Posted on 08/30/2014 2:04:25 PM PDT by jmaroneps37
“Dream,” with music and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, has been covered by dozens of artists. The song was introduced in 1945 by the Pied Pipers, and hit number 1.
Not long after, Frank Sinatra released a version. Other well-known covers were done by Roy Orbison, Ella Fitzgerald, The Skylarks, and Michael Bublé.
The first time I heard the song, I was probably five years old, and it was on someone’s AM radio—peppered with plenty of static, no doubt. It was to become one of my all time favorites.
With the advent a few years ago of easy music downloads, a hobby of mine has been to listen to many versions of a particular piece, evaluate them, and save only the best. Eventually, I would go through this exercise with “Dream.”
Without question, the best performance of this song comes from Susannah McCorkle’s 1986 album called—appropriately enough—”Dream.” Backed by a small group featuring New York heavyweights Ben Aronov (piano) and Frank Wess (tenor sax), Susannah slows it down a bit, and includes the seldom heard intro verse.
Get in touch with that sundown fellow As he tiptoes across the sand
He’s got a million kinds of stardust Pick your fav’rite brand, and…
Now for the chorus, which is even slower, giving plenty of space for tasty piano and sax fills. Dream, when you’re feeling blue
Dream, that’s the thing to do Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air
You’ll find your share of memories there So dream when the day is through
Dream, and they might come true Things never are as bad as they seem
So dream, dream, dream Next is a dreamy sax solo by Wess, setting up Susannah’s reprise
(Excerpt) Read more at coachisright.com ...
Some may recognize this from Sleepless in Seattle. Just beautiful!
Oops ... from You've Got Mail!
“Song sung blue/everybody knows one....’’
It’s a nice song, I like it. I remember my parents playing it on our ‘sterio’ way back when.
Etta James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e2XCYreSlQ
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