Manone (pronounced "ma-KNOWN") lost an arm in a streetcar accident, which resulted in his nickname of "Wingy". He used a prosthesis, so naturally and unnoticeably that his disability was not apparent to the public.
After playing trumpet and cornet professionally with various bands in his home town, he began to travel across America in the 1920s, working in Chicago, New York City, Texas, Mobile, Alabama, California, St. Louis, Missouri and other locations; he continued to travel widely throughout the United States and Canada for decades.
Wingy Manone's style was similar to that of fellow New Orleans trumpeter Louis Prima: hot jazz with trumpet leads, punctuated by good-natured spoken patter in a pleasantly gravelly voice. Manone was an esteemed musician who was frequently recruited for recording sessions. He played on some early Benny Goodman records, for example, and fronted various pickup groups under pseudonyms like "The Cellar Boys" and "Barbecue Joe and His Hot Dogs." His hit records included "Tar Paper Stomp" (an original riff composition of 1929, later used as the basis for Glenn Miller's "In the Mood"), and a hot 1934 version of a sweet ballad of the time "The Isle of Capri", which was said to have annoyed the songwriters despite the royalties it earned them.
Manone's group, like other bands, often recorded alternate versions of songs during the same sessions; Manone's vocals would be used for the American, Canadian, and British releases, and strictly instrumental versions would be intended for the international, non-English-speaking markets. Thus there is more than one version of many Wingy Manone hits. Among his better records are "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)" (1934, also known as "San Antonio Stomp"), "Send Me" (1936), and the novelty hit "The Broken Record" (1936). He and his band did regular recording and radio work through the 1930s, and appeared with Bing Crosby in the movie Rhythm on the River in 1940.
In 1943 he recorded several tunes as "Wingy Manone and His Cats"; that same year he performed in Soundies movie musicals. One of his Soundies reprised his recent hit "Rhythm on the River."
Wingy Manone's autobiography, Trumpet on the Wing, was published in 1948.
From the 1950s he was based mostly in California and Las Vegas, Nevada, although he also toured through the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe to appear at jazz festivals. In 1957, he attempted to break into the teenage rock-and-roll market with his version of Party Doll, the Buddy Knox hit. His version on Decca 30211 made No. 56 on Billboard's Pop chart and it received a UK release on Brunswick 05655.
Wingy Manone's compositions include "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)" with Miff Mole (1928), "Tar Paper Stomp" (1930), "Tailgate Ramble" with Johnny Mercer, "Stop the War (The Cats Are Killin' Themselves)" (1941), "Trying to Stop My Crying", "Downright Disgusted Blues" with Bud Freeman, "Swing Out" with Ben Pollack, "Send Me", "Nickel in the Slot" with Irving Mills, "Jumpy Nerves," "Mannone Blues," "Easy Like," "Strange Blues", "Swingin' at the Hickory House," "No Calling Card," "Where's the Waiter?," "Walkin' the Streets (Till My Baby Comes Home)," and "Fare Thee Well (Annabelle)". In 2008, "There'll Come a Time (Wait and See)" was used in the soundtrack to the Academy Award-nominated movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Manone is survived by his son Joseph Matthew Manone II and grandson Jimmy Manone, who are both musicians, as well as grandsons Joseph Matthew Manone III and Jon Scott (Manone) Harris.
[edit]Trivia
For many years Manone's good friend Joe Venuti, the brilliant jazz violinist and notorious practical joker, sent Wingy a single cuff link on his birthday.
The Isle of Capri
Wingy Manone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a fine word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
The lyrics of Wingy Manone's song "Isle of Capri" tell the story of a man who meets a woman on the Isle of Capri and falls in love with her. The setting is described as idyllic, with flowers blooming around them while they sit under the shade of an old walnut tree. However, fate appears to be against them as the woman does not reciprocate the man's love. Despite sailing away, he finds that his heart remains with her on the Isle of Capri.
Towards the end of the song, the man makes a final attempt to win the woman over, but she gently rejects him, revealing that she is already married ("She wore a lovely meatball on her finger" and "She wore a plain golden ring on her finger"). The song ends with a bittersweet goodbye between the two, reminding the listener of the brief, yet unforgettable moments of love that can be experienced in life.
Overall, the lyrics are a romantic portrayal of a beautiful location and a fleeting love that cannot be sustained. The contrast between the picturesque scenery of the Isle of Capri and the poignant aspects of the story creates an interesting juxtaposition that makes the song memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
't was on the Isle of Capri that I found her
It was on an Italian island called Capri that I met the person I am referring to
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
We met each other under the cooling shade of a centuries-old walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
Even after time has passed, I can still vividly remember the flowers in full bloom that surrounded her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
That specific island was where we first encountered each other
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
She was incredibly charming and delightful, like a beautiful rose at the break of dawn
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
Despite my strong attraction towards her, it seemed like destiny had other plans for us
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Even though I left the island at the beginning of the day, going along with the flow of the ocean
Still my heart's on the Isle of Capri
My heart remains tied to that island, where I felt something special with her
Summertime was nearly over
The season of summer was almost coming to an end
Blue Italian sky above
The sky of Italy was a beautiful blue color
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
I said to her, "Lady, I am someone who tends to wander and not settle down"
Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
Can you please offer me some words of affection?
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
She gently advised me that it would be best not to stay too long
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
As I kissed her hand, I noticed something else about her
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
She was wearing a beautiful meatball-shaped jewelry item on one of her fingers
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
That was the moment we had to say goodbye, at the grand villa on Capri
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
Again, she kindly advised me that it would be better to not stay too long
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
As I leaned in to kiss her hand, I observed something else
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
She had a simple, golden ring on her finger, likely indicating that she was taken
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
Our farewell was on that charming island of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
Our parting was on that peaceful, unforgettable Italian island
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
It was a final farewell on that beautiful island of Capri, where we had shared such a brief yet impactful chapter of our lives
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIMMY KENNEDY, WILL GROSZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andrewgriffith4807
Great rhythm section here anchored by the outstanding playing of Zutty Singleton!
@Trombonology
I'm sure Wingy would have gotten a big kick out of qualifying as a crooner! I adore his work -- trumpet playing, singing, authentic New Orleans-style jazz band and general fun.
@Croonr1
I just upload what I like :)
@Trombonology
@@Croonr1 Yeah, I was just funning. Love your taste, as I'm sure is apparent.
@banjoduster4772
Mighty purty.
@carolelangston9701
Wingston!!!
@StefanMcKenna
I like this version as well as another one that I'm more familiar with which has a great sax solo. (the much missed Jeff Healey put me onto that recording which is also on YouTube) The clarinet solo in this version is great.
The recording is pitched in F# which I doubt is correct. The other version is in F, so I suspect something funny happened to this recording. (fixable in Audacity etc. if you wish to play along)
@danielweinstein5252
Yes, too fast. I noticed it right away!