JULY-OCTOBER  2000

.....photos courtesy of Austin Hill.....

Just found your site. I'm a huge Mercer fan. I'll be back when I have more time!

Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the CD or album entitled ' Johnny Mercer sings Johnny Mercer and Friends'. I would be most grateful for any help. 

I appreciate all the time and effort you all put forth in preserving Johnny Mercers legacy. I have enjoyed his music most of my life and have been enriched by it. please keep the candle burning. THANKS DALE HARDIE

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Hi .. I really like the song Moon River.. That's a great song Does anyone know where I can find a piano Scores for it Thanks

Thanks for the kind words on Monica Mancini's new CD, 'The Dreams of Johnny Mercer'. I've never been as proud of a project as I am of this one. My personal fav has to be The Weekend of a Private Secretary (it took the most nerve to cover) and When October Goes for its depth. Ac-cent-tchu-ate was the biggest challenge. It took nearly a week for Monica to record all of the parts! Best regards to fellow Mercer fanatics... gregg field

Location: Vienna, Austria
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2000 at 04:08:05
Comments:

Hooray and hallelujah! Great Website for my research. Lots of important information. I enjoyed very much.

I am enjoying my visit on your site!! There's so much to look at. I hope you'll visit my site when you get the chance. I am a singer/songwriter from the upstate NY area!! Heather Richards

Greetings Johnny Mercer San Antonio resident piano player writing you. I love Scott Joplin Piano Rags again made popular in 1974 in the movie; The Sting. The piano rag The Entertainer sold over a 2 million copies of the music. When Scott Joplin was alive he played Maple Leaf Rag which in his time sold over a million copies of sheet music. Furthermore, I did an investigation of rags; found out they are used extensively in spaghetti westerns. Then later, was introduced to the country piano player from Nashville, Floyd Cramer. I bought the identical transcriptions of Floyd Cramer's style of of country piano. He is a genius too. Now I have put together both Floyd Cramer Country Piano & Scott Joplin famous rags plus all the rags in the movie The Sting; & rags from the 1940's ragtime revival & some of his mature rags. Mr. Johnny Mercer, I hope you can see the marketability of this type of piano playing entertainment. I have a history of entertaining folks at San Francisco Steak House in San Antonio; & Turtle Creek Country Club. If you will email sir; sponsor me, or back me up with your name; after you hear a quality recording that I am working up; & a repertoire sheet? I am submitting the Rags by Scott Joplin to a local talent agency.

Location: Canajoharie, NY 13317
Date: Monday, October 23, 2000 at 23:13:42
Comments:

We did Little Abner as a High School show. I loved "The Country's in the Very Best of Hands" and "Progress is the Root of all evil." I loved the use of singing in the rain for Kubrick's Clock Work Orange. What did you think? You obviously let them use it. Sincerely Yours, Daniel J Whalen " Is there anyway we could get a script of the show." ---Katie Mabie

Name: monique adriaansen
Email:
Location: antwerp, belgium
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2000 at 18:19:08
Comments:

GREAT - REALLY APPRECIATE A WEBSITE WITH LOT'S OF FREE LYRICS - WISH THERE WHERE MORE OF YOU PEOPLE AROUND WHO ARE THAT WILLING TO SHARE. GUESS THIS SITE IS ALMOST COMPLETE, THOUGH I'M MISSING LYRICS TO "TEMPORARILY" AND "THE PLEASURE OF YOUR COMPANY". ANYWAY, CONGRATS. ON SUCH A MAJOR JOB. KIND REGARDS, MONIQUE

We love the song "Moon River".

What a nice site! I came here out of curiosity as I have recently inherited some sheet music including "You've got something there" from Varsity Show 1937 and "Too Marvellous for Words" from Ready Willing and Able. Looks like there are fans who might appreciate these pieces more than I do. Write if you are interested in purchasing them Sandy

Name:GV
Email:wekaremore@yahoo.com
Location: Cleveland, Oh USA
Date: Thursday, October 5, 2000 at 01:17:47
Comments:

Nice tribute to a talented man. I enjoyed the site. God Bless.

Great site! Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer music still brings tears to my eyes.

I am 41 years old and only really very recently discovered Johnny Mercer. I heard him on a radio station and i thought, oh my gosh, this guy has a wonderful voice..  It sounded like velvet to me. Ever since then, i wanted to know more about this talented man and what he looked like. Now, as I look at his webpage, I really wished that I had the chance to meet this wonderful man.... oh well, I still will listen to his music and to his glorious voice.... Colleen

Great Stuff! I had the pleasure of playing bass trombone with the USAFE Dance Band "Ambassadors" in Germany, in the fifties when the late Gary Crosby recorded one of JM's songs "ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD) for AFN RADIO at Wiesbaden, Germany. Enjoyed reading this Website! JM wrote a lot of great tunes didn't he?

Thanks for having this wonderful web site. Nothing beats Johnny.

Very Very nice

Truly America's poet laureate. His music gave so much pleasure to so many at a time when it was needed desperately. I've always been glad my time on earth coincided with his.

