Early life
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis, Jr. was born in New York City, New York to Elvera Sanchez (1905-2000)[1], a Puerto Rican tap dancer, and Sammy Davis, Sr. (1900-1988), an African-American entertainer. The couple were both dancers in vaudeville. As an infant, he was raised by his paternal grandmother. When he was three years old, his parents split up. His father, not wanting to lose custody of his son, took him on tour. During his lifetime Sammy Davis, Jr. stated that his mother was Puerto Rican and born in San Juan.[2] As a child he learned how to dance from his father and his "uncle" Will Mastin, who led the dance troupe his father worked for. Davis joined the act as a young child and they became the Will Mastin Trio. Throughout his long career, Davis included the Will Mastin Trio in his billing.
Mastin and his father had shielded him from racism. Snubs were explained as jealousy, for instance. When Davis served in the United States Army during World War II however, he was confronted by strong racial prejudice. As he said later, "Overnight the world looked different. It wasn't one color anymore. I could see the protection I'd gotten all my life from my father and Will. I appreciated their loving hope that I'd never need to know about prejudice and hate, but they were wrong. It was as if I'd walked through a swinging door for eighteen years, a door which they had always secretly held open."
Career
While in the service, however, he joined an integrated entertainment Special Services unit, and found that the spotlight removed some of the prejudice. "My talent was the weapon, the power, the way for me to fight. It was the one way I might hope to affect a man's thinking," he said.[3]
Sammy Davis, Jr. (left) with Roy Wilkins (right) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C.
After he was discharged, Davis rejoined the dance act which played at a wide variety of spots around Portland Oregon, and began to achieve success on his own as he was singled out for praise by critics. The next year, he released his second album. The next move in his growing career was to appear in the Broadway show Mr. Wonderful in 1956.
In 1959, he became a member of the Rat Pack, which was led by his old friend Frank Sinatra, and included such fellow performers as Dean Martin, Joey Bishop, Peter Lawford, and Shirley MacLaine. Initially, Sinatra called the gathering of fast-living friends "the Clan," but Sam voiced his opposition, saying that it invoked thoughts about the Ku Klux Klan. Sinatra renamed the group "the Summit"...but nevertheless, the media kept on calling it the Rat Pack all along.
Davis was a headliner at The Frontier Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, yet was required to accept accommodations in a rooming house on the west side of the city, rather than reside with his peers in the hotels, as were all black performers in the 1950s. For example, no stage dressing rooms were provided for black performers, so they were required to wait outside by the swimming pool between acts. [4]
During his early years in Las Vegas, he and other African-American artists like Nat King Cole and Count Basie could entertain on the stage, but often could not reside at the hotels at which they performed, and most definitely could not gamble in the casinos or go to the hotel restaurants and bars. After he achieved superstar success, Davis refused to work at venues which would practice racial segregation. His demands eventually led to the integration of Miami Beach nightclubs and Las Vegas casinos. Davis was particularly proud of this accomplishment. [5]
Although James Brown would claim the title of "Hardest Working Man in Show Business," the argument could be made that Sammy Davis, Jr. deserved it more. For example, in 1964 he was starring in Golden Boy at night and shooting his own New York-based afternoon talk show during the day. When he could get a day off from the theater, he would either be in the studio recording new songs, or else performing live, often at charity benefits as far away as Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas, or doing television variety specials in Los Angeles. Even at the time, Sam knew he was cheating his family of his company, but he couldn't help himself; as he later said, he was incapable of standing still.
Although still a huge draw in Las Vegas, Davis' musical career had sputtered out by the latter years of the 1960s, although he had a #11 hit (#1 on the Easy Listening singles chart) with "I've Gotta Be Me" in 1969. An attempt to update his sound and reconnect with younger people resulted in some embarrassing "hip" musical efforts with the Motown record label.[6] But then, even as his career seemed at its nadir, Sammy had an unexpected worldwide smash hit with "Candy Man". Although he didn't particularly care for the song and was chagrined that he was now best known for it, Davis made the most of his new opportunity and revitalized his career. Although he enjoyed no more Top 40 hits, he did enjoy some extra popularity with his performance of the theme song from the T.V. series Baretta (1975-1978) which was not released as a single but was given extensive radio play and he remained a successful live act beyond Vegas for the remainder of his career. He would still occasionally land television and film parts, including high profile visits to the All in the Family series playing himself. In the 1970s, he also appeared in a series of memorable commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.
