Obscure Music Friday

This Friday is dedicated to Ma, with a few of her favorite ditties. How could we start with anything else but The Chairman, Himself . . .

Song: New York, New York

Artist: Frank Sinatra

Why It Is Appropriate: "Start spreading the news/I'm leaving today . . ." If New York represents everything that is the "ultimate", then let's consider it a metaphor for Heaven and Mom's got on her vagabond shoes.

My mother skipped school that day to see Frankie sing at the old Paramount Theater in New York City, and screamed her head off. Later that evening, my grandmother asked her, cool as a cucumber, "Dorothy, where were you today?" My mother answerd, "Why, I was in school, Ma - where else?" My grandmother whacked her across the head and angrily pointed to the afternoon newspaper - back then there was a morning paper and an afternoon one as well. There was a picture of avid bobbysoxers waiting outside the theater to get in - with my mother in the middle.

Song: Fly Me to the Moon

Artist: Frank Sinatra

Why I Like This Song: Because I can remember my parents dancing to it. And how can you not grab your sweetheart and do so when you hear it?

Song: Hold Tight

Artist: The Andrew Sisters

Why I Like It: My mother used to clown around and sing this song. When she was a young girl, she and her friends would each have a "little black number" that they would put on and head down to places like the Stork Club in Manhattan for highballs and dancing. This would have been in that era right after WWII, in the early 50's. Women were a lot more fashionable back then.