 sj |
||
|
||
Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune)
|
|
|
|||||||
|
Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) |
Share Thread
|
||||||
|
Subject: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 21 Aug 06 - 12:25 AM This is a party song that has been in my family for as long as I can remember; It was sung at nearly every family gathering, winter or summer, in my early years. My uncle Arthur (now passed on) probably learned it in college, at some fraternity comedy revue, or somesuch, but we don't know for sure (I'd have to double check with Dad, but I think Arthur was in college in the late '30s / early '40s). There didn't happen to be any Mudcatters in the audience as well, that night, by any chance, were there? ;-) I'LL TAKE VANILLA (Author unknown) I'll take vanilla, just plain vanilla. Vanilla is the spice of life for me! Some girls like liquor. That makes me sicker. There's kick enough in old ice cream for me (Ice cream for me)! You can talk of your walks in the moonlight's pale beams. But a girl can't go wrong on vanilla ice cream! So I'll take vanilla. Just plain vanilla (Vanilla, Dear, I hear you calling me!) To see the score, or hear a midi of the tune, copy and paste the bold text below into the text window at Concertina.net's Tune-O-Tron Converter, and click on [Submit] X:1 T:I'll Take Vanilla Q:1/4=125 K:G D4D4|E2D2B,3z|G4G4|A2G2E3z|G2B2B2B2|G2A2A2G2| F2G4z2|D4D4|E2D2B,3z|G4G4|A2G2E3z|G2B2B2B2|G2A2A2G2| F2G4z2|d4c4|B4A4|BAG2BAG2|BAG2B2A2|G2DEF2| DEF2DEF2|F2G2A4|ED3D4|E2D2B,3z|G4G4|A2G2E3z| G2B2B2B2|G2A2A2G2|F2G5z|] |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 21 Aug 06 - 12:54 AM There was a 1934 short film with Charley Chase titled "I'll Take Vanilla," but I can't find that a song was associated with it. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Azizi Date: 21 Aug 06 - 12:58 AM Well, I prefer chocolate. :o) |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 21 Aug 06 - 01:27 AM Q -- interesting. When I'm more awake, I'll search the Internet Movie Database for it. Azizi -- Chocolate is yummy, I'll admit. But vanilla is such a smooth and mellow accompaniment to everything (and you can always top it with chocolate sause, if you want). |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Azizi Date: 21 Aug 06 - 02:31 AM Well, actually I prefer orange sherbet or butter pecan. But I couldn't resist 'making a funny'. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 21 Aug 06 - 12:46 PM heheh. Yeah. When my family had a hand-crank icecrea maker, we made vanilla ice cream with homemade "extract," produced by soaking the vanilla beans in Grand Marnier (and then, we'd scrape out the seeds from the bean itself, too). This gave the ice cream a nice hint of orange flavor, which was delish over my mother's homemade chocolate brownies. And really, that's the vanilla ice cream that's closest to my heart -- not the insipid white stuff from Dairy Queen or McDonald's. (It's also very hard to beat a good coffee ice cream -- or mint chocolate chip. Just keep the rum raisin for yourself, please.) I still think it's a wonderful song. It's got that "music hall" feel, and when it's sung by family members, after a few drinks, it also has a lilting, swinging quality that doesn't really come through in the midi. Aa far as I know, it's only really known within one branch of my father's family. And that branch is gradually dying off. And Mudcat, is, really, a preserve for endangered species of songs. I'll have to ask my dad if he remembers "I want a red automobile!" which was almost always a companion piece to this one. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 21 Aug 06 - 01:22 PM "Shiny Red Automobile" was a hit for George Morgan. Dunno if it is the same. Can't find lyrics. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 21 Aug 06 - 02:11 PM Hmmm... I'll ask my dad for the lyrics, though I don't remember the word "shiny" in the song he and Arthur sang. Though if Arthur did indeed learn these songs together at a college review, it might be that both were done as comedy spoofs of current popular culture -- the short film "I'll Take Vanilla" and George Morgan's hit. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: leeneia Date: 21 Aug 06 - 02:33 PM Thanks for sharing your memories, CapriUni. It's a nice story. