This Is It
Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This is it, my great romance,
I want to hang on to this one big chance.
You're mine, my loneliness dies,
I feel fine with stars in my eyes.
Oh, it builds me up to such a height
To know this is so very real and right,
And I thought love passed me by.
But I must admit this is it.

Overall Meaning

The song "This Is It" by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra is a love song that expresses the singer's newfound happiness in love. The lyrics reveal the singer's excitement and elation at finally finding his great romance. He wants to cling onto this chance and is convinced that his loneliness has disappeared. He feels fantastic and as if he is on top of the world. The love is so intense, it's almost too good to be true. The singer previously felt like love had passed him by, but now he acknowledges that this is it - this love is real, right and he's finally found a soulmate.

The songwriters beautifully portray the feelings of someone who has found their true love after waiting for so long. The lyrics are irresistibly nostalgic, communicating the dreamy, romantic feeling of a love that is seemingly tangible after waiting for so long. The way the song progresses and eventually climaxes into the admission of newfound love is both powerful and electric. As the song ends and the crooning voice trails off, listeners are left with a warm, fuzzy feeling in their hearts.

Line by Line Meaning

This is it, my great romance,
This moment is the peak of my love life and the most important to me.

I want to hang on to this one big chance.
I am determined to hold onto this opportunity and make it work.

You're mine, my loneliness dies,
Having you by my side makes me feel whole and eliminates my feelings of being alone.

I feel fine with stars in my eyes.
I am happy and filled with excitement, like the exhilaration of seeing stars in the sky.

Oh, it builds me up to such a height
This experience is uplifting and makes me feel euphoric.

To know this is so very real and right,
Being certain that this love is genuine and meant to be is a tremendous relief.

And I thought love passed me by.
I believed that the chance for love had escaped me.

But I must admit this is it.
Despite my doubts, I now recognize that this love is the real deal.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, ARTHUR SCHWARTZ

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Comments from YouTube:

@ianwhitehead4337

52w↑8

You will never hear their like again. That sound and music belonged to a truly bygone era.

@jstonehouse

1y↑9

Fab! Not sure I’ve seen footage of such a youthful-looking Buddy Rich. ❤

@williamwills225

2y↑14

I saw Buddy live at Ronnie Scott's. I was sat only a few feet away and I am still blown away!

@beeking1792

6w↑1

Rest in peace legend, was taken from us too soon. 😭

@RobConstantine

4y↑269

I met buddy rich in 1981 when his band was at Disneyland..Still have the sticks he gave me..what a moment.

@mattwakefield4147

4y↑9

Rob Constantine so lucky

@MrVanes147

4y↑6

Wow!

@user-cz3bm6fy6t

4y↑4

Lucky and I would like those sticks

@alexscott730

4y↑8

You're lucky he didn't take you outside and show you what it's all about.🤣

@daleandrews9356

4y↑2

I would shadow box and frame those babies!

26 More Replies...

@michaelluzius5704

5y↑240

Wow, it's like a time machine. The images, the sound, everything was clear. And, man those guys really could swing.

@disgruntled_llama

4y↑3

It swings so hard, and yet they all look like they're listening to a sermon on Sunday morning :-D Except for Buddy Rich, of course. I think the guy smiled like that in his sleep.

@raykatos7546

4y↑8

35mm film and perhaps optical or acetate sound. Long before audio tape. Incredible.

@martinh9660

3y↑72

The Ziggy Elman/Chuck Peterson trumpet duet is totally sizzling. This is surely one of the best films of jazz ever made - it captures everything. Virtuoso performances, tight arrangement, brilliant impro, and the film is so clear it could have been made yesterday.

@ccotcamp

2y↑3

During the trumpet duet, dude on the left was just a tad flat (3:42 mark) but quickly adjusted the horn when the opportunity came.

@RhythmOfLines

1y↑2

Jimmy Zito not chuck Petersen In the original take he muffs the solo after Ziggy elman plays it must have been overdubbed?? There is another well git it in stereo on you tube same film

@philipterzian4581

1y↑4

That's Jimmy Zito, not Chuck Peterson, on the duet with Ziggy Elman.

@mikecloud1257

1y↑1

@@ccotcamp I assumed the band was miming to a pre-recorded track. I have this performance on CD in true stereo.

@ccotcamp

1y↑1

@@mikecloud1257 Never know, Mike. Could have been overdubbed also.

