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The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on February 15, 2023, 9:51 am
In his fine article on this song, Len Mullenger says that he cannot understand why as renowned a singer as Ella Fitzgerald omits the verse in her recordings. This could create the impression that her practice here is unusual. But it is what other renowned singers of this song do: Barbra Streisand, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Dorothy Kirsten, Sarah Vaughan (in one of her recordings), Liza Minnelli (in one of her recordings), Helen Forrest, Anita O’Day, Vaughn de Leath (renowned in the 1920s), Elisabeth Welch, Maureen McGovern, Kate Bush. And I think omitting the verse is the rule not just with this song but with other popular songs of this era.
I’ve seen it said that including the verse made it more difficult to dance to these songs when they were sung in the Big Band ballrooms - and I suspect that the complexity of the verse would not help record sales. With its verse included, “White Christmas” would probably not have been such a huge hit.
The singers who are most inclined to include the verse are classically trained: Kiri te Kanawa, Elly Ameling, Rebecca Luker all do so. But the singers who are most likely to do justice to it are those who have the feel for words that the finest non-classical singers have - singers such as Mildred Bailey, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Carmen MacRae, Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney. I wish more singers like these had recorded the verse.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on February 15, 2023, 6:44 pm, in reply to "The Man I Love"
In my previous comment I risk creating the impression that I do not regard Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and some others as amongst the very finest non-classical singers. This is not what I want to convey. What I think is that amongst the finest singers are some who are particularly acute in their engagement with text - and it is this group that I most want to hear engage with the verse of a song.
Previous Message
In his fine article on this song, Len Mullenger says that he cannot understand why as renowned a singer as Ella Fitzgerald omits the verse in her recordings. This could create the impression that her practice here is unusual. But it is what other renowned singers of this song do: Barbra Streisand, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Dorothy Kirsten, Sarah Vaughan (in one of her recordings), Liza Minnelli (in one of her recordings), Helen Forrest, Anita O’Day, Vaughn de Leath (renowned in the 1920s), Elisabeth Welch, Maureen McGovern, Kate Bush. And I think omitting the verse is the rule not just with this song but with other popular songs of this era.
I’ve seen it said that including the verse made it more difficult to dance to these songs when they were sung in the Big Band ballrooms - and I suspect that the complexity of the verse would not help record sales. With its verse included, “White Christmas” would probably not have been such a huge hit.
The singers who are most inclined to include the verse are classically trained: Kiri te Kanawa, Elly Ameling, Rebecca Luker all do so. But the singers who are most likely to do justice to it are those who have the feel for words that the finest non-classical singers have - singers such as Mildred Bailey, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Carmen MacRae, Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney. I wish more singers like these had recorded the verse.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Len Mullenger on February 15, 2023, 7:11 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Thank you Alex for elucidating this. Len
Previous Message
In my previous comment I risk creating the impression that I do not regard Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and some others as amongst the very finest non-classical singers. This is not what I want to convey. What I think is that amongst the finest singers are some who are particularly acute in their engagement with text - and it is this group that I most want to hear engage with the verse of a song.
Previous Message
In his fine article on this song, Len Mullenger says that he cannot understand why as renowned a singer as Ella Fitzgerald omits the verse in her recordings. This could create the impression that her practice here is unusual. But it is what other renowned singers of this song do: Barbra Streisand, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Dorothy Kirsten, Sarah Vaughan (in one of her recordings), Liza Minnelli (in one of her recordings), Helen Forrest, Anita O’Day, Vaughn de Leath (renowned in the 1920s), Elisabeth Welch, Maureen McGovern, Kate Bush. And I think omitting the verse is the rule not just with this song but with other popular songs of this era.
I’ve seen it said that including the verse made it more difficult to dance to these songs when they were sung in the Big Band ballrooms - and I suspect that the complexity of the verse would not help record sales. With its verse included, “White Christmas” would probably not have been such a huge hit.
