Category Archives: Cover Songs & Stories

Steven Maglio Singing Sinatra

A late starter, Steven Maglio‘s professional career began in his Forties as lead vocalist for Joe Battaglia’s New York Big Band, playing numerous dates at New York City’s “Tavern On The Green” and “Rainbow Room.” Steven is not an impersonator, but rather a singer who recreates the classic repertoire of Frank Sinatra in his own voice and style. I’ve been a fan for quite a few years, and enjoy hearing Steven perform live delivering a bit of the swagger of the Chairman of the Board coupled with the swingin’ sounds of the Great American Songbook. Obviously Sinatra is not only a legendary icon regarded as history’s greatest vocalist, but perhaps he also performed more covers during his career than any other artist — many of which became regarded as the definitive versions of those compositions. We’ve asked Steven to share his thoughts on these classic covers over the course of a few weekly columns called Frank Friday.

One last note, if you find yourself in NYC on a Saturday night, Steven has a standing gig at the Carnegie Club in midtown. One of the last smoky bastions to the decades of the past, the Carnegie Club features Steven with the Stan Rubin Orchestra performing actual charts used back in the heyday. Order a martini and swing-a-ding-ding…  And now, on to Steven’s latest guest post. — Michael K.

By Steven Maglio

Frank Sinatra held no ownership to the songs he had recorded with Capitol Records during the 1950s, so when he started Reprise Records in 1961, he re-recorded a lot of his old Capitol hits. Learnin’ The Blues was one of them. Originally recorded with a Nelson Riddle arrangement on March 23, 1955, and then again on October 2, 1962, with The Count Basie Orchestra and a new orchestration by Neal Hefti. The former being important to Sinatra’s  career because it was his only number one single during the 1950s, and the latter being of great historical significance because it was the first time Sinatra and Basie were recorded in studio together. “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” Please Be Kind,” and “I Won’t Dance,” were also recorded during that Basie session.

“Learnin’ The Blues” is one of those few songs with very sad lyrics, but an upbeat tempo. It’s not really a “blues” song, it’s more of a “swing/blues” song, with a touch of “saloon” and “torch” tossed in for good measure. It’s also dated in the fact that you don’t hear of anyone who lights cigarettes “one after another” anymore. That’s why we need to cover these type songs. They not only describe an emotion, they also describe the way that emotion was dealt with during a different time, and in a different society.

Recording this song was difficult because it’s hard to get the feeling of a long, lonely night when you’re in a room with 17 musicians at about 10:00 in the morning. But acting is part of singing, right?

I was lucky to have a fine group of horn players to sing with because, in this song, the horns also need to sing. It’s more than just air being blown through a hunk of metal to create a musical sound.  Even in a crowded nightclub, the horns make you feel as though “the tables are empty” and “the dance floor’s deserted.”

Sadly, this is the only known song written by Delores Vicki Silvers. I say sadly, not only because she was obviously a good writer, but because it’s sad that if she had only one song in her, it was such a heart-wrencher. The lyrics describe a very deeply hurt sole. We’ve all had at least one of these hurt-filled nights. I hope Delores felt no more than just one of them, and I hope the connection she made to so many other sufferers of love sickness, served to lift her heart, and make her smile through her tears.

Next week, we’ll talk about track five, “Nancy” (with the laughing face)

“I’ll Be Seeing You,” Steven

Be sure to follow Steven Maglio on Facebook and check out his website!  In case you missed it, you can check out part 4 of Steven’s “Frank Friday” series here.

Limelight mascot Olive. Tryptophan induced snooze. (photo credit: Michael Kauffman)

A Thanksgiving Note

With festivities, family, and feasting ahead, the crew at Limelight wants to take a moment to share a selection of covers that embody our feelings for you.  As fellow musicians and music fans, we are humbled and honored to be able to help and serve you through our Limelight (and MySpark) utilities.

We love to hear the music that you’re recording and encourage you to continue to share it with us through this blog you’re reading, our Facebook page, Twitter account, Google+ page, e-mail or any other way you’d like.

Enjoy your holiday weekend ahead.  Safe travels to those going on the road.

Add some extra gravy to your turkey; eat an extra piece of homemade pie; take that well-deserved long nap.

