Her parents were from Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, Province of Catania, Sicily, Italy. She grew up in New York City with five siblings. Her father, who owned a coal and ice business, played the piano and guitar by ear. Her family experienced a difficult financial period after her father died.
Around the age of thirteen her vocal gifts were recognized when she was overheard singing the aria "I'll See You Again" from Noël Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet. At age 16 she developed a love for big bands. A scholarship to the Metropolitan School of Music soon followed.
Her professional singing career began at age sixteen as Morgana King. When she sang in a Greenwich Village nightclub in 1953, a record label executive took interest after being impressed with the unique phrasing and multi-octave range. Three years later in 1956, her first album, For You, For Me, For Evermore, was released.
In the first appearance of Leonard G. Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz (1960), Morgana King stated that her ambition was "… to become a dramatic actress." She began her acting career in The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, as Carmela Corleone, wife of Don Vito Corleone. In the film, she sang the song "Luna mezzo mare". King appeared as herself in the television documentary The Godfather: Behind the Scenes (1971). She reprised the role in The Godfather: Part II (1974), where her character dies aged 62, due to natural causes.
King headlined clubs, concert halls and hotels, and toured throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and South America.
A few of the venue performances during her active career: the March 1956 Easter Jazz Festival at Town Hall in New York City; she opened Trude Heller's in July 1957 and returned throughout her career for anniversary performances; four months later, in November 1957, along with seven female jazz instrumentalists, she performed at the Jazz Female concert held at Carnegie Recital Hall; the Schaefer Music Festival in June 1976; A Tribute to Billie Holiday at the Hollywood Bowl in July 1979; the AIDS Research – Benefit Bash in 1983, the Benefit for the Theater Off Park in May 1988; the 2nd annual WPBX Jazz Festival at the Fine Arts Theater in August 1989. While performing in Lisbon, Portugal, she was interviewed by the television show host Henrique Mendes at the television station RTP (the sole television station at that time)."
A limited list of artists who performed and/or recorded with Morgana King over the years of her career are Ben Aronov, Ronnie Bedford, Ed Caccavale (drums), Clifford Carter, Don Costa, Eddie Daniels, Sue Evans, Larry Fallon, Sammy Figueroa, John Kaye (percussion), Helen Keane, Art Koenig, Steve LaSpina, Scott Lee, Jay Leonhart, Ray Mantilla, Bill Mays, Charles McCracken, Ted Nash, Adam Nussbaum, Warren Odze, Joe Puma, Don Rebic, Jack Wilkins, Joe Williams (bass), and Torrie Zito.
Her repertoire contains more than two hundred songs on more than thirty albums. Most of her recordings and re-issues have not remained in the catalogs.
In 1964, she received a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist. The award went to the Beatles.
The UCLA Music Library's Jimmy Van Heusen papers include a letter dated September 5, 1965 pertaining to "songs… to be given to Morgana King."[86] She recorded three songs by Van Heusen: "Here's That Rainy Day" (on It's a Quiet Thing, 1965), "Like Someone in Love" (on Stardust, 1986; and Another Time, Another Space, 1992) and "Imagination" (on Looking Through The Eyes Of Love, 1998). King's 1967 single "I Have Loved Me A Man" appeared in the US "Easy Listening" survey and the Australian Top 20, according to the Kent Music Report.
Morgana King appeared in five films, including The Godfather Parts I and II (1972 and 1974).
Beginning with The Andy Williams Show and The Hollywood Palace in 1964. For more than a decade she performed on television talk and variety shows including The Mike Douglas Show, The Dean Martin Show and The David Frost Show.
King announced her retirement from performing during an engagement at the Cotton Club in Chicago on Friday, December 10, 1993, and added that her recording would not be affected by the decision. She continued to perform after that date at the Ballroom, Maxim's, Mirage Night Club (a benefit jazz session), and Roosevelt Hotel's Cinegrill. Her last film appearance was in the film A Brooklyn State of Mind (1997).
Morgana King married twice. Her first marriage (when she was 17 years old) was to jazz trumpeter Tony Fruscella (1927–1969), which ended in divorce after nine years; they had a daughter, Graysan (1950–2008). During their marriage, the couple frequently had "Sunday dinner with Charlie Parker and his family."
