From the Back Room: Early Bob Manning

Big-voiced baritone Bob Manning became popular during his tenure with Capitol records in the 1950s, which has been covered here, here and here. But Manning (1926-97) made records and transcriptions before then, many of which have been assembled for this "From the Back Room" post.

These Back Room specials are projects that I put off for one reason or another, and which are now seeing the light of day, perhaps without the torrent of commentary that I usually produce.

In brief, Bob sang just as well at the beginning of his career with Ziggy Elman than he did later on. Today's post is the evidence, including all the materials I have been able to locate pre-Capitol - 13 songs in all.

With Ziggy Elman

The Ziggy Elman band: Bob Manning at left,
then Virginia Maxey and Ziggy with trumpet

As far as I can tell, Manning made only one commercial recording with Ziggy: the song "Ivy" that Hoagy Carmichael wrote for the 1947 film of the same name. It's an excellent performance, although the recording isn't very good.

Bob was on board for three ballads that Elman recorded for transcriptions, all first-class: "Maybe You'll Be There," "So Would I" and "To Me." These also date from about 1947.

"Maybe You'll Be There" (Rube Bloom-Sammy Gallop) was a hit for Gordon Jenkins with a Charles LaVere vocal. Parenthetically, LaVere is a "Back Room" candidate - I have 30-some recordings of him as pianist and vocalist.

"So Would I" is a fine Burke-Van Heusen song that was recorded by many artists back then but has fallen into something like obscurity.

Songs for the Click Label

Bob hailed from Philadelphia, and made three records for the small, local Click label in 1948. The first was a cover of "When You Were Sweet Sixteen," a turn-of-the-century ballad that Perry Como had revived. Nicely done, but only Como could pull off this sentimental stuff.

"The Miracle of the Bells" was the title tune of a 1948 film that featured Frank Sinatra as a priest ministering to coal miners. Frank managed to avoid the title song; instead he was tasked with a Polish dirge called "Ever Homeward."

Bob was backed by the Johnny Dee orchestra on "The Miracle of the Bells" and its flip side, "Strangest Feeling."

With Buddy Williams

Buddy Williams

Manning next recorded with the Philadelphia bandleader Buddy Williams, along with "His Golden Echo Music," whatever that term may signify.

Their first effort, for the Rainbow label, was "Margot," titled for the main character in the film noir Where Danger Lives, with Bob Mitchum as a psychiatrist (so the cast list tells us) entangled with a femme-fatale patient. The song is a gloss on "Laura," but none the worse for that. A very good record.

Next, another film song for Buddy and Bob: "Sea of the Moon," written by Freed and Warren for the Esther Williams flick Pagan Love Song.

"Sea of the Moon" was backed up by "Listen to the Band." The vocal here is credited to Manning, but it's actually by a vocal group.

With Art Mooney

Art Mooney

Manning also recorded three sides with Art Mooney's band in 1950. I posted these many years ago, but am including them to round out the set.

The first number is Hank Penny's country novelty "Wham Bam Thank You, Ma'am," which is a lot less salacious than the title signifies.

"There'll Never Be Another You" is not the Harry Warren song with a similar title but a song by Carl Bergner dating from the 1920s, and nicely revived by Bob, the Four Clovers and Mooney.

Finally, "To Think You've Chosen Me" is a good Bennie Benjamin-George David Weiss song that many artists recorded in 1950, including Manning with the Skylarks and Mooney.

Bob's next records were for Capitol.

LINK

Dancing with Zig

In our last post, we had a dancing couple on the cover, but the music inside was a no-way-danceable symphony. This time out, the dancing couple on the cover does indeed signify music you can dance to, should you have the inclination.

And who better to dance with than the clarion trumpeter Ziggy Elman and a variety of studio bands in these M-G-M recordings. Ziggy, of course, was once a member of the powerful Benny Goodman brass section, along with Chris Griffin and Harry James. Post war, he set out on his own, but did not have consistent success as a bandleader, although he did have a recording contract with M-G-M for several years.

This LP brings together singles from 1947 through 1952. Although the dates and personnel vary, the music is all very well played. The fare consists mainly of standards, and it's hard to imagine why the record company thought such items as "Me and My Shadow" (which practically usurps an Ellington arrangement) would achieve commercial success. The best number is certainly the title tune, a Basiesque swinger.

Still and all, this is a highly enjoyable outing from a fine musician, and the sound is good.

Detail from 1951 Billboard ad

Ziggy Elman

What is it about the disembodied heads of musicians on LP covers that makes me want to feature them here? First we had Ralph Marterie. And now we present Ziggy Elman's giant noggin along with a drawing of a trumpet player who looks more like Harry James than Elman.

This is the latest post in my series featuring post-war dance bands. it includes sides that Ziggy cut for M-G-M from 1947-50, after he had made his name as a Goodman and Dorsey sideman. One source claims the 1947 items were recorded with members of the Dorsey orchestra; the later items with Elman's own band.

It doesn't make much difference - there is very little solo room on these recordings for anyone except the leader. The items are all very well played, and feature musicians who also show up on many records made on the west coast at that time and in later years. The arrangers include Larry Clinton (My Reverie), Sid Cooper and possibly Heinie Beau.

Note to the finicky: You will hear some residual background rustle and peak distortion on these recordings.