"Exquisite phrasing and a rich, sultry vox brand vocalist Monheit'south reading of 'More than Than You Know' a treat. "
- Ben Maycock
Mayo Methot introduced "More than Than You Know" in Great Day, a Broadway musical that opened at the Cosmopolitan Theatre on October 17, 1929, and ran for 36 performances.
Although the musical was a flop, iii of the Youmans/Eliscu/Rose songs were not. "More than You Know," "Bully Solar day," and "Without a Song," became hits within weeks of the prove's endmost. A recording of "Peachy Day," by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, was a number one striking for 2 weeks, and its flip side, "Without a Song," which was also to become a jazz standard, climbed the charts to the number six position.
"More than Than Y'all Know" was a number ix hit for Ruth Etting and enjoyed success with:
Ruth Etting (1930, #9)
Mildred Bailey (1937, #15)
Perry Como (1946, #19)
Martika (1989, #18)
Perry Como'due south rendition was the B-side to his number one hit "Give up."
Great Twenty-four hours was a meaning turning point in the life of Harold Arlen. Initially Arlen had earned a singing and acting role (Cokey Joe) in the product, but, when his part was cut, the show's accompanist and arranger Fletcher Henderson asked Arlen to help him with music for the pit orchestra. When Henderson savage ill, Arlen took over playing piano for the dancers. Between dance numbers Arlen began picking out a song which, with lyricist Ted Koehler, would become "Get Happy" (1929), thus launching one of the best popular songwriting careers of all fourth dimension.
Before long afterward the musical's closing, MGM purchased the rights for Peachy Day. Despite the bear witness having fizzled, the resulting recordings and sheet music sales had done quite well. Planned for release in 1930, and starring Joan Crawford, the film version of Great 24-hour interval was given the axe in the middle of pre-production. The exact reason for the shutdown is not clear, only it is rumored that Crawford turned in a bad performance because she was aroused with producer Irving Thalberg. Apparently Thalberg had given the pb role for The Divorcee (1930) to his wife, Norma Shearer, who went on to win that year'due south Oscar for Best Actress.
The British RKO film Smashing Day (1945) is not related to the Broadway musical.
In describing Youmans' "More than Than You Know," Alec Wilder, author of American Popular Song: The Great Innovators, 1900-1950, says, "It ranks among the best of the pop songs..." and that the verse is "about a song in itself ...clearly written with great care and affection." Like-minded with Wilder is BBC Radio2 presenter (likewise, producer, writer, jazz musician, and film critic) Russell Davies:
Not every verse in the Neat American Songbook is worth keeping - some of them are likewise far embedded in the plots of Broadway shows and the like. Others, almost as well grippingly written, threaten to have on an independent identity of their own. Listening to the poesy of "More Than Y'all Know," you lot could easily exist persuaded that this was a quite different song chosen "I'm Growing Fonder of You."
The prospect was not lost on Fats Waller, who in 1934 published "I'm Growing Fonder of You," recorded that yr by Kate Smith and past Ted Weems and His Orchestra featuring vocalist Fred Waldmar.
Regrettably, jazz vocalists and musicians oftentimes omit the poesy to "More than Than You Know." It tin, however, be heard by the following artists: Sarah Vaughan (How Long Has This Been Going On?), Ella Fitzgerald (Like Someone in Love), Rosemary Clooney (Girl Singer), and Stacey Kent (Close Your Eyes).
With regard to its harmonization, "More than Than Y'all Know" is more basic than many of the pop songs of the '30s, merely, according to Allen Forte in The American Pop Ballad of the Aureate Era, 1924-1950: A Written report in Musical Design, the harmony for that era is "very much up-to-date and comparable to Gershwin'due south of the same vintage."
More information on this tune...
Run into the Reading and Inquiry page for this tune for additional references.
- Jeremy Wilson
This section suggests definitive or otherwise significant recordings that volition help jazz students get acquainted with "More than Than You Know." These recordings accept been selected from the Jazz History and CD Recommendations sections.
Billie Holiday, in one of her inspired collaborations with pianist and bandleader Teddy Wilson, made a classic recording of "More than Yous Know" in 1939 (The Quintessential Billie Holiday, Vol.7: 1938-1939). Sonny Rollins, accompanied by Thelonious Monk and others, performed a brilliant instrumental version in 1954 (Moving Out) that stands out among mod instrumental renditions of the tune.
