"Sorry" seemed to be the hardest word--or at least song--in my previous BOTB post. Now I have different song with a similar subject matter. I hope you will enjoy this song more than that Justin Bieber classic "Sorry"...
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| Film poster for Deep in My Heart - Copyright 1954, MGM (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
This film is essentially like a variety show of many great performers of that time strung together with dialog and story to fill the gaps between musical numbers. I didn't recall ever having heard of the story's subject, Sigmund Romberg, but once the songs started playing I realized they were all great standards that I have known and loved since childhood. That's when the inspiration for today's Battle of the Bands came about.
If you're a fan of good old-fashioned musical biopics, I think you might enjoy Deep In My Heart. The lead role is played José Ferrer. I don't recall much of what this actor has done, but I know I've seen him in many films. I thought his portrayal of Romberg was quite well acted though maybe many modern day audiences might find him to be stilted and stuffy.
In any case, I loved the film and I love this song from the film...
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands. This event happens twice each month on the 1st and 15th. The premise is simple: Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it. Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action."Lover Come Back To Me"
Over the years this song has been recorded numerous times by a wide variety of artists in many styles. Now the song is considered more of a jazz or pop standard than what it was originally intended to sound like. The selections I've chosen for this Battle were recorded nearly fifty years apart with the newest recording performed in a style that sounds 30 years older than the older recording. Sounds crazy perhaps, but take a listen and you'll see what I mean...
Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn "Lover, Come Back To Me" (2010)
Tamar Korn is a respected jazz artist with world renown. On this cover of our featured song of Battle she is backed by an ensemble of world class jazz musicians who have played with artists as diverse as Tom Waits and the B-52's. The vocals might be off-putting to some of you at first, but try to stick with it. The song presentation is done in the style of 1920's jazz as performed by artists such as Rudy Vallee, Annette Hanshaw, Tiny Tim, and Betty Boop. During the instrumental trade-offs, about half way through the performance, Korn's vocal violin imitation caught my ear as this was something I used to hear some vocalists do back when I was a kid--don't hear this done much these days. This version immediately captivated me when I first heard it. I hope you enjoy it as well...
Brenda Lee "Lover, Come Back To Me" (1963)
Known for hits like "I'm Sorry" (shades of my last BOTB installment!), Brenda Lee was a dynamo of a singer as seen in the next video. Though the previous video might have sounded older, this Brenda Lee video predates it by nearly 50 years. Let's step up the tempo with Brenda Lee's jazzy version of "Lover, Come Back To Me"...
Time to Vote!
This is an old oldie so I hope that's not a turn off for too many of you. Just try to feel the music. Let us know what you think about these two versions. Is there one that you prefer over the other? If you're visiting a Battle of the Bands post for the first time then let me briefly explain. Please give each song version a fair listen to decide which one you enjoy the most. If you don't like either then at least tell us which recording was least innocuous to you. This comes down to your preference and it's as easy as that.
Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours
Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:
StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands
‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’
'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'
'Curious as a Cathy'
Sound of One Hand Typing
DC Relief Battle of the Bands
The Doglady's Den
Angel's Bark
Cherdo on the Flipside
Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Janie Junebug Righting & Editing.
J. A. Scott
Quiet Laughter
Holli's Hoots and Hollers
Be ReInVintaged
Winner Announced on Wednesday, June 22nd
Do you welcome back old friends after a disagreement or do you feel that relationship is forever tainted thereafter? What old films have recently taken you by surprise? Do you think that there is anything wrong with "borrowing" musical phrases when creating an new piece of music?
Hi Lee hope you're feeling better.
ReplyDeleteI can just remember the film,
I can just remember Brenda Lee.
I still recall the the song.
My choice is without a doubt Brenda Lee.
Have a good day.
Yvonne.
Yvonne, feeling much better thank you. Your comment is almost like a lead in to my next BOTB theme.
DeleteA first vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
Neither one is my era or type of music. Brenda Lee's had more energy, so that will be my vote.
ReplyDeleteAlex, not heavy metal, but energetic..
DeleteBrenda Lee
Lee
I've heard this song before but am not familiar with the movie. The original video wasn't available in Canada, but your link led me to an instrumental version by Mantovani. Nice! These two contestants are so diverse. The vocals in the first one were a bit jarring at first, but I like this slower, jazzier arrangement better. Brenda Lee's quicker tempo was less pleasing to my ears. Gaucho with Tamar Korn gets my vote.
ReplyDeleteDebbie D, I think the film Deep in my Heart must be a pretty obscure one in our day. It was totally new to me, but I'm glad I ran across it as it is my kind of film.