On December 11, 1967, NBC broadcast a musical-variety special entitled Movin' With Nancy. In addition to the Emmy Award-winning musical performances, the show is famous for Nancy Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. greeting each other with a kiss, one of the first black-white kisses in U.S. television history.[7]
In Japan, Davis appeared in television commercials for coffee, and in the U.S. he joined Sinatra and Martin in a radio commercial for a Chicago car dealership.
Davis was one of the first male celebrities to admit to watching television soap operas, particularly the shows produced by the American Broadcasting Company. This admission led to him making a cameo appearance on General Hospital and playing the recurring character Chip Warren on One Life to Live for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1980. He was also a game show fan, making a cameo on the ABC version of Family Feud in 1979, and hosting a question with Richard Dawson watching from the sidelines. He appeared on Tattletales with third wife Altovise Davis in the 1970s. He also made a cameo during an episode of the NBC version of Card Sharks in 1981.
Davis was an avid photographer who enjoyed shooting family and acquaintances. His body of work was detailed in a 2007 book by Burt Boyar. "Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter, during the Ciro's period, early '50s," Boyar quotes Davis. "And he hooked me." Davis used a medium format camera later on to capture images. Again quoting Davis, "Nobody interrupts a man taking a picture to ask... 'What's that nigger doin' here?' ". His catalogue of photos include rare shots of his father dancing onstage as part of the Will Mastin Trio. Also, intimate snapshots of close friends: Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, James Dean, Nat "King" Cole and Marilyn Monroe. His political affiliations also were represented in his images of: Robert Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. His most revealing work comes in photographs of wife May Britt and their three children, Tracey, Jeff and Mark.
(Credit Wikipidia.org)
That Old Black Magic
Sammy Davis Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That old black magic that you weave so well
I got those icy, icy fingers up and down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
The same old tingle that I feel inside
And then that elevator starts its ride
And down and down I go, all round I go
Well, I should stay away but what can I do
I hear your name, and I'm aflame
Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss
Can put out the fire
You are the lover I have waited for
You are the mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Darling, down and down I go, 'round and 'round I go
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide
Well, I should stay away but what can I do
I hear your name, and I'm aflame
Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss
Put out the fire
You are the lover, lover, lover, that I have waited for
You are the mate that fate had me created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Baby, down and down and down I go, 'round and 'round and 'round I go
In a spin, ooh, I'm loving the spin that I'm in
Ooh, under that old black magic called
You're a dirty robber
Old black magic called, oh oh, get out the car
Old black magic called, meanwhile back at the ranch
Under that old black magic called love
The lyrics of Sammy Davis Jr.'s song That Old Black Magic describe the feelings of complete enchantment and attraction that love can create. The use of the metaphor of black magic implies that the attraction between the two characters is both irresistible and dangerous. The lyrics suggest that the man is completely under the spell of the woman's love, and no matter how much he tries to resist or stay away, he is powerless to do so. He compares his feelings to being caught in a tide or on an elevator that he has no control over, and that every time they kiss, he becomes more and more entranced.