4 More Replies...

@dodge4x418

3y↑34

The level of talent is almost unbelievable.

@craiggottschall1055

2y↑11

This clip is from the 1943 MGM Technicolor Film "Dubarry Was A Lady" Starring Red Skelton Lucille Ball Gene Kelly and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. The soundtrack was remixed to Stereo, this because MGM's Sound Department used multiple microphones to create multiple 'tracks'. They were mixed to Monophonic sound(before stereo became available). MGM's Sound Engineers discovered they could mix a better balanced soundtrack using multiple tracks. Years later they remixed the tracks to true stereo. The original recordings were actually quite good and provide great sound. MGM's superior production standards are evident in the entire look of this clip.

@fascistalien

so this is an amazon videoclip

@fascistalien

intereasnte, gracias

@Poisson4147

It was common practice to record the sound track in advance, then have performers mime to it while the cameras rolled. 20th C. Fox had a similar setup, using multiple tracks that were mixed down to mono for theatre release.

Sadly a lot of the studios recorded multi-track recordings as intermediate stages with no long-term value ... and trashed them. Some of these (e.g. partial stereo soundtracks from Glenn Miller's two movies) survived only because someone forgot they'd saved a spare copy or two of the originals.

@user-qh8gv9uj7v

1y↑12

Tommy Dorsy and his band was fantastic and i get a great plеasure listening them

@andrebischoff1035

2y↑6

Was für eine Kultur,ein Genuss!!!

@patricias5122

5y↑94

Love Buddy rich's huge smile and his joy playing those drums

@jen02041

I think that was Gene Krupa

@joshuayue854

4y↑8

Ian Borges nah that's buddy rich

@jen02041

@@joshuayue854 Yeah I see what you're saying now

@247hdjazz

4y↑2

@@jen02041 you're f'n blind!

@blankstares4355

30w

He was having a good ol' time and enjoying himself for sure.

@gv4189

2y↑8

Tommy Dorsey was constantly on at my Dad's house when he was still alive and I can see why. Its clean, its got style and elegance and even if you never heard a song from him, when you do its gonna make you tap your feet. I still enjoy playing all his old records of Tommy and Buddy or Gene Krupa and Frankie. They're music will never die. Crack a cold one open and sit back and smile.

@blujay9191

2y↑1

I heard Buddy Rich say that there was no question that Tommy Dorsey was the finest trumpet player ever.

@thomasleary2814

1y↑3

@@blujay9191Trombone. When the swing era slowed, Tommy didn’t. He went on to play and record some great stuff in the late ‘40’s - like “Trombonology.”

@Poisson4147

23w↑1

@@thomasleary2814 And later went into TV work. His "Stage Show" program is credited with introducing Elvis to much wider audience.

@Rob_Kates

5y↑324

I love everything about this. The dueling pianos, dueling trumpets, Buddy Rich on drums, etc. This may be the perfect big band tune.

@tomloya7366

5y↑6

And a harp...

@mauromendietaanzurez

5y↑1

And dont forget the photograph.

@trumpete53snoho

4y↑4

Does anybody have a personnel list? I'd love to know who the 'dueling trumpets and piano' are, as well as everyone else on stage!!

@rallful

4y↑4

@@trumpete53snoho The trumpeter featured at the beginning was Ziggy Elman, there was an occasional glimpse of Jo Stafford sitting at the back.

@normanflint8757

Me too, colorized, well done,but of course then no coloured guys in the band🙄standard then- great recording..

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@paulprice6330

5y↑338

Damn this is more clearer than some of the videos during the 80's and 90's

@sommerwood2920

5y↑4

Nothing like digital!

@eottoe2001

5y↑17

Deep focus and really great optics at the time.

@ddkoda

5y↑73

@MichaelKingsfordGray Sorry pal. This is a clip from the American film musical "DuBarry Was A lady" which was shot in its entirety in Technicolor. What you're seeing is the real deal. Yes color motion picture film was that good in the 1940's.

@barkbarkwoof1

5y↑28

You're comparing film to video. There were no video or digital cameras that could compare with good film stock until recently.

@zerekx

5y↑19

Shot on film, no tape...

27 More Replies...

@shailor13

5y↑713

I thought the dude at the very beginning was making trombone noises with his mouth until they panned to the real trombone

@thecrippledrummer

5y↑50

Exactly😂

@PARTYFUNZEL

5y↑12

same here!