The singers who are most inclined to include the verse are classically trained: Kiri te Kanawa, Elly Ameling, Rebecca Luker all do so. But the singers who are most likely to do justice to it are those who have the feel for words that the finest non-classical singers have - singers such as Mildred Bailey, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Carmen MacRae, Peggy Lee and Rosemary Clooney. I wish more singers like these had recorded the verse.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Jeffrey Lague on March 28, 2023, 1:32 pm, in reply to "The Man I Love"
It's unfortunate that the verses of popular songs are so often omitted in performance. The verses of such songs as "Someone to watch over me" "Embraceable You" (Gershwin) and "Night and Day" (Porter) complement the choruses perfectly with melodies that are memorable in themselves, not to mention the wonderful lyrics.
I confess I'd never thought of The Man I Love as having a verse; I certainly can't remember having heard it. I know that Percy Grainger called it one of the great songs of all time and that John Ireland called it a work of genius.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Nick Barnard on March 28, 2023, 3:45 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Another example of a "verseless classic" is Irving Berlin's "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas". The song has a great verse but even in the film in which it was introduced "Holiday Inn" Bing Crosby goes straight into the chorus. The first time you hear this song with its verse intact is quite a surprise!
Previous Message
It's unfortunate that the verses of popular songs are so often omitted in performance. The verses of such songs as "Someone to watch over me" "Embraceable You" (Gershwin) and "Night and Day" (Porter) complement the choruses perfectly with melodies that are memorable in themselves, not to mention the wonderful lyrics.
I confess I'd never thought of The Man I Love as having a verse; I certainly can't remember having heard it. I know that Percy Grainger called it one of the great songs of all time and that John Ireland called it a work of genius.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on March 28, 2023, 6:59 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
I think that some verses are better than others. “Someone to Watch Over Me”, “Night and Day”, “Stardust”, and “Bill” all have verses that contribute more to the song than does the verse of “The Man I Love”. Probably the memorable verses are less often omitted in performance than are the more ordinary verses. Whereas most recordings of “The Man I Love” omit the verse, most recordings of “Someone to Watch Over Me” include the verse. Ella Fitzgerald omits the verse of the former but includes the verse of the latter.
Previous Message
It's unfortunate that the verses of popular songs are so often omitted in performance. The verses of such songs as "Someone to watch over me" "Embraceable You" (Gershwin) and "Night and Day" (Porter) complement the choruses perfectly with melodies that are memorable in themselves, not to mention the wonderful lyrics.
I confess I'd never thought of The Man I Love as having a verse; I certainly can't remember having heard it. I know that Percy Grainger called it one of the great songs of all time and that John Ireland called it a work of genius.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on March 28, 2023, 10:29 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
I think that most piano transcriptions of “The Man I Love” - including those by Grainger and Earl Wild - omit the music that goes with the verse.
Previous Message
It's unfortunate that the verses of popular songs are so often omitted in performance. The verses of such songs as "Someone to watch over me" "Embraceable You" (Gershwin) and "Night and Day" (Porter) complement the choruses perfectly with melodies that are memorable in themselves, not to mention the wonderful lyrics.
I confess I'd never thought of The Man I Love as having a verse; I certainly can't remember having heard it. I know that Percy Grainger called it one of the great songs of all time and that John Ireland called it a work of genius.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Jeffrey Lague on March 29, 2023, 1:00 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Yes, they do as does Gershwin's own (which Grainger's version is obviously based upon).
It occurs to me that there are some songs where the words of the chorus are not fully comprehensible if the introductory verse is omitted, for example Cole Porter's comedy song "The physician" or Kern's "Bill" from Showboat.
Another song which, in my opinion should never have its verse omitted is Friml's "Indian Love Call" from Rose Marie; "When the lone lagoon stirs in the Spring, welcoming home some swany-white wing"....absolutely lovely. Friml obviously wasn't a pupil of Dvorak for nothing !
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on March 29, 2023, 11:04 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
I agree that the verse of Friml’s “Indian Love Call” is lovely. But I think the most commercially successful recording of the song - Slim Whitman’s - works well enough without the verse. (I realise Whitman’s style is very different from what Friml imagined.) Also, when Friml played a piano transcription of the song on TV in the 1950s, he omitted the music of the verse. In this case, the song was played in a medley with the song “Rose Marie” - and in the context of a medley the verse is more likely to be omitted.
Previous Message
Yes, they do as does Gershwin's own (which Grainger's version is obviously based upon).
