Its 2.30 am, a hot night here, and sleep is elusive. Ive got the bedroom windows wide open, everything is silent, and to the south there is a golden moon, almost full, moving its way gently westward, dipping slowly towads the South Downs about 10 miles away, and I had to put this on for such a perfect sight, just to listen to Al's voice before the moon begins to grow dim on the rim of the hills.
@@MrDaiseymay I'd completely forgotten about writing this. I'm glad I did, though, because it brings back that snapshot of memory. That must have been the last warm summer we had here.
My dear person, this is Britain! Al's still as British as tea, driving on the left, and getting annoyed with foreigners! He's not played as much as he was thirty years ago by the children of those who loved him in his day, but he is still a national treasure to everyone over forty here because even though we weren't there, we still love the Good Old Days we were taught of when he wove his magic.
Even if times chage and fashions come and go, RU-vid allows singers and musicians like these to have a second life, even if, unfortuntely they don't live to see it. You can blame radio stations and such for never playing music of this kind. There used to be programmes such as Sentimental Journey on the ABC which aired music going back to early 20th Century, especially 20s and 30s. But in their wisdom the ABC scrapped it. There ought to be more of that so people can hear them and appreciate them again.
It's not only the talent of a gifted singer, though, it's the compositions and the list of composers alive then, like Kern and Porter and Berlin and others that ensure its timelessness, I think.
THIS-is my all time favourite song, and I have a huge list in my head. Virtually all of them written in the 1930's, when quality and sophistication was all. The bar was kept very high because the competition was high--just look at the names of those writers. This favourite is SO well structured and poetic. It paints a beautiful graphic picture of intense love and yet, of doubt too. When you are in that hightened state, fear of loosing it is palpable. Well captured.
As a singer / musician myself and from Johannesburg SA, I truly appreciate his abilities as a Crooner of Note. I also met his Sister, Laura Phitidis in 1985 in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. I am still in touch with her son Eric now living is New Zealand. Al was considered South African but born in Mozambique. He was Pure Class.
Thanks. I agree. I never heard of Al Bowlly until now. What a great voice, I'm going to have to do a lot of catch up on him - I want to hear more of his stuff.
Philip Amos-The photo belongs to the great composer Cole Porter. The voice belongs to the unique Al Bowlly. We make their lovely musical creations belong to us.
+Nicolas Irons I have to agree, if pushed hard, because there are so many from this incomparable period. eg, '' Night and Day'', '' You'll never know'' , ''The Way you Look Tonight ''. etc etc---Out of very hard times and an uncertain world came--pure poetry combined with romantic melody. It will never come again
That was the scene then, Nicolas. There were composers like Cole Porter, who wrote this and hundreds of others. Jerome Kern was another. There aren't people now with this kind of poetic ability and the world is a poorer place.
Nicolas Irons-I understand you and this is my favorite Cole Porter song. I recommend you to find the first and only version I knew, that of Della Reese, the "Archangel". It is lovely. I's almost two months since I knew about Al Bowlly and I also liked his voice and repertoire from the very first note. Now I know many of his songs, but this is the first time I hear this version of "In the Still of the Night". Enjoy your search! Thanks to this channel.
I'VE ALWAYS VISUALISED HIM, STANDING AT HIS BEDROOM'S OPEN WINDOW, IN A COUNTRY AREA A SLIGHT BREEZE IS MOVING THE NET CURTAIN, AS HE LOOK 'S OUT IN THE DIRECTION WHERE SHE LIVES, AND WATCHING THE MOON IN IT'S FLIGHT-- ETC.
cole porter was from peru , Indiana .I lived there when my son was born but I am from kokomo ,Indiana near by. even as a child went through peru a lot on way to nyona lake. best place in the world when your a kid in the 40's.
It is Al Bowlly , just listen to the most lovely tune of Midnight , the stars and you.. So beautiful and nostalgic. I wish I could have met during his lifetime.. although short, he brought happiness to a lot of people , as he still does today.
5' 7'' ISN'T SMALL, ONLY JUST BELOW THE AVERAGE MALE HEIGHT OF THE PERIOD, I'M ONLY 2 INCHES TALLER, AND NOBODY EVER CALLED ME SHORTY. MIND, I ALWAYS WARE BOXING GLOVES.