The repetition of the phrase "Down and down I go, 'round and 'round I go" emphasizes the circular and all-encompassing nature of the attraction they feel. Furthermore, the use of imagery such as "icy fingers up and down my spine" and "aflame with such a burning desire" highlights the overwhelming and intense nature of their passion. The lyrics portray the notion that fate brought them together, and that they are destined to be together no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
That old black magic has me in its spell
I am completely under your spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
You are so skilled at enchanting me with your magic
I got those icy, icy fingers up and down my spine
Your touch sends shivers up and down my body
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
The power of your gaze has the same effect on me every time
The same old tingle that I feel inside
I still feel the same excitement inside when I'm with you
And then that elevator starts its ride
My emotions take control, like an elevator ride
And down and down I go, all round I go
I feel out of control and completely caught up in my feelings
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide
I feel helpless and carried away, like a leaf caught in a river's current
Well, I should stay away but what can I do
I know I should stay away from you, but I can't resist your magic
I hear your name, and I'm aflame
Your name alone ignites a passionate fire inside me
Aflame with such a burning desire
My desire for you burns hot and intense
That only your kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss
Only your kisses have the power to cool and soothe this burning desire
Can put out the fire
Only your kisses can help me regain control and put out this fire
You are the lover I have waited for
You are the love I've been waiting all my life for
You are the mate that fate had me created for
We were destined to be together, it was fate that brought us together
And every time your lips meet mine
Every time we kiss, I feel swept away by your magic
Darling, down and down I go, 'round and 'round I go
Being with you is like a dizzying ride, my emotions swirling round and round
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide
I feel helpless and carried away, like a leaf caught in a river's current
Baby, down and down and down I go, 'round and 'round and 'round I go
I am constantly falling for you, spinning in a loop of love
In a spin, ooh, I'm loving the spin that I'm in
Even though my emotions are in a whirl, I am loving every moment of it
Ooh, under that old black magic called
I am under your spell and it feels magical
You're a dirty robber
You stole my heart, and I don't want it back
Old black magic called, oh oh, get out the car
I am so in love with you that I want to spend every moment with you
Old black magic called, meanwhile back at the ranch
While others may be going about their lives, I am free-falling under your spell
Under that old black magic called love
I am so in love with you that nothing else seems to matter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevenhernandez494
Lyrics:
That old black magic has me in its spell
That old black magic that you weave so well
Man I got those fingers, up and down my spine
The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine
The same old tingle that I feel inside
And then that elevator starts its ride
And down and a down and a down I go
Around and around and around I go
Like a leaf a leaf that's caught in the tide
I should stay away but what can I do
I hear your name, and I'm all aflame
I'm Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss kiss kiss kiss kiss
can put out the fire
You're the lover .. I have waited for
Hey you're the mate, the one, the chick, the thing
That I was just created for
And every time your lips meet mine
Down I go, Round I go
Like a leaf a leaf that's caught in a tide
Whoo Woah Woah I should stay away
But what can I do, I hear your name
And it drives me insane
I'm aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss your kiss your kiss your kiss
You gotta put out the fire
You're the love the love the lover that I have been waiting for
You're the one
You're the mate that I was created for
And every time you're lips meet mine
Well, down and down and down I go,
Around and around and around I go
In a spin, Man and I dig that spin I'm in
Foom balaka choomba
Old black magic called
You're a dirty robber
Old black magic called
Ho Ha stay in the car
Old black magic called
You four men go that way the rest of you come with me
Under that old black magic
Woah Woah Woah Woooaah
@envisiotube
I never was a Sammy Davis jr. fan, but this is the best vocal jazz performance I've ever heard. In my life. An I heard A LOT.
@johndelvecchio5245
Sammy had alot of talent.he was a singer a dancer a actor and a comic.He was very good no matter what he did .
@davidtaylor975
This is one original version of the song, sung and no doubt improvised by a great entertainer. I agree it is the best version of this number.
@bmh7777
Oh my!!!! Love love love this!
@HughMJones
I've been looking for this version, so glad I found it.
@Operetto1
What an awesome, powerful, beautiful performance! One of the greatest of all time for me - immortal Sammy Davis Jr. still so overwhelming after all these years.
@renatocamo
A true legend!!
@JB-ou4fu
When God made Sammy, he gave him a bit more than the rest of us.
The greatest talent in world history. Thank God for YouTube, he lives on forever.
@darrelljohnson1319
sorry dude sammy was mortal clay with a gift for Rhythm happy songs
@Marina-rh2jc
My favorite version!