Welcome to this week's edition of Mark Steyn on the Town. Being of a contrarian bent, we start by going beddy-bye and end at dawn. In between come an easy-listening take on a rock classic, and an extended cavalcade of Non-Stop Number Ones.
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~Thank you for all your kind comments on last week's show. Nicola Timmerman, an Ontario member of The Mark Steyn Club, was tickled by our Jamaican-Japanese forays:
Hard to believe that Daniel Boone's song 'Beautiful Sunday' was the greatest hit in Japan by a foreigner, but whatever.
Weird to hear a French version of 'Jamaica Farewell'.
David Thackray also enjoyed that song:
Mark Steyn played the original, and back story to, Jamaica Farewell during On the Town. It's one of those songs you are familiar with without actually knowing. A song of longing yet somehow charmingly carefree. Thanks to Mark I've just played Harry Belafonte's version – isn't that gorgeous?
Ah, but for Josh Passell, a First Week Founding Member of the Steyn Club, it was merely a wam-up for our Easter finale:
For fifty minutes I thought "Iron Bar" was the revelation of the week. Then Mathis showed up. Not "the Lord God" level omnipotence, but not bad either.
Our West Coast music maven Gary Alexander also enjoyed that one:
In case your readers wonder, Johnny Mathis was singing the tenor part of Handel's Messiah at the end of your great show. As I have inhabited dozens of tenor sections over the last 50 years, in what conductors call "the "Wreck of the 44" (Hallelujah is labelled #44 in the Messiah), I knew the part well and could sing along with that old Olympic high jumper.. I never heard the tenor part highlighted like that, with a couple of high "A" notes in the mix. Congrats to El Mathis for navigating the land mines there. (In my classical show for Easter, I preferred playing "The Glory of the Lord ... is Revealed" as a less travelled road from that now-empty grave....
Also, thanks for that half-a-sextet by Sinatra singing the three most recorded April songs -- though I missed "April plays the Fiddle." Your background stories always add a few unknown gems, too. Who would guess that the final song, "I'll Remember April" surpassed the more overplayed "Paris" April standard in recordings.
Another bit of trivia. Gene DePaul and Don Raye wrote great jazz standards for three straight Abbott and Costello movies in the war years: "You Don't Know What Love is" (from Keep 'em Flying, 1941), "I'll Remember April" (from Ride 'em Cowboy in 1942) and "Star Eyes" (From I Dood It, 1943), soon to be adopted by Charlie Parker.
Ah, but for Jake, a Steyn Clubber in the English West Country, it all fell a bit flat...
Thin pickings for me this week but after the shows of plenty recently perhaps not unexpected.
I appreciate the skill and knowledge it takes to thread together a 'themed' music hour but have always thought that sub-par songs occasionally make the cut just because they fit the 'theme.' For me, a once-in-a-while 'favourites' show from Mark would hit the spot. "This is a favourite song and I like it because..." "And this is another favourite song which I love because..." I suspect Mark might view this approach as unchallenging and unsatisfying.
Yeah, I did a show like that in 1979 and next thing you know the Shah fell. So maybe I'll try it again circa 2073...
One more from Sandy, a New Brunswick member of The Mark Steyn Club:
I'm going crazy here, and need assistance! I listen to these shows all night long, as they calm my tinnitus and are soothing to the soul so I can sleep. I do re-listen to them during the day as well and am thoroughly enjoying the music and knowledge that I am gaining- thanks Mark!
I am searching for something i think I heard one night- a very old song by two guys- one from Hamilton Ontario, and one from London Ontario. I remember it was fabulous and interesting, but now I can't find their names. I'm from Hamilton, so was especially intrigued. Anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? If I have to relisten to every show, that's ok, but I'd love to know what episode this was. Thanks!
That sounds to me, Sandy, like a song by Ernest Seitz (from Hamilton) and Gene Lockhart (from London). You'll find it in the very first of our Serenade shows here.
~On the Town is my weekly music show on Serenade Radio every Saturday at 5pm Greenwich Mean Time - that's 6pm in western and central Europe or 12 noon North American Eastern. You can listen from almost anywhere in the world by clicking the button at top right here. We also post On the Town at SteynOnline every weekend as a bonus for Mark Steyn Club members. You can find all our previous shows here.
We do enjoy your comments on our weekend programming. Steyn Clubbers are welcome to leave them below. For more on The Mark Steyn Club, now in its ninth year, see here - and don't forget our special Gift Membership.
Mark Steyn on the Town can be heard on Serenade Radio at its regular times:
Saturday 5pm London time/12 noon New York
Sunday 5am London time/9am Los Angeles