John McCormack sings "I Hear You Calling Me"

[35westst]

Today he would be mocked and booed. What the great unwashed public wants now is boom boom boom boom.

[Solanus57]

This was from the 1927 film: "Song O' My Heart". It was the second talkie, after "Jazz Singer". The film, which was restored in the early 1970's may still be available. My dad paid to have it restored and we used to sell the soundtrack on vinyl. VAI put it on VHS at the end of our license. There was a later movie with Henry Fonda where they had JM singing in various situos.

[MalikAziz86]

I hear you calling me

You called me when

The moon had veiled her light

Before I went from you

Into the night

I came

Do you remember

Back to you for one last kiss

Beneath the cold starlight

[sargeanton2]

This clip doesn't do him justice. He was way better in his prime. I have records he cut in 1916 that sound better than this...and he sang better. Fortunately the re-mastered cd's are excellent ...considering what they had to work with. 

[dirtydayton4162]

it is very rare considering talking pictures were not that common when he was at his peak.

[unspeakable28]

Brian Lenihan RIP

[tenorschofield]

Oh God what a great tenor John Mc Cormack was; my heart hears the call of the Islands...do you also hear that call?..stay still for a second.. and.hear it again.

For sure you will!!!

[dcconsi]

k mar sea meav

[besmonkil]

John Mc Cormack es un tenor que debería figurar en cualquier lista de "Los Mejores tenores" Su voz - para un lírico - no era pequeña; debe recordarse que cantaba ante grandes auditorios Y EN ESA EPOCA NO HABIA AMPLIFICACIÓN ELECTRICA.

Fue amigo de Enrico Caruso, y en una temporada - no recuerdo el año exacto - vendió MAS discos que Caruso.

Ojalá alguien pudiera subir " O Sleep why dost thou ..." de Semele y me gustaría leer la opiniones ! Besmonkil

[redhorsesrock26]

Amazing !! Thanks :)

[voicemad]

I think more people appreciate these songs today than in the sixties, when I was growing up and that is probably due to the three tenors. Over 42,000 have looked at this video. That is a very good sign that there is a renewed popularity for this music

[Catoperatheater]

Why don't people appreciate these magnificent and sentimental songs any more? There is a huge catalog of these Victorian/Edwardian ballads, songs that speak to the heart. Can you imagine that songs like this were sung by regular working people at concerts throughout the land when everyone seemed to appreciate good music and lyrics.

[Tenortalker]

So moving. No wonder someone said that man has a Stradivarius in his throat. The last phrase is suspended in the air like a golden thread.

[lemonmeerkat]

great to see actual film of him singing

[paulprocopolis]

I didn't know that there were any films of John McCormack singing - what a find. Thankyou! Do you know when this film was made and who the accompanist is?

[tenorschofield]

....did you?

[Rollich]

Song o' My Heart, from which this comes, is now available on DVD.

[thatcanyon]

Family gatherings in the little front room of our small terraced house in Cleator Moor, West Cumbria and Uncle Peter attempting this song, straining for some notes but not doing a bad job. Thank you for posting.

[smemr]

What I do not understand is why we get three great close ups of the accompanist and none of the great tenor himself? I've noticed this as well on other clips with Gigli, Lauri Volpi and others ..frustrating and curious!

[johnster1964]

@smemr Hi there, good question, I suspect it was because of a fear of the image and sound not synchronising.

[charles43110]

@smemr then it was considered an intrusion on the singers concentration to focus on them,

[ciroalb3]

@smemr in the film, the accompanist has learned that John's sweetheart has died, but does not tell him until the concert is over. the song thus ties in, and we look at the accompanist imagining his thoughts. Cinematically, it was just considered monotonous to keep the camera focused on the singer.

[MissMusicienne]

Does anyone know who the accompanist is? They are extremely important too.

McCormack has a great voice.

[stevevandien]

Am pretty sure McCormack's accompanist here is Edwin Schneider, who played for the great tenor during most of his career --

[stevevandien]

Yep, it's Schneider; he's identified by a subtitle late in the video:) --

[MissMusicienne]

Haha, yeah, I saw that bit right after I posted...I'm such a stooge!

[stevevandien]

Hey, don't denigrate yourself over that -- it's VERY easy to overlook stuff in videos:). As an aside, Gerald Moore also played for McCormack late in the latter's career. Moore also provided a fine account of this in his book, "Am I Too Loud?" I recommend it highly:) --

[MissMusicienne]

That's actually funny that you should mention that, because the reason I loooked up this video was because I just finished reading that book. I had heard of McCormack but wasn't so familiar with his performances. So yeah. Just trying to educate my self I guess, being neither a pianist nor a singer!

[stevevandien]

Educating oneself is always a worthy goal. I was a semi-professional singer (classical and Broadway) off and on for nearly 30 years, and I'm still learning more and more -- about opera and classical music, of course, but also about MANY other subjects. As long as our brains remain healthy, we should never stop our self-education. Life and the world are so rich and complex that there's always something new and interesting to learn:). PS: Isn't Moore's book a wonderful read?

[MissMusicienne]

Yeah, it's a really good read. I hope to read his other one - "The Unashamed Accompanist" - soon. I'm also reading a very interesting book at the moment - "The Maestro Myth" by Norman Lebrecht. I would reccomend it if the history of conductors interests you at all.

[Republicrat74]

I first heard McCormack at a friends house in the early 1940's, on their wind up Victrola....later bought an LP reissue and now have a CD. Lovely voice and most sentimental music!

