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From the Vault...
08/02/2015
#1475 |
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info
Jimmy Durante
"As Time Goes By: The Best Of Jimmy Durante"
© Warner Archives Records
Year of Release: 1993
Rating:
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track listing
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As Time Goes By
If I Had You
Smile
Hi-Lili Hi-Lo
Make Someone Happy
Young At Heart
Hello Young Lovers
Try A Little Tenderness
The Glory Of Love
I'll Be Seeing You
September Song
I'll See You In My Dreams
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WSVNRadio Archives
Jimmy Durante related sites:
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Jimmy Durante
"As Time Goes By: The Best Of Jimmy Durante"
This is Classic... There is nothing that can beat the old-time music. Old-Time Radio Music. Jimmy Durante was one of those greeat and outstanding
performers from the Old-Time Radio Era. His comedy was superb, his radio show was very popular. His singing.... now that is a story in itself.
It's not how he would sing, it was how he sang. Was it really singing? Was it talking while singing? Whatever it was, it was unique. His gravelly
voice was just part of the cake. Compare him to Louis Armstrong with that gravelly voice.. Maybe. If you haven't heard Jimmy's singing voice, this
Best Of is a great introduction. As Time Goes By: The Best Of Jimmy Durante only captures his recordings from his Warner Bros. albums. For
this collection, the 12 songs taken were from three WB albums: September Song (1963), Hello Young Lovers, The Way Of Life (1964).
Prior to 1963, he had released At The Piano--In Person. Another popular entertainer back in Durante's day, was Eddie Cantor. Eddie met Jimmy
when he was a singing waiter in Coney Island, and Jimmy was a regular piano player. My guess on the 1959 piano album, Jimmy did just that, play the piano.
After 1964, two more albums were released, One Of Those Songs (1966), and Songs For Sunday (1967). You can find all of his original recordings
on Amazon, although his piano album is not available on CD. There are also other compilations of his music. My guess are these recordings are from his
radio shows.
All 12 songs are outstanding. Whether or not you remember these songs (either by Durante, or in most cases, by other performers), Durante puts his own
unique touches on each and every one of them. Of the obvious ones, there are "As Time Goes By," "Young At Heart," "Hello Young Lovers," "I'll Be Seeing
You," "September Song." "The Glory Of Love" I kind of remember, but not by Durante. This goes the same for "If I Had You," "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo,"
"Make Someone Happy." "Smile" would be a song I would enjoy later in my life, as it was written by another popular comedian in Durante's day,
Charlie Chaplin. (Actor Robert Downey Jr. would record his version, and a very impressive one.) "September Song" I remember best by Willie Nelson.
And then there's Durante's take on Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness." "I'll See You In My Dreams" is another song I really didn't
remember. Yet, all of these songs are great and entertaining.
As Time Goes By: The Best Of Jimmy Durante is a great compilation of his music. For those who wish more, collecting all of his albums would be
a treat. Also to mention, his Songs For Sunday was a gospel album. The reviews were just as the others: He pulled it off, singing the gospel tunes
in his unqiue and entertaining style, and that only he could put his own stamp on.
Born in 1893, and left our world in 1980 at age 86, Jimmy Durante has left behind a legacy of comedy, movies, radio and television shows, and of course,
his music. He was gifted, he was talented. Every person who met him all have said, he was a true gentleman, fun to work with, and loved by all. Just
watching him, you can't help but smile. His "ah-cha-cha's" was what I always remembered, as he was always laughing and joking with his audiences. And, let
us not forget another feature that made him famous -- His nose -- as he was nicknamed "Schnozzola" or "Schnoz." Whether it be his radio shows, his music,
his movies, his entertaining scale was 10+. Jimmy Durante was a great man, a great comedian, and a very gifted singer. It's been over 100 years since we've
known him. And although he lived a long and happy life, he will always bring happiness to those who knew him back in his days, and to those who will
discover him after he left us, and for many generations that follow.
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Review or any portion may not be reproduced
without written permission. Cover art is the
intellectual property of
Warner Archives Records
and is used for reference purposes only.
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