Thursday, July 24, 2008

 

Jo Stafford died at age 90 last wednesday

Last sunday I heard Jo Stafford died wednesday 2008_july_16 in Century City, California of congestive heart failure at the age of 90. My mom was a huge fan of her since she heard her Thank you for calling for the first time.

Jo Stafford, born Jo Elizabeth Stafford 1917_november_12, was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards whose career spanned the late 1930s through the early 1960s. Stafford is greatly admired for the purity of her voice and was considered one of the most versatile vocalists of the era. She was also viewed as a pioneer of modern musical parody, having won a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 1961 (with husband Paul Weston) for their album Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris.

In my humble opinion it is a must to check her biography at Wikipedia.

I gather you can get within a few days everywhere Jo Staffords greatest hits compilations so I wanna stick with Jonathan & Darlene Edwards - Greatest Hits vol1 just to give you an idea how this great singer could also sing 'out of key', so difficult when you have such a perfect voice and ear....

I've seen some informative reviews.
This collection of fourteen Jonathan and Darlene Edwards tracks is, to say the least, hilarious. From beginning to end you'll laugh so hard your chest will hurt and you'll get a headache. Honestly, you may have to stop the CD and catch your breath a couple of times.
The opening track, ''I Love Paris,'' will have you on the floor, especially if you've never heard Jonathan and Darlene's work before. Darlene warbles her affection for Paris so far off-key that France should throw her to the guillotine, and Jonathan goes off on his own tangents while Darlene attempts to sing, doing a speedy chorus of ''Jingle Bells'' when she comes to the line ''I love Paris in the winter.'' Other songs are equally as funny. Jonathan mangles ''Dizzy Fingers,'' and Darlene's train imitations on ''Alabamy Bound'' will leave you in stitches. The couple's version of ''Stayin' Alive'' has to be heard to be believed.
If you've ever suffered through a bad lounge act in real life, Jonathan and Darlene's work will appeal to you, and if you haven't you can experience the pleasure in the comfort of your own home, only this way you can laugh with them, not at them.

Two extremely talented performers: singer, Jo Stafford and her husband/pianist/arranger/conductor, Paul Weston evidentally used to entertain at parties by performing as the UNtalented Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Their "act" became so popular that recordings had to be made. Everyone knows that there are 8 notes in a scale from Do up again to Do. Not for Darlene. I have a feeling there are 23 notes in her scale and not many of them sound 'right' to normal ears. And her sense of rhythm? Whoa!
Jonathan, of course, is right there next to her pumping away at his piano adding more notes & flourishes than the composer actually wrote. Some of the songs on this hysterical album were unknown to me ("You're Blase") and others are famous, such as Cole Porter's "I Love Paris." Every song is done in a version you'll never hear anywhere else....or maybe, if you're really unlucky you will hear your own Darlene and Jonathan whenever friends of yours sit down to entertain you. Perhaps you could give those friends a copy of this album and they'll never play and sing again. This very, very funny CD also comes with a clever interview featuring the Edwards couple, themselves. Here is an example: when asked about recording "Stayin' Alive," Darlene comments, "...I was just trying to get through that song. I didn't really have enough time to let my vocal talents come through because there were an awful lot of words."
Check also Darlene & Jonathan Edwards greatest hits review.

Jonathan & Darlene's Greatest Hits
01-I Love Paris
02-Dizzy Fingers
03-Take The 'A' Train
04-You're Blase
05-Alabamy Sound
06-Nola
07-I Am Woman
08-Don't Get Around Much Anymore
09-The Last Time I Saw Paris
10-Honeysuckle Rose
11-Autumn In New York
12-Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee
13-April In Paris
14-Stayin' Alive

Did you notice the two right hands on the sleeve ???

To complete this article I urge you to read a 2 page interview with 'Jonathan and Darlene' published Los Angeles Magazine © December 1982.

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Comments:
Note : full screen window gives you the best view of the comments !

'Clickable' links are for you downloaders soooo convienent but the disadvantage is they don't seem to 'last' long.
The Blogger gets a lot of comments 'please re-up'...... Other, more appropriate/interesting comments, they sadly don't get... :(
So you will have to do a little work to get the link.
This seems, in my opinion, the best deal between 'protecting' my links and the least effort for you.


Link :
http://r#pidsh#re.com/files/131920048/E_J_D-GH.rar
Of course you understand to replace in r#pidsh#re twice the # in an a otherwise you don't have a 'valid' link !!
Paste this valid link in your browser-url and hit RETURN. You can also copy/paste the link into your 'downloadmanager'.

Pass to extract the file : 080723
The file is a small 00MB, 'cause the songs are only in low bitrate 128kbits.
Please donnut give a nasty comment about that : check 'My opinion about bitrates' on 2008_jan_25.

>>
The next depends, amongst other things, on your security options in your browser and by so the ability to copy/paste the link.
When you see this in Google or Yahoo cache or by my Blog's search function read first the RED instructions at the top left of my Blog !
Direct link (after that go to the plain comment of this 2008_july article !) : JeansMusicBlog
Also possible : just click the 'post a comment' section here and you are able to copy/paste !
>>
 
The best obituary was in the british newspaper The Telegraph.

It's a must-read.
 
Jean,

Jonathan and Darlene have been favorites of mine for years. Even in these "bad" performances, there were moments of brilliance. Jonathan's amazing performance of DIZZY FINGERS is just classic...he keeps up the beat with the left hand, but that right hand is just all over the place. One of my favorites is Darlene's singing on CAN'T GET AROUND MUCH ANY MORE, where Darlene is in one mode and Jonathan somewhere else...adding beats at will. He even hits the right note for her, and she just can't seem to get it.

One the J&D Sing Along album, the chorus is absolutely perfect-- on pitch and on beat-- But Jonathan & Darlene are sometimes nowhere to be found.

It takes incredible musicianship to do this. Some of her pitches are just far enough off to induce a headache.

I didn't know Jo sang on the famous Red Ingle version of TimpTation, under the name of Cinderella G. Stump.

I just fired up that album and I'm laughing right now. Some of the best music comedy ever recorded.
 
You are so true Mark !
Indeed that 1947-Ingle, Red ah Natural Seven & Cinderella G Stomp - Timtayshun (Temptation) is great.
There's also the superb 1948-Ingle, Red & Natural Seven & Might And Main Street Choral Society - Cigareets whuskey and wild wild women on which Jo Stafford also sings in the backchoir.

Most people only know Jo Stafford by her fine normal albums or worse just by compilations cd's or even more worse just by mp3....
I will post both songs on my july-31 aticle for a short time to let everyone learn a little of Jo Stafford's early comedy capabilities.
 
As a fan of old time radio over the last few years, I have also begun to appreciate the musical talent from that time as well. I really enjoy Jo Stafford's singing, and I really appreciate someone finding and taking the time to share their Edwards music (which I had heard of, but never heard). Thanks again.

Stephen
 
thanks jeans, i learn another great singer from yr blog.
Gracias ^^ keep going, u r great too~
Azul
 
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