Ruth Etting made a tremendous impact on popular singing, which could be quite formal when she came into the field. She added a naturalism that was different. And instead of performing a song she would act it. Her tangy voice, long breath line, beautiful modulation and intonation and her outstanding musical qualities were made even more attractive by her being stylistic at a time most singers just did songs straight and by her good home-town-girl looks and personality.
One has to appreciate Ruth Etting's interpretation given the decade and what was accepted by the cultural mileu and if both are accepted, then the rendition is truly wonderful.
Actually the pianist survived the incident. They later married (her and pianist) and stayed together until his death in 1966. She passed in 1978. But you're right though, her career ended shortly after the incident.
Did you know that her singing ended with the killing of her piano friend you see in this movie she was married to A criminal killer that they made a movie of with james cagney read up on her she was tops eaven in hart brake
Excellent post!! Ruth Etting has a very own style, the comparison to Billie Holiday is about comparing apples to pears! Just a question of taste...the comments of StukInTexAss and perfectjazz78 reminds me to Mr. Waldorf and Mr. Statler!
I agree, I enjoy her recordings with Teddy Wilson and Benny Goodman, and other solos of that era on the OKEH label but the later recordings aren't my cup of tea either.
If you listen to Lee Wiley recordings made with Victor Young in 1933, she has much the same style as early Billie Holiday. Since Lee Wiley recorded in this manner before Billie Holiday, who would be considered more original?
Ruth remains, after all this time, singular. That tangy voice, that lilt, that total ease in performing, that facility in doing any kind of song. With a sharp tasty edge to her voice, she was perfect for records, and sold millions upon millions.
Wow, what an incredible singer this woman is! I recently saw the movie Love Me Or Leave me with James Cagney and Doris Day and I wanted to check out the real Etting. What a wonderful voice! The movie is good and Doris Day is a fine singer but she just doesn't have 100th of the talent of Ruth Etting. I've been listening to all her stuff and I'm completely knocked out!
Jazzgirl, are you serious when you say Billie Holliday is devoid of jazz feeling, Ruth Etting as good as she was as torch singer does not have the slightest clue how to phrase in a jazz sense, and as for your disparaging reference to Lester Young I think your i.d. is somewhat of a misnomer and should be changed
Yes, I am definitely serious. Billie Holliday is a boring, grossly overrated singer. I hear no jazz feeling in her singing.She has no range, a terrible voice, and her lazy style of singing, if you can call it singing, shows a complete lack of swing. Ruth Etting is the greatest female jazz singer. She twists and bends notes in the best 1920's jazz tradition.Her songs have such great variety. Ruth Etting can put more jazz feeling, excitement in one word than Billie Holliday can do in a dozen songs
I agree that Ruth Etting was fantastic, as would most who have attended this site: I could listen to RE all night long; however, I feel that you are being harsh re: BH and LY and certainly history is not on your side. Both contributed greatly to jazz in the 20 century.
You have got to be so stuck in your 1920's fantasy land to say that Billie Holliday is grossly overrated. Sure she did not have a great range however to say that she did not have any jazz feeling is absurd, Ruth Etting the greatest? What about Ella Fitzgerald Sarah Vaughan Mildred Bailey Bessie Smith Carmen Mcrae etc. who were all great jazz or blues singers. Face facts prohibition is over don't wallow in nostalgia. And listen to the small group recording that Billie made with an open mind.
This is like comparing apples to oranges. Ruth Etting and Billie Holiday are like two opposite sides of a jazz coin, both great but very different. I personally believe preference for one or the other is a matter of personal taste. We are here to appreciate music of a bygone era, in a time when current POP is 99% devoid of taste, so lets find common ground and just enjoy the music.
Ruth Etting is simply the greatest jazz singer ever. She is 10X the singer Billie Holiday ever was. Billie Holiday has no range and her singing is devoid of jazz feeling. Holiday is a boring pop singer whose singing has nothing to do with jazz at all. Ruth Etting superb syncopation and her bending of notes is fantastic.
Brilliant. She has just the most amazing voice and the way she slides those notes sends shivers. I remember having a 78 of this song but and I believe it was Jeff Chandler singing it. Can this have been so? Help please.
Thanks for that. The recording I would have heard would have been possibly in the 50's but I can find no evidence of Jeff Chandler singing it. The Ruth Etting version is far superior of course. No offence to Jeff Chandler fans!
Ruth Etting made a tremendous impact on popular singing, which could be quite formal when she came into the field. She added a naturalism that was different. And instead of performing a song she would act it. Her tangy voice, long breath line, beautiful modulation and intonation and her outstanding musical qualities were made even more attractive by her being stylistic at a time most singers just did songs straight and by her good home-town-girl looks and personality.
waynebrasler 3 months ago
another jewel of that great age ! timeless ! am gonna build my timemachine !
D0pe122 1 year ago
One has to appreciate Ruth Etting's interpretation given the decade and what was accepted by the cultural mileu and if both are accepted, then the rendition is truly wonderful.
Thanks for the posting..
Ted
joomuck 1 year ago
This is the song that we hear Jack Lemmon (Ens. F.T. Pulver) sing parts of in the 1955 motion picture, Mister Roberts
RM4FS 1 year ago
What was the movie (the final 2 seconds) that this came from?
Does anyone know?
doucefrance28 1 year ago
Another popular song called Elmer's Tune sounds just like this.
maxreger100 1 year ago
Good stuff! great voice! a star in her time.
grenadian11 1 year ago
great clip love it!!!!!!*****thank you for showing the vitaphone titles from wb. who is the man singer? great post thank you poster. ROGHARM
rogharm 1 year ago
Boy, looks like they even had sex in the 30s.!!!!
Alicecbrown 1 year ago
Ruth has a much more contemporary and timeless singing style than the male piano player.
somersetdc 1 year ago
What a natural and unspoiled talent.
phlashba 1 year ago
Actually the pianist survived the incident. They later married (her and pianist) and stayed together until his death in 1966. She passed in 1978. But you're right though, her career ended shortly after the incident.
joewilly78 2 years ago
Did you know that her singing ended with the killing of her piano friend you see in this movie she was married to A criminal killer that they made a movie of with james cagney read up on her she was tops eaven in hart brake
merbenzgill 2 years ago
Excellent post!! Ruth Etting has a very own style, the comparison to Billie Holiday is about comparing apples to pears! Just a question of taste...the comments of StukInTexAss and perfectjazz78 reminds me to Mr. Waldorf and Mr. Statler!
aadjuijn 2 years ago 3
Early Billie Holiday is much better. The later "cool" stuff irks me immensly.
StukInTexAss 2 years ago
I agree, I enjoy her recordings with Teddy Wilson and Benny Goodman, and other solos of that era on the OKEH label but the later recordings aren't my cup of tea either.
perfectjazz78 2 years ago
She sounds too much like David Sedaris!
StukInTexAss 2 years ago
If you listen to Lee Wiley recordings made with Victor Young in 1933, she has much the same style as early Billie Holiday. Since Lee Wiley recorded in this manner before Billie Holiday, who would be considered more original?
perfectjazz78 2 years ago
@StukInTexAss you mean david sedaris sounds like her.
gavin45310 1 year ago
im 16 and i loove this kind of music
peacehugnugs 2 years ago 3
Gimme a time machine ;-) Gorgeous stuff.
busconductorxhines 2 years ago 11
I dream, I dream, I dream of a time machine.
JulieWong80 2 years ago 2
Ruth remains, after all this time, singular. That tangy voice, that lilt, that total ease in performing, that facility in doing any kind of song. With a sharp tasty edge to her voice, she was perfect for records, and sold millions upon millions.
waynebrasler 2 years ago
Wow, what an incredible singer this woman is! I recently saw the movie Love Me Or Leave me with James Cagney and Doris Day and I wanted to check out the real Etting. What a wonderful voice! The movie is good and Doris Day is a fine singer but she just doesn't have 100th of the talent of Ruth Etting. I've been listening to all her stuff and I'm completely knocked out!
aldiboronti 3 years ago
Long live Doris Day!!!!1
lobienko 2 years ago
They don't come much torchier than this.
Barndog44 3 years ago
Jazzgirl, are you serious when you say Billie Holliday is devoid of jazz feeling, Ruth Etting as good as she was as torch singer does not have the slightest clue how to phrase in a jazz sense, and as for your disparaging reference to Lester Young I think your i.d. is somewhat of a misnomer and should be changed
Edv468 3 years ago
Yes, I am definitely serious. Billie Holliday is a boring, grossly overrated singer. I hear no jazz feeling in her singing.She has no range, a terrible voice, and her lazy style of singing, if you can call it singing, shows a complete lack of swing. Ruth Etting is the greatest female jazz singer. She twists and bends notes in the best 1920's jazz tradition.Her songs have such great variety. Ruth Etting can put more jazz feeling, excitement in one word than Billie Holliday can do in a dozen songs
jazzgirl1920s 3 years ago
I agree that Ruth Etting was fantastic, as would most who have attended this site: I could listen to RE all night long; however, I feel that you are being harsh re: BH and LY and certainly history is not on your side. Both contributed greatly to jazz in the 20 century.
joomuck 3 years ago
You have got to be so stuck in your 1920's fantasy land to say that Billie Holliday is grossly overrated. Sure she did not have a great range however to say that she did not have any jazz feeling is absurd, Ruth Etting the greatest? What about Ella Fitzgerald Sarah Vaughan Mildred Bailey Bessie Smith Carmen Mcrae etc. who were all great jazz or blues singers. Face facts prohibition is over don't wallow in nostalgia. And listen to the small group recording that Billie made with an open mind.
goatface1000 2 years ago
This is like comparing apples to oranges. Ruth Etting and Billie Holiday are like two opposite sides of a jazz coin, both great but very different. I personally believe preference for one or the other is a matter of personal taste. We are here to appreciate music of a bygone era, in a time when current POP is 99% devoid of taste, so lets find common ground and just enjoy the music.
perfectjazz78 2 years ago 17
Ruth Etting is simply the greatest jazz singer ever. She is 10X the singer Billie Holiday ever was. Billie Holiday has no range and her singing is devoid of jazz feeling. Holiday is a boring pop singer whose singing has nothing to do with jazz at all. Ruth Etting superb syncopation and her bending of notes is fantastic.
jazzgirl1920s 3 years ago
Brilliant. She has just the most amazing voice and the way she slides those notes sends shivers. I remember having a 78 of this song but and I believe it was Jeff Chandler singing it. Can this have been so? Help please.
Fairymum01 3 years ago
Ruth Etting recorded this song on 78 for Columbia in 1930.
perfectjazz78 3 years ago
Thanks for that. The recording I would have heard would have been possibly in the 50's but I can find no evidence of Jeff Chandler singing it. The Ruth Etting version is far superior of course. No offence to Jeff Chandler fans!
Fairymum01 3 years ago
Great gestures, she uses the kerchief well. She was very, very good. Thanks for the post.
pkneeno 3 years ago
Wonderful, I love it.
kspm01 3 years ago
WONDERFUL!!!
AnotherGoddess 3 years ago
Lovely song¿Which orchestra is playing the background music?
slpuca 3 years ago
Great job on this one - (they could do a lot in an hour) lol..........
HarborGuy 3 years ago
Wonderful clip! If one listens carefully to the orchestral background, on guitar could be the great Eddie Lang.
Vegavox 3 years ago