A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette," where he used whistling and guitar in unison. He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones. He performed on many film soundtracks, such as Midnight Cowboy, Cinderella Liberty, Jean de Florette, The Sugarland Express, The Yakuza, Turkish Delight, the 1972 version of The Getaway, French Kiss, Dunderklumpen!, and in various television programs, including Sesame Street, whose closing credits (which did not list him accordingly) featured his performance, on harmonica, of the show's theme, the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer series.
Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.
A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette" where he used whistling and guitar in unison. Bluesette became a major 1962 world-wide hit for him and this still much beloved and requested piece has been re-recorded by him and commercially released on records/CDs many times over both in various studio versions and live on-stage performances performed in several different countries. His trademark harmonica playing can also be heard in movie scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (where his plaintive "Moon River" solo in the opening scene brilliantly establishes the film's mood of romance noir), Midnight Cowboy, Bagdad Café, French Kiss, and in various TV programs like Sesame Street, the Belgian TV series Witse and the Dutch TV series Baantjer. His professional whistling and harmonica playing can be heard on Old Spice radio and TV commercials that have been made over the years. In 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, and his trademark harmonica can be heard on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone."
In the 90s Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released the a French flavoured album titled "Chez Toots" that included the Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (The Windmills of My Heart) featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis. This CD continues to sell well.
Today Jean "Toots" Thielemans remains a strong favorite among jazz aficionados and professional critics alike. His music CDs continue to delight (many of which were recorded in the 2000s) and have introduced him to entire new generations of keen fans.
Apart from his popularity as an accomplished musician, he is well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor. In his native Belgium, he is also popular for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang. He received a joint honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in 2001 Thielemans was ennobled a baron by King Albert II of Belgium.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 20th place, in the Walloon version he ended 44th place.
Thielemans may have had a significant impact on The Beatles, (John Lennon in particular), during the group's pre-fame formative years. When performing in a 1959 Hamburg Germany with the pre-fame Beatles, John Lennon (sometimes with fellow Beatle George Harrison in tow) would often go over to the club where Toots was performing (at a noontime venue) as a member of The George Shearing Quintet. Lennon evidently was taken with Toot's harmonica playing and also for the guitar Toots was playing, an electric American made Rickenbacker with a short play neck. Based on the sound Lennon heard, he decided to purchase a natural alder wood "alderglo" colored three pickup Rickenbacker 1958 model 325 Capri guitar with a short scale as former Beatle and friend, George Harrison would recall to various interviewers many years later. (This iconic famous guitar often fondly referred to as the "Holy Grail" of all guitars, which was customized and tinkered with many times over the years by Lennon including being re-painted to jetglo black in September 1962, is the very same guitar that he played on The Beatles first and third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1964).
Toots Thielemans died peacefully in his sleep on August 22, 2016 after being hospitalized for a fall a month earlier.
Body & Soul
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
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For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
Toots Thielemans's "Body & Soul" is a heartfelt love song that centers on the singer's unrequited love for someone who doesn't seem to see or feel the same way about him. The lyrics express the singer's deep longing and sadness for love that seems out of reach. The opening line, "My heart is sad and lonely," underscores the pain that the singer is feeling, and the repetition of the phrase "for you" in the next two lines emphasizes the depth of devotion that the singer feels for the object of his affections.
As the song progresses, the singer speaks of his days spent in longing and his confusion over why he is being ignored. He implores his love interest to see his sincerity and to understand that he is "all for you body and soul." The phrase "body and soul" is incredibly poignant, as it illustrates the all-encompassing nature of the singer's love. He is not just in love with the person's body, but with their whole being.
The final lines of the song are the most powerful, as the singer laments the damage that his unrequited love is doing to him, while still pledging his love and devotion. "My life a wreck you're making / You know I'm yours for the very taking / I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul." This demonstrates the power of love and how deeply it can affect a person even if it isn't reciprocated.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I am feeling depressed and alone
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I am pining for you and only you
Why haven't you seen it
I am wondering why you haven't noticed my feelings for you
I'm all for you body and soul
I am devoted to you with everything I have - mind, body, and spirit
I spend my days in longing
Every day I am consumed with longing for you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I am confused and hurt by the fact that you are not reciprocating my feelings for you
I tell you I mean it
I am being sincere and truthful when I say that I love you
I'm all for you body and soul
I am completely committed to you in every way
I can't believe it
I am in disbelief
It's hard to conceive it
It is difficult for me to imagine that you would reject my love
That you'd turn away romance
I am surprised that you would reject a romantic relationship with me
Are you pretending
I am questioning whether or not you are being honest with me
It looks like the ending
It seems like our relationship is coming to an end
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
I am asking for one more opportunity to show you how much I love you
My life a wreck you're making
You are causing me so much pain and difficulty that my life is in shambles
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I am completely devoted to you and would do anything you ask of me
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I would willingly give up everything for you and devote myself to you completely
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Paul Michael Barry, Phil Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind