Nature Boy

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Nature Boy is a pop song by Eden Ahbez released in 1948. Artist Nat King Cole landed a number one hit in the United States. The ballad also became the jazz standard .

Structure and structure of the song

The title of the song is based on an imaginative story by Robert Bootzin ("Gypsy Boots"), a friend of Ahbez. The story is about a boy who travels far only to find out in the end that “to love and be loved” is the “greatest gift”.

The rhapsodic melody is in the ABAB song form . The input design acts with its octave up and the following broken E minor chord to bottom in the combination with the chromatic moody tone sequence of the clocks 5 to 7. Only in the interlude does the waltz beat become clear. The composition is probably based on the Yiddish song Shvayg, mayn Harts (1935) by Hermann Yablokoff (1903–1981), which later led to legal disputes with the rights holders, which, however, ended in an out-of-court settlement.

First recording

Ahbez wanted to present the song Cole when he performed with his trio in Los Angeles . But he did not take the manuscript himself, as he avoided amateurs who offered him their songs. Ahbez gave notes and text to a usher on a crumpled piece of paper; Cole watched the song a few days later and saw its potential. Cole was looking for a song to satisfy the pro-Jewish sentiment heightened in the United States after World War II . So he tried the song in his concert programs, where it was very successful and Irving Berlin advised to buy the song. Cole wanted to record the song, but the lyrics with their natural mysticism were initially too "subtle" for the record company Capitol Records , so that they refrained from a release.

In an arrangement by Frank De Vol , Cole recorded Nature Boy on August 22, 1947. On the waves of slightly arabesque strings, flutes and horns, he sang the song in a rubato . The recording date was only a few days before the second recording ban came into effect. Due to the recording boycott, the recording appeared as a B-side because the record company had no other new recordings of Cole with strings. The song (according to Gunther Schuller )

“[…] Became an overnight million seller hit. Despite its astonishing commercial success, the performance is also an artistic success in its field and a credit to all participants, not least of all Cole, who sang with an unforgettable poignancy and warmth. "

“[…] Sold millions of copies overnight. Despite its astonishing commercial success, the performance is also artistically successful in its context and does credit to everyone involved, not least Cole, who sang with unforgettable urgency and warmth. "

Impact history

For eighteen weeks in 1948, Cole's version topped the American charts. Frank Sinatra sang the song as early as the spring of 1948 , but was unable to record a large orchestral version , hampered by the recording ban . Like Sarah Vaughan and Dick Haymes , he was also able to successfully place his version in the American charts:

  • Frank Sinatra (1948, # 7)
  • Sarah Vaughan (1948, # 9)
  • Dick Haymes (1948, # 11)

The song dominated American popular music in 1948. Half a year after the first publication by Cole, it was said in the press that the sentimental melody and the text, which tells of the miracles of love between two people, have “such a melancholy effect” that “three women and four men have already become Suicide ”.

Development to the jazz standard

Svend Asmussen already recorded the song as an instrumental in 1948, and Django Reinhardt the following year with Stéphane Grappelli . Numerous jazz vocalists subsequently interpreted the song, such as Ella Fitzgerald , Monica Zetterlund , Greetje Kauffeld , Abbey Lincoln , Karrin Allyson , Johnny Hartman , Kurt Elling or the Singers Unlimited . A 1955 recording by Miles Davis for Debut Records on the initiative of Charles Mingus marked “the breakthrough in modern jazz ” ( Hans-Jürgen Schaal ). This was followed by recordings by Teddy Charles with his tentet and other vibraphonists , especially by Milt Jackson and Terry Gibbs . On his transition to free jazz in 1965, John Coltrane recorded the song three times, each time introducing the theme rubato. “The wild-energetic improvisation part, on the other hand, has rhythmic drive ”, with drummer Elvin Jones playing in 10/8 time. Other saxophonists such as Zoot Sims , Art Pepper , Ike Quebec (in a duo with Milt Hinton ), Barney Wilen or Flip Phillips have presented conventional versions in comparison.

Use as film music

Nature Boy was the main subject of The Boy with Green Hair from 1948. He has also been featured in films such as Untamed Heart from 1993 and Moulin Rouge! used.

Wrestling

The song inspired wrestling promoter Jack Pfefer to give wrestler Buddy Rogers the nickname Nature Boy . Ric Flair , Stan Lane and Buddy Landel later followed as other wrestlers with this nickname.

Cover versions

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Jack Gottlieb: Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish . 2004, p. 78. In part, it is also a quote from the opening passage of the second movement ( Dumka ) of the Piano Quintet in A major, op. 81 by Antonín Dvořák .
  2. a b song with deadly effects . In: Der Spiegel . No. 36 , 1948 ( online ).
  3. ^ Raymond Knapp: The American Musical and the Performance of Personal Identity . 2009, p. 104
  4. ^ Marianne Ruuth: Nat King Cole: Singer and Jazz Pianist . 1992, p. 98 f. and Nature Boy: Composer of top hit tune in US is a bearded mystic from Brooklyn . In: Life , May 10, 1948, pp. 131 f.
  5. ^ Marianne Ruuth: Nat King Cole: Singer and Jazz Pianist . 1992, p. 99
  6. ^ Marianne Ruuth: Nat King Cole: Singer and Jazz Pianist . 1992, p. 102
  7. Lost April was on the A-side.
  8. Will Friedwald: Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art . 1997, p. 166
  9. ^ Gunther Schuller: The Swing Era. The Development of Jazz 1930-1945. Oxford University Press, New York 1989, ISBN 0-19-507140-9
  10. ^ Joel Whitburn: Top Pop Records 1940–1955 ., Menomonee Falls WI 1973, p. 14; There the total length of stay in the Po Record Researchp charts is given as 15 weeks. On the R&B charts, Cole's recording reached number 2 on the jockey charts and number 3 on the best seller charts. Joel Whitburn: Top 40 R&B and Hip-Hop Hits. 1942-2004 . Billboard Books, New York 2006, p. 113
  11. H.-J. Schaal Jazz-Standards , p. 348
  12. youtube.com