Whatever Lola Wants

damn-yankees-obc
PROFILE
Composer Richard Adler
Lyricist Jerry Ross
Year Written 1955
About Whatever Lola Wants
“Whatever Lola Wants” is from the smash 1955 musical Damn Yankees. Based on the Faust legend, the musical is set in the 1950s in Washington, D.C., where, as usual, the New York Yankees dominated their division. A fan of the competing Washington Senators sells his soul to the devil for a long ball hitter that could help the Senators beat the Yankees. It starred Ray Walston and a young Gwen Verdon as Lola. The choreographer was Bob Fosse. Fosse and Verdon would later marry and work together for many years.

Lyrics

Whatever Lola wants
Lola gets
And little man, little Lola wants you
Make up your mind to have no regrets
Recline yourself, resign yourself, you’re through
She’ll always get what she’ll aim for
And your heart’n soul is what she came for

Whatever Lola wants
Lola gets,
Take off your coat
Don’t you know you can’t win?
You’re no exception to the rule,
She’s irresistible, you fool, give in!

She’ll always get what she’ll aim for
And your heart’n soul is what she came for

Whatever Lola wants
Lola gets,
Take off your coat
Don’t you know you can’t win?
You’re no exception to the rule,
She’s irresistible, you fool, give in! Give in. Give in.

1955

“Whatever Lola Wants” was recorded on June 9, 1955 and released that year on Columbia’s All Star Pops. It was arranged by Sid Feller.

Whatever Lola Wants

Tony Bennett · Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1 · Song · 2012

This recording released on:

  • 1955: Columbia LP 12″: CL 728 — All Star Pops
  • 1955: Columbia EP: B-2079
  • 1957: Philips 45: JK1008 (for jukebox play only, not available for sale)
  • 2011: Disc #1 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK1) Rarities, Outtakes & Other Delights, Vol. 1

Rain Rain (Don’t Go Away)

Alec Wilder

Alec Wilder

PROFILE
Composer Alec Wilder
Lyricist Marshall Barer
Year Written 1955
About Rain, Rain (Don’t Go Away)
TBD

Lyrics

Rain, rain, don’t go away
Rain all night and rain all day
Rain, oh rain, stay with me
Keep my tears company

Rain, I’m all alone
Silent room and silent phone
Gentle rain, quiet rain
Soothe my heart, ease my pain

Feelin’ a way that I do
A sunny day would be in vain
When I’m feelin’ so low and so blue
There’s nothing as right as the rain

So rain, rain, don’t go away
Keep on rainin’ soft and gray
Keep my tears company
‘Til my baby comes back to me

Session / Album Information

1972

“Rain, Rain (Don’t Go Away)” was recorded in December, 1972 and released the following year on the album Listen Easy. It was arranged by Don Costa.

This recording released on:

  • 1973: Verve LP 12″: V6 5094 — Listen Easy
  • 1973: Philips LP 12″: 6308 157 — Listen Easy
  • 1973: Philips LP 12″: 6641297 — Spotlight On Tony Bennett (UK)
  • 2011: Disc #46 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK45) Listen Easy

It’s Too Soon To Know

Dorothy Chessler

Dorothy Chessler

PROFILE
Songwriter Deborah Chessler
Year Written 1948
About It’s Too Soon To Know
“It’s Too Soon To Know” was a hit R&B song for The Orioles. The author, Deborah Chessler (a pen name for Shirley Reingold) was born in Baltimore, Maryland . Chessler not only wrote music, but managed The Orioles as well. In her obituary in the New York Daily News (she died in 2012) Richard Hinckley wrote that “her story was extraordinary in part because she was a young Jewish woman managing a black vocal group in an age when the entertainment industry, particularly in a Southern state like Maryland, was rigidly segregated.
She and her mother toured with the group everywhere, including the South, dealing with booking agents, theater owners and other showbiz officials who were not used to taking women seriously or treating black performers equally.”

Lyrics

Does she love me?
It’s too soon to know
Can I believe her
When she tells me so?

Is she fooling?
Is this all a game?
Am I the fire or
Just another flame?

A one-sided love
Would break my heart
She may be just acting
And playing a part
If she don’t love me
Let her tell me so
And I, I can’t hold her
If she wants to go

Though I’ll cry whens he’s gone
And I won’t die and I’ll live on
If it is so, it’s too soon
Way too soon to know

Session / Album Information

1955

“It’s Too Soon To Know” was recorded on January 4, 1955 and released that year as a single.