Name: Ciucci Antonio
Email:ciuccig@sinectis.com.ar
Location: La Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina
Date: Monday, September 11, 2000 at 22:15:46
Comments:

Soy un admirador argentino de Jhonny Mercer. Y deciaria obtener informacin de todos los temas que compuso y cualquier dato interesante sobre su vida.- Gracias.-

 

Hiya--

I am an Argentine admirer of Johnny Mercer.  And I would like to obtain

information on all the music that he composed and other interesting

information about his life.

Thank you.

What an amazing and wonderful resource this web site is! It's heartening to see the legacy of one of our greatest lyricists preserved with such care and devotion. Webmaster Steve Taksler has shown enormous generosity in documenting his extensive collection and encyclopedic knowledge this way. His generosity extends to having personally helped me and other singers by sharing sheet music that would otherwise be almost impossible to find. Steve, all your work is cause for much gratitude. Thank you!

Have loved Johnny Mercer's music for 50 years, but have never realized how many of our "favorites" were JM tunes, like Autumn Leaves, Laura, That Old Black Magic etc etc. We are visiting Savannah this week and Johnny's music will make that visit even more exciting. Anna Gayle and Jere McClure

Buttons and Bows was a song my sister and I sang as little girls. We were trying to remember the lyrics. Thanks for helping out. You guys are wonderful

I interviewed Johnny for the Savannah Morning News shortly before his death. Although I have interviewed many politicians, scientists, industrialists, and high-ranking military personnel in those years since, I still stand of awe on Johnny Mercer, his talent and his down-home way.

A great site for one of the truly great lyricist.

I was in Savannah again this past May and went to see "The Lady of 1000 songs" - Emma Kelly, again, and she told me that Johnny Mercer had helped her greatly in her career. She knows I love the songs by Johnny (I grew up with them - I am a 74 year chronologically gifted great grandmother) and I never get bored with that wonderful music! Please keep the web site going! Joy

I am a great fan of the great Johnny Mercer. I suppose for me as for many others I was introduced to his songs by recordings he made of his and other people's material. I think that as a singer Johnny Mercer has been under-rated. However after hearing recordings of him singing "Bob White" and "Blues in the Night" I was drawn to check out his work and i am grateful for his legacy. Surely one of the wittiest and clever song writers ever. Many thanks

just to say that I have been a Mercerphile for a long time. Heard 'Spring, spring, spring' and wondered who had written such brilliant lyrics! Also I'm a Darin fan. Two of a Kind' possibly the best duo collection ever recorded inclding Mercer - Crosby. Also I believe Summer Wind to be the most perfectly structured popular song ever, and Frank Sinatra oozes perfection on his rendering...

Every composer and every lyric writer should have an archive as wonderful as the Johnny Mercer Archive. The devotion and expertise is quite extraordinary; Steve Taksler has been more helpful to me than I can say, providing information and sheet music that I could have got from no-one else. I am so grateful and most impressed. Richard Rodney Bennett

one of my favorite songs by far is "midnight sun", as sung by nancy wilson ... so ethereal.

Just a great writer singer

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Name: Ashley
Email:aweuve86@yahoo.com
Location: Cedar Rapids, IA United States
Date: Monday, August 28, 2000 at 19:37:26
Comments:

hey wuuuuuuzzzzzzzzzz up????????????

I am most interested in Ginger, Johnny's wife. We were distantly related. Are any photos of the two of them together here? Or of them with their children?

I'm a piano player, and I got to meet Johnny and spend a pleasant evening in a club here in Nashville, playing his music, and having him sit on the piano bench with me and sing. It was a real highlight of my musical life. He was, and is, a national treasure. Thanks for the web site.

Name: D.B

We lost an American Treasure when we lost Johnny Mercer. Please let's not loose the treasure of his music. Thanks for making this Guestbook possible

Wonderful and very comprehensive site. Johnny Mercer was certainly one of the most prolific and important songwriters of the 20th century and it's great to be able to find all this info in one convenient place. I'll certainly be revisiting often.

This website is a splendid treasure.

Name: Bobby Taylor
Email:dutchreagan@hotmail.com
Location: Commerce, Tx USA
Date: Thursday, August 10, 2000 at 14:51:20
Comments:

It will never get any better than , Mercer and Sinatra!!!

How sweet, and how satisfying, to see so much web space devoted to Johnny Mercer. I can only add my congratulations -- and the suggestion that a commentary be solicited from Barbara Lea, surely one of today's finest, and often underrated, Mercer interpreters. At present I am in the final stages of a critical biography of Hoagy Carmichael. I'll welcome substantiated, documented information about any aspects of the Carmichael-Mercer collaboration not generally known. For example, any details of the proposed screen biography of Mabel Normand which was to have starred Betty Hutton, and for which "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" was written. As we know, the film was never produced, and the song had to wait a few years for Bing, Jane Wyman, and *Here Comes the Groom.* Any further information floating around? Best wishes, rms ==============

So nice to find a website devoted to such a wonderful man who brought so much pleasure into this world. He will live forever!!!

