Z END (AT LAST)
With Z 26th letter of Z alphabet/26th post of this series, we come equally to Z end of both. This calls for Z celebration….so “Come wiz me to ze Casbah” and we make sweet music together. Z girl songs, zey may be few, but zat does not mean we need end on Z sour note.
Ah, ze Casbah in old ALGIERS — where French-turned-American actor Charles Boyer famously put the above Come to ze Casbah come-on on the beautiful Hedy Lamarr….or did he? To answer zat question, you must comme see for yourself:
http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/121579%7C0/Algiers.html
Comme saw?
But I digress from the music, for which we turn first to beautiful American-turned-French (due to racism in America) entertainer, Josephine Baker:
We turn next to one of England’s finest (and one of my favorite) composers, Noel Coward, whose urbane, wistful lyrics graced such great songs as A ROOM WITH A VIEW and….
And now we come to the song I referred to (in reply to a comment to my previous post) as, strictly speaking, not qualified for this post….the reason being that it starts with T. However, the T is silent; for all intents and purposes, and in a pronounced way, it’s a Z song….and a rousing, joyous one it is, for “Dawn will find us laughing in the sunlight, dancing, dancing, dancing with my Tzena”:
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This is my last post until after the holidays, as this series has been music to my ears at the expense of other demands and endeavors (once I got on a roll, I got caught up in posting every third day despite not intending such frequency). Now, before catching up becomes the impossible dream, it behooves me to hustle while I work at getting around to tackling those other endeavors….such as catching some more Zs.
If I’m too sound asleep to be ‘alarmed’ by all this by the end of the year, wake me when it’s over.
carmen 8:55 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Ze end. 🙂
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mistermuse 10:14 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
ZE end? EZ for U to say!
But welcome back any way!
🙂
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carmen 12:59 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink
A line from a book hubby’s reading is: “I’m busier than a four-balled tomcat!” I can relate. Well, err. .. you know what I mean. . .
Have a great Christmas, mistermuse — I enjoyed the ‘series’ from afar. Where the temps were way above zero, not below – like here! (I just had to sneak in a ‘zed’ word there. *cough* – it’s ZED, not ZEE, you see. :).
Merry Christmas in your neck of the woods, eh? 😉
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mistermuse 1:31 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink
I don’t know about ZED, but I remember ZEE, as in ZUIDERZEE, where you could freeze your backside if you reside on ze seaside by ze Zuiderzee side of ze North Sea side at high tide.
Sorry about zat. You have a great Christmas as well, Carmen.
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Don Frankel 9:23 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Muse, this has been a great run. I’m sorry we’re at Z end. And Z was not easy but you got a great selection here which is even more amazing when you consider the limited amount of songs about women who’s names start with Z.
Now this is a stretch because it’s not an oldie although it has a title similar to a great old song. It’s not about a woman with a name starting with Z but since it’s ‘All of Me Love’s All of You’ and the singer’s name is Jane Zhang, she is sort of singing about a woman with the name starting with Z.
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mistermuse 10:36 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Thanks, Don. It waZ a great run, if I do say so myself.
As for the clip, the comparison may not be fair, but here is the ALL OF ME that I remember:
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arekhill1 10:36 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Enjoy your Christmas break, Sr. Muse. Ho, ho, ho.
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mistermuse 12:49 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Likewise, Ricardo. Christmas may leave me broke, but I’ll try not to lose any sleep over it.
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D. Wallace Peach 11:44 am on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Merry Criztmas and Happy New Yearz! Thanks for the muzic and enjoy your break. 🙂
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mistermuse 12:56 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Thanks, Diana, and same to you. I’m pleased that you enjoyed my “muzic” — Muzak, eat your heart out! 🙂
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Don Frankel 12:15 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Muse, I’ll see you and raise you one.
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mistermuse 1:02 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Thanks, Don. I almost picked Billie’s clip myself, but chose Louis’ rendition — let’s call it a draw, because you can’t go wrong either way.
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Don Frankel 6:32 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Agreed Muse and I think we can also agree that the original All of Me by Marks and Simon is the better song.
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mistermuse 8:44 pm on December 16, 2017 Permalink |
Don, although it’s a great song, Gerald Marks (composer) and Seymour Simons (lyricist) initially couldn’t get the song published despite making the rounds of all the music publishing houses on Tin Pan Alley. It was only after Marks went backstage at a Michigan theater where Belle Baker (an important vaudeville star at that time) was performing, and played & sang the song for her that they got a break. She loved the song and said she would “see what she could do.”
