1. 00:00:00 Fred Astaire No Strings 2. 00:02:37 Fred Astaire Isn't This A Lovely Day? 3. 00:05:56 Fred Astaire Top Hat, White Tie And Tails 4. 00:08:39 Fred Astaire Cheek To Cheek 5. 00:12:00 Fred Astaire The Piccolino 6. 00:15:21 Fred Astaire We Saw The Sea 7. 00:17:45 Fred Astaire Let Yourself Go 8. 00:20:25 Fred Astaire I'd Rather Lead A Band 9. 00:22:58 Fred Astaire I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket 10. 00:25:49 Fred Astaire Let's Face The Music And Dance 11. 00:28:21 Fred Astaire Pick Yourself Up 12. 00:31:22 Fred Astaire The Way You Look Tonight 13. 00:34:35 Fred Astaire A Fine Romance 14. 00:37:32 Fred Astaire Bojangles Of Harlem 15. 00:40:41 Fred Astaire Never Gonna Dance 16. 00:43:57 Fred Astaire Beginner's Luck 17. 00:46:51 Fred Astaire Slap That Bass 18. 00:49:48 Fred Astaire They All Laughed 19. 00:52:38 Fred Astaire Let's Call The Whole Thing Off 20. 00:55:52 Fred Astaire They Can't Take That Away From Me 21. 00:58:58 Fred Astaire Shall We Dance? 22. 01:01:33 Fred Astaire I Can't Be Bothered Now 23. 01:04:00 Fred Astaire Things Are Looking Up 24. 01:07:12 Fred Astaire A Foggy Day 25. 01:10:08 Fred Astaire Nice Work If You Can Get It
Listening in 2020, during the COVID pandemic. It soothes the heart. Helps you forget about the harsh reality. Happy day-dreaming is good for the soul and healing for the mind.
That's it, it takes you to a place and time before all this happened. Not the least, the Ukrainian slaughter, which is just the icing on the nightmare cake.
Even if he didn't have a flawless voice per se there is something very special about it which I often miss when listening to other singers' versions of these songs
I agree. Fred's voice is distinctive- you always could tell it is him singing. I also like that way he slid his voice around. I don't know what you call it; hope you know what I mean x
This music just cheered me up on a terribly sad day. I wouldn't want to over romanticize those times, as we all know there were plenty of bad stuff going on back then too, but boy I wish I could trade my covid days and live in that era for at least a day. With music like this, who could ever feel sad or lonely?warm hug for the heart,that's what this is.❤️
Love to hear his singing.2022 grew up watching Fred and Ginger, now going back to watching often. Nothing going these days so thankfully we have U Tube.
Love Fred and Ginger and Gene and Donald. Truly great talented people. We will never see the like of them again. I know everyone raved about 'La La Land' but there is no comparison. These people KNEW their dance steps and were disciplined. They didn't just take six weeks of lessons and then make a movie. So glad we have RU-vid so we can hear and see them at their peak. Thanks so much for your website. I just discovered it today and have subscribed immediately
Thank you Kate, for saying it perfectly. I only discovered this website two days ago and I've been glued to the screen almost ever since. The fashion for style in dance has gone with this era, I* hate to say. People are noticing it again and they're trying to recreate it again, but something's missing, and it may be Fred.
When they were recording the dances he performed with Ginger, her shoes didn't have the taps on them so didn't make the required sound. So, he and Hermes Pan rerecorded to make her sound.
@@YokoshimaOfficial Donald O'conner. He was in "singin in the rain" with Gene Kelly and in "theres no business like show business" with Marilyn Monroe iclduing many more xx
In "cheek to cheek" he always pronounces the ending K distinctly (yet without emphasis) because if he didn't the song would have been ruined. We'd hear "I can hardly spea", "chee to chee", "the happiness I see" etc, That K is gold.
Every time I listen to the song Cheek To Cheek I really feel that I'm in heaven. It is something which is so dear to our ears you can keep listening over and over, songs like this are called "KarnPriya कर्णप्रिय" in my language Hindi. Awesome song.
Astaire and the movies of the 30's had what movies and stars today, with all their technical advances, utterly lack: charm, elegance, style, wit, talent and creativity.
