TILLIE'S PUNCTURED ROMANCE...Restored, but still MIA

Vitaphone wrote:
> [Suez] piece worked >exceptionally< well in the score I thought, creating an
> immediate sense of time and place by it's inclusion. (And, a nice change
> from the oft-used "Hindustan!")

Thanks. There's a world of difference between "serious oriental" pieces
(such as those appropriate for movies like THE THIEF OF BAGDAD) and
"pseudo-oriental" pieces, which are American pop tunes with an oriental
twist. Pseudo-oriental is a whole genre in itself, though I think "The
Sheik of Araby" is about the only one still played today. We did use
"Hindustan" in WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE? (the image of a 78 record of it
being played required its use) but there are so many other nice
oriental foxtrots (and tangos and waltzes) ranging from the sublime
("The Japanese Sandman") to the ridiculous ("Lena is the Queen of
Palesteena, just because she plays the concertina").

For trivia buffs, "Suez" was written by Ferdie Grofe, who managed to
straddle popular and classical music better than some, and whose "Grand
Canyon Suite" is still in the symphonic repertoire.

Rodney
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> > "Suez" (oriental foxtrot) from the DELICIOUS LITTLE DEVIL score, used
> > when Mae Murray introduces her "peacock dance." (The cue sheet leaves
> > this piece up to the band, indicating only "popular song." Something
> > pseudo-oriental is obviously called for.) We added a guest banjoist.

Really lovely! And appropriate for a new Mont Alto CD (hint, hint) :)

D.
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Worth mentioning too, how nice it was to see "Hindustan" used according to
the visual cue. Few things irk me more than on-screen cues (records, sheet
music) being ignored when new scores are prepared --- and I've seen at least
3 or 4 instances of this in the past few years.

Enjoyed your comments on Pseudo-Oriental music! I like "The Sheik" and
"Lena" equally (and don't forget "Poor Butterfly") --- and, from a bit later
on, the wonderful "When Buddha Smiles," which can be heard and seen to best
advantage in a "Voice of Hollywood" one-reeler (the one with Buster Keaton
in a night club.) Probably the last such tune to reach any measure of
popularity.

Wish someone would re-record "The Japanese Sandman," in an approximate
replication of the original slow, dramatically soaring rendition by Nora
Bayes --- so different from the campy treatment it's invariably given.

Jeff
P.S. - Thanks for the link to "Suez!" Ferdie Grofe? Who'd have thunk it?


<rodney DeleteThis @mont-alto.com> wrote in message
news:1149691769.368984.285770@h76g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Vitaphone wrote:
> > [Suez] piece worked >exceptionally< well in the score I thought,
creating an
> > immediate sense of time and place by it's inclusion. (And, a nice
change
> > from the oft-used "Hindustan!")
>
> Thanks. There's a world of difference between "serious oriental" pieces
> (such as those appropriate for movies like THE THIEF OF BAGDAD) and
> "pseudo-oriental" pieces, which are American pop tunes with an oriental
> twist. Pseudo-oriental is a whole genre in itself, though I think "The
> Sheik of Araby" is about the only one still played today. We did use
> "Hindustan" in WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE? (the image of a 78 record of it
> being played required its use) but there are so many other nice
> oriental foxtrots (and tangos and waltzes) ranging from the sublime
> ("The Japanese Sandman") to the ridiculous ("Lena is the Queen of
> Palesteena, just because she plays the concertina").
>
> For trivia buffs, "Suez" was written by Ferdie Grofe, who managed to
> straddle popular and classical music better than some, and whose "Grand
> Canyon Suite" is still in the symphonic repertoire.
>
> Rodney
>
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