Thomas Francis Dorsey, Jr. was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, and started out only 16 years later in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with big band leader Russ Morgan in the famous pick-up band of the 1920s "The Scranton Sirens".
Tommy and his brother Jimmy worked in several bands, including those of Rudy Vallee, Vincent Lopez, and especially Paul Whiteman, before forming the original Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934. Ongoing acrimony between the brothers, however, led to Tommy Dorsey's walking out to form his own band in 1935, just as the Orchestra was having a hit with "Every Little Moment."
Tommy Dorsey's first band formed out of the remnant of the Joe Haymes band, and his smooth, lyrical trombone style – whether on ballads or on no-holds-barred swingers – became one of the signature sounds of both his band and the Swing Era. The new band hit from almost the moment it signed with RCA Victor with "On Treasure Island", the first of four hits for the new band that year. That led to a run of 137 Billboard chart hits, including his theme song, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (which showcases his phenomenal range and masterful mute use, reaching up to the high C #), "Marie", "The Big Apple", "Music, Maestro, Please", "I'll Never Smile Again", "This Love of Mine", "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "T.D.'s Boogie Woogie", "Well, Git 'It", "Opus One", "Manhattan Serenade", and "There Are Such Things" – among many others.
The band featured a number of the best instrumentalists in jazz at the time, including trumpeters Bunny Berigan, Ziggy Elman, George Seaberg, Carl "Doc" Severinsen, and Charlie Shavers, pianist Jess Stacy, trumpeter/arranger/composer Sy Oliver (who wrote "Well, Git 'It" and "Opus One"), clarinetists Buddy DeFranco, Johnny Mince and Peanuts Hucko drummers Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson, Gene Krupa and Dave Tough and singers Jack Leonard, Edythe Wright, Jo Stafford, Dick Haymes and Frank Sinatra. Sinatra achieved his first great success as a vocalist in the Dorsey band and claimed he learned breath control from watching Dorsey play trombone. Dorsey said his trombone style was heavily influenced by that of Jack Teagarden. Another member of the Dorsey band probably spent considerable time observing and listening to Sy Oliver's striking arrangements: trombonist Nelson Riddle, whose later partnership as Sinatra's major arranger and conductor is considered to have revolutionised post-World War II popular music.
Dorsey might have broken up his own band permanently following World War II, as many big bands did due to the shift in music economics following the war, and he did disband the orchestra at the end of 1946. But a top-ten selling album (All-Time Hits) made it possible for Dorsey to re-organise a big band in early 1947.
The biographical film of 1947, "The Fabulous Dorseys" describes sketchy details of how the brothers got their start from-the-bottom-up into the jazz era of one-nighters, the early days of radio in its infancy stages, and the onward march when both brothers ended up with Paul Whiteman before 1935 when The Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra split into two.
The Dorsey brothers themselves later reconciled – Jimmy Dorsey had had to break up his own highly successful big band in 1953, and brother Tommy invited him to join up as a feature attraction – but before long Tommy renamed the band the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. On December 26, 1953, the brothers appeared with their orchestra on Jackie Gleason's CBS television show, which was preserved on kinescope and later released on home video by Gleason. The brothers took the unit on tour and onto their own television show, Stage Show, from 1954 to 1956, on which they introduced Elvis Presley to national television audiences, among others.
Candy
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some say it's honey and the bee,
Well sit right down and let me tell you
What my love is to me.
"Candy"
I call my sugar "Candy"
Because I'm sweet on "Candy"
He/She understands me,
My understanding "Candy"
And "Candy"'s always handy
When I need sympathy
I wish that there were four of him/her
So I could love much more of him/her
He/She has taken my complete heart,
Got a sweet tooth for my sweetheart
"Candy"
Its gonna be just dandy
The day I take my "Candy"
And make him mine all mine
Mine
The song "Candy" by Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra is a classic love song that describes the depth of love between two lovers. The first two lines of the song introduce the metaphor of love being sweet like honey and roses. However, the singer claims that their love is more than just sweet. The main focus of the song is on the singer's partner, whom they call "Candy." The singer is not only sweet on Candy but also enjoys being loved by Candy. The lyrics emphasize Candy's understanding and availability when the singer needs sympathy. The singer's love for Candy is so intense that they wish there were more of Candy to love. The chorus proclaims that the day they take Candy and make them theirs will be dandy.
The song explores the depth of the singer's love for Candy. By using the metaphor of Candy, the lyrics suggest that the singer's love is irresistible and addictive. Candy is not just a lover, but a companion who understands and supports the singer. The words "sweet" and "candy" signify the happiness and delight the singer experiences when they are with Candy. The singer's desire for Candy echoes through the lyrics as they express their wish to love more of Candy and make them theirs. The song Candy reminds listeners that true love is when you find someone who is not only sweet but is also willing to be your partner in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say that love is sweet as a rose,
Love can be compared to a rose's sweetness, according to some.
Some say it's honey and the bee,
Others see love as a relationship between honey and bees.
Well sit right down and let me tell you
Allow me to explain to you my own view of love.
What my love is to me.
This is what I believe love to be for me personally.
"Candy"
This is the nickname I have given to my significant other.
I call my sugar "Candy"
I refer to my sweetheart as "Candy".
Because I'm sweet on "Candy"
I am deeply in love with "Candy".
And "Candy" is sweet on me
"Candy" has affection for me as well.
He/She understands me,
"Candy" has a deep understanding of who I am.
My understanding "Candy"
I also have a comprehensive understanding of "Candy".
And "Candy's" always handy
"Candy" is always there for me when I require support.
When I need sympathy
"Candy" offers me compassion and empathy.
I wish that there were four of him/her
I love "Candy" so much that I wish there were multiple copies of him/her.
So I could love much more of him/her
This would allow me to love even more of "Candy".
He/She has taken my complete heart,
"Candy" has captured my entire heart and attention.
Got a sweet tooth for my sweetheart
I have an intense craving for my darling.
"Candy"
My affectionate nickname for "Candy".
Its gonna be just dandy
I have a strong feeling that everything will be perfect in our relationship.
The day I take my "Candy"
The day I commit to spending my life with "Candy".
And make him mine all mine
I want to make "Candy" solely mine, forever.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joan Whitney, Alex Kramer, Mack David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alan Glasscock
This is NOT Tommy Dorsey. This recording is by Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers, with Paul Weston's band, for Capitol records, 1945.
Lucas Do Mont
Yess
Deborah Cohen
With my cousin Jo Stafford. Alan
Thomas Garbe
the Manhattan Transfer version sounds pretty much the same; fine song -- although I hate sugar.
Thomas Garbe
@Sylvia Carlson the background provided by critical literature forbids an abstract view of sugar as something good:
The toxic truth about sugar https://www.nature.com/articles/482027a ;
W Dufty, Sugar Blues
J Yudkin, Pure, White and Deadly
Sylvia Carlson
Thomas Garbe - Darling, so maybe your sweetheart's name is Broccoli?