A while back I put up a video of Perry Como singing one of my favorite underappreciated songs from the classic American songbook, “Without a Song,” At that time I bemoaned the fact that my favorite version, by the great (and also underappreciated) Billy Eckstine (1914-1993), wasn’t available. But I found it the other day, and submit it for your approval.
Like Nat King Cole and Johnny Hartman, Eckstine was one of the first black men to cross over into mainstream popularity as a vocalist. As Lionel Hampton said of him, “He was one of the greatest singers of all time…. We were proud of him because he was the first Black popular singer singing popular songs in our race. We, the whole music profession, were so happy to see him achieve what he was doing. He was one of the greatest singers of that era … He was our singer.” Agreed! Eckstein’s voice, richly mellifluous, is immediately recognizable.
“Without a Song” was written in 1929 by Vincent Youmans, with lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu. As I noted in my previous post, the original lyrics said, “A darkey’s born, but he ain’t no good no how–without a song.” That racist version was changed by all later singers, including Eckstine, to “A man is born. . . “.
I think that this version, put up so recently that it has only three views on YouTube, was made with Eckstine’s own band. It’s performed at a tempo faster than every other version I’ve heard, but I like it this way:
Bily Eckstine had a great voice no doubt, but another Singers Singer for me also underated was the great Brook Benton. This shows his range off wonderfully.
Wow, never knew about the darkey’s born lyrics.
I can’t get your Eckstine to open??
Here’s my favorite Benton:
http://youtu.be/QJ4e6RuXguo
Regionally restricted (to the US). Need to use a YouTube proxy/bypass scheme. This works most of the time:
https://www.filterbypass.me/
(Paste the full YT url in the field.)
David
Great, thanks. I will remember this site. Yes, Ekstine is great. Wonderful voice. ‘Course, Como and Lanza are not bad either.
The first time I heard Lanza’s version, I was bloody absolutely slain. I had never heard the song before. (Serendipity is wonderful.) Most worthy of your trouble to call it up online. (From the Broadway show, “Great Day,” IIRC, in 1927.)
Elvis was once asked to whom he liked to listen. Whatever else he said, he said, “Anything by Mario Lanza.” When Elvis was chosen by the Jaycees (whatever one may think of such organizations) as one of the “Outstanding Young Men” of 1971, at the awards banquet he quoted the lyrics to this song as part of his acceptance remarks. He seemed to be genuinely, sincerely moved. (Sorry if I got too maudlin on you. 😉 )
Nice story! 🙂
Here it is!
https://youtu.be/77xiotblCxY
Thanks, David. I’ll give it a try.
Thanks! That’s a beautiful version of one of my all-time favourite songs. I remember being blown away by the Shirelles’ version as a teenager, and later by Carole King’s own interprtation on Tapestry. I think the lyrics are brilliant (it should really be sung by a woman, about angst over sleeping with her boyfriend for the first time), and was surprised to learn that they were written by Gerry Goffin, not Carole King as I had assumed.
Can’t remember im ever making a bad Recording.
My favorite version is by Dinah Washington: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhiF-nSEh-8
Great phrasing, and nearly a lost art. As a writer approvingly said about Sinatra (more or less according to my memory) “his vocals and the beat only occasionally met” while sounding completely unforced and natural, and appropriate to the lyrics.
Thanks for posting this. It’s always great to hear Eckstine, and that’s a wonderful arrangement. It’s apparently from the live album “No Cover, No Minimum”, recorded in Las Vegas in 1960. According to the Wikipedia article on the album, the arrangements are by Ecktine’s pianist Bobby Tucker.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Cover,_No_Minimum
Obviously, every singer has his own style, and way of interpreting a song, but for me no one matches Mario Lanza’s rendition of this one!
https://youtu.be/Lcbn9QL9hjA
Makes me want to dance 🙂
The Al Jolsons of the world can all fuggetaboutit; Mr. Eckstine was “The Jazz Singer.”
I see Francis Albert Blue-eyes’ picture in the video screen with Billy E. He’s got a centenary coming up in a couple weeks. You planning to post something to commemorate it, Perfesser?