@leighton_lam

5y↑5

Same hahaha

@gkovalik1

4y↑9

Yuuup.... got me too

@F0nkyNinja

4y↑19

You'll want to look up the Mills Brothers for real mouth trombone.

46 More Replies...

@chrisjenkins9978

4y↑20

The first time I’ve ever seen a young Buddy Rich.

@Poisson4147

4y↑6

And Tommy was all of 38 at the time, too.

@jefffraley7094

4y↑2

Me too

@sammyvh11

5y↑61

Insane video quality. Like being there. Rip to the greats

@Poisson4147

4y↑6

The incredible clarity is because it's Technicolor film, the best available at the time. In 1943 the technology for videotape, especially in color, hadn't been invented yet.

@inricristo729

4y↑1

Verdade, a qualidade é incrível, magnífica para a época de 1943...👍

@robertkeefer1552

4y↑8

I can picture my Father a WWII Navy veteran listening to this on board the AS16 "Howard W. Gilmore" cruising around the Pacific Theater. RIP Dad.

@davetrayford

1y↑2

Wow! Fantastic Cut of "Well, Get It" with AWSOME 1st and 2nd Trumpeters absolutely NAILING the duet in high register!! This cut and this band clearly set the highest standard for this very difficult piece of music,,,we tried so hard, but even at an awsome HS our top jazz band could never quite "hack" it like this! This is beautiful and beautiful to have preseverved for generations long after the muscians have passed! Thanks for posing this!🙃😜😜

@billybob5337

2y↑19

Tommy is of course a big band/swing legend who helped Sinatra break out into becoming a star. What ISNT talked about as much, is that Tommy had a very notable role in helping to push Elvis into national stardom as well. It was Tommy who first gave Elvis a national platform. He took a tremendous amount of heat for booking Elvis, but refused to cave to pressure, and brought Elvis on his show 5 more times before anyway else tried him. A move that was also unpopular with Tommy's band, who thought Elvis was a joke. But Tommy predicted that Elvis was going to become one of the next big superstars, and wanted to do his part to move the process along. Tommy Dorsey helped Rock and Roll cement itself as a new popular genre. Dorsey was a real man of the people. “I don’t particularly care for his type of music, but that’s the teen-agers’ choice and if they like it we’ll give it to them. Only time will tell if he has any lasting qualities. The kids want Elvis now and they should be able to have him.”-Tommy Dorsey

@Poisson4147

2y↑8

Thank you! TD featured Elvis on his "Stage Show" television program. There are several clips available on YouTube.

As with his contemporary Glenn Miller, you really ache for what Tommy (and Jimmy too) might have done if fate hadn't taken them from us.

@gregorykayne6054

23w

His brother Jimmy, a legendary sax player co-lead the 50"s band.

@gregorykayne6054

23w

😊Miller was an arranger and the third leader with no name on the marque for the Dorseys in the mid-1930's.

@deebee9751

4y↑79

Everybody in this video are all dead!! But damn,They kicked ass in the 40s for sure. I would love to see this band today but yea,Im dreamin. lol

@jackhendrikson1325

Soon everybody liking this music will also be dead

@tracygallaway36

2y↑5

This band`absolutely COOKS. Incredible production quality for 80, ok just 79 years ago! And Buddy, well this shows that he was a MONSTER drummer his whole life!

@dawntraveler42

4y↑70

That can't be Buddy Rich, he's smiling throughout the performance.

@holywells

3y↑10

Yep, because he was very young here and didn't have many problems to deal with.

@commanderstraker1082

3y↑6

Smiling? He's having a blast!

@charleskaye2448

3y↑3

He was just the drummer. Good or bad he got paiď

@thehottomatoesdanceorchest1673

3y↑6

They are obviously having a great time! That's what playing this style is all about!

@horatiodreamt

3y↑3

There's a YT vid of Buddy Rich in his mid-40s doing a 20-minute, non-stop drum solo.

16 More Replies...

@leeenfieldsmle

5y↑20

What a phenomenal career Buddy had considering that he was still playing until his death 43 years after this. He became a Marine at this time as well. I believe we will never see the likes of his extraordinary prowess behind the kit. The gold standard of drumming. BTW what a sensational clip of professional understated musicians.

@247hdjazz

5y↑1

BIRD LOVED BUDDY!

