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.
Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Lyrics
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If you're not by my side,
I stay home by my radio,
But I'm satisfied!
All my flirtin' days are gone,
On the level from now on!
Don't go for any excitement now,
All my opinions have changed somehow,
Old-fashioned as can be!
When you really learn to care,
There's a thrill in solitaire!
Keepin' ou of mischief now,
Really am in love, and how!
I'm through playing with fire,
It's you whom I desire!
All the world can plainly see
You're the only one for me!
I've told them in advance
They can't break up our romance!
Living up to every vow,
I'm keepin' out of mischief now!
All the world can plainly see
That you're the only one for me!
Say I've told them, told them in advance
That they can't break up our romance!
Living up to every vow,
I'm keepin', keepin' out of mischief now!
The lyrics to "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" by Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra speak about the singer's commitment to their significant other and their decision to stop engaging in any behavior that could harm their relationship. They suggest that they now find satisfaction in simply being near their partner, listening to the radio, and reading books. The tone of the lyrics is one of contentment and conviction, suggesting that the singer has made a deliberate decision to change their ways.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer has experienced a personal transformation. They claim that their "flirtin' days are gone" and that they are now "old-fashioned as can be." They seem to be saying that they have grown up and are no longer interested in chasing after excitement and thrills. Instead, they have found fulfillment and enjoyment in their relationship, even when they are alone. They find "a thrill in solitaire," suggesting that they have learned to enjoy their own company.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't even go to a movie show
I'm not interested in anything that doesn't involve being with you.
If you're not by my side,
I need you with me to enjoy anything.
I stay home by my radio,
If I can't be with you, I'll just stay home and listen to music.
But I'm satisfied!
You make me happy and I don't need anything else.
All my flirtin' days are gone,
I used to be a flirt, but I'm serious about you now.
On the level from now on!
I'm being honest and sincere with you going forward.
Don't go for any excitement now,
I don't need any more excitement in my life because I have you.
Books are my best company.
I enjoy reading in my spare time.
All my opinions have changed somehow,
My views on life have shifted since I fell in love with you.
Old-fashioned as can be!
I'm traditional in my beliefs and values.
When you really learn to care,
When you truly care about someone,
There's a thrill in solitaire!
Being alone can be exciting when you love someone who's not with you.
Keepin' ou of mischief now,
I'm staying out of trouble now.
Really am in love, and how!
I'm head-over-heels in love with you!
I'm through playing with fire,
I'm done taking risks and flirting with danger.
It's you whom I desire!
You're the one I want to be with.
All the world can plainly see
Everyone can see
You're the only one for me!
That you're the only person I love and want to be with.
I've told them in advance
I've already warned other people
They can't break up our romance!
That they can't come between us and our love.
Living up to every vow,
I'm keeping all my promises
I'm keepin' out of mischief now!
I'm staying out of trouble and being faithful to you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Razaf, Thomas 'Fats' Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind