Table for One (178)

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Jason Croft: It's the Atomic Age Cocktail Party. I'm Jason Croft, and this time around, it's a table for one.

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[MUSIC: unable to identify]

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Jason Croft: Welcome to the Atomic Age Cocktail Party featuring music from the golden age of the hi-fi and beyond. Crooner Buddy Greco there and Mr. Lonely, released in 1962. This is a song that was actually written by another popular singer at the time, Bobby Vinton. But record executives let Greco record it first, which was a modest hit for him. Then Bobby [Vinton] recorded his own version, which for him became a number one hit and soon became his signature tune.

This time on the program, we're looking at songs from the hi-fi era about being alone and lonely. Table for One is what we're calling it. Now, the reasons for being alone vary from song to song. They could have a love that is far away, or they could be alone because a love affair is over, or it could just be a moody instrumental that mirrors the feeling of being by yourself. Lots of ways to express musical solitude. On the way, Jack Jones is all by himself, Bobby [Troop] is a lonely boy, and [Blossom] [Dearie] is feeling alone in the big city. Right now, it's some live music from Sarah [Vaughan]. It's a number titled simply Alone, and it's right here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party.

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[MUSIC: Alone - Sarah Vaughan]

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[MUSIC: A Woman Alone with the Blues - Peggy Lee]

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Jason Croft: It's the Atomic Age Cocktail Party. I'm Jason Croft. Thanks for tuning in. Table for One is our program this week. Songs about being alone and songs about being lonely. And Peggy Lee there for you and A Woman Alone with the Blues, a bright sort of torchy number. This is from the 10-inch release of her album Black Coffee, released in 1953, which was her second solo album.

Before that, Elmer Bernstein and Walk a Lonely Street, with those slow wailing horns, moody piano, and the like, really giving off that vibe of isolation in the big city. This is actually some TV music. It's from the soundtrack to the show Staccato from 1959. It was a music-heavy program. The lead character, Johnny Staccato, was a private eye by day and a jazz pianist at night. And the program itself featured a lot of actual jazz artists of the day, including Barney Kessel, Red Mitchell, and a very young John Williams.

And we started with the great jazz singer Sarah Vaughan and Alone. Love how the song turns from being alone to a promise of being yours alone. What a sweet turn. This is from a recording of a show she did at the famed jazz venue Mr. Kelly's in 1957. It was released as an album in that year, 1957. Now, this particular song didn't actually appear until a 1991 reissue of the album, which also included a few other songs from her three-night run at that club.

Table for One is our program this week, looking at songs about being alone and lonely, and the various reasons that this can happen. Here now, Old Blue Eyes, Frank Sinatra, and A Man Alone. And it's right here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party.

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[MUSIC: A Man Alone - Frank Sinatra]

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[MUSIC: Lonely Town - Blossom Dearie]

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Jason Croft: [Blossom Dearie] here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party. This week, we're looking at songs about being lonely and or being alone. Table for One is what we're calling it, and [she] a number titled Lonely Town. That's from the album [Blossom Dearie] Sings Comden and Green from 1959, referring to the songwriting team of Betty Comden and Adolph Green. And this particular song also had a writing credit from Leonard Bernstein. It was originally from the 1944 musical On the Town, which was made into a great film in 1947, starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.

Canadian arranger and composer Robert Farnon and his orchestra also in there with Only the Lonely, with a connection to the aforementioned Frank Sinatra. Now, first off, this is not to be confused with the Roy Orbison song of the same name. This one is a song originally made famous by Sinatra. It was written by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen and first appeared on the album Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely. Now, Robert Farnon's version of this is from his album, Robert Farnon and His Orchestra [Played] the Hits of Sinatra, and it was released in 1965.

And we start that set with Mr. Frank Sinatra himself and A Man Alone. This is the title track from a really interesting album that he made in 1969. All the songs on the album were written by easy-listening poet and songwriter [Rod McKuen]. It's a rather moody song from a rather moody album from Frank Sinatra.

Songs about loneliness and being alone is our theme this week. And for you now, the swinging sounds of Jack Jones and By Myself. And he's right here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party.

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[MUSIC: By Myself - Jack Jones]

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[MUSIC: Solitude - Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington]

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[MUSIC: Lonely Boy - Bobby Troup]

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[MUSIC: unable to identify]

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Jason Croft: It's the Atomic Age Cocktail Party. Table for One is this week's program. Songs from the hi-fi era about being alone and lonely. Some movie music there, courtesy of Neil [Hefti], and a number called Lonely Girl. That's from the 1965 soundtrack to the movie Harlow, which starred Carol [Baker]. It's about the life of the Hollywood star and one of the original blonde bombshells, Jean Harlow. Now, this particular cut was not on the original soundtrack album. It was added to the 2003 CD reissue of it.

And moving from a lonely girl to a lonely boy, we had singer and songwriter Bobby [Troup] with that very song, Lonely Boy. That's from his 1957 album, Do Re Mi. But knowing Bobby [Troup] and his own story, the reality is he was not lonely at all, being married to the lovely Miss Julie London.

Before that, an amazing musical team up, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, and that's the number Solitude. It's one of those great tunes that really takes its time, lets you live in that music for a while. That's from their second big collaboration record called The Great Reunion, which came out in 1961, which was part of their Great Summit recording sessions.

And Jack Jones started that set enjoying a little me time by himself, the name of that one. Here, the loneliness is a result of a love affair being over, but rather than wallow in the sadness, there's a real sense of optimism and that this new aloneness can be the start of something good. This is a track that wraps up his 1964 release, Where Love Has Gone.

[You're] listening to the Atomic Age Cocktail Party, celebrating the golden age of the hi-fi and beyond. If you like what you're listening to, don't forget to stop by our website at atomicagecocktailparty.com for playlists, show archives, and a lot more. If you have any show ideas or comments, you can get a hold of us there as well. atomicagecocktailparty.com.

One more set of music left in our Table for One program. And it's singer Andy Williams here, adding a little emphasis to his situation and the tune I'm So Alone. And it's right here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party.

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[MUSIC: I'm So Alone - Andy Williams]

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[MUSIC: The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else - Dean Martin]

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[MUSIC: One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) - Julie London]

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Jason Croft: Wrapping up our Table for One program here on the Atomic Age Cocktail Party. And [there] a classic alone at a bar type of number. That's One for My Baby and One More for the Road. A nice torchy version there from Miss Julie London. That comes from [her] album Your Number, Please, from 1959, arranged and conducted by Andre Previn.

Old Dino, Dean Martin, before that, sounding as cool and suave as ever. The One I Love is the title of that one. That comes from his 1966 album, The Dean Martin TV Show.

We also heard from Mundell Lowe and the instrumental number, The Lost and the Lonely. This comes from the soundtrack to a great exploitation film that Mundell Lowe wrote music for. It's called Satan in High Heels, which was released in 1962.

And we started that set with Andy Williams and I'm So Alone. Another alone in the city type of song. That's from a rather lonely album of his titled Lonely Street, which was his fifth studio album, which was released in 1962.

Well, that just about does it for our show this week. Make sure you're here again for more fun from the golden age of the hi-fi and beyond. Gonna leave you with one more. Here's a song that was very popular in the early 1970s. [He] given the easy listening treatment from piano player Roger Williams. From his 1972 album, Play Me, it's Alone Again Naturally. Until next time, this is Jason Croft saying, keep swinging. The Atomic Age Cocktail Party is a production of Illinois Public Media.