Still my favourite dancer. Would of liked to hear him sing the duet with Ginger Rogers in the Swing Time movie "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off". Or am I asking too much? It's the only one that doesn't sound right. Still loved this upload. Thanks.
I just trip over my own feet when I try, but this wonderful music sure makes me want to try to dance!!! I've enjoyed Fred Astaire's movies from the DVD versions. It's great fun to watch Fred's creative dancing-even on the ceiling!
Fred had movement So gracefully gliding across the floor. With Rita, Magical, he just loved Rita. He did Say, Rita was his best partner. Thank you, Fred, And you too editorial person. So happy to see
When I was 13, I became crazy about this gentleman and incidentally I learned English thanks to him ( I am French )... always in my heart he will stay 🎥😘
Fred AstIre had great singing voice @the musician loved playing behind him, this i heard all the time he had the right timing @the bands loved him. So he was talented man in his great dancing. He ate very light, like one boiled egg, with apjece of toast and coffee or tea in the morning, also he ate light all day, He loved what he did dancing and singing and I know other people lived longer than him. Because I know some brain stormer is going to think so. Why did he die before other people that did nothing well brain stormer We all have a term of time. BY THE CREATOR HIMSELF NO MATTER WHAT WE DO. but i am telling u about his singing. How good he was. Thank u 4 listening Maria is my name.
I learned how to sing these songs in the right style by listening to Fred in the old movies. I was a teenage when I discovered them and years later still among my favorites.
Well, they haven't really gone, nor should they. There is nothing like them now and they need preserving. Thanks to collectors on RU-vid, they are doing their best.
Fred Astaire is famous for his dancing. But composers had his voice in mind when they wrote these great songs. There are tons of better singers but nobody could put a song across as he could.
I agree. He didn't have a pro singer's voice quality but he was so darned musical, it was just a joy to listen to him. He also composed and played a mean piano (see Follow the Fleet).
Astaire, Martha Raye, Carol Channing, Stubby Kaye, Ann Miller, Jimmy Durante, Gene Kelly, Walter Huston, Dooley Wilson, among others who don't come to mind at the moment, were a breed of different singer whom we didn't expect to be listed on Billboard. Yet they did memorable versions of the songs they sang. For example, Walter Huston's "September Song" is heavenly.
I'm not sure your second statement is true, Jade, whilst your first obviously is. Both Al Jolson and Sinatra had an enormous amount of quality songs written for them. This was often because when those two recorded something more often than not it was a hit, and song writers like royalties...
The great thing about Fred's singing is that the song took precedence and the words were clear; no wonder composers and lyricists loved him! He didn't overwhelm the song. Plus he had impeccable rhythm and new just how and where to put the emphasis in a tune. So in the end, it is the song you remember, not the singer, although he is instantly recognizable; when you hear his voice, you don't mistake him for anyone else. Now that's style.
These songs were made popular in his early movies and performed here by Mr. Astaire in recording studio quality sound (i.e.: "I'd Rather Lead the Band"; "Let's Face the Music and Dance" or "Pick Youself Up"). Just imagine Fred Astaire tap dancing for us. It's fortunate that Mr. Astaire gave us the exquisite pleasure of listening to his voice under better conditions, without distractions (for original ambience there are the DVDs). This set is a pleasure.
FRED ASTAIRE, j'adore sa musique car elle me donne immédiatement l'envie de danser, chose que j'ai toujours aimé faire de toute jeune. J'avais le rythme dans la peau, j'apprenais facilement toutes danses.
Oh, also at 31:28 the song, The way you look tonight, when Jerome Kern first played it for his lyricist Dorothy Fields, she burst out crying because it was so beautiful.
Fred always exhibited restraint whilst singing, whereas most of the other top singers of his generation put too much production into their performances...
Exactly. Like a stage actor dialing down his gestures for the camera, he did not need to belt out songs. Ginger taught him how to regulate acting for the screen, and the lessons trickled through to singing bc there were no intermissions for music in their films; the songs advanced the story. Fred's knack of nailing a new lyric, making it memorable independent of context, was why the best tunesmiths sought him out. They knew most songs click instantly or not at all, and an Astaire pic was the best possible launch pad. The odd-looking little fellow with the reedy baritone premiered more, and more durable, hits than anyone.
Songs here miss some of other classic Fred stuff. So, we need to see all his films and realize what a genius he was and guess what? You could understand every word unlike some of the slop today.
