Baubles, Bangles, & Beads

Last updated

"Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet , credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest.

Contents

Background

Like almost all the music in that show, the melody was based on works by Alexander Borodin, [1] in this case the second theme of the second movement of his String Quartet in D. The "Kismet" setting maintains the original's 3/4 waltz rhythm; pop music settings change the rhythm to a moderate four-beat accompaniment. Jazz musicians are especially drawn to the song's beguiling melody and advanced harmonic structure. The familiar AA'BA+Coda structure of the song is energized by a key change up a major third interval for every section; the transition is marked by a harmonic progression from the central major key of one section to the tritone minor key of the following section.[ citation needed ]

1953 recordings

The best-selling version of the song was recorded by Peggy Lee on September 16, 1953 [2] and charted briefly that year. [3] Other versions were recorded that year by Lu Ann Simms and Georgia Gibbs.

Other recordings

The song has appeared on numerous albums over the years including:

Related Research Articles

George Forrest was an American writer of music and lyrics for musical theatre best known for the show Kismet, adapted from the works of Alexander Borodin. He was also known professionally at times as Chet Forrest.

<i>Kismet</i> (musical) 1953 US musical by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis

Kismet is a musical adapted by Charles Lederer and Luther Davis from the 1911 play of the same name by Edward Knoblock, with lyrics and musical adaptation by Robert Wright and George Forrest. The music was mostly adapted from several pieces composed by Alexander Borodin. The story concerns a wily poet who talks his way out of trouble several times; meanwhile, his beautiful daughter meets and falls in love with the young caliph.

The String Quartet No. 2 is a string quartet in D major written by Alexander Borodin in 1881. It was dedicated to his wife Ekaterina Protopova. Some scholars, such as Borodin's biographer Serge Dianin, suggest that the quartet was a 20th anniversary gift and that it has a program evoking the couple's first meeting in Heidelberg. Of its four movements, the third movement "Notturno" is the most famous.

"And This Is My Beloved" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. Like most other music in the show, this melody was based on music composed by Alexander Borodin, in this case the nocturne from the third movement of Borodin's String Quartet No. 2 in D.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Buddy (song)</span>

"My Buddy" is a popular song with music written by Walter Donaldson, and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The song was published in 1922 and early popular versions were by Henry Burr (1922), Ernest Hare (1923) and Ben Bernie.

"I'll Remember April" is a popular song and jazz standard with music written in 1941 by Gene de Paul, and lyrics by Patricia Johnston and Don Raye. It made its debut in the 1942 Abbott and Costello comedy Ride 'Em Cowboy, being sung by Dick Foran. The lyric uses the seasons of the year metaphorically to illustrate the growth and death of a romance. The lyric also uses the ideas of the hours in a day and the flames of a fire to illustrate a relationship growing stronger and subsequently losing strength. Another interpretation is the use of spring to express the loves that were had in youth and remember them when the autumn of life arrives with affection and nostalgia, smiling: "I'll remember April and I smile". The song has been described as one which makes use of nostalgia.

"This Can't Be Love" is a show tune and a popular song from the 1938 Rodgers and Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse when it was sung by Eddie Albert and Marcy Westcott. The lyrics poke fun at the common depiction of love in popular songs as a host of malignant symptoms, saying, "This can't be love because I feel so well."

"Street of Dreams" is a song and foxtrot composed in 1932 by Victor Young, with lyrics by Sam M. Lewis. There were three successful recordings of the song in 1933 by Guy Lombardo, Ben Selvin and Bing Crosby.

"Witchcraft" is a popular song from 1957 composed by Cy Coleman with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh.

"Do I Love You?" is a 1939 popular song written by Cole Porter, for his musical Du Barry Was a Lady, where it was introduced by Ronald Graham and Ethel Merman.

"June in January" is a popular song with music by Ralph Rainger and lyrics by Leo Robin, published in 1934.

"Mean to Me" is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk, published in 1929. Hit versions that year were by Ruth Etting and by Helen Morgan. Ben Bernie and the Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra also recorded what might be the first male version in February 1929 with vocals by Scrappy Albert.

The Kirby Stone Four were an American vocal ensemble popular in the 1950s and early 1960s.

"If I Should Lose You" is a song composed by Ralph Rainger, with lyrics by Leo Robin. It was introduced in the 1936 film Rose of the Rancho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Nowhere (Johnny Green song)</span>

"Out of Nowhere" is a popular song composed by Johnny Green with lyrics by Edward Heyman and published by Famous Music. It was popularized by Bing Crosby, and was the first recording under his Brunswick Records contract. He recorded it on March 30, 1931 and it became his first number one hit as a solo artist. Crosby also sang it in the film Confessions of a Co-Ed (1931) and in his short film I Surrender Dear (1931). He recorded it again in 1954 for his album Bing: A Musical Autobiography.

"Blame It on My Youth" is a jazz standard written by Oscar Levant (music) and Edward Heyman (lyrics) in 1934.

<i>Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings</i> 2010 compilation album by Frank Sinatra and Antônio Carlos Jobim

Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings is a 2010 compilation album by Frank Sinatra, consisting of 20 tracks he recorded with the Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Jobim.

<i>So Nice</i> (Johnny Mathis album) 1966 studio album by Johnny Mathis

So Nice is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis released through Mercury Records on September 16, 1966. The singer included a trio of musical numbers from Man of La Mancha in this set as well as songs from Funny Girl, Kismet, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, shows that he had recognized on previous releases. Mathis also covers recent imports from France and Brazil and offers a rendition of a 1944 hit record as part of the mix.

"The Moon of Manakoora" is a popular song written by Frank Loesser (lyrics) and Alfred Newman (music) for the 1937 Paramount film The Hurricane starring Dorothy Lamour. Lamour sang the song in the film and also made a commercial recording of it. The song "The Moon of Manakoora" is considered a standard and was Loesser's first success as a lyric writer.

<i>Kismet</i> (The Mastersounds album) 1958 studio album by The Mastersounds

Kismet is an album by The Mastersounds led by vibraphonist Buddy Montgomery with pianist Richie Crabtree, bassist Monk Montgomery and drummer Benny Barth along with guitarist Wes Montgomery featuring performances of tunes originally composed by Alexander Borodin and adapted by Robert Wright and George Forrest for the musical Kismet. The album was recorded in 1958 and released on the World Pacific label.

References

  1. McHugh, Dominic “I’ll Never Know Exactly Who Did What”: Broadway Composers as Musical Collaborators. Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 68, Number 3, pp. 605–652 ISSN 0003-0139, electronic ISSN 1547-3848.
  2. "peggyleediscography.com". peggyleediscography.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 270. ISBN   0-89820-083-0.
  4. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  5. "The Kirby Stone Four Baubles, Bangles And Beads Chart History". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  6. "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  7. "Discogs.com". Discogs . 1975. Retrieved June 3, 2023.
  8. "Borodin, Bangles & Beads" (Borodin's Scherzo from the Quartet n° 2/Baubles, Bangles & Beads) is also on the album Mischief with Mozart - Comical Combat with the Classics (Stradivari Classics).
  9. "SOFIA HOFFMANN NA SMOOTH FM: ENTREVISTA E NOVO ÁLBUM!" . Retrieved October 25, 2023.