@questionauthority7377

Why are they underrated ?? because you said so fuck off

@tombrown1796

4y↑3

@@questionauthority7377 He said underSTATED -- not underRATED. Reading is fundamental, chief; guess it's your turn to fuck off

@jckhammer

4y↑1

question authority you need a chalkboard or a clipboard to comprehend context superstar. Best to take your own hotshot advice and fuck off first jaggoff. Unbelievable

@agrobeson6471

28w

Buddy and the Marines had a rather messy parting of the ways, I heard...

@jamestcallahanphotographer

4y↑98

Buddy once said in an interview that Mr. Dorsey demanded “absolute perfection.” As did, I’m sure, all the other legendary bandleaders he played for. And the way this band played, you can hear it.

@sirshallo3471

2y↑8

So did buddy 😂 🤬

@WPM_in_ATL

2y↑6

Benny Goodman had no tolerance for slackers, either.

@Poisson4147

2y↑6

@@WPM_in_ATL Goodman was famous for giving players "The Ray" if they messed up. If you were "rayed" you either fixed what was wrong or found a different band. Glenn Miller was similar. He'd sometimes have the guys go over a single phrase dozens of times until it was right

@surferpam1

2y↑1

@@WPM_in_ATL Artie Shaw too.

@blujay9191

2y↑2

Not limited to big band guys either. I've heard that James Brown would fine his guys for mistakes. Saw a video where his bass player said that he got fined $50 once and asked James B why $50 when the usual fine was $25 and was told that it was because Quincy Jones was in the audience.

1 More Replies...

@JohnNiemsMusic

5y↑43

Now that was simply FANTASTIC!!!!! Loved every note PLAYED be each musician here!

@westonknight7474

4y↑22

I forever have loved it when every single member (no matter how large or small a group or band it is) is a total......TOTAL virtuoso or BEAST on their instrument. This is soooooo very cool to watch and listen too. These folks really knew their stuff to the point where (at any time) the leader could just point to any one........and they would just kill it. My word, for me, this is just fascinating to watch and to listen to, no matter what the musical genre. This video was wonderful.

@craigkopcho7394

2y↑6

Gotta love the drummer. Buddy and Gene were drum kings.

@johnnyrockett5754

4y↑46

I always loved this number. I can't believe it exists in such beautiful audio and video. An absolute treasure. Thank you so much for posting this gem!!

@Bogframe

4y↑2

Film! The soundtrack is pure analogue!

@Poisson4147

4y↑1

@@Bogframe I'm amazed at how many people assume digital color video existed in 1943 😛. EVERYTHING was analogue.

@Bogframe

4y↑2

@@Poisson4147 video IS analogue, but videotape wasn't invented until the 1950s. The sound on film is visual analogue and as pure as it gets.

@Poisson4147

4y↑1

@@Bogframe "Pure" is the word for it. Optical tracks were years ahead of anything done on commercial 78s*. It's a shame the process wasn't used beyond film sound tracks, it would be beyond awesome to hear more of the bands of that era in (near) high fidelity.

* The pedant in me has to mention that extended-frequency 78s did exist but very few were ever made because they weren't practical for home playback.

@Bogframe

4y↑1

@@Poisson4147 digitally scanned and free from noise caused by the Shellac they were pressed from, 78s can deliver decent sound, but it wasn't until vinyl that fildelity caught up to film.

@phillipecook3227

4y↑47

If I travelled back and stepped from a time machine this is what I'd hope to see ....

@philjamieson5572

4y↑1

If they ever invent that time machine, I'll see you there.

@silverdrumvideo

2y↑2

Excellent picture and sound quality for something that was filmed nearly 80 years ago!

@Poisson4147

The movie studios were years ahead of the record companies when it came to making high-quality transcriptions. And thank heavens for that!

@erniebuck7986

13w

I replay this at least 3 or 4 times a week. Can't get enough!

@ethelryan257

4y↑51

Buddy rich was barely 26 years old and more than holding his own with the best of the best

@tomcooper6108

4y↑3

At age 26 Buddy had been playing drums 23 years.

@jason60chev

4y↑2

@@tomcooper6108 He was with Artie Shaw in the late 30s.

@clubhouseme

4y↑3

I'm sure Dorsey was beyond happy to have Buddy Rich in his band.

@Meme-zc4cw

4y↑2

He was holding his own at 5.

@elwoodblues9613

4y↑3

Buddy Rich was the best of the best. Even Neal Peart might have thought so.

