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.
How Long Has This Been Going On
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where have I been all these years?
Little wow, tell me now
How long has this been goin' on?
There were chills up my spine
And some thrills I can't define
Listen sweet, I repeat
Oh, I feel that I could melt
Into heaven I'm hurled
I know how Columbus felt
Finding another world
Kiss me once, then once more
What a dunce I was before
What a break, for heaven's sake
How long has this been goin' on?
Let me dream that it's true
Kiss me twice, then once more
That makes thrice, let's make it four
What a break, for heaven's sake
How long has this been goin' on?
Toots Thielemans's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" is a romantic ballad that explores the intense emotions of a lover who has recently discovered the depth of their affections for their partner. The lyrics reflect a sense of wonder and amazement at the realization that these feelings have always been present, but only now being acknowledged. The line "Where have I been all these years?" highlights the astonishment and confusion that often accompany the sudden realization of deep love.
The imagery of the first verse, through lines like "salty tears" and "chills up my spine," convey the waves of intense emotion that come with realizing the depth of one's love. The second verse builds on this feeling of wonder, with the singer feeling as though they have found a whole new world with their partner. They are so caught up in this world that they feel as though they could "melt into heaven."
The final verses of the song are a plea for the partner to continue to kiss them, with the repetition of "How long has this been going on?" conveying the euphoria and disbelief that the singer feels about their newfound love. The final line, "Let me dream that it's true," reflects the feeling of blissful disbelief that often comes with falling in love.
Overall, "How Long Has This Been Going On?" captures the intense mix of emotions that come with the discovery and acknowledgement of deep love. It is a beautiful tribute to the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I could cry salty tears
I am so overwhelmed with emotion that I could cry tears of salt.
Where have I been all these years?
I have been missing out on something amazing and I'm unsure how I could've gone without it all this time.
Little wow, tell me now
I am in utter shock and amazement, please explain this to me.
How long has this been goin' on?
Tell me, how long has this incredible thing been happening and how did I not know about it?
There were chills up my spine
I am so overcome with emotion that I experienced a physical response.
And some thrills I can't define
There are some feelings that are just so amazing that I can't even put them into words.
Listen sweet, I repeat
Please pay attention, because what I'm about to say is important and needs to be heard again.
Oh, I feel that I could melt
I am so blissfully happy that I feel like I could dissolve into nothingness.
Into heaven I'm hurled
I am experiencing pure ecstasy and it feels like I am being transported to heaven.
I know how Columbus felt
I now understand the feeling of discovering something incredible that was previously unknown.
Kiss me once, then once more
Please kiss me twice, because one isn't enough to express how much I love you.
What a dunce I was before
I feel foolish for not realizing how incredible this situation was earlier.
What a break, for heaven's sake
This is an amazing opportunity, and I can't believe how lucky I am to be experiencing it.
Let me dream that it's true
Please, let me savor this moment and believe that it is real, because it is so wonderful.
Kiss me twice, then once more
Please, let this incredible moment continue, because I want to hold onto it for as long as possible.
That makes thrice, let's make it four
I don't want this to end, please let me keep experiencing this wonderful thing.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM C HANDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marixyuen
It is haunting in short.