Tony Martin

Today, another memorial to a fine singer, Tony Martin, who died July 25 at age 98. We have two singles for you, one from very early in his career, the other when he was achieving some success as a recording artist.

The latter first: it is a version of "Body and Soul" released by Mercury in 1947 to coincide with the John Garfield boxing noir of the same name. It came encased in the beautiful 78 picture sleeve at right. The flip is "As Time Goes By," and the backing is by Earle Hagen, who later scored many American television shows.

Martin made a couple dozen records for Mercury in 1946 and 1947 before moving on. Earlier, he had worked for Decca and before that Brunswick, where he recorded a few sides in late 1936 and early 1938. Thankfully, Martin's mannerism of using a sudden pianissimo on high or climactic notes had not yet taken hold on these earlier recordings. They were made in Los Angeles, where Martin had begun to appear in films, marrying fellow singing actor Alice Faye in 1937.

This particular Brunswick single was issued under the name of English bandleader Ray Noble, who came to the US in 1935 to form a new band, and, like Martin, to seek Hollywood fame. Noble and Martin both appeared in Astaire-Rogers films, although not the same one. Martin was in 1936's "Follow the Fleet" and Noble was in "A Damsel in Distress" the next year. To make the circle complete, the latter film featured Burns and Allen, and Martin was the vocalist on their radio show.

The main attraction here is the first recording of one of Noble's best songs, "I Hadn't Anyone 'Till You," which sold very well. The flip is "The Moon of Manakoora," a movie song by Frank Loesser and Alfred Newman that also achieved some popularity.

The record is a good chance to hear Noble's American band. The sound is typically elegant, but must have seemed very dated even 10 years later. I haven't been able to locate the personnel for this particular date but he recorded a few days later with the following line-up: Jim Davison, George Connell, Frank Barnard (tp) George Guerette, Jack Madden (tb) Herb Mason (cl,bcl,as,fl) Ted Davison, Howard Campbell (cl,ts) Vern Kahanen (as) Johnny Burt (p) Red McGarvey (g) Cliff Timms, Cliff Cadman, Jack Neilson (vln) Joe Niosi (b) Bill Harty (d) Reefe McGarvey (tymp).

Although he is not celebrated as an important vocalist, Martin's virile yet romantic approach was ahead of its time and he ought to be seen as an influence on better remembered singers such as Dean Martin and the many other straightforward baritones who appeared in the postwar era.

FYI - My other blog  (Big 10-Inch Record) has two Tony Martin posts. I have newly reuploaded his Mercury LP, "Dreamland Rendezvous", and he also appears with Kathryn Grayson in a recording of "The Desert Song".