For older guys

Although I only remember one of his hits "Seattle" , my parents loved him as well. I always did appreciate his silky smooth voice.
There was a lot of talent from that era that maybe we should investigate and discover the attraction for ourselves.

Amen, theo.

I've always liked "Magic Moments."  Sweet song, very nicely done.  An early gem in the careers of composers Burt Bacharach & Hal David.

Best regards,
-- Al
 

Another guy similar to Perry Como was Andy Williams, who made some music I really like. They both had songs by the best writers around at the time. Andy's "Can't Get Used To Loosing You" and "Moon River" (written by Henry Mancini, of course) are fantastic. Each also had his own variety TV show, watched by pretty much all families in the U.S.

I thought this thread was intended for old guys, not dead guys. Hel-loo!

😀

They called Perry "Mr. Relaxation". Here's the old SCTV gang having fun with that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj5A7W-0zPY

geoffkait, 
As you have proved hundreds of times, thinking is just not something you are any good at .

"I'm trying to think but nothing happens." - Curly

Best to know what is funny and what is not .

I promise to do penance. I’ll listen to Dean Martin and Perry Como for two hours. Honest injun.

It also took me a lot of years to appreciate Perry (and Dino).  On a recent (mostly country/cowboy) gig, out of nowhere the singer produced a medley of Hot Diggity Dog Diggity and That's Amore.  It was a lot of fun.  I also recall being at a rehearsal about 30 years ago and, during a down moment, running through an impromptu Catch A Falling Star with (God of hellfire) Arthur Brown on vocals.  What a great tune!

Minkwelder, that SCTV skit is an all-time favorite of mine.  Gene Levy is brilliant.

In the mid-70’s I was playing in a Jump Blues/Swing band, and the singer was quite a character. He had a pompadour (in the 70’s?!), wore suits casually, had a 78 collection, and smoked reefer. You know, a "cat". He proposed we do Sinatra’s "That’s Life", and though I had my doubts, it was great. The lingering hippies in the Bay Area looked at us like we were from Mars.

A window back in time to connect with the passed and their passions
i cry like a baby when Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra is played over what remains of my Dad's Hi-fi
good advice when shopping the used record bins - reach out for new stuff that others loved....

When I hit 50 I could start to appreciate Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. I still listen to death metal and electronica. To each his own.

my father loved Perry...

Yet again we discover that 'artistry' isn't limited nor constrained to the present, although 'classical' music from the past is generally worshiped...

Como, Crosby, Martin, et all...they were the 'top of the pops' in their era.  My parents loved them, and they can still be appreciated in that context.

I always liked the Andrews sisters and their style, which later I admired again as a fan of the Roches.  And what's old can be new, yet again...*S*

It's not my 'daily fare', either....but I can listen and appreciate the more 'popular' selections of the era, putting myself into the context of 'when'.

When men fought and died in foreign lands, listening to that...what they danced to, made love with, worked to, played to....

Later, they came home and put their lives together and created us.

We have no right to sneer.  But we can stop, think, and try to appreciate.
And really, it's hard to do Astaire 'moves' to hiphop or EDM....;)

Dean Martin hit.."Baby It's Cold Outside"...classic!

Wonderful post, asvjerry, hit several nails right on the head.
I once heard Cole Porter say Astaire was the best singer of his songs .
Said. "Fred Astaire does what he does better than anyone else does what they do " .

Dean Martin hit.."Baby It's Cold Outside"...classic!

When I was a really young kid, we used to watch TV show called "The Hit Parade.". Each week they would play the top ten billboard hits...with dancing and other such entertainment...the first music videos.  Perry Como was often in the top ten.  Great entertainment.

I played all these songs as a club and summer resort pianist in the '50s and early '60s. Actually, I played some of them in the '40s. I can still play many of them from memory, even when I can't remember what I had for lunch.

schubert, Thank You. *G*

I 'hammer' at a lot of things, and have no reluctance at being the 'Devil's Advocate' with regard to some subjects.  When it comes to 'the music', it's all tastes and preferences IMHO.  And that's a Good Thing.  If we all liked the same thing, it'd be all shades of grey and not a lot to discuss.

My personal preferences would likely send some screaming towards the nearest porcelain porch to revisit lunch, but that's another matter...;)

How you prefer to listen to what you like is, again, subject to preference.  I'd hope that one is listening to the music vs, listening to and for the flaws in the reproduction of it.  Self-defeating, IMHO....but then, I have my 'flaws', as my spouse will happily expound upon. ;)

New stuff, old stuff...there's always the good, the bad, and the ugly. *L*  Some things never change, they just...well, they're There.
Just play it, any of it, and Enjoy.