It occurs to me that there are some songs where the words of the chorus are not fully comprehensible if the introductory verse is omitted, for example Cole Porter's comedy song "The physician" or Kern's "Bill" from Showboat.
Another song which, in my opinion should never have its verse omitted is Friml's "Indian Love Call" from Rose Marie; "When the lone lagoon stirs in the Spring, welcoming home some swany-white wing"....absolutely lovely. Friml obviously wasn't a pupil of Dvorak for nothing !
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Jeffrey Lague on March 30, 2023, 1:13 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Previous Message
I agree that the verse of Friml’s “Indian Love Call” is lovely. But I think the most commercially successful recording of the song - Slim Whitman’s - works well enough without the verse. (I realise Whitman’s style is very different from what Friml imagined.) Also, when Friml played a piano transcription of the song on TV in the 1950s, he omitted the music of the verse. In this case, the song was played in a medley with the song “Rose Marie” - and in the context of a medley the verse is more likely to be omitted."
Following the discussion up til now on this topic I decided to visit the Gershwin section of my shelves of vinyl and found that I had two versions--Kiri Te Kanawa and Frances Gershwin- which both included the verse to The Man I Love. On playing them I quickly realised that I had heard it before. It's quite a jaunty introduction - perhaps more in the style of Leslie Stuart or Lionel Monckton than anything in the jazz age - and it seems to me that it gives the clue to the way the chorus should be treated... in a bright, optimistic way (as do Kiri and Gershwin's sister) rather than as a left-on-the-shelf torch song as many performers do. It has to be said that Gershwin's own piano transcription suggests a rather reflective interpretation, though.
The Indian love call , unfortunately, suffered in the past from parodies such as when two ill-assorted, somewhat elderly performers (imagine Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard ! ) used to spoof it in a comedy sketch. The whole thing, heard as intended, is very lovely though; Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills recorded complete versions. I haven't heard the Slim Whitman version but I know that somewhere I have a record (Supraphon) of Friml improvising on his own songs so I'll have to listen to it again. I've often wondered what the Piano Concerto which Friml used, both as performer and composer, as his "Calling card" when he first went to America is like.
I imagine a lot of standard songs from the Jazz age are performed in a way that the original composer/lyricists wouldn't have recognised or, maybe, approved of. The last time I heard "My baby just cares for me" it was performed in a slow, drawling way quite different to the vigorous quickstep style it had when it was in the show and film "Whoopee." On another note the original lyrics of the show's hit-song "Making Whoopee" with their rather misogynistic - but very witty - flavour - "The choir sings "Here comes the bride", another victim is by her side " and so on in similar vein- soon fell victim to censorial disapproval and when Eddie Cantor (who had introduced them in the original production and the film) performed the song in the 1944 film "Show Business" he was using the somewhat anodyne lyrics that had replaced them and which have always been performed since.
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on March 31, 2023, 10:31 am, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
I agree with Stephen that the verse of “The Man I Love” suggests a brighter interpretation of the chorus than that provided by many singers who sing only the chorus. But much as I like the “bright” interpretations offered by singers who do include the verse (Te Kanawa, Ameling), I like the torch song feel of the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday even more.
It is possible that the attraction the torch song approach has for singers has led to the verse being so commonly omitted. And somewhat similar reasons may have contributed to the frequency with which the rather “light” verses of “Embraceable You” and “White Christmas” are omitted. But it is worth noting that even verses that are not lighter than the chorus are often omitted. A case in point is the very frequent omission of the verse of Victor Young’s “Love Letters”.
On the question of recordings of “Indian Love Call”, I am often a little frustrated with the sopranos involved. Sills and Sutherland are past their prime. Barbara Hendricks’ voice sounds too “thick” to me and Jeannette MacDonald too brittle. I wish Kathleen Battle had recorded it.
Previous comment: “Following the discussion up til now on this topic I decided to visit the Gershwin section of my shelves of vinyl and found that I had two versions--Kiri Te Kanawa and Frances Gershwin- which both included the verse to The Man I Love. On playing them I quickly realised that I had heard it before. It's quite a jaunty introduction - perhaps more in the style of Leslie Stuart or Lionel Monckton than anything in the jazz age - and it seems to me that it gives the clue to the way the chorus should be treated... in a bright, optimistic way (as do Kiri and Gershwin's sister) rather than as a left-on-the-shelf torch song as many performers do. It has to be said that Gershwin's own piano transcription suggests a rather reflective interpretation, though.