DeleteThe diversity was intentional on my part as I wanted to show the contrast with two similar presentations (black & white live performances by female vocalists). Also both vocalists have a somewhat quirky sound that becomes appealing as one listens more to them.
First vote for Gaucho
Lee
Me too Debbie ! :-)
DeleteHi, Lee!
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling fine today, good buddy. I am a child of the rock 'n' roll era and enjoy listening to Brenda Lee, but her up tempo performance of the featured song cannot match the brilliance of the version by Tamar Korn and the band. I thoroughly enjoyed that 6 minute journey back in time and could easily imagine Tiny Tim handling the same material. Tamar Korn's "violin solo" was great and she even played "air violin" to the amusement of the guys in the band. The whole piece is spectacular. I wish today's hip hop obsessed young people could be exposed to it. Surely many of them would come to appreciate this century old style of music. Give my vote to Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn, Lee, and thanks for the entertainment!
Shady, glad you saw the "brilliance" of the Gaucho performance of the song as I think some will be distracted by the vocal style. The "air violin" solo is such a classic device of singers of the vaudeville and pre-40's music age. "Spectacular" is another worthy term. I don't know that many of today's music fans have the patience for such music as this.
DeleteA vote for Gaucho
Lee
Oh my gosh! I'm so glad I finally found the comments. Who searcheth - findeth.... :-) I absolutely love this kind of music.
ReplyDeleteAngelika, glad you were able to find the comment box. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteLee
I'm a blues fan. My vote goes to Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn
DeleteAngelika, thank you for coming back to vote!
Deleteanother vote for Gaucho
lee
The first video was good, Lee. I'd not heard that style to which you referred (until this video) of the vocalist imitating the violin. That wasn't enough to sway my vote, though. That Brenda Lee is something. I see you called her a dynamo. That she is. She's got one powerhouse of a voice, with the bonus of making it all seem effortless. She's a joy to listen to every time she opens her mouth. I can't vote against her.
ReplyDeleteGive me Brenda Lee.
Robin, there's a lot of subtlety to the Gaucho version that may require repeated listening to gain full appreciation for it. But Brenda is quite the singer and performer who rarely fails to dazzle.
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
I have to admit, I like the flashier style by Brenda Lee. The version from Gaucho was good too, but I really have to be in the mood for it. Please give my vote to Brenda Lee.
ReplyDeletePS - Glad you are feeling better.
Jeffrey, mood is always a factor in these battles where the versions are very different. I've used that criteria several times in my voting.
DeleteBrenda Lee
Lee
It doesn't happen often that I like a remake or remix of a classic oldie, but Brenda Lee really rocked this! While I enjoyed how well the original and the Goucho version embodied the era and had some fantastic instrumentals, I got a kick out Brenda's jazzed up version. Maybe it's just me, chasing butterflies in the woods this week ;-)
ReplyDeleteDiedre, They don't have these kinds of musical productions on TV anymore. Dig those crinolines Brenda is wearing.
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
Lee! I didn't think I knew this song, but WHAM! Shades of my'GrandFather memories', I did know it!!! That Tchaikovsky connection was interesting too. Evelyn's a bit too slow for me today.
ReplyDeleteI think my Grandfather would have loved Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn's version. Though I'm not usually the Jazz fan, this drew me in, and I became an willing listener.
Brenda Lee is really snappy and lively but I think I want the happy medium between her and the Evelyn Herbert version.
Oops, pressed publish too soon. Here's my vote:
DeleteVote: Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn.
Dixie, the Gaucho version is a timeless sound from a distant era while Brenda's version comes from what seems to be so long ago too. The original now sounds almost like opera.
DeleteA vote for Gaucho.
Lee
First of all, I love "Deep In My Heart." I had heard the name Sigmund Romberg in Allan Sherman's "Mexican Hat Dance" ("he does sambas on Homburgs to tunes by Sig Romberg and sometimes the Nutcracker Suite"), but until I saw the movie one afternoon on TCM, I knew nothing about him. Sad, because he wrote some of my favorite songs, including "Softly, as in a morning sunrise," which nearly every jazz guitar player has done a version of. Jose Ferrer is one of my favorite actors, simply because of his work in 1954, when he acted in this movie and "The Caine Mutiny." He could do drama, comedy, musicals... pretty much everything. The scene where he does an entire Broadway show, by himself, in about five minutes is one of the funniest things I've seen. The whole movie was fantastic, with all the clips from his operettas intertwined with Romberg's story. Reviews of it say it was the last movie of its kind, and I think they saved the best for last.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, on to the battle. Brenda Lee is wonderful, isn't she? Little tiny woman with a great big voice... I just love her. But Tamar Korn's performance of this song was remarkable. I love the old-timey voice and instrumentation, the tempo was perfect, and I just sat there transfixed by her. She gets my vote here, with a very honorable mention to Brenda.
