Some autumnal popular songs which occurred to me would have occurred to me apart from your excellent article, but I am grateful for the prompting. In order only of my ability to remember them, they are:
When October Goes
Autumn Leaves
Lullaby of the Leaves ( much too little known )
Autumn Nocturne ( same )
September Song ( does popular songwriting get greater than this? )
Yesterdays ( Kern, not to be confused with McCartney's Yesterday )
Early Autumn
Autumn Serenade ( I'm disgusted that this song isn't better known. It goes back to the early 1950s. I haven't looked at its chord progression, but somehow, it's wild to me that Peter DeRose, the composer, also wrote Deep Purple. )
Rain ( also by Peter DeRose, and too little known. DeRose belongs to the honorable category of journeymen who contributed two or three memorable songs to The Great American Songbook. Still, Autumn Serenade is his genius moment. )
The September of My Years is one of Frank Sinatra's four or five masterpieces. The whole album is autumnal, the title song, in particular. Sammy Cahn had a genius moment when he thought of the line, "Children, when you shoot at bad men, shoot at me."
The Summer Wind
I'll Remember April
Violets for Your Furs ( late autumn, maybe )
September in the Rain
Whistling Away the Dark ( an almost unknown song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. It has an obscurity which is so undeserved, it's shocking. The song never mentions autumn, but autumn is somehow present. The critic, Gene Lees, wrote that Mercer had "a talent for darkness." )
I'm struck by how many of these songs Johnny Mercer had something to do with.
It was written for the Julie Andrews movie, "Star!" which was a flop. This couldn't have helped the song, which is too serious to have become a standard, anyway.
Hands down my favorite autumn song is Barry Manilow’s When October Goes from my favorite fall album 2 am Paradise Cafe. For my money, it’s the best small combo vocal jazz album.
You may know the story of how that song came to be, but if not: after Johnny Mercer's death, his widow found that completed lyric. She gave it to Manilow to see if he could come up with a melody for it. And he came up with a melody which makes the song one for the ages. Isn't it sad that Mercer never heard it? My favorite recording of it is Rosemary Clooney's.
I love that quote of Gene Lees' about Mercer which I mentioned earlier. If you have a chance to get a copy of Lees' book, Singers and the Song, take out a bank loan if needed, commit a one time burglary, whatever you have to do to get that book.
Lees' long chapter on Johnny Mercer is worth $100.00 in my view, and I live on disability income which isn't lavish, I assure you. In the Mercer chapter Lees writes that Mercer was chronically hounded by the passage of time. I think he writes that Mercer at thirty fretted that he was an old man.
All of which makes the following baffling: there is a Mercer biography credited to Gene Lees. DON'T READ IT. The only conclusion I can draw about the book is that Lees was in deep dementia when he wrote it.
I will keep an eye out for it, for sure. One of my favourite liner essays is the one Gene Lees wrote for Perry Como's beautiful ballad album, 'Look to Your Heart' and I love Johnny Mercer too - just as good a singer as he was a songwriter. I recall back in the heyday of Jonathan Schwartz's radio program that he played a long medley of Mercer playing songs from his songbook and it was astounding to hear - one classic after another after another after another...
As you know, he had a melodic gift, too. It's a pity he didn't try to work it more. His wife said he lacked confidence.
You may know how he came to write, "I Wanna Be Around to Pick Up the Pieces When Somebody Breaks Your Heart." I've seen a copy of the postcard addressed to "Johnny Mercer Hollywood CA." Some woman had written, "Dear Johnny Mercer, Why don't you write a song called 'I Wanna Be Around to Pick up the Pieces When Somebody Breaks Your Heart'?"
Mercer gave her co - writing credit, and she is said to have taken several trips to Europe on the royalties.
Richard Sudhalter's biography of Hoagy Carmichael, Skylark, has got to be the definitive Carmichael biography. In it he takes up a question which I had wondered, and provides speculation which I had suspected: Mercer's opinion of Carmichael as a composer couldn't have been higher. He also thought Carmichael was a great lyricist. ( "Hell, he's almost as good as me." ) Why, then, didn't the two men become permanent writing partners? Doesn't that seem a natural?
Sudhalter doubts the two men ever discussed it because each sensed that a permanent Carmichael/Mercer partnership would have left the public with such anticipation, each would have been overwhelmed with writer's block.
I did know this story, but I’m not sure of the source. I greatly appreciate your comment and I’ll check out Rosemary Clooney’s version! I think it’s on her Feeling Sentimental album if I’m remembering right. Thanks again, Bobby. I’m about to go down the rabbit hole…
I'd never heard Linda Perhacs - lovely. Or The Sailboat Song. Really get the autumnal quality from these.
