Emperor Waltz on "Saturday Night Live"

Posted by Arne on September 28, 1999 at 11:19:55:

The "Saturday Night Live" sketch involving the late Phil Hartman lip-syncing to Bing's version of the song "The Emperor Waltz" was re-shown on the series' 25th anniversary special last Sunday. The recording of Bing used was the familiar commercially released Decca version. The female vocalist heard while Jan Hooks was supposedly singing was NOT on the original Crosby recording, whoever it was, was added just for the skit, simply singing over the instrumental portion of the original Decca disc..........................


Posted by Lee on September 28, 1999 at 16:21:04:

In Reply to: Emperor Waltz on "Saturday Night Live" posted by Arne on September 28, 1999 at 11:19:55:

I had assumed it was Joan Caufield or Joan Fontaine's voice. That was a beautiful scene Hartman and Jan Hooks did. It brought a lump to my throat. That movie and especially Bing's singing of "I Kiss Your Hand Madame" have always been my top favorites. Wasn't Bing in fine style singing "Emperor's Waltz", even though it sounded like a classical tune, Bing sung it in a modern relaxed fashion. What an artist, with a heart. No man who is supposed to be "cold" and "hollow" could sing a song like that without feeling it. Bing sang from the heart and it all seemed so easy.


Posted by Arne on September 28, 1999 at 21:20:19:

In Reply to: Re: Emperor Waltz on "Saturday Night Live" posted by Lee on September 28, 1999 at 16:21:04:

Oh yeah, Lee, It's just gorgeous. My mother, who has never been a huge Crosby fan (but has always tolerated him for my Dad's and my sake), always made an exception for those "Emperor Waltz" tracks, including "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame", and "The Kiss In Your Eyes"; she thinks they're gorgeous too. The song IS classical, having been written by Johann Strauss. That is, the music is by Strauss -- The lyrics were written just for Bing & the movie, and I always get a kick out of the "culture clash" implied when I look at the songwriting credits on the Decca: ..."by Johann Strauss and Johnny Burke". ....sort of reminds me of the Our Gang comedy wherein "Romeo & Juliet" is credited in the film as having been written by "Spanky and Shakespeare". Anyway, Bing was in beautiful voice in the late 40s, as exemplified by this beautiful track, and also, one of my personal favorite Deccas from this period, "You're In Love With Someone". He had recovered totally from the vocal problems he seemed to be having from, roughly, 1944 to about 1946, and was once again in total control. By the way, if you hear the original Decca that was used in the Hartman-Hooks sketch, you'll hear that it is just an instrumental passage where we saw Hooks singing. It helps you to appreciate even more fully how they did such a great job putting all the elements of that sketch together.......................


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