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.
Like Someone in Love
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hearing guitars like someone in love.
Sometimes the things I do astound me,
Mostly whenever you're around me.
Lately I seem to walk as though I had wings,
Bump into things like someone in love.
Each time I look at you,
I'm limp as a glove,
In these lyrics, Tommy Dorsey's song "Two In Love," the singer expresses their deep infatuation and enchantment with someone. The opening lines depict the singer's state of mind as they find themselves captivated by the beauty of the stars and the sweet melody of guitars. This suggests that their love has brought a newfound appreciation for the world around them.
The lyrics further reveal that the singer is taken aback by the effect this person has on them. They feel astonished by the things they do in their presence, implying that their love has transformed them in unexpected ways. The following lines describe how the singer feels as if they are walking on air, experiencing a sense of weightlessness and euphoria whenever this person is nearby. They also admit to clumsiness, suggesting that their intense emotions might be distracting them from the outside world.
The final lines convey the profound impact of this person on the singer's emotional state. The comparison to a limp glove emphasizes their vulnerability and the power this person holds over them. They express the overwhelming feeling of being in love, where every look from the beloved evokes a sense of enchantment and enchantment.
Overall, these lyrics beautifully capture the exhilaration and vulnerability associated with being deeply in love. The singer's admiration for their beloved is portrayed through the vivid imagery and the candid admission of the transformative effect that love has on their perception of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars
Recently, I catch myself spending time admiring the beauty of the stars in the night sky
Hearing guitars like someone in love
Perceiving the sweet melodies of guitars with an infatuated heart
Sometimes the things I do astound me
Occasionally, my own actions surprise and amaze me
Mostly whenever you're around me
Mainly when you are in my presence
Lately I seem to walk as though I had wings
Recently, I walk with a light and carefree step, as if I possessed wings
Bump into things like someone in love
Accidentally collide with objects in my path, reminiscent of someone deeply in love
Each time I look at you
Every instance when I gaze upon you
I'm limp as a glove
I become weak and powerless, akin to a loose glove
And feeling like someone in love
Experiencing emotions and sensations characteristic of a person deeply in love
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@swingman5635
One of Bonnie's loveliest vocals,and that's saying alot,because they were all wonderful.
@jourwalis-8875
Tommy Dorsey with full strings again.......