Time went by and they didn’t hear anything, but one night she was interviewed on a Newark radio station (WOR) and sang the song without accompaniment. The station was bombarded with calls asking where they could buy the song, but none of the publishers had it. All of a sudden Marks started getting telegrams, “Dear Gerry, we knew you could do it. Have a great deal for you.”
Guess what. The song was published and became a big hit — the same song they turned up their noses at before the public demanded it!
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Madame Vintage 12:52 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink |
Thank you for the ever enchanting and classy set of tunes to add to such writing. It’s been a pleasure to have come across your blog. I hope the z’s do you much goodness and you have a good holiday over the festive season and a wonderful New Year.
Sincerely Sonea
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mistermuse 6:26 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink |
You are most welcome, Sonea. There’s nothing like an appreciative audience to help make it a “festive season.” Happy holidays to you as well.
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Mél@nie 4:53 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink |
ah, Josephine Becker… an icon in France! ❤
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mistermuse 6:32 pm on December 17, 2017 Permalink |
I know she was a sensation in pre-WWII France, and it’s good to know she’s still well remembered. America’s loss was, without a doubt, France’s gain. 🙂
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restlessjo 4:29 am on December 18, 2017 Permalink |
You do have fun! 🙂 🙂 No time to linger but I hope this Christmas time will bring you joy. Thanks for your company.
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mistermuse 9:10 am on December 18, 2017 Permalink |
Don’t be restless, jo — take time to….
Seriously, a joyous Christmas to you as well. 🙂
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restlessjo 12:07 pm on December 18, 2017 Permalink
Thank you! Just home from being suitably restless. I’ll pause and enjoy.
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Cheryl Wright 1:10 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
Loved these videos! Have a wonderful Christmas!
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mistermuse 4:00 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
Thank you, Cheryl, and same to you! I watched each of the videos several times, which must mean I love them too. 🙂
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RMW 9:49 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
As I listen to that song I conjure up an image of Mr. Coward sitting at the grand piano in his drawing room, surrounded by his witty and urbane (or maybe not so urbane) friends. But he would have said: “It’s pronounced Zed, my boy!” Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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mistermuse 11:04 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
Best holiday wishes to you as well, Roslyn…, and thank you for getting back to Noel Coward.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but his birthday is Dec. 16 — the same day I wrote this post. I will therefore do him the belated honor of listing some more of his great songs: I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN, I’LL FOLLOW MY SECRET HEART, SOMEDAY I’LL FIND YOU, MAD ABOUT THE BOY, MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMAN, and IF LOVE WERE ALL.
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literaryeyes 10:25 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
May your holidays be filled with music of long ago, simple and elegant, sassy and extravagant.
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mistermuse 11:11 pm on December 19, 2017 Permalink |
I appreciate those “simple and elegant” words, Mary.
Although it’s been said, many times, many ways….
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markscheel1 11:08 pm on December 20, 2017 Permalink |
Muse,
I congratulate you on a clever and delightful trip down memory lane alphabetically! Well done. Now, enjoy your ZZZZZ, and have a very merry Christmas.
Mark
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mistermuse 12:37 pm on December 21, 2017 Permalink |
Likewize, Mark. May Santa be good to you at Christmas, even though you (I surmize) usually vote Republican! 🙂
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Superduque777 5:47 pm on December 23, 2017 Permalink |
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mistermuse 5:57 pm on December 23, 2017 Permalink |
Gracias….and a Super duper Christmas to you.
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Superduque777 11:06 am on December 25, 2017 Permalink
Merry Christmas
https://superduque777.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/7d3d2-nacimiento-jesus.jpg?w=896&h=900
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moorezart 4:57 pm on December 27, 2017 Permalink |
Reblogged this on From 1 Blogger 2 Another.
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moorezart 4:58 pm on December 27, 2017 Permalink |
Zees iz zimply fab-u-luz!
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mistermuse 5:13 pm on December 27, 2017 Permalink |
MooreZart, you are zimply too kind! Merci beaucoup (and happy holidays)!
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moorezart 7:22 pm on December 27, 2017 Permalink
Exceedingly large smile refuses to dissipate. And to you too!
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