Description
Episode three of “The Singer and the Song” is a two-fer, devoted not only to “I’m in the Mood for Love,” which debuted in 1935, but to “Moody’s Mood for Love,” King Pleasure’s 1952 vocalese version of James Moody’s ground-changing 1949 instrumental interpretation of the original song. “I’m in the Mood for Love” was quickly embraced by Alfalfa and Darla in an early “Our Gang” comedy, then by Louis Armstrong, Fats Domino, and the reggae artist Lord Tanamo during the succeeding decades. “Moody’s Mood” was covered by Esther Phillips and Amy Winehouse even as it rolled into the hip-hop era with Slick Rick, MC Lyte, and Digital Underground all building tastes of it into their recordings. And there's more! It’s a rich history.
This week’s case study -- the final episode of our first season -- began life as a soulful ballad entitled “One Step Ahead” by the one and only Aretha Franklin. Released on the Columbia label in 1965, the record scarcely made a splash. In 1999, more than 30 years after its initial release, the...
Published 11/01/24
Episode five is devoted to “Watermelon Man,” the first song on the first album by the pianist Herbie Hancock, released when he was just 22 years old. In 1963, less than a year later, the adventurous Cuban bandleader and conga player Mongo Santamaria cut an irresistible Latin-esque version of it,...
Published 10/25/24