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.
I'm In The Mood
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Simply because you're near me.
Funny, but when you're near me
I'm in the mood for love.
Heaven is in your eyes
Bright as the stars we're under
Oh! Is it any wonder
Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade?
We've put our hearts together
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
If there's a cloud above
If it should rain we'll let it
But for tonight, forget it!
I'm in the mood for love
The lyrics from Tommy Dorsey's song "In The Mood For Love" speak of an individual's desire for love and how the mere presence of their significant other can put them in the mood. The lyrics establish a sense of intimacy and closeness between two people where the individual is so enamored by their significant other, they are willing to ignore any obstacle in their path. The song speaks of the heaven in their significant other's eyes, and the stars represent the limitless possibilities and hope that the future holds for both of them. The inclusion of the line "why stop to think of whether this little dream might fade" emphasizes how love is all-consuming, and one cannot be preoccupied with doubt when they are under the influence of such strong feelings.
The song's message emphasizes that irrespective of the condition or circumstance, love can give one the courage and confidence to overcome any obstacle. The lyrics in the last line of the song "But for tonight, forget it! I'm in the mood for love" highlights the moments where one should forget the outside world and live in the moment, focusing solely on the passionate feelings they share with their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the mood for love
I'm feeling romantic and affectionate.
Simply because you're near me.
Being close to you makes me feel this way, without any specific reason.
Funny, but when you're near me
It's strange, but every time you're close, the feeling arises.
Heaven is in your eyes
The way you look at me is pure bliss.
Bright as the stars we're under
Your gaze is as radiant as the stars above us.
Oh! Is it any wonder
It's no surprise that I feel this way given how you look at me.
Why stop to think of whether
Why bother considering if this feeling will last when we can just enjoy the moment.
This little dream might fade?
Will this feeling disappear?
We've put our hearts together
We've joined our emotions.
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
This connection makes me feel safe and fearless.
If there's a cloud above
Even if there are obstacles, like a cloud above us,
If it should rain we'll let it
If it rains, we'll accept it.
But for tonight, forget it!
Let's forget about any potential negative factors and just enjoy tonight.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@raydevone1824
Soo suweet!
@johnmartinez6092
TOMMY WAS A GREAT BAND LEADER-TROMBONIST AND ARRANGER OF HIS DAY!!
@FrancisNStein
I'm going to listen to this same song for hours..wanna know why? Today is the 25th Anniversary of the death of my MomMom Shirley. She loved Dorsey. I tried to take her to a Glenn Miller's Orchestra concert eons ago but she wanted Dorsey. I see now why..more a romantic orchestrator. But..I had fun 30 years ago as the "Head" night shift Host and Banquet manager of The Air Transport Command restaurant. We played this beautiful music to s lot of folks that remembered it. I remember those beautiful people just as well. G'Night America, and all the ships at sea....this is DJ David-Lee and we are...."In the Mood...."
@bobboscarato8313
Beautiful tone and right type of vibrato. Circular breathing a must for his long notes. He could also improvise but preferred everything written into the arrangement which its a smart choice when dealing with 15 or 20 musicians at the same time.