Como's likely biggest hit was a song written by Mexican Armando Manzanero called Somos Novios - "It's Impossible."

I am in my mid 40's and last year inherited my Mom's record collection.  She was a teen in the 60's and was a huge Beatles fan.  I was fortunate enough to basically get everything they put out in the 60's.  But also in her collection were some of my grandparents' vinyl.  Big band, some of which I can remember listening to on their console system in the 70's.  There is an awesome Glenn Miller box set that I enjoy.

I am fortunate to enjoy most types of music, I definitely appreciate the talent and artistry in almost any genre.

Recently I've started washing some of my parents oldies. The word got out and now I'm inheriting my aunt's and uncles's collections faster than I can wash. My parent's copy of PERRY COMO SINGS HITS FROM BROADWAY SHOWS survived in good shape. I grew up with Como, Harry Belafonte, Teresa Brewer, et. playing on the old magnavox. My mother called Perry 'Dreamboat'.
Now I like to collect various versions of my favorite songs. I had 6 of SUMMERTIME. I loved Sam Cooke's arrangement with the female soprano in the background. When I played the Como LP, there was SUMMERTIME with the soprano and Perry sounding more soulful than I could have imagined. It gives me another level of admiration for a musician known as a perfectionist. He just lets it flow.

PS. When I saw the Second City skit  on TV, I chuckled; but I was a little pissed off, too. How would my Mom have felt?

I’m imagining a duet with Perry Como and Janis Joplin, doing Summertime. It would be somewhat like the duet David Bowie and Bing Crosby did together.

https://youtu.be/b_ReMi7tVWA

SC was noted for a lot of things, good taste wasn't one of them .

@geoffkait , is that legit or a computer montagie thingy?

@2channel8 If that's not legit I'll eat a bug.

Don't listen to many of the guys you mentioned for their mainstream music but I have Andy Williams, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and the Andrews Sisters Christmas music.  Two singers I do love are Nancy Wilson (the jazz singer) and Doris Day. I inherited one of Nancy's LP's from my mom "Just For Now."  People from that era could sing (on key).  None of that "let the machine adjust my off-key notes" for any of them. 

I also inherited a Johnny Mathis LP that is incredible! Unfortunately, it's pretty scratched up so I unpacked an old turntable and got a conical stylus for the Stanton 500 in it. It helps quite a bit. Now I can play Joni James (never heard of her before I went through the old stash. Very cool!) Louis Prima, Nat King Cole.

Speaking of singers who could hit the true notes, Verve's Ella Fitzgerald collections are very good.

When it comes to comedy, taste is one of the first sacred cows to fall.  But that's when parody can be it's sharpest and most memorable.

Perry was a legit artist, what's funny about making him seem like a lazy bum ?

They weren't suggesting that he was a lazy bum--they were taking his laid-back personality to the extreme.  It's farcical, not to be taken literally.

I disagree , simply bad taste .

My collection includes: Frank, Dean, Perry and Peggy.  Often over looked Doris Day is a fav along with the two tribute disc from Bette Milder.  Her Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney albums were produced by Barry Manilow.  Both are just plain fun.

I think there is some Doris Day in the house somewhere. I'll have to dig it out. I wish we had some Peggy Lee. I found some more Andy Williams the last time I opened my parents boxes. I'm still not finished washing my own LPs.

My Grandmother loved his show and my Stepfather always played his albums on Sat or Sunday morning. 

The one thing I remember was he always seemed to have the sheet music in front of him on tv.

I'll wait until his stuff come's out on MFSL. Just kidding!! When I was young I was fortunate to be offered free unwanted records. MANY were of artists that my friends would scoff at referring to them as "corny". I discovered much great music, arrangements, etc. just give them a chance and often you'll be pleasantly supprised.

I treasure those musical stars of the  50"s and 60'S -without shame..
I bet Dino could sing while sleeping and Perry certainly made it sound effortless. Who wouldn't like Catch a Falling Star?  

Thanks to Sirius XM for expanding my understanding of music in the 50's and 60's - which I've always enjoyed - with their dedicated channels. Romantic 50's. Virtually nothing negative-refreshing. Also the 40"s channel reveals the upbeat creativity and fantastic cohesive bands. Rock had to come along as it was nigh impossible to maintain the caliber of the fabulous bands; uber expensive. So grab a couple of guitars and make music for kids.