The Indian love call , unfortunately, suffered in the past from parodies such as when two ill-assorted, somewhat elderly performers (imagine Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard ! ) used to spoof it in a comedy sketch. The whole thing, heard as intended, is very lovely though; Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills recorded complete versions. I haven't heard the Slim Whitman version but I know that somewhere I have a record (Supraphon) of Friml improvising on his own songs so I'll have to listen to it again. I've often wondered what the Piano Concerto which Friml used, both as performer and composer, as his "Calling card" when he first went to America is like.
I imagine a lot of standard songs from the Jazz age are performed in a way that the original composer/lyricists wouldn't have recognised or, maybe, approved of. The last time I heard "My baby just cares for me" it was performed in a slow, drawling way quite different to the vigorous quickstep style it had when it was in the show and film "Whoopee." On another note the original lyrics of the show's hit-song "Making Whoopee" with their rather misogynistic - but very witty - flavour - "The choir sings "Here comes the bride", another victim is by her side " and so on in similar vein- soon fell victim to censorial disapproval and when Eddie Cantor (who had introduced them in the original production and the film) performed the song in the 1944 film "Show Business" he was using the somewhat anodyne lyrics that had replaced them and which have always been performed since. ”
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Jeffrey Lague on March 31, 2023, 11:41 am, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
I'm afraid that I can't agree with Alex (by the way, I'm a Jeff, not a Steve !) in placing the verses of Embraceable You and White Christmas in the same category. With due deference to the great Irving Berlin I have to say that , having looked online at a score of the verse to White Christmas , I think I might have been able to have knocked off something of similar quality (music and lyrics) while recovering from the after-effects of an excess of too many gin and tonics. The verse of Embraceable You , with its Richard Straussian swoops in the melody and unexpected modulations is, on the other hand, a work of great craftsmanship, equal in inspiration to the lovely song that it introduces and quite beyond the efforts of a mediocrity like myself to try to write anything like it.
It's obvious that there are many verses to some fine and memorable songs that were added as a matter of convention and it's no loss to omit them but , equally so, (and it's frequently the case with songs from the Gershwin brothers) the lyrics and music of others are works of art in themselves and it's regrettable that we hear them so frequently in truncated versions.
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I agree with Stephen that the verse of “The Man I Love” suggests a brighter interpretation of the chorus than that provided by many singers who sing only the chorus. But much as I like the “bright” interpretations offered by singers who do include the verse (Te Kanawa, Ameling), I like the torch song feel of the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday even more.
It is possible that the attraction the torch song approach has for singers has led to the verse being so commonly omitted. And somewhat similar reasons may have contributed to the frequency with which the rather “light” verses of “Embraceable You” and “White Christmas” are omitted. But it is worth noting that even verses that are not lighter than the chorus are often omitted. A case in point is the very frequent omission of the verse of Victor Young’s “Love Letters”.
On the question of recordings of “Indian Love Call”, I am often a little frustrated with the sopranos involved. Sills and Sutherland are past their prime. Barbara Hendricks’ voice sounds too “thick” to me and Jeannette MacDonald too brittle. I wish Kathleen Battle had recorded it.
Previous comment: “Following the discussion up til now on this topic I decided to visit the Gershwin section of my shelves of vinyl and found that I had two versions--Kiri Te Kanawa and Frances Gershwin- which both included the verse to The Man I Love. On playing them I quickly realised that I had heard it before. It's quite a jaunty introduction - perhaps more in the style of Leslie Stuart or Lionel Monckton than anything in the jazz age - and it seems to me that it gives the clue to the way the chorus should be treated... in a bright, optimistic way (as do Kiri and Gershwin's sister) rather than as a left-on-the-shelf torch song as many performers do. It has to be said that Gershwin's own piano transcription suggests a rather reflective interpretation, though.