John, Ferrer's solo show scene is quite incredible and so eye-opening to me that now I'll be on the lookout for more of his work. You're right--he is quite a diverse actor. I do wish they would put out more movies like this one, but sadly I don't think audiences today would appreciate it like you and I do.
DeleteYour reaction to Tamar and Gaucho was the same as mine.
A vote for Gaucho
Lee
Oh, my, I always had problems with tainted friendships in my life, some even you yourself witnessed in the blogosphere, Lee. I wish I was different, but I love truly and dedicatedly and when it gets tainted it's over, sadly :( My ties with my publisher are currently tainted (by her) and I'm fighting with myself to save it somehow, against my better judgement.
ReplyDeleteThe very fact you know about Bieber, makes me sad :( Wretched is the day we heard of Bieber, Zayn and Craptrashians....
Dezmond, it's sad when we get into virtual conflicts with people who are essentially digital entities to us for all practical purposes. So many misunderstandings can occur online and they can be so difficult to repair. Hope your tainted relationship with your publisher gets mended.
DeleteI'm looking at Bieber's work and not the person. The foolish behavior in which he engages is nonsense and something I don't usually keep up with.
Lee
Hi Lee -
ReplyDeleteI am so very glad that you are back, and now feel fine. I had begun to worry about you... but thought that the delay was probably some of life's little vagaries (rather than the big ones) that had you delayed. I even thought that perhaps the negative reaction to a second Bieber "exposure" might just have had you discouraged for a day or two. But StMcC's alarm (he has good spidey-sense) got me worried, too! So I'm grateful you are OK.
As for this song battle this week, it is an interesting one. It pits two vastly different styles against each other, and I can see people strongly supporting one or the other.
I favor Gaucho. The voice sounds... well, it just sound like the style they were hoping to emulate from an earlier era. And the musicians were just great.
SBB6, I will admit that I was a bit discouraged(?) about the reaction to my Bieber BOTB, but I don't whether it had any bearing upon my health situation. More likely my adverse health condition might be attributed to the current political scene than anything else, but most likely it was due to my heart condition combined with poor health habits. If there is no warning on my blog that I won't be posting and I don't post there is probably some drastic reason that kept me from doing so.
ReplyDeleteI purposely went with the extremes of style to better draw lines. While I sometimes will go with a battle of nuance (like I will be doing a couple of battles from this one), I usually like a contrast.
Gaucho and Tamar Korn truly did capture the sound of another era very effectively and the recording session is kind of fun to watch. Those guys all look like such vets of music.
A vote for Gaucho.
Lee
While I respect Gaucho's artistry, my vote goes to Brenda Lee. I can tell that this one is older by the energy and I love the vibe and feel of the video and music. Go Brenda Lee. I'm definitely going to look up more of her music.
ReplyDeleteSheena-Kay, Brenda Lee was quite a pop star in her day and for good reason.
DeleteBrenda Lee
Lee
Oh wow, in my opinion this battle belongs to Tamar Korn. What a great listening experience that was! I love how they showcase each musician too. The whole performance is richer and has great depth, compared to Brenda Lee's version. I liked Lee's version, don't get me wrong, but I was wowed by Tamar Korn and her band. Really spectacular.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're feeling better! Take good care of you and your heart!
Michele at Angels Bark
Michele, it feels good to feel better, but I'm still taking things easy.
DeleteYou described the Gaucho session well. I too found it to be a real treat.
Another vote for Gaucho
Lee
The only 'Lover Come Back to Me' that I know is by Dead or Alive from 1986.
ReplyDeleteJoJo, yeah that's a different song.
DeleteLee
I enjoy a good biopic/documentary when it comes to music. I haven't seen this one though. While Brenda Lee's version was full of pep, I preferred the slower bluesier version of Gaucho w/ Tamar Korn. My vote goes to them.
ReplyDeleteMary
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Mary, biopics are some of my favorites.
DeleteA vote for Gaucho
Lee
Well, IMHO, the Brenda Lee version has that "Las Vegas-y", "Jerry Lewis telethon-y" feel I don't much care for. I'll go with the first one.
ReplyDeleteCW, that style you describe was typical television fare back then--knock 'em dead showstopping performances.
DeleteAnother vote for Gaucho
Lee
Ha, I think Mr. Martin above captured perfectly why I wasn't a big fan of Brenda Lee's version. I like the old timey feel of Gaucho's, the dedication put into that particular sound. And honestly I do enjoy that sound, so give my vote to Gaucho.
