I was watching a few Bye Bye Birdie songs today. For me, they never get old. One Last Kiss is really my favorite from that movie. Other singers have done it: I had a tape I made from an album by Bobby Rydell with all the songs and his One Last Kiss was pretty good, but then you gotta love just about anything Rydell sings. The man has always had style. You can also listen to Bobby Vee singing it on youtube. But no one does it quite the same as Jesse Pearson in the movie: “bay-ay-ay-ay-ay-ay-bee, just give me one last kiss.” An Amazon reviewer complains that on the soundtrack, although it does get sung all the way through, it’s totally different than in the movie.

There is scant information about Jesse online. Sadly, he is the only one in the Bye Bye Birdie cast who doesn’t have a wikipedia entry and I do hope someone who knew him corrects that omission someday. Doesn’t seem right. He really was the perfect Conrad in the film.

His IMDB entry doesn’t even say how tall he was but in the musical, he towered over 5′5″ Ann Margret, who only came up to his shoulder, and was at least a whole head taller than 5′8″ Bobby Rydell. In the gym rehearsal scene, he is taller than Dick Van Dyke, which you can see when Dick is standing next to Pearson at one point (when Mareen Stapleton comes over). Van Dyke was reportedly 6′1″”. But Jesse Pearson had boots with heels on, so it’s hard to say from that.

I did find this video on youtube with Jesse Pearson reciting Pushing the Clouds Away:

Pushing the Clouds Away
(Lyrics by Rod McKuen,
music by Anita Kerr, narrated by Jesse Pearson)

Clouds are not the cheeks of angels, you know
They’re only clouds.
Friendly sometimes, but you can never be sure.
If I had longer arms I’d push the clouds away
or I’d make them hang above the water
somewhere else,

But I’m just a man who needs and wants,
mostly things he’ll never have.
Looking for that thing thats hardest to find:
himself.

I’ve been going a long time now
along the way I’ve learned some things.
You have to make the good times yourself,
take the little times and make them big times,
and save the times that are all right
for the ones that aren’t so good.
I’ve never been able to push
the clouds away by myself.
Help me.
Please?

from The Sea: San Sebastian Strings (available on Amazon)

More info:
Rod McKuen’s Flight Plan 10 Oct 2002: More About Jesse Pearson
Jesse Pearson on IMDB

I remember my first acquaintance with reading Robert Burns’ poetry, young as I was. The first thing I found out was that unbeknownst to me, I was already acquainted with his works through music because everyone sang Auld Lang Syne every year. I also already knew the song, Coming Through the Rye, and I did like Scottish folk songs, like Loch Lomond (still do, but now I know a lot more). Reading his poetry was a little harder, but I persevered and came to understand and appreciate the dialect. I never heard anyone recite Burns’ poetry till I was older.

I imagine with today’s resources, it must be a lot easier for students to find an audio of any given Burns work. Youtube has a lot.

Here is one of many videos on youtube featuring The Banks O’ Doon. The link goes to the poem page with the first version of the poem, in which there was a time at least, when the false lover was true. Song lyrics below. So sad but so beautiful.

Ye banks and braes o’ bonnie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair;
How can ye chant, ye little birds,
And I sae weary, fu’ o’ care!
Thou’lt break my heart, thou warbling bird,
That wantons thro’ the flowering thorn:
Thou minds me o’ departed joys,
Departed–never to return!

Aft hae I rov’d by bonnie Doon,
To see the rose and woodbine twine;
And ilka bird sang o’ its luve,
And fondly sae did I o’ mine.
Wi’ lightsome heart I pu’d a rose,
Fu’ sweet upon its flowering tree;
But my fause luver stole my rose,
And, ah! he left the thorn wi’ me.

More Resources:
BBC - Burns’ Poetry - Text and Audio
Learning and Teaching Scotland - 5-14 Curriculum
Robert Burns National Heritage Park

Ever hear of Moondog, the blind poet and musician who chose to live homeless in New York City for about 20 years?

If you’d like to learn more about him, get Moondog, The Viking of 6th Avenue: The Authorized Biography, which comes with a CD that according to one reviewer is worth the price of the book in and of itself.

Or, take the short course at Moondog Madness.

This particular composition, “AlI Is Loneliness” was recorded by Big Brother and The Holding Company with Janis Joplin in 1967, leading to some real Moondog recordings, television appearances and getting some work writing music for TV and radio.

If you had to pick your FAVORITE Edith Piaf song, would it be hard? For me, it would. I love so many of her songs. But I have a way of deciding which one must be my favorite for any singer — if I put all their songs on a playlist, which one would I put first most of time (allowing, of course, for moodiness). Most of the time, with Piaf, I would undoubtedly begin with L’Accordeoniste. You’ll see why, If you watch the Sparrow’s flawless performance. This video has English subtitles so if you don’t know French, it’s all good.

La fille de joie est belle
Au coin de la rue là-bas
Elle a une clientèle
Qui lui remplit son bas
Quand son boulot s’achève
Elle s’en va à son tour
Chercher un peu de rêve
Dans un bal du faubourg
Son homme est un artiste
C’est un drôle de petit gars
Un accordéoniste
Qui sait jouer la java
more

Also, check out the La Vie En Rose page:

http://www.reelyredd.com/songs/lavie.htm

with several versions, including La Baker and Dietrich, in French and several, including Dino and Satchmo, in English.