But then pick up the guitar, the mic, the drumsticks, the horn… plug back in, hit that first note, and let it flow.  Because although we’re super thankful for your business and support, more meaningfully, we’re thankful for your music and creativity.

Keep playing.

yours,

Michael K.

Our Top Ten Cover Songs For Turkey Day:

Led Zeppelin – Thank You (Chris Cornell Cover)


Dido – Thank You (Marion Meadows Cover)

ABBA – Thank You For The Music (Metalium Cover)

Sly and the Family Stone – Thank You (Gladys Knight and the Pips Cover)


Sister Sledge – We Are Family (The Chipmunks & The Chipettes Cover)

Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger – Thanks for the Memory (Bob Hope and Shirley Ross Cover)

Isaac Hayes, David Porter – I Thank You (ZZ Top Cover)

Louie Armstrong – What a Wonderful World (Willie Nelson Cover)

Led Zeppelin – Thank You (Tori Amos Cover)

Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger – Thanks for the Memory (The Platters Cover)

Steven Maglio Singing Sinatra

A late starter, Steven Maglio‘s professional career began in his Forties as lead vocalist for Joe Battaglia’s New York Big Band, playing numerous dates at New York City’s “Tavern On The Green” and “Rainbow Room.” Steven is not an impersonator, but rather a singer who recreates the classic repertoire of Frank Sinatra in his own voice and style. I’ve been a fan for quite a few years, and enjoy hearing Steven perform live delivering a bit of the swagger of the Chairman of the Board coupled with the swingin’ sounds of the Great American Songbook. Obviously Sinatra is not only a legendary icon regarded as history’s greatest vocalist, but perhaps he also performed more covers during his career than any other artist — many of which became regarded as the definitive versions of those compositions. We’ve asked Steven to share his thoughts on these classic covers over the course of a few weekly columns called Frank Friday.

One last note, if you find yourself in NYC on a Saturday night, Steven has a standing gig at the Carnegie Club in midtown. One of the last smoky bastions to the decades of the past, the Carnegie Club features Steven with the Stan Rubin Orchestra performing actual charts used back in the heyday. Order a martini and swing-a-ding-ding…  And now, on to Steven’s latest guest post. — Michael K.

By Steven Maglio

Frank Sinatra recorded this song twice on the same day. That’s right, the same day.  Written by Don Costa & Phil Zeller, Sinatra recorded it twice on April 8, 1964 in Los Angeles. The first version was solely with a Nelson Riddle arrangement. The second version was also with Riddle’s arrangement, but in a way that would make it possible for a guitar part, arranged by Don Costa, to be added at a later time. The first version was released in 1964 on an album titled, “Softly, As I Leave You.” The guitar part was recorded and added to the second version on March 14, 1968, and released as a single.

This song is very deep in it’s simplicity, and I think that’s were it’s appeal lies. There are no tricky musical changes or long, intricate rhymes, but the deep emotion of loss is expressed, and felt. The smoothness of the solo violin makes the melody as delicate and vulnerable as the broken heart of the singer.

My reason for adding this number to “Songs For Sinatra Lovers,” is also simple. This was one of my father’s favorite Sinatra songs.  My dad was the kind of guy who, if he liked a song, would put the 45 rpm disc on the victrola and leave the arm off to the side so that the record would continue to play over and over. Or, when you could play a song in a juke box for ten cents, he’d put in a dollar and play the same song ten times. Since the original recordings of “I Can’t Believe I’m Losing You” were on the Reprise label, and reprise, in Sinatra’s own words, means “to play and play again,” my dad and Frank were thinking along the same lines.

When I sat down with the producers to discuss how “Songs For Sinatra Lovers” would be formatted, the most important question they asked was, “What emotional mood do you want this CD to create for the listener?” My first thought was, “I don’t care what emotional mood is created, as long as after the last song is heard, the listener will be in the mood to hear the whole CD over again.”  With that thought in mind, came the memory of how my dad reprised “I Can’t Believe I’m Losing You” over and over.

My father passed away in 2001, so he never heard me sing professionally. And Frank Sinatra, Don Costa, Phil Zeller and Nelson Riddle have never heard me sing either. But I’d like to think my version of this song would have made them all proud.

