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.
Isn’t It Romantic?
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't forget you, I've thought you out, dear.
I know your profile and I know the way you kiss,
just the things I miss on a night like this.
If dreams are made of imagination
I'm not afraid of my own creation.
With all my heart, my heart is here for you to take.
Why should I quake? I'm not awake.
Isn't it romantic?
Music in the night, a dream that can be heard.
Isn't it romantic?
Moving shadows write the oldest magic word.
I hear the breezes playing in the trees above
while all the world is saying you were meant for love.
Isn't it romantic
merely to be young on such a night as this?
Isn't it romantic?
Every note that's sung is like a lover's kiss.
Sweet symbols in the moonlight,
do you mean that I will fall in love per chance?
Isn't it romance?
My face is glowing, I'm energetic.
The art of sewing I found poetic.
My needle punctuates the rhythm of romance.
I don't give a stitch if I don't get rich.
A custom tailor who has no custom
is like a sailor, no one will trust 'em.
But there is magic in the music of my shears.
I shed no tears, lend me your ears.
Isn't it romantic?
Soon I will have found some girl that I adore.
Isn't it romantic?
While I sit around my love can scrub the floor.
She'll kiss me every hour or she'll get the sack
and when I take a shower she can scrub my back.
Isn't it romantic?
On a moonlight night she'll cook me onion soup.
Kiddies are romantic
and if we don't fight we soon will have a troupe.
We'll help the population,
it's a duty that we owe to dear old France.
Isn't it romance?
The lyrics to Mel Tormé's song "Isn't it Romantic?" convey a sense of wonder and excitement about love, framed within the context of an imagined relationship with an unknown person. The singer of the song has never met this person but feels a strong connection to them through their profile and imagined kisses. He revels in the fantasy of love and sees it as a magical force, writing that "moving shadows write the oldest magic word." The song's title is a rhetorical question, asking the listener to consider whether they find the idea of love, music, and youth romantic.
Throughout the song, the lyrics emphasize the dreamlike, imaginative quality of love. The singer notes that he's not afraid of his own creations, suggesting that his fantasies are just as satisfying as any reality he might encounter. He even finds romance in his artistic pursuit of tailoring, suggesting that love can be found in many places if we let ourselves look for it. The ending of the song is especially whimsical, with the singer imagining a future with a lover who will cook onion soup and bear children with him.
Ultimately, the song is a celebration of the power of love to transport us and fill us with joy. It invites the listener to embrace their own romantic ideals and dare to dream about the possibilities of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never met you, yet never doubt, dear;
Despite not having met you, I have no doubts about your existence or your impact on me.
I can't forget you, I've thought you out, dear.
You have already left a lasting impression on me, I have thought of you often before even meeting you.
I know your profile and I know the way you kiss,
I can visualize your facial features and how you might engage in romantic physical gestures.
just the things I miss on a night like this.
On nights like this, I miss the company of someone who embodies the traits that I have imagined in you.
If dreams are made of imagination
My dreams are based on my imagination.
I'm not afraid of my own creation.
I am not afraid of the thoughts I have created of you.
With all my heart, my heart is here for you to take.
I am open and vulnerable to the possibility of falling deeply in love with you.
Why should I quake? I'm not awake.
I see no reason to be afraid when I am not even fully cognizant of my romantic feelings yet.
Isn't it romantic?
Isn't it a romantic and beautiful feeling?
Music in the night, a dream that can be heard.
I can feel and hear the romance in the air during this beautiful evening.
Moving shadows write the oldest magic word.
The shadows around me write the oldest magic word associated with love, perhaps something like 'forever.'
I hear the breezes playing in the trees above
I can feel the gentle breezes playing in the trees above, adding to the romantic ambiance.
while all the world is saying you were meant for love.
Despite not meeting you, it seems that all of the world is telling me that I am meant to find love with you.
Isn't it romantic
Isn't it the epitome of a romantic experience?
merely to be young on such a night as this?
Is there anything more romantic than simply being young and alive on a night like this?
Every note that's sung is like a lover's kiss.
Every note that is sung feels like a tender, loving kiss.
Sweet symbols in the moonlight,
The sweet symbols that surround me in the moonlight only add to the romantic atmosphere.
do you mean that I will fall in love per chance?
Is it possible that I will fall in love by chance in this moment?
Isn't it romance?
Isn't it the epitome of romance?
My face is glowing, I'm energetic.
I feel radiant and alive with energy.
The art of sewing I found poetic.
The art of sewing is poetic and moving to me.
My needle punctuates the rhythm of romance.
As I sew, my needle punctuates the rhythm of the romance that surrounds me.
I don't give a stitch if I don't get rich.
I do not care about becoming wealthy, I care about pursuing my passions.
A custom tailor who has no custom
A tailor without any clients
is like a sailor, no one will trust 'em.
Like a sailor who cannot be trusted, a tailor without clients is not trustworthy.
But there is magic in the music of my shears.
Despite the lack of clients, there is still magic in the art of tailoring.
I shed no tears, lend me your ears.
I am not upset or discouraged; please listen to me.
Soon I will have found some girl that I adore.
Soon, I will find a girl who I will truly cherish.
While I sit around my love can scrub the floor.
While I relax, my love can do the household chores like scrubbing the floors.
She'll kiss me every hour or she'll get the sack
My love will kiss me frequently or be fired.
and when I take a shower she can scrub my back.
I will need help with washing my back while showering, which my partner will happily assist with.
Isn't it romantic?
Isn't this lifestyle genuinely romantic?
On a moonlight night she'll cook me onion soup.
Perhaps on a moonlit night, my partner will cook me warm, comforting onion soup.
Kiddies are romantic
Children are inherently romantic and wonderful.
and if we don't fight we soon will have a troupe.
If we do not argue or have conflict, we could have our own ensemble of children.
We'll help the population,
By having children, we will contribute to the growth of the population.
it's a duty that we owe to dear old France.
It is a duty that we owe to our country, perhaps even the world at large.
Isn't it romance?
Isn't this idea of starting a family romantic in and of itself?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@karinberryman2009
Never heard that intro before. He was such an understated voice! Exquisite song!
@gregdiprinzio9280
Mel is a fantastic singer!
@HFritzson
He is such an artist. His instincts never fail him.
@martinroche1026
Indeed
@masonwickliffe3851
The Velvet Fog!!!!!!!
@Sparkina
The Velvet Fog