I've just written a post about Laura Nyro today without looking at what anyone else on substack has written. I will have to look at your posts on her, Robert, as I always value your takes on artists and songs.
Thanks, Robert! I can't find your posts on her, somehow the search function isn't working today. Frustrating as I'm sure they're a very interesting dive into her work.
Thanks, Robert. I read the first one when it came out but the second one was before my time here. I've started reading it and want to really do it justice, as you analyze her work from a musical standpoint, something I'm not able to do and appreciate. I'm glad you've included the videos as I want to revisit those as well. I would have loved to have heard Laura in a jazz club in NYC. That would have been heaven.
Great stuff as always, Robert! The Hartman/Coltrane version of Lush Life is perhaps my favourite recording of anything -- but the Blossom Dearie version is a close second!
For an autumnal album, you might want to look at Opeth's Damnation. They are a death metal band but this album has only clean vocals and barely any distorted guitar.
A favorite of mine is "Autumn in New York" by Dexter Gordon on his Bethlehem album Daddy Plays the Horn. It's seen my turntable many times over the years during October and November.
I'll have to give that version a listen. My favourite interpretation of 'Autumn in New York' is Frank Sinatra's from 'Come Fly with Me' - gorgeous, gorgeous Billy May arrangement.
I like the characterization, "a fugitive masterpiece." Sums the album up well and yes, Earl Turbinton is on about half the album - good solo on 'Doctor Honorus Causa.'
Some autumnal popular songs which occurred to me would have occurred to me apart from your excellent article, but I am grateful for the prompting. In order only of my ability to remember them, they are:
When October Goes
Autumn Leaves
Lullaby of the Leaves ( much too little known )
Autumn Nocturne ( same )
September Song ( does popular songwriting get greater than this? )
Yesterdays ( Kern, not to be confused with McCartney's Yesterday )
Early Autumn
Autumn Serenade ( I'm disgusted that this song isn't better known. It goes back to the early 1950s. I haven't looked at its chord progression, but somehow, it's wild to me that Peter DeRose, the composer, also wrote Deep Purple. )
Rain ( also by Peter DeRose, and too little known. DeRose belongs to the honorable category of journeymen who contributed two or three memorable songs to The Great American Songbook. Still, Autumn Serenade is his genius moment. )
The September of My Years is one of Frank Sinatra's four or five masterpieces. The whole album is autumnal, the title song, in particular. Sammy Cahn had a genius moment when he thought of the line, "Children, when you shoot at bad men, shoot at me."
The Summer Wind
I'll Remember April
Violets for Your Furs ( late autumn, maybe )
September in the Rain
Whistling Away the Dark ( an almost unknown song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer. It has an obscurity which is so undeserved, it's shocking. The song never mentions autumn, but autumn is somehow present. The critic, Gene Lees, wrote that Mercer had "a talent for darkness." )
I'm struck by how many of these songs Johnny Mercer had something to do with.
Two Beatles' songs should be on the list:
Things We Said Today
Michelle
Many awesome choices here - I have never heard of 'Whistling Away the Dark' which (sadly) proves your point. I will give it a listen right away.
It was written for the Julie Andrews movie, "Star!" which was a flop. This couldn't have helped the song, which is too serious to have become a standard, anyway.
Hands down my favorite autumn song is Barry Manilow’s When October Goes from my favorite fall album 2 am Paradise Cafe. For my money, it’s the best small combo vocal jazz album.
You may know the story of how that song came to be, but if not: after Johnny Mercer's death, his widow found that completed lyric. She gave it to Manilow to see if he could come up with a melody for it. And he came up with a melody which makes the song one for the ages. Isn't it sad that Mercer never heard it? My favorite recording of it is Rosemary Clooney's.
I love that quote of Gene Lees' about Mercer which I mentioned earlier. If you have a chance to get a copy of Lees' book, Singers and the Song, take out a bank loan if needed, commit a one time burglary, whatever you have to do to get that book.
Lees' long chapter on Johnny Mercer is worth $100.00 in my view, and I live on disability income which isn't lavish, I assure you. In the Mercer chapter Lees writes that Mercer was chronically hounded by the passage of time. I think he writes that Mercer at thirty fretted that he was an old man.
All of which makes the following baffling: there is a Mercer biography credited to Gene Lees. DON'T READ IT. The only conclusion I can draw about the book is that Lees was in deep dementia when he wrote it.
