More or Loesser: 15 Great Songs by Frank Loesser
When I sat down to write a “Top 15” list of Frank Loesser songs, the composer-lyricist behind such Broadway musical hits as Guys & Dolls, The Most Happy Fella, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, I soon realized that narrowing it down to the fifteen best would be a futile task. Loesser was such a master of melody, character development, and found wonderful places for heart in the most comedic of places. So, instead of boiling it down, I just picked 15 songs by Frank Loesser to create a playlist that I hope beyond hope that you will enjoy as much as I reveled in putting it together. More or Loesser, every single one of these is a gem.
“Luck Be a Lady”
Guys & Dolls
Any moment that you are about to bet the bank, take a risk on a long shot, or see someone simply shooting craps, you are bound to think of the oft-recorded song “Luck Be A Lady” from Guys & Dolls. When the gambler Sky Masterson bets his bankroll against a sewer full of crap shooters, he sings this song to Lady Luck herself, asking her not to do him wrong. The song has enjoyed many hit recordings, including one by Frank Sinatra.
“Once in Love with Amy”
Where’s Charley?
It is a rare occasion that one sees a revival of the 1948 musical Where’s Charley?adapted from the comedic farce Charley’s Aunt. The musical had a break-out hit song, introduced by star of stage and screen Ray Bolger, called “Once In Love With Amy.” Within the show, the title character (Bolger) sings “Once In Love With Amy” then turns it into an audience sing-along, where the spritely number is repeated, again and again.
“Joey, Joey, Joey”
The Most Happy Fella
The score for the 1956 musical The Most Happy Fellais easily Loesser’s most-complex score, as well as his most challenging. Much of the music borderlines on operetta, which is why many opera companies often undertake this show. The glorious score includes one of my personal favorites by Loesser, “Joey, Joey, Joey”, a song of longing performed by a farm hand named Joe who has a hard time staying put in one place.
“Brotherhood of Man”
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
They say that satire rarely works in musical theatre, and yet How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying satirizes the world of big business with hilarity and pointed accuracy. A window washer climbs the corporate ladder by following a “how to” manual. When it appears his stratagems are beginning to fall apart and the company is about to fire him, he brings all the executives together and rallies them into a solidarity that leads to his promotion rather than his termination. “Brotherhood of Man” is an eleven o’clock number that stops the show.
“Summertime Love”
Greenwillow
“Summertime Love” is from a lesser-known (or should I say “Loesser known”) musical called Greenwillow. Though it was one of the composer’s far and between flops, the 1960 slice of rural life musical is loaded with wonderful music. This song, in particular, introduced in the show by Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates of Psycho, which he was filming simultaneously while working on Greenwillow). The breezy number finds Gideon (Perkins), a wandering young man, falling in love with a girl in his home town.
“Adelaide’s Lament”
Guys & Dolls
Has being sick ever been quite as funny as when Miss Adelaide of Guys & Dolls suffers from psychosomatic symptoms brought on by being terminally engaged.? The song was introduced in the 1950 Broadway hit by the late, great Vivian Blaine. Adelaide is a showgirl who has been in a relationship with the gambler Nathan Detroit, but his fear of commitment has manifested into a relentless cold for his fiancé.
“A Secretary is Not A Toy”
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Long before the workplace started to wise up to the acceptable way to treat women, the Human Resources Department at the World Wide Wicket Corporation in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was drawing lines of appropriateness. “A Secretary is Not A Toy” is a warning against any executive with harassment on his resume.
“Anywhere I Wander”
Hans Christian Anderson
Frank Loesser didn’t just write for the Broadway musical stage; occasionally he also provided music for Hollywood as well. Of course, he wrote the now controversial “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, the Oscar-winning song from Neptune’s Daughter that was originally inspired by his playful relationship with his wife. However, he crafted an enchanting score for the 1952 film musical Hans Christian Andersonand “Anywhere I Wander” is a tender torch song sung by the title character.
“My Heart Is So Full Of You”
The Most Happy Fella
Prepare to have your heartstrings plucked and pulled by “My Heart Is So Full Of You” from The Most Happy Fella, an emotional romantic duet that really probes that deeper emotions of what being in love with someone are. Tony and Rosabella are an unlikely couple, he an older grape farmer in Napa, California who seeks a mail order romance (that he comes by dishonestly) with a her, a younger waitress from San Francisco.
“Walking Away Whistling”
Greenwillow
One of the most-haunting songs to come from a Loesser musical (or indeed any musical) is “Walking Away Whistling” from Greenwillow. Sung by the character Dorrie, whose boyfriend Gideon has been cursed with a case of wanderlust, tries to put him out of her heart. It’s an achingly palpable number, one of Loesser’s most melancholy and resigned. At 14:43 you can listen to song on the following:
“I Believe In You”
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
One of the first showtunes to really delve into the idea of self-esteem, “I Believe in You” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is all about faith in one’s self. J. Pierpont Finch uses a “how to” manual to climb the corporate ladder at the World Wide Wicket Corporation, but standing before a mirror in the executive restroom, he sings this ditty to himself, realizing that what he really needs to get ahead resides inside him.
“Guys and Dolls”
Guys & Dolls
To what lengths is a man willing to go to in order to win the affections of a woman? Loesser explores that idea with some hilarity when two gamblers ruminate over how their good friend and sometimes employer acts differently around the ladies, deciding that it is a worldwide epidemic where “love” messes with humanity’s better judgment.
“Standing on the Corner”
The Most Happy Fella
It’s hard to imagine that a song about loitering would be such a hit, but “Standing on the Corner” from The Most Happy Fellacertainly found its way from Frank Loesser’s pen and became an earworm that worked its way into theatergoer’s hearts. It’s also a delightful use of barbershop quartet in a Broadway musical.
“Been A Long Day”
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
In musical theatre, you see a lot of musical comedy solos, and you see your share of musical comedy duets, but the musical comedy trio is a little harder to come by. One of the finest is “Been A Long Day” from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Sung while waiting for an elevator, two co-workers are moving very slowly toward making a dinner date, while a third co-worker, frustrated at their snail-like pace, does what she can to speed it up.
“Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat”
Guys & Dolls
Arguably the most thrilling eleven o’clock number of all time, “Sit You’re Rockin’ the Boat” from Guys & Dolls is a rousing musical piece set in the show’s second act. Nicely-Nicely Johnson, one of the many gamblers who have lost a bet and are required to attend a prayer meeting at the Save-A-Soul Mission, suddenly sees the light and confesses his sins by sharing a dream he had. Soon, the song explodes into a chorus number that has all the energy and drama of a tent revival.
