Eric Carmen Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 If "Some Enchanted Evening" hadn't been written, my number one choice would have been "Somewhere" from "West Side Story. The entire soundtrack from that film is spectacular. I went to the theater to watch the film 11 times. I learned the whole score on the piano and must have played it a thousand times. I love so many songs by Lennon and McCartney and Brian Wilson that it's very difficult to choose, but as pure songwriting goes, these two would be at the top of my list. "Warmth Of The Sun" is brilliant and the melody is hauntigly beautiful, but lyrically it's not quite up to Richard Rodgers and Steven Sondheim. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IluvEric Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Regarding the lyrics for "Warmth of the Sun" you gotta blame Mike Love. Being a Beach Boy fan too...I couldn't resist making the comment."One Hand One Heart" is another strong West Side Story song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ira Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Eric-to me Brian's entire enthusiasm-about life-the depth of his feelings- still touches me today.In "When I Grow Up To Be A Man"-the haunting refrain-"Won't Last Forever" sends chills down my spine-40 years later.When he sings "Love And Mercy Is All We Need Tonight"-with all he's been through-I just melt.And when you sing "The Way We Used To Be"-although there is no past relationship I want to now relive-that feeling of yearning I felt in my younger days-man you really recapture it.Thanks.-Ira. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellie Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 That's one of my favorite DVD's. (I saw Susana perform in "West Side Story" in high school.)::ducking and running now:: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmichel Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I don't know if this is true...But i heard that THE WARMTH OF THE SUN was written right after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated...With lyrics that tried to convey that feeling of sadness...couched in the more conventional terms of a love song...I agree ...the haunting melody of THE WARMTH OF THE SUN is beautiful...and i think it might be even more beautiful without lyrics...just a single piano. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Leonard Bernstein's score for West Side Story *is* spectacular. I still adore seeing the movie. Totally agree about "Somewhere." --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecstasy Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 And the topic is Musicals! I LOVE great musicals but I have to admit that I lean more toward the old MGM musicals and anything with movement because my passion is dance. Talk about things that give you shivers! My husband says he first realized that I had falen in love with him when I was willing to go out with him instead of staying home to watch the Gene Kelly movie that was on!LOL Dance has a tendency to make me awestruck and almost bring me to tears. Therefore, some of my favorites aren't necessarily the biggest hits in the movie.Singin' In The Rain - Moses Supposes, Singin' In The RainOn The Town - On The Town, Prehistoric ManWhite Christmas - Dancing Cheek To Cheek, MandyBand Wagon - Dancing In The Dark, Louisiana HayrideAmerican In Paris - I've Got Rhythm, This Time It's Really LoveShowboat - Make Believe, After The DanceSeven Brides For Seven Brothers - oh just pick a track! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 "Somewhere" even sounds great with Tom Waits singing it...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMMY TUNES Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Some things are just plain "scary". As I read Eric's post about his favorite song being "Some Enchanted Evening" from the musicsl "South Pacific". I was a little surprised. My next thought was I would have thought he'd love the music from "West Side Story" ,which as I've posted before has always sent shivers through me, if anything from a musical. Lo and behold I read this thread today.This creates two new thoughts: 1 Eric, I can relate. 2)Tony C, You should go give "West Side Story" another listen.And another:Eric, "If I Loved You" and "Soliloquy" ( Sinatra's version brings tears)from "Carousel" can't be too far behind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raspberrywine Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Oh yes! "She Knows me too Well," "I Just Wasnt Made for These Times," Let him Run Wild," "Till I die" are also heaven. Interesting how many of the lesser known Beach Boys tunes, or at least ones that you wont find on greatest hits packages, are simply unbelievable. (I only wish Brian could still sing them) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Carmen Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 Tommy, I don't have enough time to properly reply to your last post now, but I'll try to later. I have a theory about why music has degenerated to it's current level and this thread is directly related to it. I'm not sure I know "Soliloquy." I'll have to go check my Sinatra records. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim From Wisconsin Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Among my varied music preferences, I've always enjoyed musicals. I bought the deluxe DVD package of West Side Story when it first came out - It is spectacular! When I had the opportunity to see Barbara Streisand in concert in 1994 - One of the highlights was when she sang "Somewhere". You couldn't help but be moved by it. Two of my other favorites would be The King and I and Fiddler On The Roof.Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMMY TUNES Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 Eric, As I recall it is on his album entitled "The Concert Sinatra" where he and Nelson Riddle do full orchestra versions of songs like "I Have Dreamed", 'Bewitched" , "This Nearly Was Mine", "Old Man River" and others. His versions of "I Have Dreamed" and "Soliloquy" are definitive versions. "Soliloquy" is THE song to listen to while preparing for thr birth of a child. I listened to it and even sang it to myself many a time before the births of my two children. As a father you will have a special appreciation of the song. I look forward to your reply and even more to your thoughts on the degeneration of music. That could be fascinating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Benfer Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I also have a basic theory Eric. I think it's because at some point, "melodic" became uncool. The melody is the foundation of a song upon which so much else can be built. When a song is no longer constucted upon the foundation of a good melody, it crumbles. I think so many songs are written now with other intentions. They are built around the beat, or socially important lyrics, or to show off a particular instrumental performance. Music has to return to the day of song writers sitting down at the piano to work out that melodic canvas upon which he/she can paint a masterpiece. I also must say that I'm just not a big fan of how music is produced today. Sometimes less is more, but todays recordings have too much going on and it all becomes mush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 TOMMY TUNES said: 2)Tony C, You should go give "West Side Story" another listen. And another: Eric, "If I Loved You" and "Soliloquy" ( Sinatra's version brings tears)from "Carousel" can't be too far behind. Now I want to hear those ancient songs! Tommy, I always liked the music in "West Side Story", but some of the lyrics and especially the silly choreography make me cringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted March 10, 2006 Share Posted March 10, 2006 I adore "If I Loved You" and "Soliloquy." Those are paragons of songwriting. I also love some of the old songs from movies of the '30s and '40s--Jalousie by Jacob Gade (we played a mean tango-type violin duet to that in c minor that was outstanding!), Stairway to the Stars, The Man I Love, etc. I had a string quartet in high school and we gigged weddings and teas and played a host of those songs by Noel Coward (I'll See You Again), etc. People LOVED us, and loved the songs. They were melodic, romantic and optimistic--and just beautiful. --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin23 Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 I remember being in 7th grade (in 1966) and having a free hour from class. You could find me in the library listening to musicals (stuff I never heard before) I was fascinated! I listened to Gypsy, West Side Story, and South Pacific. I loved those songs! It's so awesome to know that others have a love for those tunes as well. Also, once again, welcome to the msg board, Eric. RobinSuffolk, VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecstasy Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Sorry, misnamed a song from White Christmas. It wasn't Dancing Cheek To Cheek but rather was The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing. You can see what happens when I try to post and am sleep deprived like registering here when exhausted and not being able to spell my own nickname!LOL) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ira Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 And I'm a Jewish guy-and one of my favorite songs from a musical-"Mame"-I believe-is "We Need A Little Christmas"-Ira. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danmichel Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 many of the greatest Christmas songs were written by writers who were jewish...Including the most popular one of them all Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Carmen Posted March 11, 2006 Author Share Posted March 11, 2006 And Mel Torme's classic "The Christmas Song", Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Oh Holy Night. e Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lew Bundles Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Put me down for any of the music from the Rogers and Hammerstein TV special of "Cinderella" with Leslie Ann Warren...Man, I used to feel like a geek everytime I watched/listened/enjoyed this... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ira Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 If it would be alright to combine the themes of two of this week's topics-Jack Wild's death reminded me of how much I enjoyed the movie "Oliver". Jack Wild the "Artful Dodger" singing "Consider Yourself" to invite Mark Lester as Oliver into "Fagan's" crew- a motley crew maybe-but at least a place "where everybody knows your name" is a great number.And "As Long As He Needs Me".Has there ever been a better song written(within the context of what kind of "HE" "Bill Sykes"is) about co-dependency and the need of someone to maintain an absurdly abusive relationship? Oh and despite the Jewish sterotyping-Ron Moody as "Fagan doing" "You Got To Pick a Pocket or Two" is a tour-de-force.-Ira. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CubbiefanMike Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Hi Eric I thought this thread was going to be a about the Cleveland Indians. Welcome and thanks for the great music. Whats your favorite National League baseball team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poor4Life Posted March 11, 2006 Share Posted March 11, 2006 Since we've touched on Christmas songs here. I've wondered if Eric's ever considered recording a Christmas album? Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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