Doris Day sings Dig It

[JudgeJulieLit]

Doris (nee Koppeldorf) here at 16 is a prodigy ... sounds like the great happy, romantic, optimistic All American girl voice she continued and perfected. Distinctly herself here, not confusable with the young Peggy Lee or Judy G. For someone whose image (by the 1960s) became putatively cornball ever virginal, Doris was always (as here) surprisingly, subtlely "hep." This 1940 song has a surprisingly early, proto-RockNRoll beat ... and earliest utterance I've heard (in mainstream music) of "dig"!

[Dayniac4324]

@JudgeJulieLit It's always interesting to me to hear Doris so early in her career. I have another even earlier recording with Barney Rapp - I'm Happy About The Whole Thing. You can hear how great she's going to be.

I find it interesting that the 60's - so "original" in its concepts and feelings (?) used quite a few words and phrases popular in the late 30's and early 40's.

[mcareyop]

Doris was always very good, but her better work with Les Brown came later, after she returned to the band in 1944. Her early solo work in the later 40s is also terrific -- very romantic, but always properly musical.

[Dayniac4324]

@mcareyop I think you're right. I think this is the first song she recorded with the band. But .. you can tell how good she will become. I love her later 40's recordings.

[valdengo1]

...unreal bombastic sound from 1940.....a real shock....her 62 year old son died a few years ago from skin cancer....I would not know this is her, her early sounbd was a bit different.....

[Dayniac4324]

@valdengo1 She does sound quite different on some of her songs from the big band days. But, she was quite young. She started with Barney Rapp at 15. She's 16 here. Happy you enjoyed !!

[BloodyCatastrophee]

why is she so beautiful. ahhh... la la la Doris Day!@

[Dayniac4324]

@BloodyCatastrophee I don't know .... but she is ... inside and out !!

Happy you enjoyed ... thanks for listening !!

[glennosmansdeiros]

Great song! :-)

[Dayniac4324]

@glennosmansdeiros Have to agree with you ... love this one ! Happy you enjoyed too !! Thanks !

[jof1016]

I ain't hep to that step but I dig it

[Dayniac4324]

@jof1016 Man .. I dig it too !! Thanks ... happy you enjoyed !

[rioamigo]

Interesting note: DIG IT was Doris' first recording with Les Brown and has its novelty lyric from Johnny Mercer. The last single Doris made...at Columbia... was SORRY (b/w "Caprice"), with a lyric by Johnny Mercer. He virtually bookended her recording career. Don't know who Johnny Mercer was? Think "Autumn Leaves," "Moon River" and dozens more. He was an amazing lyricist!

[Dayniac4324]

Johnny Mercer was amazing !

She did record after Sorry... just not under her columbia contract. And ... not much but a little. I think one of her best albums. The Love Album ... lost for nearly 25 years - finally released by Terry.

[ENACODNOM]

Are you sure this is 1940? It sounds to me like 46 or 47!

[Dayniac4324]

This is the first song she recorded with Les -- the first time she was with his band. She left to get married - had a baby (1942) - divorced and then came back to sing with the band.

[ENACODNOM]

Thanks. Sound quality is remarkable.

[Dayniac4324]

It really is ... maybe they cleaned up the recordings. I have this on a double cd set - Doris and Les Brown.

[ENACODNOM]

Yes, as technology continues to improve, they make wonders with old recordings, making them sound very clean. Still, I find that recorded music is much more pleasing to listen by 1948-49, when they started to record in Hi-Fi because a big boost was given then to all musicians, both in sound and artistic quality. Most of older recordings sound flat, even if they are carefully restored.

[rioamigo]

It's so hard to imagine how she could have sung with such assurance and authority when she was so young. (Some say 18, some say 16...Either way, she was past amazing!)

[Dayniac4324]

Well .. we're not sure about that ! In her book she states that she started singing with Barney Rapp at 16 - so this would have been 18...but ...who knows ??

[Perlabaui]

Your videos are always great!!!Thanks Dayniac!!!

[Dayniac4324]

Thank you -- thats very sweet of you... I'm really happy you're enjoying some great Doris songs !!

[Dayniac4324]

I have them on my computer. The quality isn't very good. And now I'm sick - I just went to look for them and I guess the last time our computer crashed I lost them. I put them on a cd long ago - so -now I'm on a mission to find it !

[Dayniac4324]

I believe you are right in that this was the first recorded song with Les Brown. I have a few songs she recorded earlier like Little Sir Echo. She was still very young - so you are right - her intimate style is still developing. But she's got the jive sound down pretty good !! Thanks -- great comment - happy you enjoyed !!

[busteremmyoscar]

I will have to look out for her Little Sir Echo work. I have been collecting her albums on vinyl for some time now, mainly 33.3 rather than 78 rpm (my deck won't play 78s)...she was a sensational singer in front of a big band.

