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.
Stars Fell On Alabama
Toots Thielemans Lyrics
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All the world a dream come true
Did it really happen, was I really there, was I really there with you?
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama last night
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center just you and me, dear
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
And stars fell on Alabama last night
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
And stars fell on Alabama last night
I never planned in my imagination a situation so heavenly
A fairy land where no one else could enter
And in the center just you and me, dear
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
The lyrics of Toots Thielemans's song "Stars Fell On Alabama" portrays a dreamy ambiance that revolves around the precious moments spent in love. The singer describes his experience of being with his lover under the starry sky of Alabama. He talks about how it felt like living in a fairytale where nobody else could enter except the two of them. The lyrics weave a magical world where the moonlight and magnolia, together with the starlight in the lover's hair, make everything appear stunningly beautiful. The singer questions whether this unrealistic dream-like experience was real or just a figment of his imagination.
The singer reminisces about the memories he shared with his lover, which were almost perfect, and how the stars fell on Alabama, signifying the beauty of their intense connection. The singer further reminisces about the gentleness of his lover's eyes, which were filled with tenderness and admiration, reminding him of those starry skies of Alabama. The lyrics capture the moment of pure pleasure and intense emotion that he never imagined. The imagery of the lyrics gives a sense of ease and serenity, making the listener feel as though they are experiencing the same event.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonlight and magnolia, starlight in your hair
The atmosphere was one of fairy tale romance, with the moonlight illuminating the magnolia trees and stars shining brilliantly in your hair.
All the world a dream come true
Everything seemed too good to be true, as if it were part of a perfect dream.
Did it really happen, was I really there, was I really there with you?
The experience was so surreal and magical that the singer questions whether it was real or just a figment of their imagination.
We lived our little drama, we kissed in a field of white
The artist and their lover were the main characters in their own beautiful love story, sharing a passionate kiss in a snow-covered field.
And stars fell on Alabama last night
The moment was so special that even the stars seemed to be celebrating and falling from the sky.
I can't forget the glamor, your eyes held a tender light
The glamour of the moment and the tender light in their lover's eyes were unforgettable, etched into the singer's memory forever.
I never planned in my imagination a situation so heavenly
The singer never could have imagined a more perfect, heavenly situation.
A fairy land where no one else could enter, And in the center just you and me, dear
The moment felt like a fairy tale, with the artist and their lover as the only participants in their own private paradise.
My heart beat like a hammer, my arms wound around you tight
The artist's heart was racing with excitement and love as they held their lover tightly in their arms.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Perkins, Mitchell Parish
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind