Jerome Kern-Created a Sure Thing with Ira Gershwin: After the untimely death of George Gershwin in 1938, His lyricist brother went on to write lyrics with Kurt Weill Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen. In 1944, Kern and Gershwin collaborated on a song called " Sure aThing" for a Rita Heyworth musical film called " Cover Girl." Actually they had written the song earlier in 1939 and Gershwin suggested using the number with new words. Kern had forgotten the tune and had no manuscript. He had to rely on his daughter Betty who remembered the tune and hummed it to him. With her help, he rewrote that original melody that has a horse racing analogy about the favorite always winning the race.
I t has a very simple but straightforward set of lyrics including a clever phrase " And Whatever Comes Up, You're Thumbs Up With Me" and ends with " If love can figure out a sure thing, that sure thing is you." It is considered to be the most purely American sounding song Kern had ever created, a far departure from the European influenced songs with which he began his theatrical career.
It is sung By Dianne Schuur, a blind pianist and singer with a bell like clarity in her voice and a jazz influenced style. Some 30 years ago, I was travelling in my car in downtown Toronto when this song came over the radio. I immediately pulled over so transfixed was I by the unique, unforced power of Diane Schuurs' voice and a Kern song that I had never heard before.
I hope you have the same reaction as I did more than 30 years ago.
LINK; http://youtu.be/6TmFRuRlNKk
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