[Dayniac4324]

She was great in her big band period -- hard to believe she was so young ! What great music it was !!

[dorisdayno1]

hi toni i love dancing the polka and charleston i have this song i love glenn miller too have the cd and i jitterbug to it !

as you already know about hundreds times i have told you but i love doris so much she really can sing anything the phonebook,the bible anything i would listen to her sing anything !!

[Dayniac4324]

Hey - I'm with you - she could sing anything and I'd love it !! So you jitterbug ?

Thats great !!

Thanks - happy you enjoyed !!

[dorisdayno1]

i love dancing the jive,charleston,jitterbug,mamb­o all the old dances! i want to be a dancer !! my favourite glenn miller tunes are little brown jug and in the mood !!

[JBmiddleOFnoWHERE]

Spectacular song, wonderful woman, super slideshow :)

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks -- glad you enjoyed !!

[JimboUSofA]

This must be from BEFORE she was a virgin. ;)

[Dayniac4324]

Thank you Jimbo ! I sure needed that laugh !!!

I think you're right - must have been !!

HAHAHAHAHA !!!

[busteremmyoscar]

I love Doris Day's big band style more than the slightly softer sound she had in the 1950's and 60's. Les Brown isn't my favourite big band (I preferred Goodman and Shaw), but he really scored a home run when he hired the beautiful and talented Doris Day, that's for sure. A real lady, too!

[Dayniac4324]

Well, I love it all. Big band - ballad - whatever ! I know what you mean about the bands - I'm a big Glenn Miller and Goodman fan. I think Doris added a LOT to Browns band. Its surprising that she doesn't always get credit for it ! Sad really.

Thanks - glad you enjoyed this one !

[davesharon5747]

I wonder if this is what John Lennon was referring to on the Beatles' Let It Be album on the track Dig It?

[Dayniac4324]

Wow - I don't know - I'll have to check that out !

[sthelens2]

hi im bex n im 14, i listen to this wen i get ready for school in the morning, i never knew doris day sang it, lol it just says les brown on the album (greatest big band songs of the 40's) or somethin like that...

[Dayniac4324]

Glad you enjoyed listening to Doris and Les Brown. It was the first song she recorded with the band. It is a fun song !

[bigeeezy]

great tune

[peterflapper]

Hi Toni, I believe that this is the first track that Doris recorded for the Columbia-OKEH record. So it's officialy her first record. Recording date: 11-29-1940. I like this song.

P

[Dayniac4324]

Hi Peter - Thats the date I had - I thought it was the first one she recorded with Les but wasn't sure. I've always enjoyed this song - glad you did too !!

Take care,

Toni

[wyattmcintyre]

A good toe tapping tune. Thank you

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Wyatt - its hep !

[OnlyMusicCovers]

Great tune Toni!!!

Thanks Divid!

Indy

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Indy -- glad you enjoyed !

[DrfeelgoodEH]

Here I go smiling again..

[Dayniac4324]

Eddie - glad I gave you a smile - you had me laughing with your Rocky vid ! Thanks again !!

[1280379]

Wow, love it!

Sandra X

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Sandra -- Glad you enjoyed !!

[marcialeer]

neat and upbeat song thanks for sharing

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Marcy - glad you enjoyed !

[loriL64]

great vid toni and thanks for sharing david 5*****

[Dayniac4324]

loriL64 - Glad you liked it ! Thanks !

[isthatmusicicanhear2]

★★★★★ AWESOME .. love it 'ISSY

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Issy !! Hope you have a great weekend !

Take care, Toni

[brightlight0110]

Great Tunes,Thanks for sending David.Excellent vid Toni!

[Dayniac4324]

brightlight0110 - thanks - glad you enjoyed !

[pili2255]

Fascinating David! 5*****

Gaby

[Dayniac4324]

pili2255 - glad you enjoyed !

[yendor61]

Thanks for another great Doris post Toni.

She looks much younger in this pic.

Peace to you and David.

Have a great 4th of July~~~Rod

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Rod - yes this is an early picture of Doris from the 40's when she was singing with Les Brown. She was in her late teens.

Hope you all have a great 4th also !

Take care,

Toni

[afantastic]

Yep, dig it!

[Dayniac4324]

ERStone - Me too - love this song - glad you're diggin' it !

[cherrialbum]

Love it!! Great tune Toni & video!!

Thank you so much for sharing Doris with us!!

5*****

[Dayniac4324]

Thanks Cherri - glad you enjoyed it !

[dlpine]

"Dig it! Dig it! Dig it, Doris, on the vocal chorus"!!! Great song, Toni!! Five stars!! I dig it!!  Love you, sweetie!!

David

[Dayniac4324]

Thank you sweetie - I know you love this song - it is fun ! Love you sweetie xoxoxox