Billie Holiday - Lover Man (restored vinyl LP The Billie Holiday Story)
“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.” - Desmond Tutu
From the vinyl LP The Billie Holiday Story.
I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I long to try something I never had
Never had no kissing
Oh, what I've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
The night is cold and I'm so alone
I'd give my soul just to call you my own
Got a moon above me
But no one to love me
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a kissing
Oh, what we've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems
Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a kissing
Oh, what we've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: James O. Davis / Jimmy Sherman / Roger J. Ramirez
Lover Man lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
“Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)” (often called simply “Lover Man”) was written by Jimmy Davis, James Sherman and her old pal Roger (“Ram”) Ramirez from their teenage years appearing at The Apollo Theater in Harlem together.
In her 1956 autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, Billie Holiday recounts that “Jimmy [Davis] was in the Army when he wrote ’Lover Man’ and brought it straight to me.” Unfortunately, before she could record the song, Davis was shipped back to Europe and Holiday never saw him again. While the singer does not mention Jimmy Sherman she does lament “Ram Ramirez gets all of the credit for ‘Lover Man,’ but that’s only part of the story.”
The song is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her 1944 version reached #5 on the R&B chart and #16 on pop in 1945, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1989.
Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), known professionally as Billie Holiday, was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She was known for her vocal delivery and improvisational skills.
After a turbulent childhood, Holiday began singing in nightclubs in Harlem, where she was heard by producer John Hammond, who liked her voice. She signed a recording contract with Brunswick in 1935. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Holiday had mainstream success on labels such as Columbia and Decca. By the late 1940s, however, she was beset with legal troubles and drug abuse. Because of personal struggles and an altered voice, her final recordings were met with mixed reaction but were mild commercial successes. Her final album, Lady in Satin, was released in 1958. Holiday died of cirrhosis on July 17, 1959, at age 44.
Five Fascinating Facts About Billie Holiday
• Billie Holiday once worked in a brothel.
• Billie Holiday auditioned to be a dancer and ended up a singer.
• Billie Holiday was an early reality star.
• U2's "Angel of Harlem" is a tribute to Billie Holiday.
• Billie Holiday is responsible for the song of the century.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/62880/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-billie-holiday
I do not own the copyright to the music, the recording and the photos. (Image art was appropriated from the original album.) This video is posted for educational use under Section 17 U.S. Code § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.
Hope you enjoy.
INXDS. #jazzsinger #vinylrecord #quoteoftheday #ballad /
All posts are rendered in old school using restored vinyl LPs. This channel does not use recordings from CDs. As much as possible, I attempted to remove most of the pops and crackles from the original vinyl album. Some remastering was applied to make the performance cut through within the confines of the loudness wars.
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