B. Crosby, J. Fontaine, Laura Welland, Tom Wopat - Love And Learn

Harold Arlen composed the Love And Learn aka Dissertation On The State Of Bliss for the 1954 movie The Country Girl The lyrics belongs to George Gershwin's brother Ira. In the film Bing Crosby and Jacqueline Fontaine sang the song.
Years later in 1965 the song was picked up for the film Sylvia directed by Gordon Douglas. The song Sylvia was recorded on a single by Paul Anka but not the Love And Learn..
Though the song is a good one and the composers are the most famous ones, the Love And Learn went nowhere, I do not know any recording of the song, until 2005.
In 2005 Tom Wopat recorded the song at Hyena records featuring the composers son, Sam Arlen. (Remember the CBS TV series The Dukes Of Hazzard (1979-1985)? Tom Wopat played the character Luke Duke, he's the dark haired of the two cousins)
In the fall of the same 2005 a women recorded the song too.
Shes presented like this on her website:
Not many women are mechanical engineers. Fewer still hold several patents.
Few women play jazz trumpet; even fewer the double bass. Hardly anybody plays both.
Not many women sell their own company to play jazz full time.
Only one woman in fifty is a redhead.
There's surely only one red-headed, patent-holding, engineer-pianist-trumpeter-bassist woman in Seattle. And, she sings.
Her name is Laura Welland.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Paul Anka
• Laura Welland
• Tom Wopat
• Bing Crosby
• Love And Learn
• Jaquelin Fontaine

[damone77]

Thanks so much, wad44, for clearing up that "love and Learn" was composed prior to "SIB" compositions. I always get that mixed up. Also interesting to note, six degrees of separation, that Michell Legrand wrote a song called "Love and Learn". Again thanks for clearing that up for me as I am a huge Harold Arlen fan:)

[wad44]

@damone77 Glad to help you. I'm an admirer of the great composers of that period including Arlen of course. There are lots of different songs with this title, composed each by different composer. Rosemary Clooney, Patti Labelle, Brenda Lee, Dolly Parton, Artie Shaw, Stewart Curtis Chapman and Barbra Streisand has each a "Love And Learn" the latter being written by Michel Legrand as you said.

[damone77]

I believe that Arlen wrote this song after composing the music for Garland's "A Star is Born". Of course it's quite ironic because Judy lost to Grace Kelly for best actress.

[wad44]

@damone77 both "The Country Girl" and "A Star Is Born" were released in 1954, The first in May the second in October. Harold Arlen composed Love And Learn in February - March and the seven songs from " A Star Is Born" in April- June 1954.

[jclarencelove3rd]

I'm reading a book about Harold Arlen right now, called "Happy with the Blues," with which I'm discovering the enormously talented Mr Arlen. I really appreciate these clips of his music; it's always a privilege to explore the original sources of material. As always, thank you; the first order of love is gratitude...