tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post1088524054329051356..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: My thoughts on Eydie GormeBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77253899962225266382022-06-18T09:02:08.210-07:002022-06-18T09:02:08.210-07:00I was fortunate enough to see them a couple times ...I was fortunate enough to see them a couple times in the early 90's. Absolutely amazing performers! The one thing I get angry about is whoever managed their career back then really dropped the ball. Think of all those shows that they did at the Westbury Music Fair and no one, no one thought to put it on audio tape or video record it. I keep praying year after year that there's going to be something from 'the vault." Then a cold stark reality hits me.. there is no vault. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76035385654822147162017-12-30T08:28:02.749-08:002017-12-30T08:28:02.749-08:00In "Wedding Bell Blues" Frasier is kicke...In "Wedding Bell Blues" Frasier is kicked off the karaoke machine by Lilith and starts singing. Frasier quips to Norm and Cliff: "Look who thinks she's Eydie Gorme." <br /><br />youtube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B2h_NY4zUoKevinhttp://www.thedeadpresidents.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53049114561287201282016-04-21T20:14:37.575-07:002016-04-21T20:14:37.575-07:00One thing that was not mentioned was the enormous ...One thing that was not mentioned was the enormous success Steve and Eydie enjoyed throughout the '60s in the Catskill Mountains resorts, most notably on the huge stage of the Concord Hotel...every show they did was a complete sell out..they were so comfortable performing in front of a mostly jewish clientele which absolutely adored them, and they delivered everytime...the other thing I haven't seen mentioned, is their one and only rendition of Steve Allen's biggest hit, "This could be the start of something Big"..it really became their theme song/anthem..check it out on youtube..simply breathtaking...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05457336223337861373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35920840380557156582013-11-12T01:41:45.244-08:002013-11-12T01:41:45.244-08:00She couldn't have done "Funny Girl,"...She couldn't have done "Funny Girl," but she could have done "Hello Dolly." RIP Eydie Gorkesaddleshoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10783021173130974690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-10324169455657396482013-10-16T09:12:14.409-07:002013-10-16T09:12:14.409-07:00Not enough is mentioned about Edyie singing solo s...Not enough is mentioned about Edyie singing solo such as her Spanish albums with Los Panchos...Cuatro Vidas and Edyie Gorme canta en espanol! She had such a lovely warm soothing and DARE I say "sensual" voice! We miss you Edyie.Daveynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-35311981403828737382013-09-21T08:16:19.106-07:002013-09-21T08:16:19.106-07:00Thank you for the wonderful tribute to Eydie -- a...Thank you for the wonderful tribute to Eydie -- and Steve! You took the words right out of my heart. I, too, felt devastated when Eydie died. I don't think a day has gone by when I haven't thought about her. I was fortunate enough to get to know Steve and Eydie; Eydie and I would sometimes correspond through e-mail (she always signed her mail "XOXO Eydie") and I was fortunate enough to spend some time with her and Steve after some of their concerts (I saw many. If they were performing in town, I was there!) . What always impressed me about them is that what you saw on stage, you got off stage. They were the same warm, loving people you witnessed on stage, even to the point of talking over one another! One of my fondest memories of Eydie was when she and Steve were at Caesar's Palace. She sang Irving Berlin's "You Can Have Him," a number she had recently recorded. As she sang the number, you could see from every movement of her body that she was really getting inside the song; it was as if she really lived it and she and the song were one. When she finished, she turned to her orchestra conductor and slapped him a high 5 because she knew she had done something special -- and the audience knew it to from the incredible ovation she got. It was one of those special, magic moments that I am so happy I was there to witness. She was an incredible talent, vastly underrated. I miss her so much, but at least I have her music to remind of the special moments I shared with her.<br />Mike O.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00735423101380682727noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-15717521524026012332013-09-20T22:16:13.739-07:002013-09-20T22:16:13.739-07:00I was thrilled to meet and spend a little time wit...I was thrilled to meet and spend a little time with them several years ago. <br />Eydie was wo warm and gracious to us and so much fun to be around. Love her sense of humor. Also loved her singing so much, that my first teacher was Carlo Menotti just because he said he taught her. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16075638367278101385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19312989258677169002013-08-23T14:54:41.179-07:002013-08-23T14:54:41.179-07:00Thank you, Ken, for this very touching post. I ha...Thank you, Ken, for this very touching post. I had the privilege of seeing Steve and Eydie at the Circle Star theatre (near San Francisco) some years ago and was just amazed at their talent and easiness together.<br /><br />I, too, was shocked and inexplicably saddened at her loss.<br /><br />My thoughts and prayers with her husband, Steve, and her family.TonyOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09159018160756082057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-47080843352323004332013-08-12T18:16:15.087-07:002013-08-12T18:16:15.087-07:00I first met Eydie as she was rehearsing for her fi...I first met Eydie as she was rehearsing for her first record. She was in a small office singing her heart out.<br />Steve was the only one of my "friends" who called me after my divorce to see how i was handling things.<br />Eydie was wonderful; Steve was great; but together, they were extraordinary.<br />I miss her and them.nospintravelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04279950955338942627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76069457050387758012013-08-12T18:06:36.113-07:002013-08-12T18:06:36.113-07:00Here's the URL for "The Sinatra Group&quo...Here's the URL for "The Sinatra Group", the SNL skit featuring Steve and Edyie. It's very funny: http://www.hulu.com/watch/3531<br /><br />Ken, you captured her perfectly. Beautiful voice, and seemingly accessible. She must have done something right: she and Steve were married forever by Hollywood standards.<br /><br />Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40975118402744716272013-08-12T17:16:32.404-07:002013-08-12T17:16:32.404-07:00A few comments re: SNL and Steve.