This photo IS--of Cole Porter, the greatest composer of popular music. Many rivals have composed beautiful music too--but it is also Porter's sophisticated range of lyrics that are so stand-out. As far as I know, he never collaborated with other's, it was all his own work. I have always loved this song--it paints a very romantic image of longing.
You mustn't forget Jerome Kerne and others of the era, when they wre all alive and composing. The time when there were stage shows that needed beautiful and unforgettable songs, which then became standards. He was one of quite a few and we mustn't also forget Irving Berlin. Let's not.
@@petertaylor3600 QUITE RIGHT, THAT IS WHY IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CHOOSE ONE FIRST CHOICE. I THINK WHAT PERSUADED ME, WAS COLE'S RISQUE ,DARING LYRICS, IN SOME OF HIS SONGS, QUITE RACY FOR THAT TIME. INNUENDO WAS ALL.
You know, he had perfect diction. You hear every syllable but he doesn't sound stilted. OMG how he could sing! Thank you to whoever, 100 years ago or so, taught Al to sing.
Try Alan Jones' version. However, as an opera trained singer Alan didn't apply the tenderness and feeling Bowlly does. It was a different style. I can't think of any other singer who might have recorded this except those two.
@@shellyhatherly5893 I just had a listen. Her voice is really good. I still find Al Bowlly's version the best of anyone's though. He just had a certain magic and his way of singing is just so profoundly moving. I much prefer the 1930s arrangements too.
Al died tragically in a bombing raid during WWII. He owned an apartment in London he rarely stayed at. Following a show in London he stayed there ...damn the Luftwaffe.
Chris S. If you mean the Luftwaffe, they were doing their job for Germany and the 3rd Reich, but not for the rest of the world. And certainly not for Al Bowlly whose life they happily destroyed. Plus, we must not forget, the other souls who died in the Blitz created by the 'boys' doing their 'job'. Oh, look, let's not talk about the war, it's over.
@@pamos1949 He was playing a gig with a single partner, both guitarists. He thought he was invincible following a near miss earlier and took transport home. It was in Jermyn Street where his flat was and the blast blew a bedroom door off its hinges, straight onto him. So they tell me.
Well,let's face it, Cole composed it. Somebody's got to acknowledge this.....lol One thing I can say, though, is poor Cole couldn't sing as far as I can make out. He did the stuff and let others sing it. Wisely! lol But there's absolutely no doubt about who's singing. Ain't nobody got a voice like that except one man.
Cole sang like a bullfrog, I really hate to say. There are records around of the evidence!! But he was a sensitive and talented composer, what more could you ask?
Poor old Cole wasn't as bad as all that! But, even as Ray Noble described Bowlly's looks as 'swarthy', (Greek/Lebanese mix, what would he expect?) he was good looking, not in an Anglo Saxon way. And the voice! I'd have been dissolving into a heap if I'd been there..
The vocalist just has to be the great Al, sadly taken from us far too soon. He recorded the song with Lew Stone in October 1932 and later (1938) with Maurice Winnick.
Anyone know who this singer is? Love this old song and especially Jo Stafford's version but I stumbled upon this version and really like this guys voice. Nelson Eddy sang it in the movie "Rosalie" but this isn't him . This doesn't sound like Cole Porter either. Appreciate any help.
This was originally sung by Nelson Eddy in the movie "Rosilie" . Eddy at first hated the song saying that it wasn't well written and refused to sing it.
L.Heitmann....well, apart from Al Bowlly, there was Alan Jones. Probably others, but those two stand out for beauty of tone. Cole would have if he could sing, I'm sure.
photo looks a bit like lew stone but its ol king cole porter. song is very much Al....his word are formed and sung fairly signiture(there a vid of Al singing while sitting on a piano somewhere and this sounds like that)....cole porter was more flamboyant....listen to "making woopie" for clarifacation.
What is there to argue about this is al bowlly. Cole porter sounds nothing like him. Porter was a great song writer but he had quite a bad singing voice. I can't understand how these two can be confused.
photo looks a bit like lew stone but its ol king cole porter. song is very much Al....his word are formed and sung fairly signiture(there a vid of Al singing while sitting on a piano somewhere and this sounds like that)....cole porter was more flamboyant....listen to "making woopie" for clarifacation.