Great site - will take more time out to view it properly later. I prefer the so-called "non-singers" (Johnny Mercer, Fred Astaire etc.) to Sinatra & Co. any day (tho' I rate Mel Torme) - their timing and their feeling...

Steven Taksler has been an invaluable support while I've been creating my new tribute to Mercer. Thanks for all of your insight, input and information. I couldn't have done it without you!

I would like a collected works songbook, so my granddaughter could play my favorites on the piano. If you know where I could get one please write me. thanks.

Name: Richard Bame
Email:robame@att.net
Location: Anaheim hills, CA USA
Date: Monday, July 31, 2000 at 13:15:23
Comments:

I think Johnny wrote a song called "L'il Augie" can anyone confirm this and tell me where I can find the lyrics to "L'il Augie (he was natural man)"

I'm doing research for a class that I'm teaching. "Singin in the Rain" will be in St. Louis at the "Muny in a couple of weeks.

Name: Lynda
Email: kal67@tesco.net
Location: St Andrews, Fife Scotland, UK
Date: Tuesday, July 25,2000 at 08:37:00
Comments:

While looking on the Internet for the lyrics to the song Goody Goody I found this web site. Steve rapidly sent me the lyrics by email. However, when he found the lyrics were for an old lady with dementia of my acquaintance who loved the song and repeatedly sang it he put together a wonderful gift and sent it to her. Not only did he record some of the song's numerous releases on cassette tape, he also sent the music sheet and many copies of various artists who recorded the song (which I put into a file) and a CD of Johnny Mercer songs. I took the gift to the lady at a day centre she attends. When the tape was played not only did 'my' lady sit and sing the song over and over again, another lady joined in she remembered the song too. The tone for the day was set, even the staff and volunteers were walking around singing Goody Goody! Everyone went through the file seeing who they remembered. Every one enjoyed listening to the tape. One man sat tapping his foot and hands along with it and another old lady was obviously put into the singing mood and after the tape was turned off she started singing old songs that she remembered, it turned into quite a sing song with everyone singing. Steve - I really don't know how to thank you for your kindness and can only hope that the knowledge that you not only gave an old lady a wonderful gift that she will treasure rewards you over and over again - you also brightened up the day for more than one person. Many Thanks.

Name: William walker
Email: william.walker@nbn.net
Location: Meyerstown, Pa USA
Date: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 at 09:17:57
Comments:

excellent-a very pleasant find.. terrific and very complete Thank you, Bill

Name: Dorsey H. Rowe,Jr.
Email: drowe@en.com
Location: Lakewood, Ohio U.S.A.
Date: Monday, July 24, 2000 at 11:27:11
Comments:

I would like to know what songs Johnny not only wrote, but also the songs that he sang.

Name: Morgan Cavett
Email: morgan@qnet.com
Location: Pinon Hills, Ca USA
Date: Friday, July 14, 2000 at 01:30:08
Comments:

Dear Friends: 

Please allow me to share some thoughts on Mr. Mercer.
First of all I'm glad to see a website in honor of one of, if not, the
greatest songwriters of the 20th century.

My father, Frank Cavett, was a long-time and dear friend of Johnny and
Ginger.

They first met in New York City in the early thirties - later
their careers in the entertainment business brought Johnny,
Ginger, my mother and dad to Hollywood. The house where I
grew up, above the Sunset Strip, was about three blocks from
Johnny's home on Delongpre.

In the mid sixties I wrote some songs and had a few recorded. At that time
Johnny took me under his wing, even though I was a long haired rock and
roller, and hired me to work for his publishing company: Commander
Publications.

I worked for him for seven years and continued two years after his death. I
wrote songs, produced artists and supervised the running of two recording
studios.

Johnny always wanted to stay active in the "current" music business
regardless of trends or changes in style. And he was the most generous human being in
helping and guiding young talent I have ever seen as well as helping
friends who had come on hard times - my father included.

I will always love and miss him and I will never forget the
time I spent in the presence of pure and understated genius.

Sincerely,

Morgan Cavett

I'm a disc jockey at a small-town station here in Northeastern PA. It never ceases to amaze me how many great songs were written by Johnny Mercer. Seems we can't go 10 minutes without playing one of his songs! Just discovered this site today...can't wait to learn more about Mercer.

Art Zimmerman suggested I dial you up. Mercer's one of the most unsung of all musical heroes. Beautiful job, Steve!

Name: BROOKE LONG
Email:STRINGSA@ WEB TV.NET .COM
Location: KITTS HILL , OHIO U .S
Date: Thursday, July 6, 2000 at 00:21:33
Comments:

HELLO HAVE A BALL

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what a pleasure to find a great site dedicated to my all time favourite songwriter Johnny Mercer. I've been a fan ever since I saw Johnny do a B.B.C. TV show of a concert he did in England in the 1970,s. I'm too young to remember his prime time, but I don't think we will see his like again. thank you again..... Roy Clarke

a beautiful website

midi of GOODY GOODY courtesy of David Jenkins