I think it is te...A few comments re: SNL and Steve.<br />I think it is telling that he was in Blues Brothers. He was not a Soul/R&B/Blues singer. They tried to get a lot of SRBB singers, both well known and not so well known to populate that movie. His part could have easily gone to almost anyone, but they had HIM do it. A few possible (not mutually exclusive) reasons are 1) somebody liked him 2) somebody respected him musically enough 3) he was right for the part (although the manager wouldn't HAVE to be Jewish, it does fit a stereotype) 4) they thought he had the comedic timing to do it<br /><br />I don't really remember them singing much, but I certainly remember him in the Blues Brothers.<br /><br />I would also like to agree with the comments re:singers of old vs singers of the idol era. (Most of) the current singers cannot sing as well as (some of) the old guard, and almost none of them can entertain. Think of some of the best shows you have seen, and many of them are not for the music, they are for the entertainment value or atmosphere. Garth Brooks is supposed to put on a great show. Not be a great singer, put on a great show. See also Kiss, the Dead, Buffett, DMB, and 100 local bands that play the corner bar. Great show.Johnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66894281250849529172013-08-12T12:20:31.213-07:002013-08-12T12:20:31.213-07:00I saw Steve & Eydie as the middle act after To...I saw Steve & Eydie as the middle act after Tom Dreesen in a show that headlined Sinatra. Sinatra was OK, about 160 years old at the time and reading his lyrics off gigantic TelePrompters I could clearly read from my perch in the rafters, and not in as good of voice as he had been when I saw him a few years before at Radio City.<br /><br />But Steve & Eydie were sublime. You mention how crystal clear her voice was, and that's exactly what I remember of the show--pitch-perfect, with that beautiful bell-like resonance that only the greatest singers have. He was no slouch either, a baritone as smooth as caramel. And of course, the highlights of the show were their extraordinary duets, with harmony singing of astonishing accuracy.<br /><br />My kids groan at me when I start saying so, but they just don't make singers like Eydie Gorme any more. Their loss.<br /><br />Patricknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61152540337094253282013-08-12T11:03:30.447-07:002013-08-12T11:03:30.447-07:00Only thing I know about her is the Monty Python re...Only thing I know about her is the Monty Python reference:<br />"Over the shoulder double Eydie Gorme"chuckcdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-25555871780342963032013-08-12T07:47:10.372-07:002013-08-12T07:47:10.372-07:00I too was affected very much by this news. Loved h...I too was affected very much by this news. Loved her voice and personality and Steve and Edye were a couple that felt like my glamours neighbors who lived around the corner. Jay Kogan would tell me stories about them so I felt like I had a personal connection. As a kid, watching Jack Paar, when Miss Gorme was on I knew Paar would make her sing, "Guess Who I Saw Today" and she would resist it and then give in and sing it right there on the couch to him and then break down half way through the tune, I saw this happen a few times. RIP Edye, blame it on the Bossa Nova of time.Marc Flanagannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-632337814697530762013-08-12T06:47:29.808-07:002013-08-12T06:47:29.808-07:00Every time I read of another great voice passing i...Every time I read of another great voice passing it saddens me. The crooners of yore could really SING. They had/have a talent that doesn't rely on skimpy costumes and synthesizers. There are few big names today that can do what they did, capture an audience without gimmickery. I feel sad for myself, but more so for another generation that is growing up not knowing what real talent is. McAlvienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75093024179446684502013-08-12T06:24:05.219-07:002013-08-12T06:24:05.219-07:00My Dad took my wife and I to see Steve and Edyie a...My Dad took my wife and I to see Steve and Edyie at McCallum Hall in Palm Springs and it was a very enjoyable show. Mike Barerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447874605833321732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90246576834478444892013-08-12T06:21:18.313-07:002013-08-12T06:21:18.313-07:00Great tribute, Ken. I grew up with her and Steve L...Great tribute, Ken. I grew up with her and Steve Lawrence, too. A great loss.VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65038474587931344042013-08-12T04:52:55.172-07:002013-08-12T04:52:55.172-07:00What a lovely tribute. I feel much the same as you...What a lovely tribute. I feel much the same as you -- don't know why, but "Steve and Eydie" were just always there, even if I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to them.