Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)

Subject: Cloudburst: Kirkland/Harris/Hendricks
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 12:56 PM

This is one of the great vocalese accomplishments:
an instrumental written by Leroy Kirkland,
performed in a 1955 recording by his band (pseudonym name),
with Sam Taylor playing the tenor saxophone solo.
Don't know the trumpet soloist's name.
But the tenor sax and trumpet solos,
along with the instrumental choruses in this single,
are the musical raw material to which
Jon Hendricks, of the vocal group
Lambert Hendricks & Ross,
fitted a rapid-fire lyrical text.

Although I am after Hendricks's lyrics,
I wanted to open this thread
with the instrumental 1955 single that started it all.

"Cloudburst": Claude Cloud and his Thunderclaps

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 01:20 PM

After Lambert's untimely death,
the remaining members of the group,
Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross,
recorded this studio performance of
Hendricks's vocalese of "Cloudburst":
the man who wrote those top-speed lyrics,
singing them himself.

'Cloudburst' from Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Songbook

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 01:29 PM

And I don't know the musician's name
responsible for the four-part arrangement,
but here is the same verbal Vocalese
performed by the Pointer Sisters
on the Flip Wilson show,
as I remember it from all those years ago.

You want FAST?!

'Cloudburst", Pointer Sisters

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 02:02 PM

This lengthy text may be best captured
in pieces.

The music itself breaks down into
the Chorus, which opens the whole song,
and then those solos, which become vocal verses.

So here's the part that is easiest to understand:
the CHORUS.

I'm using the lyrics sung by the Pointer Sisters,
which accounts for any gender reversal:
women singing about finding the man of their dreams.


CLOUDBURST:
CHORUS

Jon Hendricks, words

I was blue
And I was always
Wearing a frown,

Because my man
Had turned me down;

Then we met,
And you can bet
I knew from the first,

You were my love,
'Cause that's when the old gray -- cloud burst!

My heart
Really flew
The day you caught my eye;

I hope
That we two
Will never say goodbye!

Clouds of gray
Have silver linings
When they're reversed;

I found your love,
And that's when the old gray -- cloud burst!

(under COPYRIGHT, and probably ASCAP)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 02:47 PM

Continued:

At this point, on the original instrumental recording from 1955,
Sam "The Man" Taylor
plays a tenor saxophone solo
while the band runs through the chorus-music.

Here's the first time through the chorus, with
the first part of the tenor sax solo.

CLOUDBURST: first big solo
Jon Hendricks, words.

Hey, ba-by!
I'm gonna tell you 'bout your lovin' and your kissin'
And your huggin' and your sweet turtle-dovin'
Pretty baby, I won't be satisfied
'Til I hear 'em play: HERE COMES THE BRIDE!
Listen to me baby, and I don't mean maybe,
Listen to my story, it's terrifically true!
I wanna find a way to tell you that I really go for you --
I hope you really believe me, baby, 'cause I certainly do!

'Cause you're thrillin' me, you're really, really thrillin'
When you tell me that you prob'ly got a kind of crush on me,
That moves me, grooves me,
How divine can one man be?!
Oh! little darlin', I'm really fallin',
You got me goofy and gay,
I'm bound to get carried away!
Just think, you're gonna be mine someday!

(under COPYRIGHT, and probably ASCAP)
to be continued with the next chorus/solo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 09:08 PM

The Pointer Sisters, when performing their arrangement,
start this section in
four-part harmony, counterpoint playing off against each other.

CLOUDBURST -- second tenor-sax solo section
Jon Hendricks, words

Oh, let's spin a little, spark a little,
Stop a little, park a little,
Love a little, maybe turtle-dove a little, baby;
Every time you hold me so near,
Nobody loves me like you, dear!

Let's stop a little, tease a little,
Prob'ly maybe squeeze a little,
Try a little, sigh a little,
Maybe I can lie a little
bit,
Gonna tell you the truth:
I'm gonna love you,
And that's it!

'Cause I love you baby, love you baby,
Love you baby, love you baby,
Love you baby with all my heart!
Ooh, listen to me when I tell you that
A lot of little fellas got away
But I know, I know, pretty baby,
I know, pretty baby, I know
You're the one, yes, you're the one.
I knew it when I met ya --
What a break to get ya!

(under COPYRIGHT, and probably ASCAP)
to be continued with the next
exchange between trumpet and tenor saxophone ...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 09:18 PM

The Pointer Sisters continue trading these lines back and forth.
In the instrumental of origin,
it's a dialogue between
TRUMPET (and other brass)
and
TENOR SAX.


CLOUDBURST, continued:
Jon Hendricks, words

TRUMPET
When it's cloudy and gray
and that's the worst,
how do you get
that cloud to burst?

TENOR SAX
You gotta find a lover
find a lover
find a lover
find a lover!

TRUMPET
When it's silvery
under clouds of gray,
how you gonna chase
the gray away?

TENOR SAX
You gotta find a little girl and
make her love you a lot --
don't ever leave 'em sittin',
or you're really gonna ruin the plot!

TRUMPET
Sounds easy, does it?

TENOR SAX
/Bonnie Pointer :
Light as a breeze
through the trees, boy!

TRUMPET
How pleasant was it?

TENOR SAX
/Bonnie Pointer :
Pleasant as one summer breeze, boy!

TRUMPET
It's wonderful what a love can do --
Look at what love has done for you!

TENOR SAX
/ sisters duet :
Well, I'm a lucky lover, a lucky lover,
I've got the love you should discover!

(under COPYRIGHT, and probably ASCAP)

to be concluded
with a reprise of the CHORUS,
and one last flourish before the end.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: cnd
Date: 27 Jun 20 - 11:42 PM

The song is credited to only Jimmy Harris and Leroy Kirkland on the album.

Excellent song I'd never heard before, thanks for sharing

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: fat B****rd
Date: 28 Jun 20 - 06:08 AM

Check out "Lambert, Hendricks and Bavan at Newport" great version of Cloudburst. In fact, great versions of several songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: vocalese: Cloudburst (Jon Hendricks)
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Jun 20 - 11:57 AM

Well, that's almost all of it.
There is a little burst of new lyrics after
the reprise of the opening chorus,
with its return to the opening text.

The Pointer Sisters use this little burst of new words
in order to take turns imitating instruments in a brass band,
one sister at a time,
in between the ensemble singing:

Take a look at me, boy,
Take another look,
Take another look,
Take another look,
Take another good long look at me,
Love opened my eyes and now I see!


And back to a final round of
... that's when the old gray -- cloud burst!