AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra

Artist:Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra f/Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell
Song:Tangerine
Album:Contrasts




Sax player Jimmy Dorsey was the older brother of trombonist Tommy Dorsey. They had success together in the 30s. But they were famous for squabbling and so they inevitably split up. Both had individual success in the 40s. Tangerine was probably Jimmy's biggest hit. He performed it in the 1942 film The Fleet's In. He was born Feb. 29, 1904 in Shenandoah, PA. Dad was a music teacher. Jimmy and Tommy worked together in the 30s as The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. On May 30, 1935, they got into an argument over the tempo of a song and Tommy walked out in the middle of the show. Tommy started his own band and The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra became Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra. It was while the brothers were squabbling that Benny Goodman became The King Of Swing. Jimmy's band could play jazz and they usually did live and sometimes on record. But the signature sound of Jimmy Dorsey is with the two singers. Bob Eberly was already a member of the Dorsey Brothers band when Tommy left. He stayed with Jimmy. Kay Weber was the girl singer. But she was replaced by Helen O'Connell in 1939. And Tangerine was typical of the hits Dorsey scored featuring the two singers. Eberly would sing a ballad version of the song followed by the band and in the case of Tangerine a Dorsey sax solo. Then Helen would sing an uptempo version of the song. This was all in the confines of a three minute 78rpm recording. It was a very successful formula. Tangerine was probably Dorsey's biggest hit because the band performed it in the 1942 film The Fleet's In. Tangerine was written by the film's director Victor Schertzinger and Johnny Mercer. Schertzinger died of a heart attack before the film's release. Today Tangerine is considered to be a jazz standard. You can get it on this comp. Of course big bands faded after WWII. And Jimmy Dorsey was no different. He ended the band in the early 50s and he joined Tommy's band in 1953. After appearing on The Jackie Gleason Show, they hosted the CBS series Stage Show from 1954-56. That show was notable as the network TV debut of Elvis Presley. After Tommy died in 1956, Jimmy took over the band until he died of cancer on June 12, 1957 at age 53. Here's Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra featuring Bob Eberly and Helen O'Connell performing Tangerine in the 1942 film The Fleet's In.