The Indian love call , unfortunately, suffered in the past from parodies such as when two ill-assorted, somewhat elderly performers (imagine Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard ! ) used to spoof it in a comedy sketch. The whole thing, heard as intended, is very lovely though; Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills recorded complete versions. I haven't heard the Slim Whitman version but I know that somewhere I have a record (Supraphon) of Friml improvising on his own songs so I'll have to listen to it again. I've often wondered what the Piano Concerto which Friml used, both as performer and composer, as his "Calling card" when he first went to America is like.
I imagine a lot of standard songs from the Jazz age are performed in a way that the original composer/lyricists wouldn't have recognised or, maybe, approved of. The last time I heard "My baby just cares for me" it was performed in a slow, drawling way quite different to the vigorous quickstep style it had when it was in the show and film "Whoopee." On another note the original lyrics of the show's hit-song "Making Whoopee" with their rather misogynistic - but very witty - flavour - "The choir sings "Here comes the bride", another victim is by her side " and so on in similar vein- soon fell victim to censorial disapproval and when Eddie Cantor (who had introduced them in the original production and the film) performed the song in the 1944 film "Show Business" he was using the somewhat anodyne lyrics that had replaced them and which have always been performed since.
”
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Alex Segal on March 31, 2023, 8:27 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Apologies Jeff for changing your name! I don’t know how it happened.
I meant to compare the verses of “White Christmas” and “Embraceable You” in one respect only: both seem to me “lighter” than do their respective choruses. I wasn’t implying that they are as good as each other.
By the way, Berlin seems to have been not too bothered by singers leaving out the verses of his songs. He very much liked Pat Boone’s LP of his songs - and Boone leaves out all the verses of the Berlin songs he recorded.
Previous Message
I'm afraid that I can't agree with Alex (by the way, I'm a Jeff, not a Steve !) in placing the verses of Embraceable You and White Christmas in the same category. With due deference to the great Irving Berlin I have to say that , having looked online at a score of the verse to White Christmas , I think I might have been able to have knocked off something of similar quality (music and lyrics) while recovering from the after-effects of an excess of too many gin and tonics. The verse of Embraceable You , with its Richard Straussian swoops in the melody and unexpected modulations is, on the other hand, a work of great craftsmanship, equal in inspiration to the lovely song that it introduces and quite beyond the efforts of a mediocrity like myself to try to write anything like it.
It's obvious that there are many verses to some fine and memorable songs that were added as a matter of convention and it's no loss to omit them but , equally so, (and it's frequently the case with songs from the Gershwin brothers) the lyrics and music of others are works of art in themselves and it's regrettable that we hear them so frequently in truncated versions.
Previous Message
I agree with Stephen that the verse of “The Man I Love” suggests a brighter interpretation of the chorus than that provided by many singers who sing only the chorus. But much as I like the “bright” interpretations offered by singers who do include the verse (Te Kanawa, Ameling), I like the torch song feel of the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday even more.
It is possible that the attraction the torch song approach has for singers has led to the verse being so commonly omitted. And somewhat similar reasons may have contributed to the frequency with which the rather “light” verses of “Embraceable You” and “White Christmas” are omitted. But it is worth noting that even verses that are not lighter than the chorus are often omitted. A case in point is the very frequent omission of the verse of Victor Young’s “Love Letters”.
On the question of recordings of “Indian Love Call”, I am often a little frustrated with the sopranos involved. Sills and Sutherland are past their prime. Barbara Hendricks’ voice sounds too “thick” to me and Jeannette MacDonald too brittle. I wish Kathleen Battle had recorded it.
Previous comment: “Following the discussion up til now on this topic I decided to visit the Gershwin section of my shelves of vinyl and found that I had two versions--Kiri Te Kanawa and Frances Gershwin- which both included the verse to The Man I Love. On playing them I quickly realised that I had heard it before. It's quite a jaunty introduction - perhaps more in the style of Leslie Stuart or Lionel Monckton than anything in the jazz age - and it seems to me that it gives the clue to the way the chorus should be treated... in a bright, optimistic way (as do Kiri and Gershwin's sister) rather than as a left-on-the-shelf torch song as many performers do. It has to be said that Gershwin's own piano transcription suggests a rather reflective interpretation, though.