It"s Too Soon To Know

Listen to It"s Too Soon To Know on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 2011

This recording released on:

  • 1955: Columbia 78: 40427
  • 1955: Columbia 45: 4-40427
  • 1955: Philips 78: PB 445
  • 1955: Philips 78: PB 445
  • 2011: Disc #5 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK5) The Columbia Singles, Volume 3

In The Wee Small Hours

weesmall
PROFILE
Composer David Mann
Lyricist Bob Hilliard
Year Written 1955
About In The Wee Small Hours
This song is, of course, widely identified with Frank Sinatra, who anchored his well-received concept album In the Wee Small Hours around this song. Interestingly, the song almost didn’t get written. The two songwriters were working in Hilliard’s home in New Jersey. It was well past midnight and Mann was getting ready to leave for home in New York. Hilliard urged him to stay and Mann came up with the tune, to which Hilliard quickly wrote the lyric.

Lyrics

When the sun is high
In the afternoon sky
You can always find something to do
But from dusk til dawn
As the clock ticks on
Something happens to you

In the wee small hours of the morning
While the whole wide world is fast asleep
You lie awake and think about the girl
And never even think of counting sheep

When your lonely heart has learned its lesson
You’d be hers if only she would call
In the wee small hours of the morning
That’s the time you miss her most of all

Session / Album Information

1964

“In The Wee Small Hours” was recorded on February 26, 1964; it was released in 1966 on the album A Time To Love. The song was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

In The Wee Small Hours

Listen to In The Wee Small Hours on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1966

This recording released on:

  • 1966: CBS LP 12″: SBPG 62800 — A Time For Love [UK]
  • 1966: Columbia LP 12″: CL 2560 — A Time For Love
  • 1966: Columbia LP 12″: CS 9360 — A Time For Love
  • 1990: CBS/Sony CD: CSCS-5243 — A Time For Love [Japan]
  • 1995: Sony Music Special Products CD: A-26012 — The Many Moods of Romance: Dream Along with Me
  • 2011: Disc #33 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK32) A Time For Love

I Fall In Love Too Easily

ifallinlovetooeasily-c
PROFILE
Composer Jule Styne
Lyricist Sammy Cahn
Year Written 1955
AboutI Fall In Love Too Easily
“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was written for the 1945 movie Anchors Away, where it was introduced by Frank Sinatra. It nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to “It Might As Well Be Spring” by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is a well-respected jazz standard, with recordings by Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day and Johnny Hartman.

Lyrics

I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast
I fall in love too terribly hard, for love to ever last
My heart should be well schooled, ’cause I’ve been fooled in the past
And still I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast
I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast
I fall in love too terribly hard, for love to ever last
My heart should be well schooled, ’cause I’ve been fooled in the past
And still I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast

Session / Album Information

1954

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was recorded on August 6, 1954 and released in 1955 on the album Cloud 7. It was arranged by Chuck Wayne.

I Fall In Love Too Easily

Listen to I Fall In Love Too Easily on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1955

This recording released on:

  • 1955:  Columbia LP 12″: CL 621 — Cloud 7
  • 1991: Columbia House Music Collection CD: 2C2 8151 — The Great American Composers: Jule Styne
  • 2004: Columbia CD: CK 85806 — Cloud 7
  • 2004: Jazz CD: 5060392000 — Cloud 7
  • 2007: Proper CD: PROPERBOX 121 — Young Tony
  • 2008: Not Now Music CD: NOT3CD010 — Three Original Hit Albums [UK]
  • 2011: Disc #9 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK) Cloud 7

1992

“I Fall In Love Too Easily” was recorded in June 1992 and was released that year on Perfectly Frank. It was arranged by Ralph Sharon.

I Fall In Love Too Easily

Listen to I Fall In Love Too Easily on Spotify. Song · Tony Bennett · 1992

This recording released on:

  • 1992: Columbia CD: CK 52965 — Perfectly Frank
  • 1992: CBS/Sony CD: SRCS-6565 — Perfectly Frank [Japan]
  • 2011: Disc #58 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK57) Perfectly Frank

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