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| What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Last Edit: DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Looking at Charles Strouse's Wikipedia, I'm struck by how many flops he's had. I, of course, know Bye Bye Birdie, Annie and Applause. And, I'm familiar with the Rags score as well. And, it would appear, that's it. He's certainly been prolific even if his success has been limited to a couple of shows. While I know that scores should be appreciated in their entirety, this is the Spotify age, so, induldge me, and tell me what are your favorite individual songs from Strouse's other scores (other than Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, Applause and Rags). | |
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| Thank you, everyone! (NMI) | |
| Posted by: DistantDrumming 01:03 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| nmi | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 06:05 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| "I've Just Seen Her" from All-American, with its sinuously descending chromatic lines "Night Song," "Everything's Great," "Stick Around," "Lorna's Here," "This Is the Life," "While the City Sleeps," and the title song from Golden Boy--a truly superior score "We Don't Matter At All" from Superman One song from each score I didn't mention because they were all sort-of hits, getting some airplay outside the theater: "Once Upon A Time" from All-American, "I Want To Be With You" from Golden Boy, and "You've Got Possibilities" from Superman |
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| Golden Boy | |
| Posted by: Whistler 06:46 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - keikekaze 06:05 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Yep, Golden Boy is my favorite work by Strouse and Adams. It seems their most sophisticated. | |
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| re: Golden Boy | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 12:01 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
| In reply to: Golden Boy - Whistler 06:46 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I think it was their only score together that was a musical play rather than musical comedy. | |
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| re: Golden Boy | |
| Posted by: TheOtherOne 06:25 pm EDT 07/04/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Golden Boy - keikekaze 12:01 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
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| Not that comedies aren't plays, but couldn't you say Applause was a musical play as well? It has its splashy moments, to be sure, but it's as much a play as a comedy. Golden Boy strikes me as being by far the better of the two, although having never actually seen it I am only surmising. | |
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| re: Golden Boy | |
| Posted by: keikekaze 05:57 pm EDT 07/05/20 | |
| In reply to: re: Golden Boy - TheOtherOne 06:25 pm EDT 07/04/20 | |
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| I agree that Golden Boy is by far the better score of the two. And I think you're right that Applause is technically a musical play too, just as the film All About Eve is really more of a drama than a comedy, except that it has such amusing dialogue and so many really funny punch lines that I think most people tend to think of it as a comedy. I usually think of it as a comedy myself, and I sometimes automatically carry that over to my thoughts about the musical. | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 04:28 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 04:25 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| It just occurred to me that Strouse tried to write musical sequels to TWO of his biggest hits: ''Annie'' and ''Bye Bye Birdie.'' ''Bring Back Birdie'' (1981), starring Chita Rivera, closed after 4 performances, and ''Annie 2'' never made it to Broadway. I did get to see the rechristened ''Annie Warbucks'' (1993) Off-Broadway and loved the terrific torch song ''But You Go On.'' Never saw ''Bring Back Birdie,'' but there's a catchy tune in it, ironically called ''You Can Never Go Back.'' |
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| Link | Dorothy Loudon: 'But You Go On' from 'Annie 2' |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Michael_212 05:03 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - WaymanWong 04:25 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Very ironically called ''You Can Never Go Back'' because much of the melody is taken from His Royal Highness from I And Albert. I always thought of But You Go On as Miss Hannigan's backstory. I know she's putting on an act when she sings it in the show, but maybe the subtext is that this is her real life. |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 04:18 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 04:15 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - Michael_212 05:03 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Jeb Brown, who was in ''Bring Back Birdie'' when he was 16, sings ''You Can Never Go Back'' at a 2011 ''If It Only Even Runs a Minute'' concert. | |
| Link | Jeb Brown: 'You Can Never Go Back' from 'Bring Back Birdie' |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: FleetStreetBarber 03:42 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I don't think that anyone has mentioned a very nice Jason Graae album from more than 20 years ago: You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile. It's devoted to the music of Charles Strouse and if you're not familiar with it, there's a track list in the Amazon listing which will give you an idea of what were some of Graae's favorite Strouse ditties. | |