The Indian love call , unfortunately, suffered in the past from parodies such as when two ill-assorted, somewhat elderly performers (imagine Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard ! ) used to spoof it in a comedy sketch. The whole thing, heard as intended, is very lovely though; Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills recorded complete versions. I haven't heard the Slim Whitman version but I know that somewhere I have a record (Supraphon) of Friml improvising on his own songs so I'll have to listen to it again. I've often wondered what the Piano Concerto which Friml used, both as performer and composer, as his "Calling card" when he first went to America is like.
I imagine a lot of standard songs from the Jazz age are performed in a way that the original composer/lyricists wouldn't have recognised or, maybe, approved of. The last time I heard "My baby just cares for me" it was performed in a slow, drawling way quite different to the vigorous quickstep style it had when it was in the show and film "Whoopee." On another note the original lyrics of the show's hit-song "Making Whoopee" with their rather misogynistic - but very witty - flavour - "The choir sings "Here comes the bride", another victim is by her side " and so on in similar vein- soon fell victim to censorial disapproval and when Eddie Cantor (who had introduced them in the original production and the film) performed the song in the 1944 film "Show Business" he was using the somewhat anodyne lyrics that had replaced them and which have always been performed since.
”
Re: The Man I Love
Posted by Nick Barnard on March 31, 2023, 12:19 pm, in reply to "Re: The Man I Love"
Always worth returning to the context of the original shows these songs were used in (Strike Up the Band in this case - although originally written for Lady be Good) before they morphed into "jazz standards" and almost all slowed up!
Previous Message
I agree with Stephen that the verse of “The Man I Love” suggests a brighter interpretation of the chorus than that provided by many singers who sing only the chorus. But much as I like the “bright” interpretations offered by singers who do include the verse (Te Kanawa, Ameling), I like the torch song feel of the recordings of Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday even more.
It is possible that the attraction the torch song approach has for singers has led to the verse being so commonly omitted. And somewhat similar reasons may have contributed to the frequency with which the rather “light” verses of “Embraceable You” and “White Christmas” are omitted. But it is worth noting that even verses that are not lighter than the chorus are often omitted. A case in point is the very frequent omission of the verse of Victor Young’s “Love Letters”.
On the question of recordings of “Indian Love Call”, I am often a little frustrated with the sopranos involved. Sills and Sutherland are past their prime. Barbara Hendricks’ voice sounds too “thick” to me and Jeannette MacDonald too brittle. I wish Kathleen Battle had recorded it.
Previous comment: “Following the discussion up til now on this topic I decided to visit the Gershwin section of my shelves of vinyl and found that I had two versions--Kiri Te Kanawa and Frances Gershwin- which both included the verse to The Man I Love. On playing them I quickly realised that I had heard it before. It's quite a jaunty introduction - perhaps more in the style of Leslie Stuart or Lionel Monckton than anything in the jazz age - and it seems to me that it gives the clue to the way the chorus should be treated... in a bright, optimistic way (as do Kiri and Gershwin's sister) rather than as a left-on-the-shelf torch song as many performers do. It has to be said that Gershwin's own piano transcription suggests a rather reflective interpretation, though.
The Indian love call , unfortunately, suffered in the past from parodies such as when two ill-assorted, somewhat elderly performers (imagine Hylda Baker and Arthur Mullard ! ) used to spoof it in a comedy sketch. The whole thing, heard as intended, is very lovely though; Joan Sutherland and Beverly Sills recorded complete versions. I haven't heard the Slim Whitman version but I know that somewhere I have a record (Supraphon) of Friml improvising on his own songs so I'll have to listen to it again. I've often wondered what the Piano Concerto which Friml used, both as performer and composer, as his "Calling card" when he first went to America is like.
I imagine a lot of standard songs from the Jazz age are performed in a way that the original composer/lyricists wouldn't have recognised or, maybe, approved of. The last time I heard "My baby just cares for me" it was performed in a slow, drawling way quite different to the vigorous quickstep style it had when it was in the show and film "Whoopee." On another note the original lyrics of the show's hit-song "Making Whoopee" with their rather misogynistic - but very witty - flavour - "The choir sings "Here comes the bride", another victim is by her side " and so on in similar vein- soon fell victim to censorial disapproval and when Eddie Cantor (who had introduced them in the original production and the film) performed the song in the 1944 film "Show Business" he was using the somewhat anodyne lyrics that had replaced them and which have always been performed since.