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 21 Aug 06 - 02:45 PM You're welcome, Leenia. It's good to share. The other evening, I was watching a documentary on quirky Mom & Pop ice cream parlors around America, and this song popped into my head (how could it not, really?). Part of me, deep down, half-expected to hear mention of this song in the bits talking about ice cream history. But I only heard it in my head. So I figured that was a situation that needed rectifying... ;-) |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: JesseW Date: 22 Aug 06 - 03:43 AM Wheeee! That's a lovely song. And thanks ever so much for posting the tune with it; it's always so frustrating to find a great song and be unable to sing it due to not knowing the tune. However, I have a few confusions as to what notes go with what words; I've posted my best guess below, please post a corrected one if I'm wrong. (I'm using the lyrics method from the draft 2.0 ABC standard) What does the "," in the 2nd measure mean? I haven't been able to find any reference to a comman in the ABC standard (I'm probably just missing it...) The following lines don't seem to fit in the ABC you posted: "(Ice cream for me)!" X:1 T:I'll Take Vanilla Q:1/4=125 K:G D4 D4 | E2 D2 B ,3z|G4 G4 | w: I'll take| va-nil-la, |just plain | A2 G2 E3 z|G2 B2 B2 B2| G2 A2 A2 G2 | F2 G4 z2| w: va-nil-la. |Va-nil-la is| the spice of life| for me! | D4 D4 | E2 D2 B ,3z| w: Some girls| like li-quor. | G4 G4 |A2 G2 E3 z| w: That makes me sick-er. | G2 B2 B2 B2 | G2 A2 A2 G2 | F2 G4 z2| w: There's kick en-ough| in old ice cream| for me | d4 c4 | B4 A4| BA G2 B A G2| BAG2B2A2|G2DEF2| w: You can| talk of| your walks in the moon-light's pale beams. DEF2DEF2|F2G2A4|ED3D4|E2D2B,3z| w: But a girl can't go wrong on vanilla ice cream! G4 G4 | A2 G2 E3 z| w: So~I'll take| va-nil-la. | G2 B2 B2 B2 |G2 A2 A2 G2| F2 G5 z|] w: Just plain va-nil-la (Va-nil-la, Dear, I hear you calling me!) As you can see, it's obviously not fitting well... Any help appreciated! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 22 Aug 06 - 05:49 PM As you can see, it's obviously not fitting well... Oops! I hate when that happens! Try this version: X:1 T:I'll Take Vanilla Q:1/4=125 K:G D4 D4|E2 D2 B,3 z|G4 G4|A2 G2 E3 z|G2 B2 B2 B2| w:I'll take|van-il-la,|just plain|van-il-la!|Van-il-la is| G2 A2 A2 G2|F2 G3 z|D4 D4|E2 D2 B,3 z|G4 G4| w:the spice of life|for me!|Some girls|like li-quor|That makes| A2 G2 E3 z|G2 B2 B2 B2|G2 A2 A2 G2|F2 G3 z| w:me sick-er;|there's kick e-nough|in old ice cream|for me. d4 c4|B4 A4|B A G2 B A G2|B A G2 B A G2| w:(Ice cream|for me!)|You can talk of your walks|in the moon-light's pale beams| D E F2 D E F2|D E F2 F2|G2 A3 z| w:But a girl can't go wrong|on van-il-la|ice cream! E D3 D4|E2 D2 B,3 z|G4 G4|A2 G2 E3 Z|G2 B2 B2 B2| w:So I'll take|Van-il-la,|just plain van-il-la!|(Van-il-la, Dear,| G2 A2 A2 G2|F2 G4|| w:I hear you call|ing me! |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 23 Aug 06 - 01:15 PM Talked to my dad, last night. He didn't remember "I want a red automobile!" well enough to sing it for me, but he suspects that it has nothing to do with George Morgan's song; he said there really wasn't much to the ditty Arthur sang -- was definitely not as developed as a full song. He told me that Arthur went to Haverford, so on reflection, he thinks maybe "I'll take vanilla" came from Bryn Mawr, which was just down the way... |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Jim Dixon Date: 24 Aug 06 - 06:36 PM Catalog data from The Indiana University Sheet Music Collections Title: I'LL HAVE VANILLA Composer: Cantor, Eddie Composer: Farrar, Redmond Composer: Terker, Arthur Performer: Eddie Cantor Publisher: M. Witmark & Sons Place of publication: New York Date of publication: 1924 Call Number: M1 .D48 Box: 092 Item: 051 Performance Medium: Piano and Voice (with lyrics) First Line: Hazel is a nut, she does nothing but eat ice cream Chorus First Line: I'll have vanilla, just plain vanilla, vanilla is the spice Genre: Popular song Subject term: Beer/Whiskey/Prohibition |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: Jim Dixon Date: 24 Aug 06 - 07:03 PM Transcribed from a couple of sound samples: On her wedding day, in the month of May, Hazel walked to meet the blushing groom. Then the preacher starts to join the loving hearts: "Will you honor and obey?" To which the guests heard Hazel say, "Oh, I'll have vanilla, just plain vanilla, Vanilla's white and that means purity...." [From the Eddie Cantor 2-disk set "The Columbia Years: 1922-1940," Columbia CD C2K-57148, 1994.] |
