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“Sinatra enjoyed
a succession of several dozen hits
with the Dorsey band, his first
being the ballad ‘Polka Dots and
Moonbeams’...”
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- JW
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The
1939 recording of “All
or Nothing at All” is sometimes
credited as
Frank Sinatra’s first hit, but
in actuality it didn’t make the
charts until its re-release four
years later in 1943. Harry James
had hired
Frank Sinatra after hearing
him on a New York radio station,
and they recorded the song shortly
before Sinatra left to join Tommy
Dorsey and His Orchestra in 1940.
Sinatra enjoyed a succession of
several dozen hits with the Dorsey
band, his first being the ballad
“Polka Dots and Moonbeams” which
hovered at eighteenth place on the
charts for one week. In 1942 Sinatra
struck out on his own, appearing
that year on the charts with “Night
and Day.”
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In the late 1930’s and throughout
the 1940’s Johnny Burke and Jimmy
Van Heusen wrote mostly for
Bing Crosby, and Crosby’s films
and were so successful that they
became know as the Gold Dust Twins.
Not all their compositions were
written for films. “Polka Dots and
Moonbeams” and “Imagination”
(1939) were both written for the
Tommy Dorsey band, and neither had
any screen affiliation.
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While there is no doubt that “Polka Dots and
Moonbeams” has an appealing melody, it is a wonder
that the song is so often performed with lyrics
as corny as they are. William Zinsser in
Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters
and Their Songs describes the words as “…too
cute for any but the strongest stomach…” He may
have been referring to lyrics such as:
I saw polka dots and moonbeams
sparkled on a pug-nosed dream
and
…in a cottage, built of lilacs
and laughter I know the meaning, of the words:
“ever after.”
The literal meaning of the lyrics, however, may
be somewhat irrelevant to a vocalist. In
Singing Jazz: The Singers and Their Styles,
by Bruce Crowther and Mike Pinfold, vocal artist
Stacey Kent is quoted as saying,
If I love the feel or the
melody of a song, it might not matter what the
lyric is. Of course, the lyric matters! But
I almost feel that I can make any lyric work…I
can sing “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” earnestly
and honestly, without even bothering to think
that I myself might not ask a pug-nosed dream,
dressed in polka dots, to dance.
-JW
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Musical analysis of
“Polka Dots and Moonbeams”
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| Original
Key |
F major;
false key change to A major in the bridge |
| Form |
A1 – A2 –
B – A2 |
| Tonality |
Primarily
major |
| Movement |
It moves
primarily step-wise, ascending and descending,
with occasional leaps and skips; melodic
contour is very wave-like. |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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This is not one of Van Heusen’s more sophisticated
pieces; however, because of its relative
simplicity, jazz performers have been able
to use substitutions and extended harmonies.
The harmonic sequence in the first half
of “A” and the entirety of “B” is based
on I – vi – ii7 – V7 – I (“Blue
Moon,” “Heart
And Soul”). Contemporary players have
substituted iii for I in mm. 3-4 of “A”.
In the second half of “A,” the ii7 proceeds
to III7 as a dominant, leading to vi. Today,
a vii˚7 is usually inserted before the III7
(Dm7b5 - G7 in the original key). On its
way back to the tonic, Van Heusen used a
rather tasteful and unusual sequence. Instead
of simply going vi – ii7 – V7 – I (which
works, but is bland sounding), the progression
ascends by step so that vi is followed by
bVII9 (a substitution for V7 and a “common-tone
modulation,” since the 9th of this chord
corresponds to the root tone of the tonic
key). Modulation into the new key of section
“B”–a major third higher than the tonic
(from F major to A major in the original)--is
accomplished via a seventh chord a half
step lower than I (vii7 functioning as V7
of the new key). Returning to the tonic
key for the final “A” is easily accomplished
through the cycle of fifths.
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K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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“Polka Dots and Moonbeams”
was included in these films:
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986,
as part of a medley by Dick Hyman)
- The Sensible Thing (1996)
Interestingly, “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” was
almost included in the 23-song soundtrack of the
Oscar-nominated, 1995 documentary
A Great Day in Harlem. First-time producer
Jean Bach found that one song could cost 20 percent
of her film’s $500,000 budget. In the International
Herald Tribune she is quoted as saying, “The
publisher wanted $100,000 for Lester Young playing
‘Polka Dots And Moonbeams,’ so we dropped that one.”
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Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
Sarah Vaughan
Swingin’ Easy
1992, Polygram 514072
Original recording, 1957, Emarcy
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| The incomparable vocalist delivers
a lovely rendition of the song within an
intimate trio setting. |
Cassandra Wilson
Blue Skies
1988, Polygram 834419
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| Thirty years after Sarah Vaughan’s
version, Cassandra Wilson gives the song
a refreshing take. Wilson and trio allow
themselves to explore while respecting the
past. |
Wes Montgomery
The Incredible Jazz Guitar of …
2003, Riverside
Original recording, 1960
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| Hard bop guitarist Montgomery set
the standard for not only the song but also
the style of a generation of jazz guitarists
that would follow. His lyrical version is
West Coast laid-back. Note: The sound quality
of the original CD release was not even
as good as the LP. Be sure and get the audio
CD referred to here. |
Oscar Peterson
Romance: The Vocal Stylings of Oscar Peterson
Phantom
Original recording, 1956, Verve
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| If you’re feeling flush and can
spring for an import, you won’t be sorry
about this one. With the backing of Herb
Ellis and Ray Brown, Peterson sings and
plays a dozen standards, including “But
Not for Me” and “Spring Is Here.” Purportedly
he was told to give up singing because he
sounded too much like Nat “King” Cole. This
is his only vocal album. |
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Gil Evans, the masterful arranger for Miles Davis,
rose to prominence arranging for band leader/pianist
Claude Thornhill, and his 1947 arrangement of “Polka
Dots and Moonbeams” illustrates why his talents
appealed to Miles.
This was also a favorite number of tenor sax
giant Lester Young. He recorded it several times,
first in 1949 with pianist Hank Jones, bassist Ray
Brown, and drummer Buddy Rich. In an interesting
reunion with former boss Count Basie, he recorded
a live version at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival.
Two interesting sessions from May 7, 1957, feature
trumpeter Donald Byrd playing “Polka Dots and Moonbeams.”
The first is a quartet session led by Byrd; the
second is led by pianist Elmo Hope and has John
Coltrane on tenor saxophone.
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
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| This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” may be found in:
1 paragraph including the following types of information: music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
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