love is far away too, till it comes true, that you love me as I love you", expresses how the singer feels when their beloved is not with them. The absence of the moon represents the emptiness and loneliness that the singer feels without their lover. The line "till it comes true, that you love me as I love you" implies that the singer is waiting for the moment when their love is reciprocated by their partner, giving them the courage to finally be together.
The repetition of the first and last verse portrays the consistency of the singer's feeling, implying that their love is constant, and no distance or time can diminish it. Overall, the song is a beautiful portrayal of love and desire, expressed through the metaphor of music, heaven and the moon.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere there's music
In some distant place, there is beautiful, soulful music
How faint the tune
However, the melody is barely audible, hardly detectable
Somewhere there's heaven
In that same faraway place, there's a heaven, an incomparable paradise on earth
How high the moon
Its glory is so great, only an allegory about the moon's height can convey its grandeur
There is no moon above
Still, this place is so special that the actual moon above us pales in comparison
When love is far away too
Yet, this place is hard to reach, especially when love is absent
Till it comes true
But everything changes when love is finally found
That you love me as I love you
And reciprocation of love becomes possible between two loving people
How near, how far
The distance between this place and me is uncertain, both near and far
It's where you are
Nonetheless, this place becomes accessible if you are there, guiding the way
The darkest night would shine
Even the darkest of nights would be illuminated by the radiance of this place
If you would come to me soon
If only you could join me soon, the way to that magical place would become clear
Until you will, how still my heart
But until we meet, my heart aches in stillness, longing for your love
How high the moon
And although hard to attain, that heavenly place, with its magnificent music, remains the epitome of perfection
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mabovithz elthz
どこからか音楽が聞こえてくる
なんて微かなメロディーなの
どこかに天国があるのかしら
月の空の上に見えない
間もまた遠くにある
あなたが私と同じくらい
私を愛して食えることが 現実となるまでは
どこからか音楽が聞こえてくる
どのくらい近くどれくらい遠いのだあろ
どこかに天国がああるのね
そこにあなたがいる
真っ暗闇の夜も光に満ちるでしょう
もしあなたがすぐにここに現れたら
あなたが現れるまで 私の心は静かなまま
月はなんて高いところにあるのかしら
Judiv1998
The velvet voice. I miss him, Johnny Hartman, Arthur Prysock, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis and I'm sure I'm missing a few others (just mentioning men right now). Not a lot of artists today actual sing the way these guys did with perfect pitch, tone and phrasing. Several years ago I heard Mel's son and it's evident Mel passed the gift on.
Scott Miller
Mel Torme was one of the greatest all around entertainers in the jazz and popular music field! Nobody today can really copy this outstanding pro and brilliant talent !!!!!
Vegan Rebel
What an absolutely beautiful song - thank you for this
alan dvorkis
Never heard the voice to this. AWESOME!!!
John Benn
Back again.
Love how he slows it down.
What a gorgeous voice Mel has.
Dan White
Blow away by the vocals....I don't believe this song can be sung any better....Left me still sitting here in a velvet fog... bookmarked on my computer......
Brian 409
Frankie Valli has a version of this song now he is making a new album called A Touch Of Jazz
timmo491
Beautiful.
Vince Q
Not that I don't love Les Paul's and Mary Ford's version, but this is a ballad and this is how the song was meant to be sung.
Janet E. Smith
Agreed! Slowwwwww it down! Well done Mel!