The wonderful Maxine Sullivan was born 111 years ago today in Homestead, Penna. She’s not as well known today as some singers of the era, but her understated, gently swinging style makes her a favorite of ours. We’re featuring her music all day on Cladrite Radio, so tune in now!
Tag: John Kirby
10 Things You Should Know About Maxine Sullivan
Here are 10 things you should know about the wonderful Maxine Sullivan, born 110 years ago today. She’s not as well known today as some other singers of the era, but her understated, gently swinging style makes her a favorite of ours.
We’re featuring her music all day on Cladrite Radio so why not tune in now?
Spring is in on the air
The weather is beyond beautiful in New York City today, putting us in the mood to add some seasonally appropriate songs to the Cladrite Radio playlist.
We’re hard-pressed to pick a favorite among those we chose. Sarah Vaughan‘s 1946 performance of Rodgers and Hammerstein‘s “It Might as Well Be Spring” from State Fair (1945), on which The Divine One accompanied by John Kirby and His Orchestra, is breathtaking. Honestly, it knocks us over.
But we also love Bing Crosby‘s 1946 rendition of “It’s Anybody’s Spring,” on which he’s backed up by J.S. Trotter and His Orchestra. The song, first sung by Crosby and Bob Hope in Road to Utopia (1946), features a sprightly arrangement of Jimmy Van Heusen‘s infectious melody, but Johnny Burke‘s lyrics are, we think, sublime (and we couldn’t agree more with their sentiments). It all adds up to one of our favorite Crosby sides, and we think it just might prove to be one of yours, too.
We’ve made the performance from the movie this week’s Cladrite Clip, but we think the Decca recording’s the primo rendition. Give it a listen, and see if it doesn’t give you a little, er, spring in your step.
Bing Crosby — “It’s Anybody’s Spring”
It’s Anybody’s Spring
You think that money is everything,
and yet it’s anybody’s spring.
Go make a fortune, become a king,
and still it’s anybody’s spring.And if you flashed a bankroll,
do you suppose the brook would care?
Or that a rose would say,
“There goes a millionaire”?It’s more than diamonds around a ring,
because it’s anybody’s spring.
You may be born with a silver spoon,
and yet, it’s everybody’s moon.You couldn’t buy a ticket
to hear the first robin sing.
It’s free because
it’s anybody’s spring.
–Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke