Ruth Etting "BODY AND SOUL" (1930)

"Body and Soul"
Music by Johnny Green
Lyrics by Robert Sour and Frank Eyton
Vocal by Ruth Etting
Recorded September 29, 1930 , New York

Ruth Etting was born Nov. 23, 1897 in David City, Nebraska. She attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts; originally intended to be a fashion designer; At 17 she got a job in a Chicago night club working on costumes. Debut in chorus of revue at the Marigold Gardens Theatre, Chicago, 1925. She sang on early radio eventually winning title of "Chicago's Sweetheart." New York stage debut in the 1927 edition of Ziegfeld Follies (New Amsterdam), August 16, 1927. Appeared in the same theatre, December 4, 1928, in "Whoopee" with Eddie Cantor. Several other reviews including the "Ziegfeld Follies of 1931." Debut in London in "Transatlantic Rhythm" at the Adelphi, October 1, 1934. Made several films, the best-remembered being "Roman Scandals", 1933. Composed several popular songs, "Wistful and Blue" and "When You're With Somebody Else' and "Maybe, Who Knows," being among them. Doris Day played the role of Etting in the 1955 movie "Love Me or Leave Me." James Cagney co-starred.

Of the top 1000 all-time jazz songs this tune is ranked No. 1 by JazzStandards.com. "Body and Soul" was written in 1930 by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton and Johnny Green. Libby Holman introduced it in the revue Three's a Crowd and was a soundtrack theme in the 1947 film named for the song. "Body and Soul" became a jazz standard, with hundreds of versions performed and recorded by dozens of artists.

In this performance, Ruth sings the verse which is rarely heard in contemporary versions of this song.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Ruth
• Etting
• Body
• and
• Soul
• 1930
• vocal
• 78rpm
• torch
• singer
• jazz
• ballad
• Edward
• Heyman
• Robert
• Sour
• Frank
• Eyton
• Johnny
• Green

[waynebrasler]

The Joni James version is on youtube but be prepared. Joni approached every song as if it had never been sung before. Especially songs which were famous from stage productions or made famous by torch singers got stripped away naked and were sung with total naive sincerity, no trace of sophistication or world-weariness. So it's like hearing the song for the first time. Johnny Green adored her recording of it for those very reasons, but to most ears hearing it the first time it's strange.

[bsgs98]

@waynebrasler I can't find it available on YouTube, but I see it has been reissued on CD. Sadly mp3 downloads of Joni's "Body and Soul" can't be purchased in the US due to copyright restrictions. I checked at Amazon and ITunes... same deal.

[waynebrasler]

Ruth Etting loved this song! So did Billie Holiday. Interestingly, the lyrics in the United States and the lyrics in Great Britain differ. When the song was being written Johnny Green left the lyric sheet in a cab while in Great Britain. So he reconstituted the song from memory and got it almost right, just a few things wrong in the bridge. The British lyrics can be heard in the magnificent Joni James recording done at Abbey Road in London in January of 1959.

[bsgs98]

@waynebrasler The first US recordings came out in Sept 1930 and the the lyrics from the recorded versions by Helen Morgan, Annette Hanshaw and were nearly the same as this one by Etting. Libby Holman who introduced it in the Broadway musical "Three's a Crowd" recorded it for Brunswick in Oct. 1930. Her lyrics were substantially different and reflect later versions. I guess the publishers thought that the US public was not ready for "I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul."

[bsgs98]

@waynebrasler I haven't heard the Joni James version. It's not on YouTube. Is it available on LP or CD?

[scotnick59]

Very nice: but i really prefer Martha Raye's version which is not yet on youtube

[waynebrasler]

Did you know that "I Cover the Waterfront" originally was the countermelody to "Body and Soul." It's true. In the 1950s on his afternoon T.V. show Bob Crosby discussed it and performed the songs together (I believe with the Modernaires) and it is an intriguing combination. Likewise the song "Soft Summer Breeze" is basically "I Don't Know Why (But I Do)" inverted. Libby would have been a much greater and more remembered star had she not been so personally troubled, a tragic shame.

[aadjuijn]

@wabashcannon I`m a great fan of Annette Hanshaw and (sorry to you)...Ruth Etting also! Annette is more natural and no nonsense. Ruth is more dramatic and more a showgirl, if that is what your meant I agree. But to say that Ruth can`t sing?? Grtz, Aad

[grmey78]

She is a very good singer very clean and clear , At lest you can understand her. More then I can say about many of the modern singers. Only to go back in time machine and take modern recording equipment.

[1400deadwood]

beautiful song - great singer - and, as you can see, she was also very glamourous