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KEN BARNES
  Bing
with Ken at Heathrow
Dear Steve,
.... Those long-ago sessions in London were a positive joy to all of us who were
involved. To this day, Pete Moore thinks that he did some of his best-ever work on those dates. In April of '74, shortly after those sessions, I got married and Johnny came to the ceremony and bought the champagne. We remained good friends until his death two years later.
He was an extraordinary talent. Quietly proud of his work but never boastful. As a man, he was devoid of artifice. I remember when we were selecting songs for those sessions, he wanted to do mostly his unknown works - but the record company ( I think quite rightly ) wanted the Mercer classics. He shrugged and said " O.K. But it's a
shame. You see, I look at my songs like they were children. I just want to help the ones that haven't made it. "
He also wanted to record a lot of other writers' songs saying " I think I sing other peoples' songs better than I do my own. " But, again, the record company wanted to hear him do his own wonderful lyrics. He went along with it. A little reluctantly at first but eventually with great enthusiasm.
We talked about doing one of his lesser known songs "Baby, Don't Quit Now." I said I liked it but I criticised his use of the triple rhyme " Coral lips - Moral lips and later we can quarrel lips. " I pointed out to him that Lorenz Hart had used the same rhymes in "Lover." He nodded sadly and said " Yes, you're right. That must have been laying around in my subconscious. I wish I could have thought a little a little faster when I did that. Jimmy Rowles wrote the tune and I did two lyrics for it - one was called " Little Debutante " - which I liked better. But Jimmy chose " Baby, Don't Quit Now."
The next day, I picked Johnny up and we drove to the studio. He handed me a piece of paper with a few lines on it - and the title " Little
Ingenue."" What do you think of this ? " he asked. I looked at it and he added " Just think of the tune " Baby, Don't Quit Now. "I studied it and said " It's not long enough. "
" I know that," he snapped. " It's not finished. I'm not going to finish it, if you don't like it." I liked it, he finished it and it was recorded on the first of the two albums we did. But this later caused one hell of a
furor with the publishers who were at a loss as to how they could collect on a new lyric to a tune that was already copyrighted under a different title. Johnny simply shrugged and said " You figure it out. Do something for a change to earn your money,
f''Chrissake. "
One night in Los Angeles, my wife and went to dinner with Johnny and Ginger and Fred
Astaire. Johnny went into one of his well known depressions ( it only took a couple of drinks ) and dear old Fred got a little concerned. Johnny spotted this and said " What are you looking so gloomy about ? Let's all brighten up. I know a little club where there's a good piano player - and we can have some fun. "This made Fred even more concerned and he whispered to my wife that he'd like to go home and how could it be arranged so that Johnny wouldn't feel hurt. Well, we managed it and we dropped Fred off and were heading for that " little club " when Johnny fell asleep. Ginger gave the driver instructions to head for home.
Fred - bless him - phoned me the next morning to ask how the evening went and I told him that John had fallen asleep. " That's not at all like Johnny, " said Fred.
"He can usually swing till the cows come home. But old dad can't do that anymore. I need my
sleep"
What we didn't realise at that time was that this was the beginning of John's brain
tumour. We had noticed in London- as early as February '74 - that his equilibrium
was sometimes a little shaky and one time he wandered off and disappeared for almost 24 hours. We were all very concerned and Ginger was distraught. He finally turned up in a hospital and Ginger collected him.
In June of 76, when his death was announced in the media, my wife cried for hours and for several weeks afterwards she would have tears in her eyes whenever anyone mentioned his name. I think just about everybody who knew him felt that way. He was a very special man.
I seem to have rambled on quite a bit. But J.M. was one of my favourite people. I think your Mercer website is wonderful. Once again, thanks for your kind words.
Regards
Ken Barnes
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In 1973 Ken Barnes first met Johnny Mercer .Through the
last three years of Johnny Mercers life, they became both friends and business
associates. It was Ken's keen sense of importance that led to the production and
subsequent release of these two important Johnny Mercer Albums:
- Johnny Mercer. Singer-Songwriter. With the Pete Moore Orchestra.
