A nightengale sang in berkeley square

  1. hendrix2
    hendrix2
    This is an Steve Groves arrangement of this jazz standard.
    It's something totally different and not on mandolin, but I wanted to share this one.

    It's played on my Godin 5th avenue kingpin. The sound is not so good due to a bad setting of my amp Maybe I'll record it again with better settings.



    grz.
    Kenneth
  2. Barbara Shultz
    Barbara Shultz
    Awesome! Thanks for the submission! Do you play any jazz on your mando? If so, we'd love to see/hear that, as well! Nice knees, too!
  3. hendrix2
    hendrix2
    I'm working on some jazz things on mandolin. I'll record something soon.
    Thanks I just love my knees
  4. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    Well done - that was the business! I'm really wanting one of those Godin 5th Avenues, how are you finding yours the longer you've had it?
  5. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    Very pretty, I enjoyed that, thank you.
  6. hendrix2
    hendrix2
    Thanks.
    Jill, the longer I have my Godin, the more I love it. Today I did a jamsession with it and it just sounded beatiful at high volume. It plays amazingly good. Until today it was my main guitar around the house. Since today I'll take it with me to rehearsels etc.
  7. Joe Nobiling
    Joe Nobiling
    Wonderful arrangement of a great tune, hendrix2. It took me awhile to remember where I've known that tune from. For some reason I was linking it to some funky, cheesy pop tune but now I've recalled a recording of it by The Manhatten Transfer, one of my favorite of all time vocal groups. According to my net research they won a grammy for the version of it. Guitar chord melody playing is a favorite style of mine that I've put on the back burner a number of years ago but have hopes of revisiting it again, soon.

    Here's the lyrics:

    When true lovers meet in Mayfair, so the legends tell,
    Songbirds sing; winter turns to spring.
    Every winding street in Mayfair falls beneath the spell.
    I know such enchantment can be, 'cos it happened one evening to me:
    That certain night, the night we met,
    There was magic abroad in the air,
    There were angels dining at the Ritz,
    And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
    I may be right, I may be wrong,
    But I'm perfectly willing to swear
    That when you turned and smiled at me
    A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
    The moon that lingered over London town,
    Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
    How could he know we two were so in love?
    The whole darn world seemed upside down.
    The streets of town were paved with stars;
    It was such a romantic affair.
    And, as we kissed and said 'goodnight',
    A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.

    The first stanza above (which is properly called a "verse" which is typically spoken as an intro), and the additional lyrics below (properly called the "chorus"), were in the original song as written, but are rarely sung in recordings (Bobby Darin, Mel Torme,Blossom Dearie, Twiggie, Vera Lynn, and Rod Stewart's recordings being notable exceptions):

    How strange it was, how sweet and strange;
    There was never a dream to compare
    With those hazy crazy nights we met
    When a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
    This heart of mine beat loud and fast,
    Like a merry go round in a fair.
    We were dancing cheek to cheek
    And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
    When dawn came stealing up all gold and blue
    To interrupt our rendezvous,
    I still remember how you smiled and said,
    "Was that a dream or was it true?"
    Our homeward step was just as light
    As the tap-dancing feet of Astaire
    And, like an echo far away,
    A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
    I know 'cos I was there,
    That night in Berkeley Square.

    I look forward to a second recording of it with a different amp setting as you mention. Or, how about an acoustic rendering?
  8. hendrix2
    hendrix2
    I'll probably will do a couple of new recordings in the next weeks. I'm still working on the timing so when I think I can do better, I'll definatly record it.
    I will do an acoustic rendering also.

    Thanks for the comment
  9. Jill McAuley
    Jill McAuley
    I was at the big guitar show in Marin Co. today and got to play a Godin 5th Ave. It wasn't the Kingpin model, but the shop had put a floating pick up on it. It was really nice to play, the neck seemed quite wide to me but of course that's coming from only playing mandolin for the past year or so. Nonetheless it was quite comfortable feeling to me. Sound wise you can't really hear much at these shows because so many folks are blasting away, Spinal Tap style, with the volume up to "11". The guy who's booth it was at offered me a decent deal on it but I actually practiced self control and walked on. I do want to pick one of these up at some stage (though my preference is for the Kingpin) but right now it's not high on my list of financial priorities, maybe later on in the year though.
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