'Clouds' and 'Lost in a Fog'

This is a companion piece to a post on the main blog in which I discuss Les Brown's 1952 LP Musical Weather Vane, along with two other Brown albums.

The record in question had songs about the weather, two of which were not familiar to me. So I decided to dig up a couple of original recordings in the fond hope that a few readers might share my curiosity.

The good news is that the two songs are quite good and the artists involved are very distinguished. So it makes a nice if brief program.

Connie Boswell Is 'Lost in a Fog'

Connie Boswell

This is the earlier of the two recordings, but not by much. It's a 1934 solo outing for Connie Boswell of the Boswell Sisters. She started making records on her own in 1931 while continuing with the group, which broke up in 1936. Connie changed the spelling of her name to Connee at some point later on.

"Lost in a Fog" is perfectly suited to Connie's smoky contralto, and she is entirely convincing in the number, accompanied by Jimmie Grier's orchestra. It was the inspiration of lyricist Dorothy Fields and composer Jimmy McHugh.

It's a fine song that was recorded by quite a number of artists in 1934 - Rudy Vallée, Jane Froman, the Dorseys, Chick Bullock complete with his Levee Loungers, and others - but it soon faded from view and has only been sporadically heard since then.

Ray Noble and Al Bowlly Are Lost in the 'Clouds'

Connie Boswell also recorded 1935's "Clouds," but our selection today comes from Great Britain.

The English bandleader Ray Noble made a huge number of records with vocalist Al Bowlly. Just to confuse things, these are sometimes by the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra and sometimes by the Ray Noble Orchestra - even for the same record. If I recall correctly, Al also is sometimes uncredited. This particular HMV pressing of "Clouds" is by Noble and band, with Al credited.

Al Bowlly with Ray Noble and Orchestra

The song is by another well known songwriting team - Gus Kahn for the words and Walter Donaldson for the music. It's a very good piece that fell out of favor immediately and has only been revived on occasion.

The chart for this one is very much of its time, with choppy phrasing and not much flow. Bowlly was known for his sincerity and emotional immediacy, but here the greasepaint is showing just a little. Well worth hearing, though.

The sound on both records came up very nicely.

LINK

The Evolution of 'Time Was'

Miguel Prado

In the past, I've posted two versions of the lovely song, "Time Was" - one by Buddy Clark with Wayne King, and more recently one by Bob Manning on his Lonely Spell LP. "Time Was" has an interesting history, involving three different incarnations, all of which surfaced in the space of a few years. Today we'll look at the various versions in contemporary recordings.

"Time Was" started life as the ballad "Duerme" ("Sleep") by the Mexican composer Miguel Prado (1905-87) with words by Gabriel Luna. Its first recording was likely in June 1937, with the Orquesta Castillito directed by Paulina Alvarez and the vocal by Prado himself. I haven't been able to locate a copy of this recording, which was made in Havana.

Al Bowlly

The following year, "Duerme" turned up in the film Di Que Me Quieres, as sung by Rosita Rios both in the film and for Victor. The recording was made in New York, the setting of the movie. Rios' record is the first in our set.

"Duerme" became "Dreaming" for a 1940 record by the great South African-born English vocalist Al Bowlly, with an orchestra directed by an uncredited Ronnie Munro. This is a well-sung version. The lyrics are standard-issue, although resonant because of the war: "Dreaming, dreaming of you in the firelight's glow / Sweetheart I want you to always know / Each night I dream of you."

Late that same year, Xavier Cugat recorded the song with its original lyrics as sung by his then-wife, Carmen Castillo. Cugat's version did gain some traction. 

Xavier Cugat and Carmen Castillo

Tito Guízar

The next version was by the excellent Mexican vocalist Tito Guízar, resident in the US since 1929. Both Guízar and Cugat used the original Luna lyrics, although both of the copies in this collection were labelled "Time Was (Duerme)." My guess is that these pressings came out after the song became popular with new English lyrics by S.K. Russell.

Perhaps the most successful of those English language records was that of Jimmy Dorsey, which is also the worst of all the renditions featured here. The vocals start with Bob Eberly, who is effortful as usual, but pleasant enough. 

Then Dorsey decides to "swing it," and brings in Helen O'Connell for an up-tempo chorus. She was just not a very good singer, sad to say. The song ends with an elaborate alto solo from the leader.

Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly

The best record is surely that of Wayne King, from just a month after Dorsey. King leads off with a fine soprano sax solo (at least I assume it is King), followed by a superb vocal by an uncredited Buddy Clark. (He was anonymous because he was under contract with another label.)

Wayne King

Clark makes the most of the Russell lyrics, which aren't great, but much better than what Al Bowlly sang. (The words tell us of "Picnics and sleigh rides / And mid-winter hay rides" and the like.) I passed over this record quickly in my survey of Clark's recordings with Wayne King, so I've included it once again in this compilation. It's well worth hearing a second time.

BONUS - My friend and longtime blog follower Mel has passed along his own favorite interpretation of "Time Was." It is a swinging version by Janet Brace, a very good singer who started with big bands, notably Johnny Long's, then made a few singles for Decca. This comes from her only LP, Special Delivery, issued by ABC-Paramount in 1956. A quartet led by Don Elliott accompanies her.

I don't believe I have this record myself, so I am especially grateful to Mel for his contribution. I should gather up Janet's singles for a post - she was talented!

The link to this item is in the comments.