Like Breathless Mahoney, only not, you know, terrible. October 23, 2008 12:18 PMSubscribe
If I want to be a lady lounge singer, in a restaurant/nightclub, draping myself across a piano in sequins and a smoky spotlight, what are the classic vamp songs I should learn, first? posted by Ambrosia Voyeur to media & arts (51 answers total) 32 users marked this as a favorite
Stormy Weather
Makin' Whoopee
Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love
Let's Misbehave
Mind if I Make Love to You? posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:29 PM on October 23, 2008
Kurt Weill has some fantastic stuff. Off the top of my head:
Speak Low from One Touch of Venus
The Alabama Song from the Rise and Fall of the City of Mahoganny (you know "Oh show us the way to the next whiskey bar/oh Don't ask why/oh don't ask why")
Pirate Jenny from The Threepenny Opera (okay, it's not exactly a torch song, but done right it will bring the fucking house down) posted by Lentrohamsanin at 1:02 PM on October 23, 2008
Seconding why dont you do right - performed by Jessica Rabbit posted by nitsuj at 1:03 PM on October 23, 2008
How long has this been going on?
Cry me a river
Come rain or come shine
Night and day
The man I love
Bewitched
Misty
The man that got away
Fine and mellow
I'll add more later as I think of them. Have fun. posted by LittleMissCranky at 1:12 PM on October 23, 2008
pssst. that was Amy Irving singing for Jessica Rabbit. Yes, that Amy Irving. posted by stubby phillips at 1:12 PM on October 23, 2008
'Crazy' (Gnarls Barkley) would sound great I reckon, slowed down, as a counterpoint to Willie Nelson/Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' - maybe even as a segue/medley.
'The Man I Love' (Gershwins)
The Fabulous Baker Boys soundtrack should give you a good baseline from which to work. posted by goo at 1:14 PM on October 23, 2008
Ooh, now I think of it I've always wanted to do a few of the Beaches soundtrack songs as a baby-grand lounging, sequinned singer - 'Glory of Love', 'Otto Titsling', 'Baby Mine' and 'I Think It's Going To Rain Today', and if you can throw in 'Oh Industry' that would be awesome. posted by goo at 1:20 PM on October 23, 2008
Embraceable You
I Get Along Without You Very Well
Fly Me to the Moon
My Funny Valentine
Big Spender! posted by pazazygeek at 1:34 PM on October 23, 2008
Back in the 80s, Linda Ronstadt cut an album of torch songs, "What's New." Everything on that would be a good candidate (some already mentioned here).
Nina Simone had some suitable ones, especially, My Baby Just Cares for Me and Love Me or Leave Me. Black is the Color and Don't Smoke in Bed would take a little rearranging but seems like strong possibilities. posted by adamrice at 1:48 PM on October 23, 2008
2nding Fabulous Baker Boys. posted by spec80 at 1:48 PM on October 23, 2008
Blues In The Night
C'est si bon
Santa Baby (seasonally, of course)
The Lady Is A Tramp posted by tommasz at 1:52 PM on October 23, 2008
and speaking of Breathless Mahoney, I always thought "Sooner Or Later" was an excellent torch song marred by Madonna's nasally non-singing. The right voice could knock it out of the park. posted by The Whelk at 2:01 PM on October 23, 2008
Laziest Girl In Town. posted by rodgerd at 2:17 PM on October 23, 2008
And speaking of moody: "Moody's Mood for Love"! (I'm sentimentally fond of the Georgie Fame version... Amy Winehouse's version has a nice vocal, but I'm not wild about the arrangement.) posted by scody at 2:33 PM on October 23, 2008
Wow. Great songs posted so far. Here's what I culled from my collection, apologies for duplicates:
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (esp. Ella's racy version)
Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You?
Besame Mucho
Sophisticated Lady
Lush Life
Stardust
The Man I Love
Blue Moon
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
Summertime
I Cover the Waterfront
That Old Black Magic
My Foolish Heart
I Get A Kick Out of You
I've Got You Under My Skin
Baby, Won't You Please Come Home posted by sapere aude at 2:34 PM on October 23, 2008
Whole Lotta Love. posted by swift at 2:39 PM on October 23, 2008
I Just Want To Make Love To You - I like the version by Etta James, but you can slow it up.
Can't Take My Eyes Off You
The Way You Look Tonight posted by nooneyouknow at 2:43 PM on October 23, 2008
Also, you should look into old-timey country like Kitty Wells. You'd be surprised what scales. "Hillbilly" music was very popular in lounges, which is why there's a cornpone number in "Funny Face." posted by Lesser Shrew at 8:18 PM on October 23, 2008
ooo, Wheel Of Fortune is a great number and not overplayed. posted by The Whelk at 8:28 PM on October 23, 2008
Holy crap, here're three that'll make the set hotter than Satan;
You may have to do a little arranging with these, but set them up as 'lounge tunes' and they'll kill. posted by Pecinpah at 8:34 PM on October 23, 2008 [1 favorite]
Mais non! How have we reached something like 43 answers and not yet reached My Melancholy Baby? As this site states:
Originally popularized by Walter Van Brunt, the song was actually introduced under the title "Melancholy" around 1912 and may have been first performed in Colorado. It has been associated with drunken crowds for a couple of reasons. First, an early cabaret performer by the name of Tommy Lyman performed it (typically very late in shows that didn't even begin until midnight) in the 1920s. More to the point, the infamous "Play Melancholy Baby!" line came from the 1954 film "A Star Is Born" and seems to have been associated with the song ever since.
Here it is. Or, conversely, don't do it and wait for folks to slur "shing melancholy baybee". posted by peagood at 8:43 PM on October 23, 2008
(this is not necessarily a definitive performance, but just the best torch-y version i could find in a quick scan on you tube. mary j. blige does have some pipes, tho. :) posted by CitizenD at 12:09 AM on October 24, 2008
Oh, thank you, thank you. You darlings sure do know how to make a lady feel welcome.
This next one is just for you. *winks to the opening tinkle of piano keys* posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:18 AM on October 24, 2008
posted by ferociouskitty at 12:24 PM on October 23, 2008 [2 favorites]