Next week, we’ll talk about track four, “Learnin’ The Blues.”
“I’ll Be Seeing You,”

Steven

Be sure to follow Steven Maglio on Facebook and check out his website!  Also, in case you missed it, you can read Steven’s first, second, and third guest posts in the “Frank Friday” series.



Steven Maglio Singing Sinatra

A late starter, Steven Maglio‘s professional career began in his Forties as lead vocalist for Joe Battaglia’s New York Big Band, playing numerous dates at New York City’s “Tavern On The Green” and “Rainbow Room.” Steven is not an impersonator, but rather a singer who recreates the classic repertoire of Frank Sinatra in his own personal voice and style. I’ve been a fan for quite a few years, and enjoy hearing Steven perform live delivering a bit of the swagger of the Chairman of the Board coupled with the swingin’ sounds of the Great American Songbook. Obviously Sinatra is not only a legendary icon regarded as history’s greatest vocalist, but perhaps he also performed more covers during his career than any other artist — many of which became regarded as the definitive versions of those compositions. We’ve asked Steven to share his thoughts on these classic covers over the course of a few weekly columns called Frank Friday.

One last note, if you find yourself in NYC on a Saturday night, Steven has a standing gig at the Carnegie Club in midtown. One of the last smoky bastions to the decades of the past, the Carnegie Club features Steven with the Stan Rubin Orchestra performing actual charts used back in the heyday. Order a martini and swing-a-ding-ding… And now, here’s Steven’s third installment. — Michael K.

By Steven Maglio

Technically, the title is “(Love Is) The Tender Trap,” but nobody ever refers to it that way.  Maybe because it was the title song of a movie, for which it earned an Academy Award nomination, and the movie was called, “The Tender Trap.” Written by Sammy Cahn & Jimmy Van Heusen, and arranged by Nelson Riddle, the song was first recorded by Frank Sinatra on September 13, 1955. Sinatra recorded it again on October 3, 1962 with The Count Basie Orchestra and an arrangement by Neal Hefti.

Someone told me this was the first song Cahn & Van Heusen wrote together, but I haven’t  been able to find any proof of that. Sinatra recorded four songs they wrote for the television production of “Our Town” a month earlier, but because those songs were recorded first, doesn’t mean they were written first. It remains a mystery.

I find Sammy Cahn’s lyrics often contain a subliminal message, and that message is usually of a sexual nature. For example, in the song, “Love And Marriage,” there’s the line, “You can’t have one, you can’t have none, you can’t have one without the other.” A few years ago, I was doing a show for a church group, so I was very conscious not say or sing anything that might offend the congregation, and that was the first time I realized that when the lyric says, “You can’t have none,” it meant, “No Sex.” With that in mind, it’s not too difficult to figure out what Mr. Cahn was referring to with the expression, “Tender Trap.” I would guess that’s the reason for adding “Love Is” to the song title.  The censors where a lot tougher in 1955 than they are today.

I like the comedic quality of the lyric, the swing in the tune, and it’s a fun song to dedicate to a groom during the wedding reception. It’s a timeless song. As long as people are falling in love, it applies.

I think, or at least I would like to believe, that if Sinatra had made a “Duets III ” CD, this song would have been included. You can use your own imagination as to whom he might have sung it with.

In 2008, I got a call from the production company of a movie called, “My Best Friend’s Girl.” It starred Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Jason Biggs and Alec Baldwin. They were filming a wedding scene and wanted Frank Sinatra singing this song in the background. I was told, “We contacted the Sinatra people about using his original recording, but they want too much money, and since you probably work a lot cheaper than Frank does, we want to use your version instead.”  As flattered as I was that they felt my version was good enough, it was even more flattering that very few people realized the difference.  My own sister-in-law watched the movie on HBO and didn’t know it was me until she read the closing credits. To all those who were fooled, I send a very heartfelt and humble, Thank You.

Next week, we’ll talk about track three, “I Can’t Believe I’m Losing You”.
“I’ll Be Seeing You,”

Steven

Be sure to follow Steven Maglio on Facebook and check out his website!  Also, you can read Steven’s first and second guest posts in the “Frank Friday” series.