I will keep an eye out for it, for sure. One of my favourite liner essays is the one Gene Lees wrote for Perry Como's beautiful ballad album, 'Look to Your Heart' and I love Johnny Mercer too - just as good a singer as he was a songwriter. I recall back in the heyday of Jonathan Schwartz's radio program that he played a long medley of Mercer playing songs from his songbook and it was astounding to hear - one classic after another after another after another...
As you know, he had a melodic gift, too. It's a pity he didn't try to work it more. His wife said he lacked confidence.
You may know how he came to write, "I Wanna Be Around to Pick Up the Pieces When Somebody Breaks Your Heart." I've seen a copy of the postcard addressed to "Johnny Mercer Hollywood CA." Some woman had written, "Dear Johnny Mercer, Why don't you write a song called 'I Wanna Be Around to Pick up the Pieces When Somebody Breaks Your Heart'?"
Mercer gave her co - writing credit, and she is said to have taken several trips to Europe on the royalties.
Richard Sudhalter's biography of Hoagy Carmichael, Skylark, has got to be the definitive Carmichael biography. In it he takes up a question which I had wondered, and provides speculation which I had suspected: Mercer's opinion of Carmichael as a composer couldn't have been higher. He also thought Carmichael was a great lyricist. ( "Hell, he's almost as good as me." ) Why, then, didn't the two men become permanent writing partners? Doesn't that seem a natural?
Sudhalter doubts the two men ever discussed it because each sensed that a permanent Carmichael/Mercer partnership would have left the public with such anticipation, each would have been overwhelmed with writer's block.
The idea of Mercer and Carmichael writing together is mind boggling.
It seems like such a natural, doesn't it?
I did know this story, but I’m not sure of the source. I greatly appreciate your comment and I’ll check out Rosemary Clooney’s version! I think it’s on her Feeling Sentimental album if I’m remembering right. Thanks again, Bobby. I’m about to go down the rabbit hole…
I'll give it a listen!
I'd never heard Linda Perhacs - lovely. Or The Sailboat Song. Really get the autumnal quality from these.
I've just written a post about Laura Nyro today without looking at what anyone else on substack has written. I will have to look at your posts on her, Robert, as I always value your takes on artists and songs.
Just read your post on Laura Nyro - really good stuff! Written twice about her - my favourite female artist.
Thanks, Robert! I can't find your posts on her, somehow the search function isn't working today. Frustrating as I'm sure they're a very interesting dive into her work.
Substack has been acting up today. Here are links to both: https://www.listeningsessions.ca/p/echoes-of-laura-nyro and https://www.listeningsessions.ca/p/laura-nyros-new-york-hymnal
Thanks, Robert. I read the first one when it came out but the second one was before my time here. I've started reading it and want to really do it justice, as you analyze her work from a musical standpoint, something I'm not able to do and appreciate. I'm glad you've included the videos as I want to revisit those as well. I would have loved to have heard Laura in a jazz club in NYC. That would have been heaven.
Me too - I have two recordings of Nyro from the Fillmore in 1970/'71 and they are mesmerizing. To have been there!
Great stuff as always, Robert! The Hartman/Coltrane version of Lush Life is perhaps my favourite recording of anything -- but the Blossom Dearie version is a close second!
For an autumnal album, you might want to look at Opeth's Damnation. They are a death metal band but this album has only clean vocals and barely any distorted guitar.
Ooooo - I'll give a listen but (no surprise, I am sure), death metal is way, way out of my comfort zone.
Let me know what you think! Although they're a death metal band it is in no way a death metal album.
A favorite of mine is "Autumn in New York" by Dexter Gordon on his Bethlehem album Daddy Plays the Horn. It's seen my turntable many times over the years during October and November.
I'll have to give that version a listen. My favourite interpretation of 'Autumn in New York' is Frank Sinatra's from 'Come Fly with Me' - gorgeous, gorgeous Billy May arrangement.
Perhacs — wow, Robert.
Never heard of her but was immediately enchanted by the track included in your post. So original and beautiful.
It's a great album - I think you'll likely love it.
'Zawinul' is a fugitive masterpiece. I have always loved it since I bought it [1972]
Of note is the inclusion of New Orleans native Earl Turbinton. Joe & Cannon both loved the city.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Robert. I shall listen to 'His Last Journey' this evening.
I like the characterization, "a fugitive masterpiece." Sums the album up well and yes, Earl Turbinton is on about half the album - good solo on 'Doctor Honorus Causa.'
Thank you for the Zawinul recommendation. I was not familiar with this album but just bought it and am loving it!
It's an under-the-radar classic - quite a bit different from the first Weather Report album.