| Link | You're Never Fully Dressed without a Smile album |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: FrankF 03:38 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Two songs from Dance a Little Closer. The title song and "There's Always One You Can't Forget". | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Berrygirl49 (mothersrawberry@hotmail.com) 09:59 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Strouse wrote the music for Flowers for Algernon, with book and lyrics by David Rogers. "Whatever Time There Is" is a marvellously poignant song that never fails to tug at the heartstrings. It was done in London, and a few years ago the York Theatre did a reading of it. The Overture to Rags also evokes the same reaction. |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Delvino 12:40 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - Berrygirl49 09:59 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| The overture to Rags -- which wasn't used in the production, I was recently reminded (and I saw a preview) -- never fails to wring a tear. I often listen to the whole show on July 4th. It's perfect. | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Delvino 12:44 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - Delvino 12:40 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| And "If We Never Meet Again," which has several iterations in Rags' many revisions, is lovely on the first post-Sideshow Ripley-Skinner album of duets. Probably my favorite version. | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: StageLover 09:25 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| ONCE UPON A TIME is my favorite, recorded by many, but none better than the one linked below. | |
| Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTqI7Y7vm2c |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Holland 04:46 am EDT 07/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - StageLover 09:25 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I'll always associate this song with the great Mabel Mercer. Unfortunately, the only version of hers I found on youtube was from a later live recording and not her best. I remember once reading that stars like Frank and Barbara Cook said they learned everything they knew about phrasing from Mabel. She often discovered or rediscovered overlooked gems (including The Twelve Days of Christmas) and after hearing her singing them, more popular singers brought them to a larger audience. I was surprised how many covers there were of Once Upon a Time when I was looking at youtube today and Frank's is indeed a beaut. | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Delvino 12:41 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - StageLover 09:25 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Huge hit when I was a kid. When I hear it now, I'm transported. My favorite cover isn't on Spotify: Perry Como's. I do love the great Eileen Herlie's rendition in the show. |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 04:24 pm EDT 07/02/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - Delvino 12:41 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I do think that the Robert Ginzler orchestration used in the original production is a beaut. There is a much later recording that also uses it on JAY's release The Musicality of Strouse, where the singers are Judy Kaye and her husband, David Green. Green follows Bolger in basically speaking his part. I wonder if it's marked that way in the score. I wish he had sung it a bit more (and I wish Bolger had, too). but that orchestration is so lovely and sometimes surprising. | |
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| re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? | |
| Posted by: Billhaven 12:37 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - DistantDrumming 12:08 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| The score of Golden Boy is terrific especially Night Song, This is the Life,While the City Sleeps. All American has Once Upon a Time, Nightlife and I'm Fascinating. Superman is lots of fun and has You've Got Possibilities. Even Nick and Nora has a couple of breezy numbers. | |
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| When I hear a melody by Strouse ... | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 02:22 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 02:15 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: What are Charles Strouse's best non-hit songs? - Billhaven 12:37 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I love ''Once Upon a Time'' and ''You've Got Possibilities,'' too. But don't overlook ''Dance a Little Closer,'' a musical of Robert E. Sherwood's ''Idiot's Delight.'' It opened and closed on May 11, 1983. Wags called it ''Close a Little Faster.'' But the title tune is lovely, and so is ''There's Always One You Can't Forget.'' Brent Barrett, who was in the show, put the latter on his 2002 ''Alan Jay Lerner Album,'' and does a rich and robust recording of it. | |
| Link | Brent Barrett: 'There's Always One You Can't Forget' |
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| re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ... | |
| Posted by: huskyital (huskyital@yahoo.com) 07:51 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: When I hear a melody by Strouse ... - WaymanWong 02:15 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I saw Dance a Little Closer in previews and enjoyed it and was surprised it closed so fast. | |
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| re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ... | |
| Posted by: JereNYC (JereNYC@aol.com) 01:17 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ... - huskyital 07:51 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| I've always loved "No Man Is Worth It' from DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER. It's a howl of frustration from a woman who's reached her limit with being treated poorly by men. I did a Strouse cabaret many years ago and this number was done as a trio and was a huge hit with audiences. | |
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| re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ...Or Franz Lehar | |
| Posted by: young-walsingham 03:29 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: When I hear a melody by Strouse ... - WaymanWong 02:15 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| "Men" from Nick & Nora comes from The Merry Widow | |
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| re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ...Or Franz Lehar | |
| Posted by: claploudly 12:02 pm EDT 07/01/20 | |
| In reply to: re: When I hear a melody by Strouse ...Or Franz Lehar - young-walsingham 03:29 am EDT 07/01/20 | |
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| Let's not forget the beautiful romantic ballad, so simple in its message "I Want to Be with You" sung by Sammy Davis, Jr. and Paula Wayne. Whenever it is sung though, singers almost always sing it as "I Wanna Be with You." https://youtu.be/U82VJTdmxfA | |
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