Mel Torme, Comin' Home Baby

[sonnymax]

I was afraid that was the case, and it saddens me that you think it's funny, Jim. 

[sgcim]

1 hour ago, sonnymax said:

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean. Please explain. Thanks.

What Ken said about his multiple marriages.

[JSngry]

I don't get it. I have never liked Mel Torm in spite of his obvious skills. He has always stuck me as being quite the, as they used to say, "douche". What's today's acceptable word, dick? Something non-genitallic? Help me out here, please. I am weak. 

The game show clip was just because I knew of Torm from game shows a looooong time before even knowing that he was a singer, and that ineffable insufferably comes through loud and clear here. He also did the syndicated What's My Line a lot, and same thing there, maybe even worse. 

Besides, organ and xylophone for the house band, hey! 

As for the "ladies man" thing, again, such a .. prick in that clip. Not sexy at all, creepy is what it is, especially since he was intimately involved in all aspects of the production of that show. So he WANTED to do that.

So yeah, fuck Mel Torm. 

[sgcim]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

I don't get it. I have never liked Mel Torm in spite of his obvious skills. He has always stuck me as being quite the, as they used to say, "douche". What's today's acceptable word, dick? Something non-genitallic? Help me out here, please. I am weak. 

The game show clip was just because I knew of Torm from game shows a looooong time before even knowing that he was a singer, and that ineffable insufferably comes through loud and clear here. He also did the syndicated What's My Line a lot, and same thing there, maybe even worse. 

Besides, organ and xylophone for the house band, hey! 

As for the "ladies man" thing, again, such a .. prick in that clip. Not sexy at all, creepy is what it is, especially since he was intimately involved in all aspects of the production of that show. So he WANTED to do that.

So yeah, fuck Mel Torm. 

I understand what you're saying. He could be the corniest MFer on the planet on some things.

Yet on other things he could penetrate your brain like a laser. I guess he was playing to his audience. I love some of the things he did with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, yet most of his own albums were corn city. I've never bought any of his records, because I was afraid of that corn infecting my brain. I've always wondered what Buddy Rich said to him on the phone that caused him not to have anything to do with Buddy till he was dying in the hospital, but maybe it had something to do with the cornball quotient.

[Teasing the Korean]

My own interest in Mel Torme is tangential at best.  I got the Swingin' on the Moon album primarily because of Russ Garcia's arrangements, and for the blonde model in the bubble helmet on the cover.  I quite liked the title tune, written by Mel, but found some of the album's other aspects puzzling, like taking "How High the Moon" as a ballad.  

The other Mel albums we have are his Now Sound albums, including the aforementioned Right Now and a pair of groovy Capitol albums, circa 1970, with cover art like a Playboy Cutty Sark ad.  

 

[randyhersom]

 

[Big Beat Steve]

Reading all these "mixed bag" feelings about him and his output it almost seems well-chosen that I have limited the Mel Tormé corner in my record collection to ONE LP featuring him in the 40s with his Mel-Tones on Musicraft (which I bought as part of exploring and covering the 40s jazz and semi-jazz scene, of course). 😁

[jazzbo]

There's a real artistry to what Mel could do. I don't know how often he reached deep into that well. 

I like his Bethlehem material, and the early Verve material. . . and here and there little bits beyond. 

[Teasing the Korean]

17 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

...I have limited the Mel Tormé corner in my record collection to ONE LP featuring him in the 40s with his Mel-Tones on Musicraft...

That means you have at least one Les Baxter record!

Edited June 22, 2023 by Teasing the Korean

[Jack Pine]

Mel suits my tastes, though I can well understand how he can come across as corny. His technique is pretty much unimpeachable though, I think even his detractors must grant him that. Such exceptional pitch, great timing and interesting phrasing, ideas. 'Mel Torme Swings Shubert Alley' is one of my top picks; everything he did with Marty Paich ranks high.

