Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer set a standard for writing
lyrics for popular songs that will never
be equalled. His output was enormous
He was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1909
and moved to New York in 1928. He became a
writer for the stage in 1930 with his first
score for the "Garrick Gaieties of 1930" and was then vocalist
with the Paul Whiteman band. His acting-singing background made him a natural in movie
musicals of the time such as "Old man Rhythm" and "To Beat The Band". In radio he was a winner with
Benny Goodman, then with Bob Crosby and then his own shows including "Johnny Mercer's Music Shop" in the mid
forties. It was at this time he co-founded Capitol Records in Hollywood. And always there were the songs - "Lazybones",
"I'm An Old Cowhand", "Goody Goody", "Hooray For Hollywood", "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby", "Fools Rush In",
"Blues In The Night". "Tangerine", "That Old Black Magic", "Laura".
By the 60s Mercer concentrated on movie music such as "Moon River", "Charade", and "Days of Wine and Roses".
By 1946 Johnny Mercer had been a vocalist for eight years. The previous year had been his most successful
giving him two number one hits - "Candy" with The Pied Pipers and Jo Stafford on Capitol, and "On
The Atchison, Topeka, and The Santa Fe" on Capitol. The year 1946 began with Johnny Mercer producing his
third number one hit in a row for his own label "Personality" (from the Crosby-Hope film "Road To Utopia") on.
In 1946 he returned to the hit parade with "My Sugar Is So
Refined" and "Ugly Chile (You're Some Pretty Doll)" which both charted on. By the end of the year Mercer had a
huge two sided hit with movie tunes. "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Disney's "Song of the South" and "A Gal In Calico" from
"The Time, The Place, And The Girl" both were top ten hits. During the winter "Winter
Wonderland" got into the top five.
In 1947, he started out with another top ten hit record for Capitol called "Huggin' And
A-Chalkin'". In 1949 a duet with Margaret Whiting with "Baby, It's Cold Outside" from the film "Neptunes Daughter"
was a huge national hit on. A recording made of "Glow Worm" with new lyrics by Mercer, was his last chart appearance.
He left a great treasure trove of music and lyrics that will live on forever, and his vocalising was a great
addition to his life's work. He also made a difference in the recording industry by his part in the formation of a
record company, Capitol Records which has been a major player in the presentation of the music of our time
from Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, and Beach Boys. All segments of music in this country owe a debt of
gratitude to Johnny Mercer.
Harold Arlen
was born in New York on February 15, 1905.
In his late teens he organized The Southbound Shufflers, and the trio found its way to New York City. In Manhattan,
Arlen found a home as a singer, pianist and arranger with dance bands.
He continued to work on Broadway writing songs for musicals, Earl Carroll Vanities, Americana, George White’s Music Hall
Varieties, and The Show is On. He also wrote entire scores for the Broadway shows You Said It, Cotton Club Parade, Life
Begins at 8:40, Hooray For What, Bloomer Girl, St. Louis Woman, House of Flowers, Jamaica, Saratoga and Free and Easy
Arlen collaborated with lyricists, including E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, Leo Robin, Ira Gershwin,
Dorothy Fields and Truman Capote.
Arlen was also active in Hollywood producing some of the greatest film musicals of the era including The Wizard of Oz,
Let’s Fall In Love, Blues In the Night, Star Spangled Rhythm, Cabin In the Sky, Up in Arms, Kismet, My Blue Heaven,
Gay Purr-ee, Down Among the Sheltering Palms and A Star if Born.
The Harold Arlen catalogue boasts the individual standards “Sweet and Hot”, (lyric by JackYellen), “Between the
Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”, (lyric by Ted Koehler), “I Got A Right To Sing the Blues”,(lyric by Ted Koehler),
"Stormy Weather", (with Ted Koehler), “Ill Wind", (with Ted Koehler), "Fun to Be Fooled", with (Ira Gershwin and E.Y.
Harburg), "Last Night When We Were Young", (with E.Y. Harburg), "Blues in the Night", (lyric by Johnny Mercer), "That
Old Black Magic", (with Johnny Mercer), "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe", (with E.Y. Harburg), "My Shining Hour",
(with Johnny Mercer), "One For My Baby", (with. Johnny Mercer) "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive", (with Johnny Mercer),
"Out Of This World", (with Johnny Mercer), "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home", (lyric by Johnny Mercer), "I Wonder What
Became of Me", (with Johnny Mercer), "Come Rain or Come Shine", (with Johnny Mercer), and "The Man That Got Away",
(with Ira Gershwin).
With a catalog of some of the greatest standards from Tin Pan Alley, the standout continues to be the unforgettable
score for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The film score includes a collection of songs, most notably the celebrated
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow".
THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC
Words & music by:-
Johnny Mercer & Harold Arlen
That old black magic has me in it's spell,
That old black magic that you weave so well.
Those icy fingers up and down my spine,
That same old witchcraft when your eyes meet mine.
The same old tingle that I feel inside,
And then that elevator starts it's ride,
And down and down I go,
Round and round I go,
Like a leaf that's caught in the tide.
I should stay away,
But what can I do?
I hear your name and I'm aflame,
Aflame with such a burning desire
That only your kiss can put out the fire.
For you're the lover I have waited for,
The mate that fate had me created for.
And every time your lips meet mine, darling,
Down and down I go, round and round I go,
In a spin, loving the spin I'm in,
Under that old black magic called love.