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 Very Thought of You
Mel Tormé Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got mad and closed the door.
But you said try just once more.
I chose you for the one,
Now I'm having so much fun.
You treated me so kind,
I'm about to lose my mind.
You made me so very happy,
The others were untrue,
But when it came to lovin' you,
I'd spend my whole life with you.
'Cause you came and you took control,
You touched my very soul.
You always showed me that
Loving you was where it's at.
You made me so very happy,
I'm so glad you came into my life.
I love you so much, it seems
That you're even in my dreams.
I hear you calling me.
I'm so in love with you,
All I ever want to do is
Thank you, baby.
You made me so very happy,
I'm so glad you came into my life.
You made me so very happy,
I'm so glad you came into my life.
In Mel Tormé's song "The Very Thought of You," the singer is confessing their love and extreme happiness to their partner. They begin by acknowledging that they have been hurt in love before and had given up, but their partner convinced them to give love another chance. They express how grateful they are for their partner and how they treat them with kindness. The singer is so happy with their choice to be with their partner that they feel like they are about to go crazy. They express that their previous partners were unfaithful but that their current partner has been nothing but true to them. The singer recognizes that their partner has touched them in a way that no one else ever has, and that being with them is where they want to be. They are head-over-heels in love with their partner, and it is evident in their joy and gratitude.
The song is a declaration of love and a deep appreciation for one's partner. Despite past hurt and heartbreak, the singer is happy they kept their heart open and found someone who truly loves and cares for them. The song's message is timeless and relatable, and the melody and smooth vocals of Mel Tormé make it a classic love ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
I lost at love before,
I have experienced heartbreak in the past.
Got mad and closed the door.
I became angry and shut myself off from love.
But you said try just once more.
You encouraged me to give love another chance.
I chose you for the one,
I picked you as my partner.
Now I'm having so much fun.
Being with you has brought me joy.
You treated me so kind,
You were exceptionally kind to me.
I'm about to lose my mind.
You make me feel incredibly happy.
You made me so very happy,
You brought immense joy to my life.
I'm so glad you came into my life.
I am grateful for your presence in my life.
The others were untrue,
My past partners were dishonest.
But when it came to lovin' you,
However, with you, things are different.
I'd spend my whole life with you.
I am committed to spending my life with you.
'Cause you came and you took control,
You came into my life and guided me.
You touched my very soul.
You reached the depths of my being.
You always showed me that
You consistently demonstrated that
Loving you was where it's at.
Being in love with you is the best thing.
I love you so much, it seems
I love you to such an extent that it seems
That you're even in my dreams.
You appear in my dreams.
I hear you calling me.
I imagine you calling me.
I'm so in love with you,
I am completely, deeply in love with you.
All I ever want to do is
All I want to do is
Thank you, baby.
Express my gratitude to you.
You made me so very happy,
You brought immense joy to my life.
I'm so glad you came into my life.
I am grateful for your presence in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BERRY GORDY JR, BRENDA HOLLOWAY, FRANK WILSON, PATRICE HOLLOWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mohamed Alaa
The very thought of you and I forget to do
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I'm living in a kind of daydream
I'm happy as a king
And foolish though it may seem
To me that's everything
The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love
Mark Blackburn
From Wikipedia
Reuben "Ruby" Braff (March 16, 1927[1] – February 9, 2003)[2] was an American jazz trumpeter and cornetist. Jack Teagarden was once asked about him on the Garry Moore television show and described Ruby as "the Ivy League Louis Armstrong".
Braff was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[1] He was renowned for working in an idiom ultimately derived from the playing of Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke.
He began playing in local clubs in the 1940s. In 1949, he was hired to play with the Edmond Hall Orchestra at the Savoy Cafe of Boston.[1] He relocated to New York in 1953 where he was much in demand for band dates and recordings.
He resided in Harwich, Massachusetts and died of complications from emphysema, heart failure, and glaucoma on February 9, 2003, in Chatham, Massachusetts.[3] He had spent a good part of his life living in the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York City.
Lee Cadman Vocalist
The very thought of you and I forget to do
The little ordinary things that everyone ought to do
I'm living in a kind of daydream
I'm happy as a king
And foolish though it may seem
To me that's everything
The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love
The mere idea of you, the longing here for you
You'll never know how slow the moments go till I'm near to you
I see your face in every flower
Your eyes in stars above
It's just the thought of you
The very thought of you, my love
JadeZee
ONE of the greatest songs ever written..tony is impeccable
Bigskyguy56
Mr Bennett is PURE CLASS!
Thank you for all of the music & memories.
God Bless You , Tony!
Noe Berengena
1971 to 2021 -- that's 50 years. I think that at this point we can categorize this as a timeless classic.
Brian Byfield
Anyone know who the trumpet player is on this recording
Marcus Brutus
@Brian Byfield I believe it is Bobby Hackett Brian. I don''t know enough about horns to know if it is a cornet or trumpet.
Erhard Jäckel
Zhis music and tony are absolutely timeless❤
Fadeypoo
It doesn't get much better than this.
millamills
This is by far the best version of this classic and the mellow trumpet is exquisite too!
Joe Carbery
That's Bobby Hackett on cornet - exquisite indeed!
Lancelotti Guillermo
@Joe Carbery oh, gracias! Pensé que podía ser Ruby Braff, pero si, es Bobby. Gracias