Some of her best known hits are "It's So Peaceful in the Country", "Trust In Me", "Where Are You", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", "Small Fry", "Please Be Kind", "Darn That Dream", "Rockin' Chair", "Blame It On My Last Affair", and "Says My Heart".
Born Mildred Rinker in Tekoa, Washington, her mother, Josephine, was an enrolled member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and a devout Roman Catholic. Her father, Charles, played fiddle and called square dances. Her mother played piano every evening after supper and taught Mildred to play and sing. Her brothers were the vocalist and composer Al Rinker, and the lyricist Charles Rinker.
[edit]Career
At the age of seventeen, Bailey moved to Seattle and worked as a sheet music demonstrator at Woolworth's. She married and divorced Ted Bailey, keeping his last name because she thought it sounded more American than Rinker.[3] With the help of her second husband, Benny Stafford, she became an established blues and jazz singer on the West Coast. According to Gary Giddins' book Bing Crosby – A Pocketful of Dreams – The Early Years 1903-1940, in 1925 she secured work for her brother, Al Rinker, and his partner Bing Crosby. Giddins further states that Crosby first heard of Louis Armstrong and other Chicago black jazz records from Bailey's own record collection. Crosby helped Bailey in turn by introducing her to Paul Whiteman. She sang with Paul Whiteman's band from 1929 to 1933 (Whiteman had a popular radio program and when Bailey debuted with her version of "Moaning Low" in 1929, public reaction was immediate, although she did not start recording with Whiteman until late 1931).
Her first two records were as uncredited vocalist for an Eddie Lang Orchestra session in 1929 ("What Kind O' Man Is You?", an obscure Hoagy Carmichael song that was only issued in the UK) and a 1930 recording of "I Like To Do Things For You" for Frankie Trumbauer. She was Whiteman's popular female vocalist through 1932 (recording in a smooth crooning style), when she left the band due to salary disagreements. She then recorded a series of records for Brunswick in 1933 (accompanied by The Dorsey Brothers), as well an all-star session with Benny Goodman's studio band in 1934 that featured Coleman Hawkins.
In the mid-1930s, she recorded with her third husband Red Norvo. A dynamic couple, they earned the nicknames "Mr. and Mrs. Swing". During this period (1936–1939) Norvo recorded for Brunswick (with Bailey as primary vocalist) and Bailey recorded her own set of recordings for Vocalion, often with Norvo's band. Some of her recordings instead featured members of Count Basie's band. Despite her divorce from Norvo, she and Red would continue to record together until 1945. Suffering from diabetes and depression (during her adult life Bailey was overweight), she only made a few recordings following World War II.
Mildred Bailey died December 12, 1951, in Poughkeepsie, New York, of heart failure, aged 44, chiefly due to her diabetes. Her ashes were scattered. Red Norvo outlived Bailey by nearly half a century, dying in April 1999, a week after his 91st birthday.
I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Mildred Bailey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind is blowing
But I can weather the storm
Why do I care how much it may storm
I've got my love to keep me warm
I can't remember
A worse December
Why do I care if icicles form
I've got my love to keep me warm
Off with my overcoat
Off with gloves
I need no overcoat
I'm burning with love
My heart's on fire
The flame grows higher
So I will weather the storm
Why do I care how much it may storm
I've got my love to keep me warm
The lyrics of Mildred Bailey's song I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm convey an inspiring message that is all about finding warmth within, even during cold winter months. The beginning of the song sets the scene with the snow falling and the wind blowing outside. Despite the harsh weather conditions, the singer feels confident that they can overcome the storm thanks to the love they have in their life. The repetition of the phrase "why do I care" reinforces the idea that external circumstances do not need to affect one's internal state of being.
The second verse offers a glimpse into the singer's personal life, hinting at a difficult December. Nevertheless, they remain undeterred and choose to focus on the positive. They do not care about the formation of icicles, as they have their love to keep them warm. The theme here is one of mental resilience and adaptability, one where the singer is able to find warmth within themselves, regardless of their surroundings.
The final verse drives home the central message of the song. The reference to taking off an overcoat and gloves is symbolic of shedding external layers and embracing warmth from within. The singer's heart is on fire, and the flame grows higher, emphasizing that the love in their life is enough to keep them warm throughout the storm.
Overall, the song is a testament to the power of love and resilience, and how these qualities enable us to weather any storm that life may throw our way.
Line by Line Meaning
The snow is snowing
It's snowing outside.
The wind is blowing
There's wind outside.
But I can weather the storm
I can handle the snow and wind.
Why do I care how much it may storm
I don't care how strong the storm is.
I've got my love to keep me warm
I have my love to keep me happy and content amidst the storm.
I can't remember
I can't recall.
A worse December
A December that was worse than this one.
Just watch those icicles from
I can watch icicles form outside.
I need no overcoat
I don't need an overcoat because of how warm my love makes me feel.
Off with gloves
I can take off my gloves.
My heart's on fire
I am filled with love.
The flame grows higher
The love I feel is increasing.
So I will weather the storm
I can handle the storm with the support of my love.
I've got my love to keep me warm
My love keeps me comforted and happy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mark Story Jenks
This is the BEST version!
james sullivan
Eddie Sauter's arranging; Mildred's lyricism, the great side session players, and Irving Berlin's tune; Red's group was "the best" said George Simon
james sullivan
My diva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
james sullivan
George Simon wrote (The Big Bands, 4th Edition) that Red Norvo's Orchestra was his favorite group. This included Red's wife, vocalist Mildred Bailey.
John Whitehead
A delight Thank You
Bob Barry
You're welcome, John!
Allen Petrich
Does this not stand up to Billie Holiday's Version? Mildred did not have the easiest of lives. She began earlier and so considered less "jazzy" but listen to this version several times and then Billie's. Mildred's version is not inferior. Then listen to some of her other stuff. Ya dig?
james sullivan
Allen: I feel that Mildred has a preternatural grip on swing. Not ostentatious, and with due regard for composer and lyricist, still she lets her own swing style permeate the tune. Hard to explain precisely.
Allen Petrich
M worr Mildred said her favorite song was "Don't Take Your Love From Me". Everyone has their own likes, but for me that could be her best. But listen to her whole body of work and. to me, it stands very, very high.
Emma Rayne
My grandfather played with this band. It's terrible I can't find any information about the band members, though.