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@ronningvideo

3y↑1

🎶🎺Thank you very much for praising and sharing this jewel made of gold that enhances my love for jazz!!!! 🥁🥁. Greetings from Argentina!!!. 🎶

@jamieseiple

3y↑1

It was an era never to be seen again...

@timujin02

5y↑17

Boy, would it be nice to be back in time in that room with them!

@247hdjazz

YOU CAN! ITS CALLED REGRESSIVE TRAVEL....WHAT YEAR WOULD YOU LIKE?

@alexmontgomery255

4y↑20

This is about as good as it gets. Brilliant.

@dkemm2013

1y↑1

those guys are from another planet- just crazy good- makes me wince playing my little rock and roll stuff on my guitar...

@brianmackey6923

31w↑1

What a time to be alive

@mikecloud1257

3y↑2

Incredible performance, showmanship and photography.

@yogibeer9319

3y↑3

I got to see Buddy Rich and his orchestra playing in a theatre venue in the late 60s and man could that cat bring the house down

@walcoman

2y↑7

If they ever created a time machine, I'm definitely putting this on my list, I'd kill to hear and witness it live!

@glenngriffon8203

2y↑1

Thanks. My kind of Music. They were Real Artists & still sound great all of these years later.

@Holdington

5y↑6

25 years ago today this man played his last show. RIP my Buddy!

@brendanokeefemusic-

1y↑1

This is crystal clear for 1943!!!

@sticktrik

5y↑72

Amazing footage & colour reproduction!!! Thanks for taking us back in time vividly!!!!!

@sommerwood2920

5y↑2

@MichaelKingsfordGray Yeah would have seen this before if it was real. Rich had no feel anyway just noise. Black drummers much better and some others Morello etc.was Dave Tough white? Gene Krupa.

@thecrippledrummer

5y↑5

Sommer Wood yeah, we get it. You don’t like Buddy. Move on

@thecrippledrummer

5y↑6

Sommer Wood yes, Dave was white. Are you going to not like him now?

@sommerwood2920

@@thecrippledrummer Good I thought he was. Proves my point. Quality over hype.

@luckyvet

5y↑1

@@sommerwood2920 Racist bitch! MAGA 2020. Greetings from Canada.

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@terrytk9398

5y↑29

Buddy is a complete natural - a joy to watch. Great band & film.😀

@styldsteel1

2y↑3

Nice to see Jimmy and Tommy together.

@albiondi4078

4y↑8

THIS WAS ONE HECK OF AN ALL STAR BAND INDEED! T.D. WAS THE CADILLAC OF THE BIG BANDS

@Poisson4147

4y↑1

Not to take ANYTHING away from Tommy, but imho the AAF Band was his equal in quality and musicianship.

@marcusaureliusgermanicus4184

4y↑155

Never underestimate the huge role that Big Band/Swing music played in the Allies winning WWII.

@BlueEuph

4y↑7

David Becker absolutely bro! This one probably got them hyped the fucked up!! I did for me!!

@owenkrahl7446

4y↑2

@james crowe How so

@joesantamaria5874

4y↑2

james crowebot

@Meme-zc4cw

4y↑2

@@BlueEuph This jacks me up! Makes me feel like the ultimate alpha fucking male! Damn, I want to fucking punch a baby I am so jacked!

@esmeephillips5888

4y↑4

Yes, the musicals of WW2 are the soundtrack to a nation on the march, led by its youth. From being caught with its pants down in November '41 to bestriding the planet less than four years later- it soon became the country that could turn out a Liberty Ship in a week.

Swing and jitterbug witnessed to the faster tempo of civilian life once the USA was united in its purpose. Orchestras were a bunch of virtuosi under the baton of a commander and working to the same end, like military units. They combined discipline with individual flair.

The Greatest Generation birthed pretty great popular music. But after 1945 it all fell apart quite soon, like the big bands. America went back to quarreling and divisiveness. Jazz became 'progressive' and 'cool', not danceable, played by small groups and often pretentiously dessicated. Then rock and roll shoved it to one side.

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@stuartdryer1352

5y↑23

Those guys swung hard. Great musicians all around.

@johnjohnson8812

1y↑1

What a delight! he was absolutely peerless on that slide trombone!!

@stankatic8182

4y↑2

The boogie woogie drummer boy of poke a hole in it ! As a 18 year old I was so fortunate to see him and his big band at River Oaks in Calumet City, Illinois in think it was 1974 and it was free! What an awesome drummer and show .