Her second marriage, in 1961, was to jazz trombonist Willie Dennis (né William DeBerardinis; 1926–1965), whom she met during an off-night visit to the Birdland Jazz Club where she went to hear Sam Donahue's group. He had performed with both Gerry Mulligan and Charles Mingus and recorded the 1953 album release, Four Trombones on Mingus' record label, Debut Records. He had toured extensively with Benny Goodman, Woody Herman and Buddy Rich.
She traveled to Brazil with Dennis to experience this "new" music style when he toured with Rich in 1960. She said the experience was "an introduction to myself." Their close collaboration was suddenly shattered in 1965 with his death from an automobile accident in New York's Central Park. It's a Quiet Thing (Reprise, 1965) is a memorial to him.
After Dennis's death, King relocated and lived for more than two decades in Malibu, California. She accepted Frank Sinatra's offer to record three albums on his record label Reprise Records (It's A Quiet Thing (1965), Wild Is Love (1966) and Gemini Changes (1967)).
King's voice is notable for its four-octave range. She continued to pursue new forms of expression and presentation by exploring current music trends, which can be heard and read from the list of songs and composers on more than thirty albums. She ventured into new creative areas throughout her career all the while keeping contact with her musical point of origin in jazz. Her distinctive sound has its criticism and detractors.
In literature, the Library of Jazz Standards by Ronny Schiff (2002) recognizes Morgana King as one of the performers who made famous the songs "Imagination" (Van Heusen, Burke), "Like Someone in Love" (Van Heusen, Burke) and "Will You Be Mine" (Adair, Dennis). Also, there is the occasional mention of her in fiction.
King has been credited with composing "Moe's Blues", a song recorded by Beverly Kenney on Beverly Kenney Sings for Johnny Smith (1955), and "Simply Eloquent", with Monte Oliver, which appears on an album of the same title, initially released in 1986 by Muse Records. In 1991, she produced a set of seminars called Morgana King Fine Arts Series. The seminars brought together small groups for recurring meetings every few months held at select venues including Lincoln Center. One of the functions of the series was to familiarize participants with performance methodologies. There was a panel available to critique the performances.
Her signature song is "A Taste Of Honey", originally released on the album With A Taste of Honey (Mainstream Records, 1964). Her most re-issued songs are "My Funny Valentine", from Everything Must Change (Muse, 1978), and the title track of For You, For Me, For Evermore (EmArcy Records, 1956).
Anything Goes
Morgana King Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we've ofter rewound the clock
Since the Puritans got a shock
When they landed on Plymouth Rock
If today any shock they might try to stem
'Stead of landing of Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
Was looked on as something shocking
But now God knows
Anything goes
Good authors to
Who once knew better words
Now only use four letter words
Writing prose
Anything goes
If driving fast cars you like
If low bars you like
If old hymns you like
If bare limbs you like
If Mae West you like
Or me undressed you like
Why nobody will oppose
When every night
The set that's smart
Is intruding on nudist parties
In studios
Anything goes
When Mrs. Ned McClean god Bless her
Can get Russian Reds to yes her
Than I suppose
Anything Goes
When Rockefeller still can hoard
Enough money to let Max Gordon
Produce his shows
Anything goes
The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today
And black's white today
And days night today
And that gent today
You gave a cent today
Once owned several Chateaus
When folks
Who still can ride in Jitney's
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitney's
Lack Baby Clo'es
Anything Goes
When Sam Goldwyn
Can with great conviction
Instruct Anna Stein in diction
Than Anna shows
Anything Goes
When you hear that
Lady Mendl standing up
Now turns a handspring landing up-
on her toes
Anything Goes
Just think of those shocks you've got
And those knocks you've got
And those blues you've got
From those news you've got
And those pains you've got
(If any brains you've got)
From those little radios
Morgana King's "Anything Goes" is a song about the changing times and the evolution of society's standards. She sings about how the Puritans, who once felt shocked by their new surroundings and the behavior of others, would find themselves even more shocked today. She suggests that now "anything goes," meaning that people are freer to express themselves, break social norms, and engage in all kinds of behavior without fear of societal judgment. Even seemingly respectable people, like accomplished authors, are now using four-letter words in their writing. The world is changing, and with it, so are the rules.
King's song touches on several themes related to this idea, such as the acceptance of nudity, the embrace of sensual pleasures, and the blurring of social classes. She sings about how even wealthy people like Rockefeller can produce shows with Max Gordon, a popular producer of musicals in the 1930s, and about how Mrs. Ned McClean, a socialite and fashion icon, can wear "Russian Reds," a communist symbol, and still be accepted by society. This song captures the spirit of the 1930s, a time of great social and political upheaval.
