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 Surrey With the Fringe on Top
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, here's the way it's goin' to be:
You will set behind a team of snow white horses,
In the slickest gig you ever see!
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the surrey,
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
When I drive them high steppin' strutters.
Nosey pokes'll peek thru' their shutters and their eyes will pop!
The wheels are yeller, the upholstery's brown,
The dashboard's genuine leather,
With isinglass curtains y' can roll right down,
In case there's a change in the weather.
Two bright sidelight's winkin' and blinkin',
Ain't no finer rig I'm a-thinkin'
You c'n keep your rig if you're thinkin' 'at I'd keer to swap
Fer that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top! Did you say
The fringe was made of silk
Wouldn't have no other kind but silk
Does it really have a team of snow white horses
One's like snow, the other's more like milk
All the world'll fly in a flurry
When I take you out in the surrey,
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
When we hit that road, hell fer leather,
Cats and dogs'll dance in the heather,
Birds and frogs'll sing all together and the toads will hop!
The wind'll whistle as we rattle along,
The cows'll moo in the clover,
The river will ripple out a whispered song,
And whisper it over and over
Don't you wishty'd go on forever?
Don't you wishty'd go on forever?
Don't you wishty'd go on forever and ud never stop
In that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top!
I can see the stars gettin' blurry,
When we drive back home in the surrey,
Drivin' slowly home in the surrey with the fringe on top!
I can feel the day gettin' older,
Feel a sleepy head on my shoulder,
Noddin', droopin' close to my shoulder, till it falls kerplop!
The sun is swimmin' on the rim of a hill,
The moon is takin' a header,
And jist as I'm thinkin' all the earth is still,
A lark'll wake up in the medder.
Hush, you bird, my baby's a-sleepin'!
Maybe got a dream worth a-keepin'
Whoa! you team, and jist keep a-creepin' at a slow clip clop.
Don't you hurry with the surrey with the fringe on the top!
The Surrey with the Fringe on Top by Mel Tormé is a romantic and playful song that describes a beautiful and dreamy surrey ride. The song starts with the singer promising to take his sweetheart out on a memorable ride in a slick gig pulled by a team of snow-white horses. The surrey with the fringe on top is a beautiful carriage with a fringed top that flutters in the wind, making heads turn everywhere they go. The singer is proud of his ride, and he warns the other animals - chicks, ducks, and geese - to scurry away when he takes his girl out for a ride. The song then goes on to describe the beautiful carriage, with its yellow wheels, brown upholstery, and real leather dashboard. The surrey also has isinglass curtains that can be rolled down in case of bad weather.
As they set off on their ride, they attract attention and curiosity from the neighbors. The flirty and playful tone of the lyrics depict the romantic and idyllic ride they have on the surrey, with the wind whistling, the cows mooing, and the river whispering a song. The singer also imagines that they have an audience in the animals that dance, sing and hop to the sound of their wheels as they go by. The ride is so enjoyable that the singer wishes it would go on forever, and he falls asleep with his partner's head on his shoulder, as they make their way back home.
Line by Line Meaning
When I take you out, tonight, with me,
When we go out together tonight,
Honey, here's the way it's goin' to be:
Here's what our experience will be like:
You will set behind a team of snow white horses,
You will sit behind a team of horses that are white as snow,
In the slickest gig you ever see!
And in a very sleek carriage!
Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
The animals on the road should move quickly
When I take you out in the surrey,
When we ride in the carriage
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
When we ride in a carriage that has a fringe on the top!
Watch that fringe and see how it flutters
Notice how the fringe on top is waving in the wind
When I drive them high steppin' strutters.
As I drive the high-stepping horses.
Nosey pokes'll peek thru' their shutters and their eyes will pop!
People peeking through their windows will be amazed!
The wheels are yeller, the upholstery's brown,
The wheels are yellow and the seats are brown,
The dashboard's genuine leather,
The dashboard is made of genuine leather,
With isinglass curtains y' can roll right down,
You can roll down the transparent isinglass curtains
In case there's a change in the weather.