MarsLos10 Not really an answer but start here: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Songbook en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Berlin And George Gershwin en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gershwin There’s a reason people love this stuff almost a hundred years later, it forms the base of our American musical culture. Please don’t miss the African American and Jewish roots of how it all came together.
This is Jazz and Swing. It has its roots in the black neighbourhoods of American cities between the two wars, and developed into a musical style and sound that dominated popular culture (stage, film, concerts, dance halls) for the next 30 - 35 years. It was only superseded when Blues started to sound like Rock and Roll. This is the popular end of the style but you might also want to check out Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and Jimmie Lunceford with their Big Swing Bands. If that resonates then also check out Benny Goodman.
Music changed because Mr Astaire could do this. His singing is a high wire act and then he adds the percussion line with his feet by looking graceful. He is the wizard of syncopation. He called it, "On the beat, off the beat". Brilliant, Bravo, Polished to perfection. Recorded to film live in one take including the vocal and Freds dancing. Thank you, you're wonderful.
I love deeply Fred Astaire. God bless him in peace. The best dancer ever. I can only consider Bob Fosse as the second great dancer. Blessings for both.
no me puedo creer casi................esto..........................es que me extrapolo........................sicologicamente ....pensando.....................viendo y oyendo..........lo que actualmente oigo....................es que no entiendo lo que ocurre.................................que le pasa a la musica hoy dia...............que parece muerta........................despues de 100 años.......................es que no entiendo nada............................
I’ve been a fan of Fred Astaire ever since I discovered his wonderfully nostalgic movies from the 30s and 40s. To this day, I still believe he was the most charming leading actor to grace the silver screen. His voice is soothing yet charismatic.
Listening to this all the way through again today; congratulations on the exceptionally fine transfers - the sound is wonderful, an absolute joy! I have most of these - all, perhaps - on an LP I bought at least 35 years ago. One side is Fred and Adele together from one or more of their movies, the rest Fred by himself (as I remember it). All of the compliments on this page about Fred are right on the mark - a great singer of the right kind of song, elegant and classy , the embodiment of that all was graceful and chic.
@@rogerpropes7129 I stand corrected; Adele didn't make the transition to film, although she had offers. I dug out the LP I mentioned above: Monmouth-Evergreen Records, 1697 Broadway, NYC 10019; number MES7036, title "Lady Be Good," with 8 other songs by Fred alone. Most of the original recordings were by Columbia. Adele sings with Fred in the "Lady Be Good" recordings. The jacket lists another album with Fred and Adele as "Funny Face." Notes on the jacket were by Peter Orchard. Sigh . . . one of these days, I've GOT to get a new belt for the turntable and a new cartridge . . . been a long time since I listened to that record or any of the others. Thanks for prompting me to go digging!
Моя любимая мелодия " щека к щеке". Часто включала диск под названием " цилиндр". Рада услышать в Ютубе. Хорошо бы молодежь приобщилась к этим старым, но не увядающим мелодиям.
He looked all those things, William, but he was a giant from sheer talent and ability. That famous remark "balding, skinny, can't sing, dances a bit', probably said it all, but he was so much more than that.
I love love fred astaire his dancing and his perfection absolutly no topping from no one. He is a Gentleman with classy and style from head to toe. Fred and ginger the perfect couple. I have learned tap dancing from the lessons about fred astaire from my dancing school teacher. I like the elegant style from fred astaire no one is like him and will ever be like him He is my god of dancing and will it be forever, hope to See him Some day in haeven an can dance with him❤️❤️❤️❤️🤗🤗🤗🤗
He only had a reasonable voice but that's all you need when you can sell a song like he could. More than that is was his grace and elegance. They've tried but nobody has ever even equalled him and his blazing talent. He didn't even like dancing when he used to have to escort Adele to dance classes but he rose as Adele disappeared, when she got sick of it and married.
We have a fair amount of his compositions on our album Everybody Sing: Songs From The Hollywood Musics. But not an entire album I'm afraid ..... yet :-)
Even when I was a kid I was impressed with his voice. I don't think he would have been as famous without both his voice and dance. He always seemed so natural and graceful. It just kind of made me happy and comfortable myself to see and hear him. I can see where people going through the great depression (like my young parents) could forget their troubles for a while.
