Having lived on this planet for a fair while I figured that, by now, I knew all of the great GASbook gems that languish within its infinite pages.
How wrong can you be?
Today, I came across an instrumental by tenor saxist Ike Quebec of a tune titled Mad About You. Recorded on Blue Note in 1944 on a 12" 78rpm I was completely knocked out by this beautiful ballad and I immediately thought that someone most have added words to this - it would have been a natural for the young Sinatra. I Googled and, sure enough, there it was - Mad About You by Frank Sinatra!
Except that it wasn't! Sinatra did record a song of that name - a song composed by Victor Young no less - but, this Mad About You wasn't the Mad About You that I was mad about. It was a pretty nondescript tune that, although performed well, failed to impress me.
Further research revealed that the Mad About You I sought was composed by Roger 'Ram' Ramirez - he of Lover Man fame - and there was a vocal version by one Ronnie Deauville.
Deauville, it seemed was a comer. He sounded like Sinatra, sang with Glen Gray, did solo gigs at the top nightspots, he was on his way and then...
...a car crash followed by polio put him out of action. He determined to carry on and eventually contributed vocal backings on soundtracks as well as making appearances in a wheelchair.
He died in 1990 aged 65.
Can anyone tell me more about the singer and the song?
Lance
Ike Quebec Swing Sextet (also w. Ramirez on piano)
Ronnie Deauville w. Ram Ramirez Quartet.
He died in 1990 aged 65.
Can anyone tell me more about the singer and the song?
Lance
Ike Quebec Swing Sextet (also w. Ramirez on piano)
Ronnie Deauville w. Ram Ramirez Quartet.
1 comment :
What a find!! that haunting voice, I didn't even listen to the Sinatra version, why would you? this was perfection, the sadness in his voice. What a tragedy to die so young. The Swingtet was a joy, the guitar so reminded me of my late Dad, same style. It as what I grew up with. Thanks so much lance for bringing this lovely number to us, a lost generation maybe, but still the very best of it's genre.
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