Cole Porter: Two Thoughts of Love: Cole Porter, that purveyor of urban sophistication and langour, wrote on a number of different aspects of what Alison Moyet, another songwriter called ," That Ole Devil Called Love." Porter could be witty or sardonic, sad or remorseful, captivated by the very thought of love or downright angry as in " Get Out Of Town."
In " Down in the Depths ( Of the Nineteith floor)" a wealthy Manhattan lady sadly admits that her love now only has eyes for another. And there she sits" In My Pet Paillated Gown, Down in the Depths of the Ninetieth Floor." She laments that while other urbane Manhattanites are enjoying the delights of an evening in The Big Apple, she sits alone in her " Regal Eagle's Nest while even the Janitor's wife, has a perfectly good life etc." The song is sung by Helen Carr a relatively unknown jazz influenced singer who sounds like a little bit of Jeri Southern and also Lee Wiley( not bad influences by any means.) She is accompanied by a small jazz combo that creates some vocal freedom that is quite endearing despite the sadness conveyed by the lyrics.
PERFORMANCE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j8yVvCPLEA
A contrasting Porter song is " I Concentrate on You." has Sinatra demonstrating his unshakeable faith in the power of his love that will enable him even " When Fortune Cries Nay Nay to Me and people declare we're through. To Prove that even wise men can be wrong, I concentrate on you"
Quite a contrast with the glum and dispirited lady on the Ninetieth floor.
This song carries the pulsating bossa nova beat arranged by Claus Ogerman with the great Brazilian composer Antonio Carlo Jobim playing guitar as well as serving as vocal backup for Sinatra,
Here we have an Italian American singer, doing a song by an Upper Class midwestern protestant with a song arranged by a native German and a Brazilian musical giant playing as well as singing. If nothing else, this is proof positive that music, especially that of the Great American Songbook, transcends language and cultural barriers .
PERFORMANCE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlpmFc_Uo6c
BONUS TRACK. This is Sinatra singing (three years earlier) the same song but with a Nelson Riddle arrangement more upbeat and swinging in a Big Band manner. Both versions prove the versatility that superior songs can accomodate.
PERFORMANCE LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnWkcHG6RbA
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