Alice Fredenham, Matt Dusk, Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Striesand, Chet Baker.
Another Valentine's Day Posting 2018:
The Song:
Strange that this popular jazz standard is relatively unknown in our part of the world. Ask anyone to sing Fly Me To The Moon and the person will immediately hum or sing the tune. Similarly, with other familiar ones like Summertime, The Lady Is A Tramp or even Misty. Known factors.
But ask about My Funny Valentine and the response, "Yes, I've heard of it but I don't know the tune." Even our local 60's music pop stars today never batted an eyelid when I mentioned the title. The only people familiar are the jazz musicians around.
The 600 Plus Covers:
The song, written by composer Richard Rogers and lyricist Lorenz Hart, has been sung by more than 600 artistes and recorded on 1,300 plus albums. It was one of the show tunes for Babes In Arms, a musical that appeared in 1937. I wasn't even born then and those babes in arms who know the song are probably gone by now.
 |
Sarah Vaughn, Linda Ronstadt, Kim Novak are favourites that can carry the song well.
Since hundreds of artistes have put the song on vinyl, lovers of this tune have a wide choice. I love two covers, one is an earlier recording by Sarah Vaughn and the other by Linda Rondstadt in 1986. But Frank Sinatra's classic, Pal Joey recorded lovely Kim Novak (she resembles Charlize Theron) singing it.
Others who covered it, sometimes for a performance only, included Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett, Chaka Khan, Sting, Boy George, TC Carson, Angela McClusky, Lubelle Rose, Michelle Pfeiffer, Anita Baker, Nancy Wilson, Carly Simon, Bjork, Etta James, Melinda DoLittle, Ann Hampton Callaway, Nat King Cole, Michael Buble and many more. |
Lately, in 2013, an unknown, bashful, tearful singer called Alice Fredenham (You could sing the phonebook, says Simon Cowell) gave a beautiful rendition. With 43 million viewers on YouTube, she became an overnight sensation but not without controversy because a media has mentioned she appeared in another show different - like she has had a make-under. Ah, my funny Valentine. 😉
https://www.youtube.com/user/BritainsGotTalent09
For me, I am taking the above video as it is because at last, a song so delectably charming is rendered so truthfully, by a lady so breathtakingly beautiful.
My funny Valentine, sweet comic Valentine
You make me smile with my heart
Your looks are laughable
Unphotographable
Yet you're my favourite work of art...
A Happy Valentine's Day to all lovers. 💖
Article: Andy Lim Copyrights Reserved.
Images of vinyl covers from Google.
Information from the Internet.