[barmbrackthecat]

OMG this is AWESOME..........I adore John McCormack

[tenorismo]

Holding the little book with the words to the songs he was singing. There ar no artists like this anymore because there is no popularity for them ,and no money to be made from them. Wonderfull

[stevevandien]

Fascinating, and perhaps sobering, to realize that such a great artist as McCormack COULD enjoy enormous popularity while earning so much money. I read once that at the height of his fame, he made about a million dollars annually. God knows how much more that would be today:) --

[ciroalb3]

a million may be a little high, though he demanded $500K for this movie in 1929. a million would be roughly $20-25m today. I'm sure many artists make far more, but the buying power in the teens and 20s can hardly be imagined. When he died in 1945, his estate was just £50K

[ziccs18]

@tenorismo 1 day there will be again

[tenorismo]

@ziccs18 Your lips to Gods ear. : )

[pedrodempero]

my world stops when i hear this..and i can just be...

dad used to play the old 78's on a gramaphone

untouched ..and the wee hmv needle tins with the wee dog..lol

[blairinnyc]

John Aler has recorded this song along with some other wonderful gems that have been forgotten....Actually I believe the CD is called "Songs We Forgot To Remember" A wonderful collection indeed and well worth looking into...

[stevevandien]

Aler is one of our finest light lyric tenors. I especially admire his Messiah recording. (I am perhaps biased, because both Aler and my primary voice teacher studied with the great Oren Brown:)) Bless him for reminding us of these delightful songs --

[Spikeman1988]

One of the best!!!

[glasgowm1]

One of my favourite singers, along with Tito Schipa...

78' recordings are the best...as are the Cetra tenors of this era

[arthurkrieck]

NO ONE sings like this anymore. It's thrilling to hear and to watch. What a singer. You get a glimpse of why all of his recitals were packed to the doors.

[gmaureen]

My barometer for judging talent is how I react emotionally when I hear someone perform. John makes me cry with this one, everytime.

[stevevandien]

That's a very good barometer indeed:) --

[goblinonacloud]

This was McCormick's signature tune so yes, he always sang it. One of his most beautiful, that shows his range and breadth of breath. This particular song always makes me cry..

[barmbrackthecat]

@goblinonacloud his signature tune was The Old House....

[xToxicTurtlex]

@goblinonacloud

ME TOO! I heard it one night while on a date with an older gentleman who adores McCormack...he was flabbergasted to see the tears streaming down my face....and quite delighted that I could appreciate such a beautiful song...

[saltburner2]

There were at least 6 commercial recordings of this song by McCormack: two Odeons from March 1908 [one with Marshall at the piano, the other with orchestra]; 3 acoustic Victors [1910, 1911 and 1921, all with orchestra] and the electric Victor with Teddy Schneider at the piano from 12 October 1927.

No doubt there are others versions from films or broadcasts, as he sang this song at almost all his recitals.

[BIGALI42]

I thank my friend Tim Kelleher - for introducing me to this man - my favorite song of all time

[heathfieldclose]

Awesome

[tradertom]

I'm 83 and recall hearing this on our home radio...a Crosley model with short wave! What a voice!!!!

[CatherineGalway]

Simply wonderful. Thanks to my parents for exposing me to the wonders of john.

[Corrie121]

This song revives so many memories for me. Memories of my dear mother who used to sing this song when I was a lad in the 1940's. To hear this is just wonderful.

Many, many, thanks fo posting this gem.

[i25am]

wow i didnt know all this and im a mccormack

my grandparents knew though

[dogbearct]

So much more pleasing than what we're treated to today.

[arthurkrieck]

Simply wonderful, every phrase is perfect.

[fortbruce]

This one of my favorite songs that McCormack sings, I especially love the Victor acoustical recording. I always thought it would make a GREAT cell phone ring tone too!

[raalez]

would you have any further clips from the film Song O my Heart?what wondwerful music...how did you secure those two clips???

[fortbruce]

I have two versions of the whole film on video tape, one is partially silent (like the Jazz singer) the other is full audio... beautiful singing!!! I think it was the only time an audience got PAID to listen to John McCormack!

[ciroalb3]

I believe it was filmed at a concert in LA in 1929

[mactopolis]

What a beautiful voice....

[bilstew]

good for you john.Fantastic for IRELAND !

bilstew. Belfast

[cyfieithydd]

Thank you thank you thank you. I can't say in words how I feel to have actually seen this man sing - even on a tiny screen on my computer. I have adored his voice for longer than I care to remember. Don't worry about the little black book - it was a famous McCormack prop that he maybe needed psychologically, but never took away from his performance. And to listenh to I Hear You Calling Me is wonderful - I sing it myself and will be filmed singing it this Friday night (30/11/07).

[jblo9]

This man was Caruso's favourite. Is it any wonder? What a performance! The famous little book! I feel he is singing to me alone and I expect everyone was the same.

[koala501]

Sometimes I've wondered if we call artists great as we have been told they are great and not really understanding why. Listening to this 'gem' and to such georgeous, clear tone, we can see why McCormack was praised by people like de Reske as the true redeemer of bel canto. God bless John McCormack.

[luigicorvi24]

there is a directness of comunication that makes listening (and now seeing) this man almost an addiction.

[ciroalb3]

you notice how he clutches his little book of lyrics after decades of singing this signature song at concerts! He actually forgot the words at one performance

[rupepill]

Taken from the recital scene of the 1929 McCormack film, Song O' My Heart. That sequence may be as close as we'll get to seeing and hearing a concert of the man, with his good friend and accompanist, Teddy Schneider, at the piano.

[clarebannerman]

What a voice!