In case the weather changes
Two bright sidelight's winkin' and blinkin',
There are two bright sidelights that are winking and blinking.
Ain't no finer rig I'm a-thinkin'
I think there is no better carriage
You c'n keep your rig if you're thinkin' 'at I'd keer to swap
You can keep your own carriage if you think I'd ever swap it
Fer that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top!
For that shiny little carriage with the fringe on the top!
Did you say the fringe was made of silk?
Did you mention that the fringe is made of silk?
Wouldn't have no other kind but silk!
I wouldn't accept any other kind!
Does it really have a team of snow white horses?
Are there actually horses that are white as snow?
One's like snow, the other's more like milk.
One is very white, the other is somewhat white.
All the world'll fly in a flurry
The entire world will be excited and busy
When I take you out in the surrey,
When we ride in the carriage
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!
When we ride in a carriage that has a fringe on the top!
When we hit that road, hell fer leather,
When we go on the road at high speeds
Cats and dogs'll dance in the heather,
Cats and dogs will run around in the fields,
Birds and frogs'll sing all together and the toads will hop!
Birds and frogs will sing together while the toads hop around!
The wind'll whistle as we rattle along,
The wind will whistle as we race along
The cows'll moo in the clover,
The cows will moo in the meadow
The river will ripple out a whispered song,
The river will create a soft sound
And whisper it over and over
And it will keep whispering the same song
Don't you wishty'd go on forever?
Don't you wish you could do this forever?
Don't you wishty'd go on forever?
Don't you wish you could do this forever?
Don't you wishty'd go on forever and ud never stop
Don't you wish this could go on forever and never stop?
In that shiny, little surrey with the fringe on the top!
In that shiny little carriage with the fringe on the top!
I can see the stars gettin' blurry,
I can see that the stars are becoming blurry
When we drive back home in the surrey,
When we return home in the carriage
Drivin' slowly home in the surrey with the fringe on top!
Driving slowly home in the carriage with the fringe on the top!
I can feel the day gettin' older,
I can feel that the day is getting old
Feel a sleepy head on my shoulder,
Feeling a sleepy head resting on my shoulder
Noddin', droopin' close to my shoulder, till it falls kerplop!
Nodding and almost falling asleep until he falls over!
The sun is swimmin' on the rim of a hill,
The sun looks like it's swimming on the horizon
The moon is takin' a header,
The moon is taking a dive
And jist as I'm thinkin' all the earth is still,
And just as I am thinking that everything is quiet
A lark'll wake up in the medder.
A lark will start singing in the field.
Hush,you bird, my baby's a-sleepin'!
Quiet down, little bird, my baby is sleeping!
Maybe got a dream worth a-keepin',
Maybe my baby is having a good dream worth keeping.
Whoa! you team, and jist keep a-creepin' at a slow clip clop.
Whoa, horses, and just keep moving slowly at a rhythmic pace.
Don't you hurry with the surrey with the fringe on the top!
Don't hurry the carriage with the fringe on the top!
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sai F
This sounds beautiful. Love it
Rocket Calcutta
I can't believe this has only 546 views - this is one of Mel's all time best recordings IMHO
Imani M
Never knew Mel sung songs from Oklahoma! 😍😂
I love it!
Charles Barry
The sound. The velvet fog. Unbeatable
mroldiesman1
plus the absolute genius of marty paich. a blanket of sound. tubas, french horns and art pepper. and i may as well add. it is not mispronounced. it is nosy pokes, as written by rodgers and hammerstein.
Charles Winokoor
Nice version as usual by Mr. Torme.
nurVrax Art Productions
IMO this is the very best version of this classic
Joel Krupa
It don't get any better than this!! (I'm 33 and an old soul!)
ponderosa1850
the very best. and of course, blossom dearie, too! this is terrific! thank you.
DobleCero
the jazz history