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.
The Lady Is A Tramp
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She likes the theater and never comes late
She never bothers with people she'd hate
That's why the lady is a tramp
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
Life without care
She's broke, and it's "ok"
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
That's why the lady is a tramp
She gets too hungry to wait for dinner at eight
She loves the theater but never comes late
She'd never bother with people she'd hate
That's why the lady is a tramp
She'll have no crap games with sharpies and frauds
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincolns or Fords
And she won't dish the dirt with the rest of the broads
That's why the lady is a tramp
She'd love the free, fresh wind in her hair
Life without care
She's broke, but it's "OK"
Hates California, it's so cold and so damp
That's why the lady
That's why the lady
That's why the lady is a tramp
The Lady Is a Tramp is a classic jazz song that has been performed by numerous artists over the years, but it was originally written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1937 Broadway musical Babes in Arms. The song speaks humorously of a woman who doesn't conform to societal norms and is proud of it. The first verse talks about how she prefers to eat dinner earlier than the typical hour of eight and enjoys the theater, but she never comes late. She also avoids people she dislikes, which is why she's a tramp.
In the second verse, the song addresses the fact that the singer doesn't like gambling with high-status people, nor does she care to flaunt her wealth by dressing up in fancy attire. Additionally, she doesn't engage in gossip and rumors like the other women, further solidifying her status as a non-conformist. The chorus repeatedly exclaims that she loves the freedom of living without care, letting the wind rustle through her hair. The lyrics also mention how she's broke, but she's okay with it, and she hates the cold and damp weather in California.
All in all, The Lady Is a Tramp is a catchy tune that speaks to anyone who's comfortable with who they are and doesn't care what others think about them.
Line by Line Meaning
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She doesn't like waiting until eight o'clock to eat dinner.
She likes the theater and never comes late
She enjoys going to the theater and is always punctual.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
She doesn't waste her time with people she dislikes.
That's why the lady is a tramp
These qualities make her one of a kind, and that's why she's a tramp.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
She doesn't enjoy playing games with rich people.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She wouldn't go to Harlem dressed in fancy clothing.
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
She doesn't like gossiping with other women.
That's why the lady is a tramp
Because of her unique qualities, she's a tramp.
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She enjoys feeling the wind in her hair and living without limitations.
Life without care
She lives life without worrying about what others think of her or what may happen.
She's broke, and it's "ok"
She's not wealthy, but she's content with what she has.
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
She dislikes California's weather because it's cold and wet.
That's why the lady is a tramp
Her unique qualities make her stand out from the crowd and labeled a tramp.
She gets too hungry to wait for dinner at eight
She's too impatient to wait until eight o'clock to eat dinner.
She loves the theater but never comes late
She really enjoys going to the theater and is always punctual.
She'd never bother with people she'd hate
She avoids people she doesn't like.
That's why the lady is a tramp
Her unique qualities are what make her a tramp.
She'll have no crap games with sharpies and frauds
She doesn't want to play games with dishonest people.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincolns or Fords
She doesn't want to go to Harlem in expensive cars.
And she won't dish the dirt with the rest of the broads
She doesn't want to gossip with the other women.
That's why the lady is a tramp
Her uniqueness sets her apart from others and makes her a tramp.
She'd love the free, fresh wind in her hair
She really enjoys the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair.
Life without care
She's happy living without worrying about others' opinions or consequences.
She's broke, but it's "OK"
Even though she doesn't have much money, she's satisfied with her life.
Hates California, it's so cold and so damp
The cold, damp weather of California is something she dislikes.
That's why the lady
To reiterate that her unique qualities are what define her.
That's why the lady
Her individuality is emphasized once more.
That's why the lady is a tramp
Finally, the song concludes by reiterating that her unique qualities have earned her the label of a tramp.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind