2/14/2007 Down Memory Laine

Frankie Laine died last week at the age of 93. His death brought to mind his many renditions, recorded over many years. According to Wikapedia, his first big hit was, That’s My Desire, released back in 1947, when I was a teenager – 15 years old. So Frankie Laine singing career and my attention to popular music must have traveled down the road together. I was certainly aware of Frankie Laine in 1947 and I recall That’s My Desire. But at that time my major interest in music was Benny Goodman, and Stan Kenton. This was the later part of the age of the big bands. Another big favorite of mine was Spike Jones, with his, what we thought hilarious, spoofing of popular music. Clyde Slade, a wonerful friend who introduced me to popular music, could mimic an entire Spike Jones record such as “Tea for Two”.

But back to Frankie Laine. One record I remember well was “Jezebel” (“If Ever a Devil was born --- Without a pair of horns--- Jezebel--- [pause for one or two measures] “it was you.” In those youthful days of unrequited teenage love, full of hormones -- this song rendered tremendous emotion!

I never thought Frankie Laine’s music was great in the sense it would last generations – but it was a catchy and many of his songs were among the top ten on the Hit Parade. (Who among you, dear reader, remembers the Lucky Strike Hit Parade, first on radio and later on Sunday night TV? Indeed who among you remembers Lucky Strikes, or “LSMFT”, or “Lucky Green Goes to War”? I must admit I just barely remember when the Lucky Strike package was green rather than red, black and white.)

At any rate as I grew older I was particularly fond of Frankie Laine’s, Cry of the Wild Goose (“Wild goose, brother goose which is best, a wandering fool or a heart at rest?” (Rise and fall of trumpets, sounding perhaps like a wild goose traveling). Probably I should get this to accompany Willie Nelson’s, On the Road Again, to play when we hit the road in our RV.

Later as I grew older, it seemed as if Frankie Laine’s recordings had less substance, but were still memorable, and the lyrics catchy. It was almost impossible to get out of your mind some of the corny stanzas from tunes such as Mule Train (‘There’s a Bible in the pack for the Reverend Mr. Black”) or Cool Water (“Keep a movin’ Dan, he’s a devil not a man, spreads the burning sand with water” [rest for a measure] “cool, clear water. [Chorus singing “Water water.”)

It is nice to think back to the days when Frankie Laine was releasing records. Those year span from my teen age years, through college days and the early years of my marriage, and are times I recall with pleasure.