Noah Baerman - Jazz Pianist and Educator
Music and Lyrics Assay
Musical analysis of "More than Y'all Know"
Original Fundamental
Ab major; span temporarily changes cardinal to C small and Eb major
Course
A1 - A2 – B – A3
Tonality
Major, except for the kickoff four measures of section "B"
Movement
"A" is a three-notation ascending chromatic figure, followed by a pocket-sized tertiary skip upward. After a pentatonic descent, the sequence repeats. "B" descends step-wise an octave so repeats the sequence a modest third higher.
Comments (assumed background)
This is an excellent instance of a very simple and basic harmonic progression made to sound very circuitous by apply of a sophisticated, chromatic melodic line and several embellishing chords and substitutions. Stripped of these elements, "A" is I – IV – V7–I, while "B" is a elementary I – V7 – I in two unlike keys (the offset actually being a minor i – v – i). Because most of the important melodic tones do non fall on chord extensions or color tones, jazz artists have institute great opportunities to experiment with chord substitutions and extended harmonies.
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Two recordings from 1939 sparked a renewed interest in "More You Know" from a decade earlier. In an usual coincidence, both recordings have a musician in common, only playing a unlike instrument on each recording. The multi-instrumentalist was Benny Carter.
Carter, on alto saxophone, solos on Billie Holiday'due south version from January, 1939. 11 months afterward Carter would record his own arrangement of the tune, a feature for his marvelous trumpet playing. I of Carter's sidemen, the wry trombonist Vic Dickenson, opined "It's the greatest trumpet solo he made. Perchance it's the greatest trumpet solo ever. Absolutely cute." French jazz critic Hughes Panassie concurred, calling it "ane of the most beautiful, inventive trumpet solos ever waxed." Not bad for a musician whose main instrument was alto saxophone!
Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian
Additional information for "More than Than You Know" may be found in:
Thomas S. Hischak The Tin Pan Alley Song Encyclopedia Greenwood Press Hardcover: 552 pages
(1 paragraph including the following types of data: Broadway productions, film productions, history and performers.)
Robert Gottlieb, Robert Kimball Reading Lyrics Pantheon Hardcover: 736 pages
(Includes the following types of information: vocal lyrics.)
"More Than You Know" was included in these films:
Striking The Deck (1930)
Hit the Deck (1955, Tony Martin, The Grand-G-M Studio Orchestra)
The Helen Morgan Story (1958)
Funny Lady (1975, Barbra Streisand)
The Fabled Baker Boys (1989, Michelle Pfeiffer)
The Night We Never Met (1993, Dr. John)
And on stage:
Cracking Day! (1929, Mayo Methot)
Ziegfeld (1988, Haydn Gwynne) London
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Recommendations for This Melody
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Sonny Rollins Moving Out 1991, Original Jazz Classics 58 Original recording, 1954
Saxophonist Rollins' playing is bold and moody on this atmospheric rendition of the song. Thelonious Monk at the piano, Tommy Potter on bass, and Fine art Taylor behind the pulsate kit add to the heavy ambience.
Sarah Vaughan How Long Has This Been Going On? 1992 Pablo 821 Original recording 1978
This beautiful, tender performance features Vaughan in a duet with the great pianist Oscar Peterson.
Coleman Hawkins The Hawk Relaxes 2006 Prestige 8106 Original recording 1961
Hawkins always constitute common ground with younger, frontward-looking musicians, and he likewise had a very personal mode of interpreting ballads. Both of these things are in show on his performance here, accompanied by a rhythm department that includes such modernists as bassist Ron Carter and drummer Andrew Cyrille.
Bloom Dearie Blossom Dearie 1989, Polygram 837934 Original recording, 1956
Flower Dearie gives the vocals a rest and instead lets the pianoforte keys limited the melancholia of the song. Guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jo Jones round out the quartet.
Jane Monheit Never Never Land 2000 Silverline Records 284140 Original recording 2000
Exquisite phrasing and a rich, sultry vox make vocalist Monheit'due south reading of "More Than You Know" a treat. The immature singer is backed by a stellar grouping that includes guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Kenny Barron.
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