Artie Shaw's Stardust

[stbasil]

One of my parents' favorite records was a 78 of Artie Shaw and his band playing "Stardust". I also love this instrumental rendition, and it's readily available mono "remastered" all over the web and streaming services. But, I would love to hear a modern recording of it that isn't so "strangled" by the limitations of the 1940's recording equipment which are not much improved by remastering. Any suggestions of a modern version?

This is one area where it seems to me that AI (with which I have zero experience) would be able to create a copy by "listening" to the original instruments and exactly reproducing a copy, mimicing the instruments, but in full fidelity, and even stereo. I know this might be heretical to some, but not being a purist, I would enjoy listening to such a recording!

[William]

I too grew up listening to that type of music for the same reason you just mentioned. To this day, is love the music of that generation and the "Great American Song Book", which is part of that generation.

Bill

[electra225]

I have this record. Maybe not the best version ever, but I was familiar with it. Johnny Hodges saxophone with the Lawrence Welk orchestra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVdQJCjkJvo

I have this record. Billy Vaughn's version actually has a trumpet lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYky-d8H1Fw

My favorite version of this song. Here performed by the incomparable Willie Nelson. "Stardust" may arguably be the best album he ever recorded and sold like hot cakes. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc6NKCrje04

You may be familiar with this video. Allegedly a remastered version of "Stardust" by Artie Shaw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjZKKgqWKeU

Nat King Cole's version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjU6ZjrQulc

I have an extensive collection of Glenn Miller. I have noticed the same as you. It was not recorded in stereo, probably direct to disc, and simply sounds "old". It would be nice if someone remastered his material in stereo, and added some percussion (top end) and bass (bottom end). His music was designed to be played on a windup, accoustic phonograph and an AM radio.

Allison Young's version. Who? Never heard of her until this evening. I love hunting for music. This young lady is a gem....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58WR9uHGXnM

The Glenn Miller version....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlxnWG24ohE

I'm not intending to be obnoxious here, posting all these versions of Stardust. I enjoy researching who recorded certain songs.
Billy Ward's "doo wop" version...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHRtrpW7FUo

You may have trouble finding a late (1960's up) orchestra that recorded this song in stereo. The latest one I found was that Lawrence Welk/Johnny Hodges I posted, and it was 1960. I found a Ray Conniff version from 1956. Here is a Ray Anthony version, dated 1951, on an LP. As far as the latest version I own, that would be the Willie Nelson one I posted, from the 1980's. I hope you have enjoyed some of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUreY_2wsmA

[TC Chris]

I always cite "Stardust" as an example of music that lasts. Wikipedia says:

"'Stardust' is a 1927 song composed by Hoagy Carmichael, with lyrics later added by Mitchell Parish. It has been recorded as an instrumental or vocal track over 1,500 times. "

One measure of excellence is the number of covers after the original performance. Very little of today's music will be remembered in 100 years or performed by others. Of course, the same could probably be said for other compositions in 1927. Take Taylor Swift, to hear whom people were paying more than my red truck is worth. I'd much rather have the red truck.

By contrast, musicians find continued interest in "Stardust," as do listeners like me.

An NPR news program recently had an interview with an English musician named Twigs. She talked about how her latest album was about her failed loves and grief and all that. I have heard news reports about Ms. Swift releasing a similar album recently. It seems to me that while the best music may be inspired by the composer's life, it is not directly about it. To be of continuing interest it has it have some universality about it. And then there's the money issue. Some of our greatest popular music--the Gershwins and Irving Berlin come first to mind--was written for commercial purposes, to make money. Driving back from the movie last night I heard a west coast jazz band (Marty Paich) playing a Gershwin standard. It endures. It's universal, abstracted from the particulars of the creators' lives. Good stuff. And Hoagy Carnichael is in the same category of people who gave us these gifts of music.



Chris Campbell

P.S. I can't figure out how to delete the underlining.

[electra225]

Immediately above the white box where you type your post, you will see an orange box with an underlined "U" in it, the third orange box from the left. Could you have hit that font accidentally when you posted? I looked at your post on my "edit" prompt and saw no underlining.

[TC Chris]

I tried to underline "inspired by" and "about" in the first sentence. But it got carried away.

Chris

[walyfd]

Very hard song to sing. A lot of artists consider it 'rangey" as it swoops all around. Despite that, it's one of the most recorded songs.

I have a 2-record set best of but "Stardust" isn't on it.

I was shocked when ME-TV reran "Laramie" and there was Hoagy Carmichael manning the stage depot.

[stbasil]

Thanks Electra225 for all the links! Vaughn's version is what I've been looking for, and that album is available to me on Prime Music, perfect! The app runs in the background, so I can listen while writing this.

Chris, look for the HTML command "(open bracket) u (close bracket)" in your text (not preview). If that shows up, anything after it will be underlined until "(open bracket) /u (close bracket)" occurs. If the HTML never sees the "/u" it just keeps underlining.

[William]

Thanks for the underline tip, stbasil, I wondered how to get rid of that when it has happened to me.

Bill

[TC Chris]

I'll look more carefully next time, but what was frustrating was the both initial and terminal commands seemed to be present. Then I couldn't make any of them go away by editing. But then, if I depended on computer skills to make a living, I'd be in bankruptcy court. At work I can do online court filings, state and federal (the latter, slowly as I climb the learning curve again) and access Social Security records. I can navigate computer research systems and change the postage rate on the postage meter. When things go awry, I look around for younger colleagues to help. And since everybody is younger than I am now, that's not hard.

It is important to keep learning new things, and especially to avoid being the old fart who despises the current age. It's just easier to be a "delayed adopter."

Chris Campbell

[stbasil]

I've only heard mono versions until I ran across this version. I only found it on Amazon music, it's stereo and great fidelity, sounds fantastic on my SK111and my earbuds! I wonder where it originated, certainly not a 1940's record! Maybe a movie track when early stereo was introduced in theaters?

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B011532 ... 1738029167

[stbasil]

Well, mystery solved, for me at least. That cover of "Sing, Sing, Sing" is from the sound track of the 1993 movie, "Swing Kids."

Obviously intended to be a copy of Goodman's version, well done, and in hifi stereo!

https://youtu.be/TOPSETBUgvQ?feature=shared