Pye Records. #NSPL 18443. 14 Johnny Mercer Pieces. "That Old Black
Magic", "Tangerine", "The Whatcha-Ma-Call-It",
"The Midnight Sun", "I'm Old Fashioned", "Come Rain
Or Come Shine", "Not For Sale", "Too Marvelous For
Words", "Autumn Leaves", "Anyplace I Hang My Hat is
Home", "The Air-Minded Executive", "Pineapple
Pete", "I Thought About You", "One For My Baby".
- Johnny Mercer. My Huckleberry Friend. Johnny Mercer sings the Songs of
Johnny Mercer. With The Harry Roche Constellation. Pye Records. #NSPL
18432. "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "Little Ol'
Tune", "Moon River", "I Wanna Be In Love Again",
"The Days of Wine and Roses", "Talk to me, Baby",
"Show Me Your Linen, Miss Richardson", "Goody,Goody",
"Summer Wind", "Shooby Dooin'", "Little Ingenue",
"Something's Gotta Give", "Satin Doll", "It's Great
to Be Alive".
These were later reissued as one album:
- Johnny Mercer. The Johnny Mercer Songbook. Johnny Mercer with Peter
Moore and His Orchestra & Accompanied by the Harry Roche Constellation.
Horatio Nelson Records #SIV 104. 28 Johnny Mercer Pieces. "Too
Marvelous for Words", "Autumn Leaves, "Any Place In Hang My
Hat is Home", "The Air-Minded Executive", "Pineapple
Pete", "I Thought About You", "One for My Baby (and One
More for the Road)", "That Old Black Magic","Tangerine",
"The Whatcha-Ma-Call It", "Midnight Sun", I'm Old
Fashioned","Come Rain or Come Shine", "Not for
Sale", "Goody,Goody", "Summer Wind", "Shooby
Dooin", "Little Ingenue", "Somethings Gotta Give",
"Satin Doll", It's Great to Be Alive", "You Must Have
Been a Beautiful Baby", "Little Ol' Tune", "Moon
River", "I Wanna Be In Love Again", "The Days of Wine
and Roses", "Talk to be Baby", Show Your Linen, Miss
Richardson". [DRG (#5244) released this in 1996, less three tracks as a
CD "My Huckleberry Friend"]
The CD is widely available:
- Johnny Mercer. My Huckleberry Friend. 1996. DRG.(#5244) 25 Tracks
*** of his own songs accompanied by the Pete Moore orchestra and the Harry
Roche constellation, Recorded in London in 1974. Original recording by Pye
Records. The original two record set included three additional tracks:
"Not for Sale","Shooby Dooin'","Show Your Linen,
Miss Richardson". However this terrific CD has 25 tracks with over 80
minutes of music in just the one CD. The tracks are- "You Must Have
Been a Beautiful Baby", Little Ol' Tune", Moon River",
"I Wanna Be In Love Again", "The Days of Wine and
Roses", "Talk to me Baby", "Goody,Goody",
"Summer Wind", "Little Ingenue", "Something's Gotta
Give", "Satin Doll", "It's Great to Be Alive",
"That Old Black Magic", "Tangerine", ""The
Watcha-Ma-Call-It", "The Midnight Sun", "I'm Old
Fashioned", "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Too Marvelous
For Words", "Autumn Leaves", "Any Place I Hang My Hat is
Home", "The Air Minded Executive", "Pineapple
Pete", "I Thought About You", "One For My Baby".
In 1982, one of the most important Mercer albums was
compiled by producer Ken Barnes "The Johnny Mercer Audio Scrapbook"
(MAGIC #AWE5-Submarine Records)
- The Johnny Mercer Audio Scrapbook. Magic Records. Submarine
Records.AWE 5. "Blues in the Night", "Little Lost
Dream", "Slippin'Around the Corner","Shooby Dooin'",
"Accentuate the Positive", "Little Ol' Tune", "Spring,Spring,Spring",
"The Dance of Life", "I Wanna Be In Love Again",
---other artists-- Mercer Singing--- "Them There Eyes",
"Shake It, But Don't Break It", "Java Jive", "Love
is Just Around the Corner", "Gentle On My Mind", "A-
Huggin and A-Chalkin'".
an excerpt from his liner notes:
It was back in 1973 when I first met Johnny Mercer,
although through the expressive immediacy of his songs I felt I had known him
all my life. Being a long-term admirer not just of his songs but also of his
equally unique singing - and being an enterprising record producer - I persuaded
Johnny to make two albums with me. The result was one of the most enriching
experiences of my life. From that time on, I enjoyed a warm friendship of
both Johnny and his charming wife, Ginger.
