Clip of the Day – Tangerine by Stephane Grappelli

This is another one of the songs with Johnny Mercer lyrics mentioned in last week’s Sunday NYT crossword. Victor Schertzinger wrote the music.

Helen O’Connell had a hit with this song in the early forties. I have a memory that in the 70’s, Helen O’Connell was in a commercial for a diet snack called Figurines. She sang “Figurines, do a lady proud/They’re the diet lunch, that you can crunch out loud!” to the tune of Tangerine.

I enjoy playing Stephane Grapelli, because he’s unfailingly cheerful. I also enjoy playing him because as far as I know, he’s the first well-known jazz violinist, showing that jazz isn’t limited to a particular instrument.

(Male singer)
Tangerine,
She is all they claim
With her eyes of night and lips as bright as flame
Tangerine,
When she dances by
Senoritas stare and caballeros sigh
And I’ve seen
Toasts to Tangerine
Raised in every bar across the Argentine
Yes, she has them all on the run
But her heart belongs to just one
Her heart belongs to Tangerine

(Female singer)
Tangerine,
She is all they say
With mascara’d eye and chapeaux by Dache.
Tangerine,
With her lips of flame
If the color keeps, Louis Philippe’s to blame.
And I’ve seen
Clothes on Tangerine
Where the label says “From Macy’s Mezzanine”.
Yes, she’s got the guys in a whirl
But she’s only fooling one girl
She’s only fooling Tangerine!

This cut is from the album Afternoon in Paris, releeased in 1971.

Tangerine – Stéphane Grappelli