<br /><br />I was a kid when "Bossa Nova" became a hit, but it's really stayed with me all these years, though again I don't know exactly why. Maybe it just seemed like a better time despite CONELRAD tests, Duck and Cover nuclear bomb drills, etc. <br /><br />And maybe I'm just old and would like to remember my youth.<br /><br />RIP, Eydie.Michael E. (not a robot, really)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-45530666563471223972013-08-12T04:47:34.249-07:002013-08-12T04:47:34.249-07:00"Every Jewish parent had a friend who went to..."Every Jewish parent had a friend who went to high school with her. Or was her neighbor. Or they were in camp together."<br /><br />... And some Jews' grandmothers lived in the same apartment building on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx as Eydie's mother. Or one, anyway.<br /><br />Great post, Ken. I love it. Thanks.Ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794791220323089387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28767121519314156342013-08-11T21:07:36.687-07:002013-08-11T21:07:36.687-07:00May you rest in peace, Eydie Gorme. Thank you for ...May you rest in peace, Eydie Gorme. Thank you for your beautiful music. Your legacy will live on. Made a tribute memorial in your honor: http://www.thememorium.com/Memorials/eydie-gorme #EydieGorme #BlameItOnTheBossaNova #SteveLawrence #MusicTheMemoriumhttp://www.thememorium.com/Memorials/eydie-gormenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12462535224366033372013-08-11T18:40:40.301-07:002013-08-11T18:40:40.301-07:00Ken
i grew up listening to Eydie Gorme because my ...Ken<br />i grew up listening to Eydie Gorme because my dad, another sephardic jew from the Bronx, were in the same high school class. One time I even baked her Sephardic Cookies and handed them to her at a concert. I felt so sad last night when i read the news of her passing. I felt like i had lost a family member. She was an incredible singer who torch ballads touched me to my soul. Thank you for your beautiful honorMerylnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39910921610315456342013-08-11T17:50:56.019-07:002013-08-11T17:50:56.019-07:00Lovely story Ken. I was fortunate enough to have ...Lovely story Ken. I was fortunate enough to have seen Steve and Edyie perform in Atlantic City in the mid 80's as their guests. We went back stage to meet them after the show and found them to be unaffected, genuinely nice people. The kind of people you would want at your Thanksgiving Dinner.Alan Dukenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-603910231661481002013-08-11T17:32:11.482-07:002013-08-11T17:32:11.482-07:00I remember an SNL over 20 years ago in which "...I remember an SNL over 20 years ago in which "Steve and Eydie" were part of a sketch. That would never happen today, when most people under 40 have no idea who they are. As is so often the case, the great ones are seldom appreciated until they're gone.cadavranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61134368175748416622013-08-11T16:52:57.158-07:002013-08-11T16:52:57.158-07:00Nice post, Ken. I recently decided to de-clutter ...Nice post, Ken. I recently decided to de-clutter my vinyl record collection including the 45s that I haven't listened to in more than thirty years. I took them to Amoeba records where the guy took a few and gave me $18. He didn't take my Eydie Gorme single with "Dormi-Dormi-Dormi" on one side and "You Need Hands" on the other. I'm glad he didn't. I look forward to playing it when my turntable is restored to working order. RIP Eydie. You are unforgettable, and your many fans will miss you.Lorimartiannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46809071404086216262013-08-11T16:40:13.849-07:002013-08-11T16:40:13.849-07:00No one in my family went to high school with Eydie...No one in my family went to high school with Eydie Gorme, but my father went to high school with Steve Lawrence!Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18351452512636422112noreply@blogger.com