Charles DeForest - the Bell Recordings

Charles DeForest

Charles DeForest (or Charlie, as he is known here) was an exceptionally talented singer who remained unknown except to the patrons of New York's best night spots. To my knowledge he recorded three LPs and perhaps five single sides, the latter of which are collected here. I'll get to two of the three albums on my other blog hopefully soon.

DeForest (1924-96) was a native of Genoa, NY, in the Finger Lakes region. He arrived in New York City in the early 1950s determined to become known as a songwriter, and while he did achieve some success in that realm - Tony Bennett was an advocate - his livelihood primarily was as an admired cabaret singer and pianist.

The New York Times' John S. Wilson described him as possessing "a soft intimate voice that manages to brush gently over the words in a manner that is clear and precise without being exaggerated." All true, but it understates his abilities. DeForest was an eloquent singer with notable technical skills, including clear diction and excellent intonation.

As far as I know, these Bell recordings from 1953-54 are his first. While he was invariably known as "Charles DeForest" in the New York cabarets, Bell called him "Charlie." At the time, that label was a budget operation that specialized in cover versions of popular favorites, often using artists who had some name value. So DeForest was matched with well-known bandleader Larry Clinton on one single, and on another he shared the disc with the big band vocalist Helen Forrest.

Here is more information about the five Bell sides that I've uncovered.

His first record was a pair of songs from the 1953 Esther Williams aquatic extravaganza Easy to Love. The tunes are not well-remembered, but nonetheless are enjoyable; both are by Mann Curtis and Vic Mizzy. "Look Out! I'm Romantic" was introduced by Tony Martin, and "That's What a Rainy Day Is For" by Martin and Williams (dubbed by Betty Wand).

"Young at Heart" was a hit for Frank Sinatra in 1953-54. It has a melody by Johnny Richards, originally called "Moonbeam," and a set of lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. DeForest is suitably fresh, and a nice alternative to Frankie. On these first three songs, the backing is by "The Magic Strings," and on this third side, the conductor is named as producer-arranger Morty Palitz.

The final two items are older songs that had been revived for 1954's pop listeners. Ted Daffan wrote "I'm a Fool to Care" for the country market in 1940. This version was probably occasioned by the later Les Paul and Mary Ford record.

Jack Lawrence's "If I Didn't Care" was a giant pop and R&B hit for the Ink Spots and lead vocalist Bill Kenny in 1940. DeForest thankfully does not adopt any of Kenny's famously mannered phrasing. His 1954 cover version may have been inspired by the Hilltoppers' version of that year.

Both these songs have backing by big band leader Larry Clinton.

The first three songs were remastered from lossless Internet Archive needle drops. The final two are from lossy commercial remasterings with strident sound that I've redone into more listenable shape. My versions are presented in ambient stereo.