Okay, Then, Which Eyes Would You Like Me to Use?

It's February!!!

When I woke up this morning, it was five below zero. If it's anything like that where you are, it's a good day to stay inside and listen to some song-poems. After all, I'm sure nothing else is happening today. 

As (almost) always, I have fixed yet another month's worth of old posts, in this case, those from March, 2011. In that month, I presented a mover and groover from Sammy Marshall, a touching Vietnam related ode from Rodd Keith, a ridiculous very early Cinema label release from The Real Pros, and an offering from a personal favorite Norridge Mayhams as Norris the Troubadour.

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Ellen Wayne's name turns up on barely a dozen Tin Pan Alley releases, all from roughly 1962 to 1964, but every one of them that I've heard contains at least one keeper, and in many cases, something really special on at least one side (that link will take you to all of my Ellen Wayne postings, including this one). While today's 45 doesn't contain anything nearly as wonderful as "Don't Touch Me There" (not yet repaired), "Moaning and Groaning Blues" or "Go Not Yet, Oh Go Not Yet", it does feature one cute early '60's style pop song on each of its sides. 

First up, "Don't Look At Me With Those Eyes, Darlin'", a mouthful of a title, and a song with a curious opening and closing. AS/PMA would have it that this release dates solidly in 1963, and yet the opening/closing musical quote is clearly meant to put the listener (and perhaps the lyricist) in the mind of the early 1964 Al Hirt hit instrumental record "Java". There was a minor hit version of "Java" in 1963, by Floyd Cramer, so perhaps this is what this arrangement was based on, or maybe AS/PMA is wrong, and this was recorded just as Al Hirt's record was hitting it big. But there's no way that opening piano figure is a coincidence - it doesn't even really match the song in any way - it can only have been included as a musical message to the lyricist: "Hey, it even SOUNDS like a hit record". 

The song itself actually seems structured closer to "When the Saints Go Marching In" of all things. It's peppy and bouncy, with a minimalist backing, and is over in a brisk 118 seconds, even with the presence of a piano solo. 

Download: Ellen Wayne - Don't Look at Me With Those Eyes, Darlin'

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So let's flip the platter over. And here we find "Oh, Dear Daddy", and it's a supper-clubby jazzy sort of number with a story to tell, and Ellen tells it with a swing feel in her voice. The one thing I love about this side (which is one second longer than the flip) is everything that the pianist does during the last 10 seconds of the record, which I will not to describe here, aside from suggesting that you listen carefully in the last moment for the final, low bass note, which is out of tune. 

Download: Ellen Wayne - Oh, Dear Daddy!

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