Frank Loesser's Career in Tin Pan Alley & Hollywood, 1931-1947
Class Preparation
- Only a few pages of the recommended text (Broadway: The American Musical) pertain to this class session (pp. 122-124), but I suggest you read the Foreword and Introduction (and, of course, any other part of the early history of Broadway you find interesting).
- Handout of class slides
- Lyrics to Early Loesser Songs
Links to videos of songs discussed in class
- I have created three YouTube playlists of songs covered in this class. Click on the list name to go directly to the list. Sample as many as you want!
- Frank Loesser Songs Part 1 Songs with Loesser lyrics for other composers--all released initially in the 1930s: "I Wish I Were Twins, "Junk Man," "The Moon of Manakoora," "Heart and Soul," "Two Sleepy People," and "The Boys in the Backroom" (two different performances by Marlene Dietrich).
- Frank Loesser Songs Part 2 Songs for which Loesser wrote both music and lyrics, 1939-1947: "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," "Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?," and "I Wish I Didn't Love You So."
- Frank Loesser Songs Part 3 Songs with Loesser lyrics for other composers--all released initially in the 1940s: "I Hear Music" (recordings by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday), "Dolores," "I Don't Want to Walk Without You," "Jingle Jangle Jingle," and "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" (two versions: a Jimmy Dorsey recording and Bette Davis in a scene from a film).
Recommended Preparation for Classes 2 & 3
- The complete 1955 film of Guys and Dolls is available for free on YouTube: LINK
- If you haven't seen if for a while, it's worth the time.
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