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The Marcels - 1961
photographer unknown
Sixty years ago today, The Marcels recorded one of my very favorite doo-wop songs, Blue Moon. I will never forget the first time I heard the introduction to it with Fred Johnson belting out, "bomp-baba-bomp-ba-bomp-ba-bomp-bomp... vedanga-dang-dang-vadinga-dong-ding...".
I
thought to myself, "This is interesting!" Then it went into the tune
which I had been familiar with for decades and thought, "WOW!"
The
original version is a beautiful, slow ballad for solo female with
orchestral backup and the one I was
hearing was totally different. It was fast, syncopated, had great
harmony sung by a male group with Ron Mundy singing "moon, moon,
moon, moon, moon," in the background; it was just
fantastic!
45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The introduction to Blue Moon was from an original song that The Marcels had in its act, a cover of Zoom by the Cadillacs. Colpix
A&R director Stu Phillips transferred the introduction to Blue Moon to give the song additional flair. The Marcels recorded the song in two takes.
Blue Moon was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for the 1934 American pre-Code crime film, Manhattan Melodrama, produced by MGM and directed by W. S. Van Dyke.
It featured a very young and very handsome Clark Gable, a devastatingly beautiful Myrna Loy and made both of them major stars.
film still
Mickey Rooney, Jimmy Butler and Leo Carrillo (of The Cisco Kid fame) were also in Manhattan Melodrama.
Notorious criminal John Dillinger attended a showing of the film at the Chicago Biograph Theater on July 22, 1934. After leaving the theater, he was shot to death by federal agents.
just after John Dillinger was shot
photographer unknown
Myrna Loy was one of many who expressed distaste at the studio's
willingness to exploit this event for the financial benefit of the film.
Scenes from Manhattan Melodrama, in addition to Dillinger's death, are depicted in the 2009 film Public Enemies.
The Marcels formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. The group was named after a popular hair style of the day, the marcel wave.
Edna Fearon - Marcel Wave, circa 1930
photographer unknown Blue Moon sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It is featured in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The disc went to number one in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and the UK Singles Chart.
The Marcels were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2002.
The Marcels - Goodbye To Love
Over the years, Blue Moon has been covered by various artists, including versions by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Sam Cooke, The Platters, The Mavericks, Dean Martin, The Supremes, Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart. Cyndi Lauper sings an off-key version of it. Even Yvonne De Carlo, of the Munsters, took s shot at it in 1957 and does a pretty good job of it. Bing Crosby included the song in a medley on his album On the Happy Side (1962). The Cowboy Junkies recorded a slow, c/w flavored version of the song on their album The Trinity Sessions; it's really beautiful.
The Marcels - Goodbye To Love
The 'B' side has Goodbye To Love, a slow dance song that is really quite wonderful. I remember dancing to this type of song in the mid-fifties with a dance we called the Richmond; however, I couldn't find any reference to it on the Net, so, it might have been called another name or it's what our crowd call it.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A - Blue Moon, written by Rodgers-Hart* - 2:15
Side 2:
B - Goodbye To Love, written by Mann*, Shapiro* - 2:30
Companies, etc.
Side 1:
A - Blue Moon, written by Rodgers-Hart* - 2:15
Side 2:
B - Goodbye To Love, written by Mann*, Shapiro* - 2:30
Companies, etc.
Published By – Robbins Music
Published By – Gil Music
Record Company – Columbia Pictures Corporation
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Rockaway
Published By – Gil Music
Record Company – Columbia Pictures Corporation
Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Rockaway
Credits:
Producer – Danny*, Stu*
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Rights Society (Side A): ASCAP
Rights Society (Side B): BMI
Matrix / Runout (A-side label): M8OW-4136
Matrix / Runout (B-side label): M8OW-4137
Matrix / Runout (A-Side Runout Etching): M8 0W4136--1 A1 R
Matrix / Runout (B-Side Runout Etching): M8 0W4137--1 A2 R
Rights Society (Side B): BMI
Matrix / Runout (A-side label): M8OW-4136
Matrix / Runout (B-side label): M8OW-4137
Matrix / Runout (A-Side Runout Etching): M8 0W4136--1 A1 R
Matrix / Runout (B-Side Runout Etching): M8 0W4137--1 A2 R
The Marcels – Blue Moon / Goodbye To Love
Label: Colpix Records – CP 186
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Rockaway Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: Rock
Style: Doo Wop
Myrna Loy
Label: Colpix Records – CP 186
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Rockaway Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: Rock
Style: Doo Wop
Viewfinder links:
The Marcels ~ Discography
YouTube links:
Cowboy Junies ~ Blue Moon
Yvonne De Carlo ~ Blue Moon
Ella Fitzgerald ~ Blue Moon
Cyndi Lauper ~ Blue Moon
The Marcels ~
Styrous® ~ Monday, February 15, 2021
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