@paulharmon557

4y↑7

Real testament to what 40's engineers could do when allowed to pull out all the stops.

@dmsdrumcovers9506

30w↑2

Now that’s a band!

@robinkey4499

4y↑5

76 years old still fantastic

@thomasleary2814

79 and ditto.

@abidababida7096

5y↑14

wow, clear, in color, fabulous video

@CriticalListener

5y↑2

This was taken from the 1943 movie DUBARRY WAS A LADY. It's on film, not videotape. That's why it's so clear!

@mloiaco

4y↑3

Man this was a great music moment.

@MrAudioProducer

5y↑49

The Great Ziggy Elman on Trumpet!

@247hdjazz

4y↑8

and Jimmy Zito!

@tuxguys

Really!
Before or after his time with Benny Goodman?

@erichanson3961

4y↑1

@@tuxguys after

@DrummingMan1

4y↑21

One amazing thing about Buddy was that he hit just as hard in his 60s as he did here in his 20s! Wonderful to have all this old footage made available on YouTube TV!

@MIKIEEYEZ1975

4y↑1

keith Gillard except that he wasn’t in his 30’s here. He was only 25-26 here!!

@DrummingMan1

Michael Arbassio corrected! Thank you! You were right!

@tommyron

Here's the truly amazing thing to me - If you watch footage of Buddy beginning with this period and go all the way up through the 80s, he actually gets BETTER. It's the mark of a true genius.

@drum7989

4y↑2

At first I didn’t believe this was a 1943 video..very beautiful! It makes me go back with imagination..thx 👍🏻

@RoryVanucchi

5y↑6

Ziggy Elman. Dorsey. Buddy. One of those clips that captures the swing Era at it's late peak. Tommorow had some huge stars go through.

@68ratwagon

4y↑8

Yeaahh, this is gold!!!!
Like its recorded yesterday🤘

@deeguenveur9987

4y↑5

Nothing beats the big band sound!!

@MrTrackman100

5y↑13

Wow! Just think how much total hours and years of practice and intelligent dedication are found here! Over a million?

@bholaoates1542

4y↑1

Yep. And that's just the musicians. The people on the other side of the camera involved in the production of this gem must have been pretty dedicated too.

@arame29

6y↑38

Love it.
Technicolor, too.

@jasonhood2453

5y↑10

MichaelKingsfordGray Wrong. It’s an excerpt from “Du Barry Was A Lady” which was filmed in technicolor. This hasn’t been “colorized.”

@Poisson4147

4y↑4

@@jasonhood2453 He keeps insisting "colorized!" no matter how many people point out that it's full-on Technicolor.

To borrow a phrase, "knows more than all the film historians" 😄

@Johnnycdrums

3y↑5

Buddy killin’ it, as usual.

@MultiChops

4y↑6

A swinging Sy Oliver composition. His music gave this band new energy!!

@esmeephillips5888

3y↑1

Tommy brought him in to stop the band getting too 'sweet' and set in its ways. I have a feeling TD also feared little Jimmy's team would swing harder. It was a timely move, bc with the war the national pulse quickened and the upbeat side of band repertoires got wilder: zoot suits and jitterbuggers.

@elainemagson8981

6y↑10

Fantastic quality ...great band ...buddy rich ,the king of drums ..period !

@clarkewi

5y↑7

Phenomenal. Like a time machine.

@gabrielarias3937

5y↑3

WOW!! I never thought I would see a smile on Buddy Rich's face. Awesome guy.

@eric_in_florida

I thought the same. Guess he was forced to because it was a feature film.

@kevinbollinger2083

@@eric_in_florida I'm thinking there was some cutting up happening between Buddy and one of the piano players. You can see the piano player facing Buddy grinning. It was supposed to be Joe Belkin, but there might have been an actor in his place. The other piano player with Milt Rask, who was phenomenal with his stride playing!

@williambeck6364

5y↑25

Wow, Tommy so solid! And Buddy so fast and swingin`. Amazing how well his swing era SOUND carried over into his modern big bands.

@pipper70

3y↑1

The clarity of the video and sound made it seem like it was shot yesterday. So cool.

@edlococo4106

5y↑11

Even at a young age, Buddy Rich shows he was a better player than most rock players today.

@bertierussell427

That’s because jazz and rock drumming ain’t the same at all.