[mikeweil]

The only Tormé CD I have is this compilation, received many years ago as a gift from a singer and vocal coach as a "thank you" for reviewing his jazz choir CD.

The Mel-Tones from a Musicraft CD booklet:

[Teasing the Korean]

51 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

The Mel-Tones from a Musicraft CD booklet:

That's Les on the upper left.

And Ginny Mancini, Hank's future wife, is on the bottom left.

Edited June 22, 2023 by Teasing the Korean

[JSngry]

I can deal with the Mel-Tones as a group. Very good writing and execution thereof. And to that point, lesser obvious Melisms. 

[sgcim]

I remember talking to a female vocalist about Mel, and she couldn't understand why Mel would do some things that she flipped out over ("That's All", "Pick Yourself Up"), and then the "Velvet Fog" stuff where he'd sound completely different. like a cornball crooner.

Sinatra had that same crooner period, and that stuff appealed to teenage girls like my mother, who would cut school and join the other bobbysoxers, going nuts over him at the Paramount. Then when I mentioned Mel, she'd just go "Ooh, the Velvet Fog!"

I guess it's true that as Barney Kessel said, the music biz is all about exciting the hormonal glands of teenage girls. Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, and now Taylor Swift; what do they all have in common?

The record companies know what sells, and when Rock&Roll came along, Mel called it "three chord manure", but couldn't fit in with it, so he went back to jazz.

He was talented enough at it to make it work, unlike other singers his age. and had a career resurgence.

He also wrote five books; one for revenge against Judy Garland for firing him from her TV show, and one bio of Buddy Rich, probably to get revenge against Rich for treating him like a piece of garbage, for reasons only known to BR.

Like the NYT Book Review asks:

You're organizing a musical dinner party. which three musicians living or dead would you invite and why?

Buddy Rich, Mel Torme and Judy Garland, to see who would walk out of the room alive.

 

[GA Russell]

I once saw Mel tell (I think) Johnny Carson, "My best records were for labels you never heard of."

I assumed he was thinking about Bethlehem and Verve.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, sgcim said:

You're organizing a musical dinner party. which three musicians living or dead would you invite and why?

Buddy Rich, Mel Torme and Judy Garland, to see who would walk out of the room alive.

My money would be on Buddy.

 

[sgcim]

14 minutes ago, JSngry said:

My money would be on Buddy.

 

He did have a black belt, but never underestimate a woman's temper.

[JSngry]

Yeah, but all bets of accuracy are off when sobriety is gone.

As to why Buddy probably didn't like Torm, I would wager lunch that it had something to do with Torm's prissiness of self-satisfaction about everything he touched. Skills is one thing, and those aren't in question, but there's nobody in the "jazz" world who exudes such a total air of a smug EXPECTING you to be IMPRESSED by EVERYTHING as Mel Torm, not even Keith Jarrett, who will at least on occasion play with at least some projection of at least some humility.

So...does Buddy Rich seem like the type of guy who would respond well to you expecting him to be impressed by you? LOL!!!! 

[Ken Dryden]

Mel's story about Buddy hitting him in the face with a pie right after he was introduced at the start of a set was startling. He couldn't take the stage, his tuxedo was ruined and it was embarrassing. I doubt anyone in Rich's band found it funny. Torme had some issues with arrogance, but Rich easily had him beat in that department.

[JSngry]

Poor Mel Torm. He got beat at his own game. 

He must have told Buddy that he was a drummer too. 

[jazzbo]

It's a shame that Buddy and Mel became so hostile if true as they were friends since WW2.

[Teasing the Korean]

2 hours ago, jazzbo said:

It's a shame that Buddy and Mel became so hostile if true as they were friends since WW2.

Personality disorders tend to get worse with time, not better. 

[jazzbo]

And when you have TWO people with personality disorders interacting . . . .

[Teasing the Korean]

5 minutes ago, jazzbo said:

And when you have TWO people with personality disorders interacting . . . .

Not to mention a fascination with guns!

[jazzbo]

I never mention guns. Loathesome things.