In 1960, during a concert in Berlin, Ella launched in to Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's Mack the Knife, by now a jazz standard. Only Ella couldn't remember the words. Not that it made any difference. Check out the Louis Armstrong impersonation. And enjoy the voice.
In the week of the Nobel Prize presentation it is only appropriate that Song of the Week should come from a Nobel Prize winner. Unfortunately neither Einstein or Niels Bohr took to the recording studio (though Einstein loved Mozart and Bach) so here is the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Bob Dylan. A controversial choice though Bob's Nobel lecture, taking in Buddy Holly, Dickens and Moby Dick, is well worth checking out.
The album cover said it all. Instead of the usual smiling Marvin getting ready to sing about love lost and found, here was a man uncertain in the rain. But then as he said, he had a lot to think about. War, enviromental disaster, police brutality, social and racial divisions. The record company (Motown) were nervous, but Marvin got his way. It will be 50 years old in 2021.
Minimalist American composer John Adams said of 'Short Ride:' "You know how it is when someone asks you to ride in a terrific sports car, and then you wish you hadn't?"
If you get chance go and see it live. Come to think of it, if you get chance go and see anything live.
This version is from the 2014 BBC Proms conducted by Marin Alsop.
Chester Arthur Burnett, as Wolf was born, was part of the Chicago Blues scene led by musicians escaping segregation in the South in the 1940s and 1950s.
Song of the Week has neglected Opera so far but we are going to start at the top with the 'Letter Scene' from Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, based on Pushkin's verse novel. Tatyana pours out her love for Onegin by writing a middle of the night letter (never the best time perhaps). Onegin is not impressed.
Back in the 70s, even hard-bitten punks had a grudging respect for ABBA. After all it was clear that these guys could write songs. 'The Name of the Game' is a perfect example. Most bands would have squeezed 4 songs out of it, but Benny and Bjorn were on a roll. Agnetha and Anni-Frid each have solo parts. 'Dancing Queen', 'SOS' et al are great - as are lesser-known songs such as 'Angel Eyes' - but this, despite a silly if ironic video, might just be their masterpiece.
The phrase 'one hit wonder' is used rather disparagingly though it applies to many walks of life and for many of us is just an aspiration. American Garage-Rock band ? and the Mysterians fit the bill though they are more interesting than some. Their name was inspired by the Japanese Sci-fi film 'The Mysterions.'
It may not be common to mathematicians but retiring early is becoming a theme in Song of the Week (Bobbie Gentry being the first). Janet Baker retired nearly 40 years ago and now, in her eighties, reserves her singing to the odd visit to church. Here in Strauss's Morgen! (Tomorrow!) she sings "And tomorrow the sun will shine again." Indeed.
It's hard to imagine George Ivan (Van) Morrison dancing to anything but here he is giving it a go "under cover of October skies." Van has said some questionable things about the Coronavirus recently but Song of the Week is a strictly neutral segment of the Bulletin so we will move on. And anyway, as they say, don't love your heroes.