@blujay9191

From the intro the Buddy Rich biography "Traps The Wonder Drummer" ... "His career started when he was two years old in his parents' Vaudeville act, and by the time he was four he was the highest paid child performer in the world."

@CeeTeeUSA

4y↑2

This is fire, love how it starts calmly and then it's jumping off the chain...

@tripsadelica

5y↑2

Young people take note... Spotlessly clean, supremely skilled and talented and just wonderful.

@celticpridedrums

5y↑12

love the suits, love the sound, love Buddy

@ginzaretoro

5y↑3

I saw Mr. Clark Yocum as a guitarist for the first time. Thank you very much.

@Ed-lz4jv

4y↑1

I saw Buddy rich band 3 times in my life , all in MA...small jazz clubs in the 80s what a drummer

@thyslop1737

The set, the costumes, the lighting, camera work and music just amazing.

@Johnnycdrums

6y↑27

Years ago I found a VHS tape of this 1943 movie, "Du Barry" along the roadside in somebody's trash.
Thought it was going to be junk until I started watching it, and found out
The Tommy Dorsey Band and my all time drum idol, Buddy Rich, were featured throughout, and in color too.

@haroldbregman2102

5y↑8

Fabulous. The quality of this video is great

@Poisson4147

That's because it's a Technicolor film (MGM, DuBarry Was a Lady 1943) rather than a video. Nothing could match it for clarity and color that "popped". Awesome!
Videotape wasn't developed until years after this was made, and didn't approach film clarity for a long time after that.

@imploud

5y↑8

One of the best songs made by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra!!!!!

@johnguilfoil8738

5y↑6

i did a jimmy dorsey tour with Henry Questa doing this tune...man could play...Ziggy Elman! R.I.P. Ted (THEO)Bowden and Randy Lintott, my friends

@randysteele6741

So that's one of the bands Henry Questa was in prior to his time with Welk. Superb player as was the great trombonist, Bob Havens.

@athruzathruz

5y↑2

The colors look more real than a lot of enhanced videos of today, and to think that most if not all these cats are gone. What a great footage for families of these musicians to see. Love u-tube.....

@Poisson4147

It was done on Technicolor film, which just "pops" with color and contrast. The clip is from "DuBarry Was a Lady".

@patricias5122

3y↑4

I love to think of World War II soldiers (like my dad) listening to this and loving it ; I hope it made their days and nights better.

@wheres_bears1378

4y↑3

Awesome video quality it feels
Like your in the room with them

@bobgilbert7362

4y↑3

Wonderful music played by some really fine musicians!

@AmericasChoice

4y↑1

Wow, tight band. All the solos were great.

@mrbuddyi

6y↑12

Great clip....great band and of course.......great drummer!

@styldsteel1

This just makes me smile.

@normanzierler9028

5y↑127

No one drove a band like Buddy! Everyone talks about his phenomenal speed but he also had exquisite taste and feel

@bcdrummer1962

5y↑7

well said and so true!

@dplumpp

5y↑4

Norman Zierler totally agree! his stuff as a studio musician with small groups in the fifties is super underrated as well. I think he had a lot of potential to be a bop guy before he did his own group

@sommerwood2920

5y↑1

Don't agree. No feel.

@bcdrummer1962

5y↑6

@@sommerwood2920 no feel? That's a very sad comment, I'd love you to open your ears to what feel is my friend. Listen to (for example) Billie's Bounce with his trio, and Prelude to a Kiss on Roar of '74, then come back and make the case that Buddy Rich has no feel.

@sommerwood2920

5y↑2

@@bcdrummer1962 Unfortunately for you I have never liked Buddy Rich. No feel.

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@sherylmcleod4888

4y↑2

This is so awesome. Love how this song arrangement so effectively allows the talent of each of these musicians to stand out and yet they blend beautifully together as well. Also amazing video quality, I feel like I've gone back in time and am swinging with the band.

@wesdo77

2y↑1

WOW, what a great performance!

@humphreygruntwhistle3946

31w↑2

This was 80 years ago(!)

@bruced47

5y↑13

What a great band, very precise, but still swinging and having fun!

@douglasburnett7731

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. Simpler times.

@robertvillarreal4525

4y↑1

What an amazing period to have been young. My aunt & uncle were good dancing partners to this, I was told by my Mom.

New York & San Francisco were the places to be.

My awesome friend Jimmy Abatiello can play it good.