ReplyDeleteAlso, welcome back! We're both glad to hear that minus the hospital trip you're ultimately okay.
Beer Boys, I hope I'm okay for a while. I'll know a bit more next week after my visit to the cardiologist.
DeleteBrenda Lee's version is swinging, but Gaucho is ultra hip and cool.
Another vote for Gaucho
Lee
LEE ~
ReplyDeleteI knew this song but don't think I'd ever heard either of these recordings of it. I liked both of them. I love that old-timey style of Jazz. But then again, I like every style of Jazz except hyper-speed Be-Bop.
However, I'm a huge BRENDA LEE fan, and although I liked Gaucho, I preferred Brenda's version by leaps and bounds. (You knew I would tho.)
I'm interested in watching that movie 'DEEP IN MY HEART'. Gonna check and see if NetFlix carries it.
You've got a close Battle going on here.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
STMcC, if you like those old classic show biz films and biopics like The Benny Goodman Story then I think you'd like this film. Ferrer gives an outstanding performance that I think you might also appreciate.
DeleteI'm not too surprised by your choice as I know how fond you are of Brenda Lee.
A solid vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
This was tough-I loved the first arrangement, but Brenda Lee's voice just nails it.
ReplyDeleteA vote for Brenda Lee...but I hadda think about it.
Larry
Larry, I agree the choice was tough, but for me not too tough.
DeleteFor you a vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
Wow! I'm knocked right out by both of these, but especially the Tamar version. I love what she does to make her voice sound like a twenties wax! And Gaucho - wowza again - that band reminds me of Django Reinhardt et le Quintet du Hot Club de France - so lively and lovely. Thanks for this. I need a break from sorrow and even if this is a sorrowful song - it brought me out of the blues.
ReplyDeleteJan, love your comment! You captured well the spirit of the Gaucho session. Interesting how your own blues were transfigured by this soulful blues music.
DeleteA vote for Gaucho
Lee
Without a doubt for me, the swing version with Brenda Lee. I have always like her deep contralto voice.
ReplyDeleteShalom aleichem,
Patricia
Pat, Brenda does have some great vocal control.
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
My grandmother and I went to musical movies regularly when I was a kid, so I saw Deep in My Heart in a theater. I'm still hooked on musicals, old and new.
ReplyDeletePatricia, Such a great movie memory for a wonderful film. I never tire of old fashioned musicals.
DeleteLee
Remember seeing the Sig Romberg biopic with Jose Ferrer many years ago. Can't play that version as in UK....
ReplyDeleteVoting for the energy of Brenda Lee, although like the other as well.
Roland, glad to hear that so many others have seen this wonderful film.
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
They don't make bands and singer like they use to! I love the 40's and 50's music, I can actually understand what they were singing about!
ReplyDeleteMartha, music certainly has changed, not always for the worse, but a lot just doesn't measure up to what was around in other eras. I love just about all music, but there is a special place in my heart for that older music. Long may it live!
DeleteLee
Brenda Lee's version was way more upbeat and fun, yeah it may sound las vegas-y as said above, but liked it better. She gets my vote.
ReplyDeletePat, ever the fun guy you are...
Deletewith a vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
I know this film well and love it but I love all these old music bios because it was just a means to showcase Stars' talents. I just re-watched the Major and the Minor and loved the way Wilder got away with murder when it came to the Hays Office and the censors. As for this battle, I give it to Tamor and Gaucho all the way. The jazzy style was different from the original styling but it still gave it the heart it deserves while I found the Brenda Lee version way too upbeat for what this song is meant to be...at least for me.
ReplyDeleteBirgit, I'm so glad to hear that others know this film. As a fan of stage entertainment, I too like these films that showcase the artistry of many different entertainers.
DeleteI get what you're saying about the song interpretations here..
A vote for Gaucho
Lee
I love the blues sound of Korn's version, so I have to vote for it. I have to agree with Brigit about Brenda Lee's rendition. I wanted to hear the heartfelt pining, not a snappy carefree tone. Great battle though.
ReplyDeleteC.Lee, we're on the same wavelength on this.
DeleteA vote for Gaucho
Lee
Brenda Lee gets my vote! I think a friend is a friend your not always going to agree.
ReplyDeleteMike, good friend accept differences of opinion.
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee
Brenda Lee gets my vote. I liked her bubbly, toe tapping version. Glad you're feeling better, Lee. I'm sorry that I got here so late.
ReplyDeleteJulie
Julie, glad you made it in time!
DeleteA vote for Brenda Lee
Lee