Johnny died in 1976 from a brain tumour, but in the
three years that I knew him I discovered that he got just as much of a kick out
of singing songs as writing them. So much so that he would occasionally hire a
bunch of top musicians at his own expense, set up a recording date and then
simply sing for the fun of it. This happened several times over the years with
none of the results ever being commercially released - or even offered to record
companies. Most of the tracks in this collection are the fruits of Johnny's
eccentric behaviour.
When Johnny discovered how much I enjoyed his singing he
made me a present of the master tapes that make up this album. "Take them
with my blessing," he said, "If you think there's any commercial
mileage in them - be my guest, You'll be doing us both a favour"
in 1991 an enhanced CD version followed:
Johnny Mercer - Sings - Johnny Mercer and Friends CD Memoir #407.
"A Huggin' and a-Chalkin", "Blues in the Night", "Gentle on My
Mind", "Spring, Spring, Spring", "Little Lost Dream",
"Slippin' Around the Corner", "Shooby Doin'", "Pineapple
Pete", "The Air-Minded Executive", "Susie for Everybody",
"Wreck of the Old 97", "Shake It But Don't Break It", Accentuate the
Positive", "L'il Ol Tune", "Love is Just Around the Corner",
"The Dance of Life", "Them There Eyes", "The Pleasure of Your
Company", "Good Companions", "The Watcha-Ma-Call-It", "Java
Jive", I'll Tell the World", "St Louis Blues", "Anyplace I Hang
My Hat is Home"....Most tunes written by Mercer.
To find out more about record producer Ken Barnes, please consult the
following:
- The Crosby Years, by Ken Barnes (New York: St. Martins, 1980 )
(
London:Elm Tree Books,1980)
- SINATRA & THE GREAT SONG STYLISTS ( Ian Allen: 1972 )
- 20 YEARS OF POP ( Kenneth Mason: 1974 )
Unfortunately these books are all out of print, but an antiquarian
bookseller or public library may be able to get them for you.
Also try to get these three recordings produced by Ken Barnes:
- Bing Crosby. That's What Life is All About. United Artists
LP. #UA LA554 G. With the Pete Moore Orchestra. Special
Guest Johnny Mercer. Two Duets Bing and Johnny Mercer. "The Pleasure of
Your Company", "Good Companions". c.1976. Perhaps the last
Mercer recording before his passing on June 25, 1976.
- Bing Crosby. The Complete United Artists Sessions. CD. # 7243 8
59808 2 4. EMI UK
Sixty four songs and out-takes, of which 35 tracks were never previously
released on CD. Includes these Mercer tunes: "The Pleasure of
Your Company" and "Good Companions/And Points Byond" - both
as duets with Bing and Johnny. Also, "That's What Life Is All
About" -( written by Ken Barnes, Bing Crosby, Peter Dacre, Les Reed),
"Bon Vivant", "Spring,Spring,Spring" and "In the
Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening".
- Bing Crosby. Live at the London Palladium. LP Imperial House, 1977.
#MO 9270. Four sides with guests, Rosemary Clooney, Joe Bushkin
Quarter, Kathryn Crosby, Mary-Frances Crosby, Harry Crosby, Nathaniel Crosby,
Ted Rogers and the Pete Moore Orchestra. Both excellent vocals and patter with
Bing and his children. A "must get" LP!
An
excerpt from the Johnny Mercer Educational Archives Guest Book
Name: John
Didlock
Email: jdidlock@onetel.net.uk
Location: Spalding, Lincs PE12 6UR
Comments:
Back in the early 70's I knew Johnny Mercer briefly, sadly, it was about
the time when he started suffering from bad headaches and we know what
terrible things that led to! I was producing some big-band albums with
an outfit called The Harry Roche Constellation and my associate, Ken
Barnes, lent Johnny a couple of the albums. He loved them and agreed to
come to the studio and cut a couple of numbers with us. This led to his
making his two last albums, My Huckleberry Friend and another of which I
no longer have a copy. By this time, matters had been taken out of my
hands and that was the end of my association with one of the greatest
popular poets of the century - they just don't write them like that any
more.
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