|
Subject: Lyr Add: I'LL HAVE VANILLA (Eddie Cantor) From: Jim Dixon Date: 24 Aug 06 - 10:30 PM I'LL HAVE VANILLA Eddie Cantor, Redmond Farrar, Arthur Terker; 1924. VERSE 1. Hazel is a nut. She does nothing but Eat ice cream when fellas take her out. Never wants to go to dinner or a show. If ... that she will holler, "Take me to an ice-cream parlor. CHORUS 1: "I'll have vanilla, just plain vanilla. Vanilla is the spice of life to me. Raspberry's veryâ€"â€". So is strawberry. And lemon is as whosis as can be. You can shake that milkshake till the cow starts to scream, But I'll wait for a plate of vanilla ice cream. I'll have vanilla. Oh, you vanilla! Vanilla, dear, I hear you calling me." VERSE 2: On her wedding day, in the month of May, Hazel walks to meet the blushing groom. Then the preacher starts to join the loving hearts. "Will you honor and obey?" to which the guests heard Hazel say, CHORUS 2: "Oh, I'll have vanilla, just plain vanilla. Vanilla's white and that means purity. Some girls want liquor. That makes me snicker. There's kick enough in plain ice cream for me. You can talk of your walk 'neath the moonlight's soft gleam, But a girl can't go wrong on vanilla ice cream. I'll have vanilla. Oh, you vanilla! Vanilla, dear, I hear you calling me. [Instrumental "verse"] CHORUS 3: "I'll have vanilla, just plain vanilla. Vanilla simply fills me full of glee. On ev'ry Monday, I want a sundae. On Tuesday, it tastes just as good to me. In the subway one day, someone gave me a seat. I said, "Thank you, kind sir. This is really a treat, But I'll have vanilla. Oh, you vanilla! I'm sure you don't know what this means to me." [You can hear Eddie Cantor sing this song in an archived radio program. Go to this page: Playlist for Old Codger with Courtney T. Edison - December 27, 2000, and click "Listen to this show (RealAudio)." The song begins 1 hour 13 minutes 0 seconds from the beginning of the program. (You can use RealPlayer to skip to that point.)] |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 25 Aug 06 - 02:49 AM Thanks, Jim! A family mystery finally solved! Now the question I have is: how did this song become so endangered? (And why does vanilla get such a bad rap?) okay, so that's two questions... |
|
Subject: Corrected (and now spaced out) lyrics + tune From: JesseW Date: 25 Aug 06 - 03:06 AM Capri - Thanks so much for the corrected lyrics! I've reposted them here spaced out for (hopefully) easy reading... (or at least a greater understanding of the abaccab (4345543) structure of this song)
|
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 25 Aug 06 - 02:03 PM You're welcome, JesseW. And thanks for your rendition of the ABC. It does make it easier to see how the words and notes line up, but it's a little too wide for my browser; I have to scroll left to right to read it. Anyway, just for fun, have any of you seen the Ice Cream Flavor Personality Quiz? Now, of those flavors listed, I sometimes have a hankering for each of them; I'm not as dogmatic about it as dear Hazel was (bless her heart). But I gravitate to vanilla, most often. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: GUEST,Lou Date: 15 Jul 11 - 05:57 PM "I'll take Vanilla" became a popular expression at one time. In "Who Done It," Bud Abbott & Lou Costello are soda jerks who are trying to break into radio as scriptwriters. After they offer a sample of their brilliance to Mary Wickes, she says something like, "If that's a radio script, I'll take vanilla," and walks away. I guess the boys being soda jerks was part of the joke, but "I'll take vanilla" was a catch-phrase term for "that's nonsense," or "horsefeathers." WHY it became a catch-phrase, I have no idea. Maybe it's the idea that people who like vanilla are plain, down to Earth people, who don't need rocky road, Cherry Garcia or some bizarre flavor in their lives. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 16 Jul 11 - 12:24 AM Thanks for the further insight, Lou. Personally, I don't understand how vanilla came to be considered a boring flavor. It's so rich and complex. However, it also cooperates with every other flavor out there.... |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: MGM·Lion Date: 16 Jul 11 - 01:30 AM Note that the formulation as an expression of disbelief or denunciation as nonsense will always follow a conditional adverbial clause beginning 'if', in the form "If such-and-such should be the case, I'll take vanilla". I first came across this usage when playing an American in a production of Noel Coward's Relative Values, where it is used by another American character. The play was first produced 1951, which is the date given in an online catchphrase dictionary I googled as the one when the usage was current. ~Michael~ |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 16 Jul 11 - 02:51 AM Michael -- So, basically, "I'll take vanilla!" was a mildly snarky way to say: "No thanks, I don't want what you're offering me."? And since the song was composed in 1927, could the song be the inspiration for the catchphrase?" And in the meantime, the addition of this wrinkle to the meaning has brought this to mind: The Menu Song. Written by Tom Lehrer, and sung by Rita Moreno, with a young Morgan Freeman as straight man. |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 16 Jul 11 - 01:49 PM Jim Dixon -- very belated thanks for that link to Eddie Cantor singing the song. Back when I started this thread, I didn't have broadband, so I couldn't listen to it. But I listened to it just now. It's odd hearing it with a slightly different melody than I remember... and in a voice that isn't my uncle's. The point that Lou and Michael made, about how "I'll take vanilla" eventually came to mean a denunciation of nonsense adds a wry tone when that's the answer to "Will you honor and obey?" doesn't it? |
|
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: I'll Take Vanilla (w/tune) From: CapriUni Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:03 PM Jim Dixon -- on listening to that song again, via the link you sent me, the words you missed in the first verse were "If invited, she will holler: 'Take me to an ice cream parlor." Guest Lou -- as to how it became a catchphrase, I woke up this morning remembering that my dad, whenever I complained that something popular (TV show, music, book, etc.) wasn't any good, he'd rejoin: "Well, that's why they make Chocolate and Vanilla!" So maybe that's the origin? (My dad was born in 1927) |
|
Subject: Lyr Add: VANILLA (from Shel Silverstein) From: dick greenhaus Date: 18 Jul 11 - 03:56 PM Or, (from Shel Silverstein) C a d G7 Well now, it was a hot day in July C a d G7 I had ice cream on my mind C a d G7 I went up to the ice cream stand C I said, "Ooh, ooh, Mr. Ice Cream Man. "I want to start with a great big double dip Of a raspberry sherbet and a chocolate chip A lemon ice, and on top of that I want a rocky road, now hold on to your hat "I want a blueberry boysenberry butter pecan You tell me your pistachio's gone? I'm gonna take my betty and bop your boop." He said, "Hold on baby, I will give you the scoop." He said, "Vanilla, all we got's Vanil-la la-la lalalala, the whole world wants Vanil-la la-la lalalala, so that's what we're Sellin' now." "Uh, huh." But I said no and I trucked on down To the funkiest bar in the funk part of town The sign on the door said, "Live Music Tonight" I said, "Ooh! All right!" "Let's start with a horn that sounds like Miles A Lady Day singer singin' "God Bless the Child" A Charlie Parker type saxophone Eubie Green on the slide trombone." "I want drums. You know I don't care which Gimme Philly Joe Jones, or Buddy Rich I want a bass that sounds just like Ray Brown's." He said, "Hold on baby, slow your tempo down." He said, "Vanilla, all we play is Vanil-la la-la lalalala, the whole world wants Vanil-la la-la lalalala, so that's what we're Sellin' now." And so with no ice cream and without no song I walked the streets the whole night long Till I come upon a little miss flippety-flop I said, "Ooh baby! Come to pop!" I said, "I'll bring the booze baby, get the trapeze I'll put on my snorkel, you get down on your knees I'll bounce to the sky on your vibratin' bed While you throw Mallomars at my head." "I'm gonna dress you up in aluminum foil Fill up the bathtub with Mazola oil I'll bring the lash honey, you bring the hash." She says, "Hold on baby, all the freakies are past." She said, "Vanilla, all I do now is Vanil-la la-la lalalala, the whole world wants Vanil-la la-la lalalala, so that's what I'm Sellin' now." (Wow-wow, wow wo-ow filename[ VANILA RPf |
| Share Thread: |