The lyrics of "Anything Goes" reflect the emerging flapper culture, with its daring fashion and embrace of sexuality. King references Mae West, who was a popular sex symbol during that decade, singing "if Mae West you like, or me undressed you like, why nobody will oppose." The chorus "anything goes" is the perfect summary of the song's philosophy. King sings about how times are changing, and anything is possible, almost as if she's celebrating the chaos and unpredictability of the new world.
Line by Line Meaning
Times have changed,
The world is different from before, and this continues to happen.
And we've ofter rewound the clock
We've tried to return to the past to fix things, but it doesn't help.
Since the Puritans got a shock
The Puritans were surprised when they landed on Plymouth Rock.
When they landed on Plymouth Rock
When the Puritans first arrived in America, they were shocked by what they saw.
If today any shock they might try to stem
If someone tried to stop today's progress, they would have a hard time succeeding.
'Stead of landing of Plymouth Rock
Instead of being surprised like the Puritans, we would surprise them.
Plymouth Rock would land on them.
We would be the ones looking down on the Puritans if they came to America today.
In olden days a glimpse of stocking
In the past, even a small amount of skin was seen as indecent.
Was looked on as something shocking
People were shocked by the smallest things in the past.
But now God knows
Nowadays, no one really cares anymore.
Anything goes
You can do whatever you want without being judged.
Good authors to
Even intelligent writers
Who once knew better words
who previously used more sophisticated vocabulary
Now only use four letter words
now use curse words instead
Writing prose
even as they're writing these words in written form
Anything goes
anything is acceptable to say or write
If driving fast cars you like
If you enjoy driving fast cars
If low bars you like
If you like to drink at seedy bars
If old hymns you like
If you enjoy old religious music
If bare limbs you like
If you like to see people wearing revealing clothing
If Mae West you like
If you like the style of actress Mae West
Or me undressed you like
If you're attracted to me when I'm undressed
Why nobody will oppose
No one will object to your personal preferences.
When every night
Whenever
The set that's smart
The well-educated wealthy people
Is intruding on nudist parties
Attendees at high society events are breaking social norms by attending nudist events.
In studios
In movie studios where these people work
Anything goes
No behavior is considered out of bounds anymore.
When Mrs. Ned McClean god Bless her
Even Mrs. Ned McClean
Can get Russian Reds to yes her
Can persuade Russians to agree with her
Than I suppose
Then anything is possible
Anything Goes
Nothing is too strange or surprising anymore.
When Rockefeller still can hoard
When even the richest people
Enough money to let Max Gordon
have enough money to finance Max Gordon's shows
Produce his shows
then anything is possible, even the most lavish stage productions.
The world has gone mad today
The world is becoming increasingly chaotic and unpredictable.
And good's bad today
Even things that are supposed to be good are now bad.
And black's white today
Even fundamental things like color are flipped on their heads.
And days night today
Time itself is even being warped
And that gent today
Even that gentleman
You gave a cent today
you donated money to a beggar
Once owned several Chateaus
must have lost a lot of money to be begging despite his previous wealth
When folks
When people who
Who still can ride in Jitney's
who can still afford to ride in Jitneys (a type of small bus)
Find out Vanderbilts and Whitney's
discovered that even the wealthiest families
Lack Baby Clo'es
don't have enough clothes for their children
Anything Goes
Anything can happen these days, nothing is certain.
When Sam Goldwyn
Even Sam Goldwyn himself
Can with great conviction
speaks with great confidence
Instruct Anna Stein in diction
teaches Anna Stein proper enunciation
Than Anna shows
Anything is possible if even Anna can become a proficient speaker and start appearing in films.
Anything Goes
No barriers exist in the world anymore.
When you hear that
When you find out that
Lady Mendl standing up
even Lady Mendl
Now turns a handspring landing up-
can perform athletic feats
on her toes
with ease and precision
Anything Goes
Anything can happen in today's society.
Just think of those shocks you've got
Reflect on all the changes that have occurred.
And those knocks you've got
The difficult times that you've experienced, including sudden upsets.
And those blues you've got
The sadness and despair that you've endured.
From those news you've got
Being exposed to news stories that are disturbing.
And those pains you've got
The physical and emotional pain you may have experienced.
(If any brains you've got)
If you have any intelligence at all
From those little radios
Even from listening to small, portable radios you may experience hardships and sadness.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind