PEGGY LEE Why Don't You Do Right?
- 10 years ago
Steven Wagner - Stevan Vagner, Podrum COLLEGIUM MELODIUM, World music museum in Belgrade, PEDJA / GENE KRUPA / and LJUBICA JOVICEVIC, present, "Why Don't You Do Right?" ,an American blues- and jazz-influenced pop song written and composed in 1936 by Joseph "Kansas Joe" McCoy. A twelve-bar minor key blues form with a few chord substitutes, it is considered a classic "woman's blues" song and, more recently, it has also become a standard. One of the best-known versions of the song, Peggy Lee's, was recorded on July 27, 1942 in New York with Benny Goodman. It sold over 1 million copies and brought her to nationwide attention.
Lee often stated that Green's recording was extremely influential to her music. In a 1984 interview she said: "I was and am a fan of Lil Green, a great old blues singer, and Lil recorded it. I used to play that record over and over in my dressing room, which was next door to Benny's (Goodman). Finally he said, 'You obviously like that song.' I said, 'Oh, I love it.' He said, 'Would you like me to have an arrangement made of it?' I said, 'I'd love that,' and he did."
"Why Don't You Do Right?" was not the biggest hit Goodman and Lee put out; it only reached #4 on the Billboard charts. But it defined Lee's sultry and rich vocal style early on in her career. Lee left Goodman in 1943, having married guitarist Dave Barbour. Her intention was to retire from the music industry and focus on homemaking, but she continued receiving offers to return to the music world, largely due in part to the success of "Why Don't You Do Right?" Ultimately she returned to singing, and collaborated off and on with Goodman throughout her career. They recorded an alternate version of "Why Don't You Do Right?" in 1947.
Lee often stated that Green's recording was extremely influential to her music. In a 1984 interview she said: "I was and am a fan of Lil Green, a great old blues singer, and Lil recorded it. I used to play that record over and over in my dressing room, which was next door to Benny's (Goodman). Finally he said, 'You obviously like that song.' I said, 'Oh, I love it.' He said, 'Would you like me to have an arrangement made of it?' I said, 'I'd love that,' and he did."
"Why Don't You Do Right?" was not the biggest hit Goodman and Lee put out; it only reached #4 on the Billboard charts. But it defined Lee's sultry and rich vocal style early on in her career. Lee left Goodman in 1943, having married guitarist Dave Barbour. Her intention was to retire from the music industry and focus on homemaking, but she continued receiving offers to return to the music world, largely due in part to the success of "Why Don't You Do Right?" Ultimately she returned to singing, and collaborated off and on with Goodman throughout her career. They recorded an alternate version of "Why Don't You Do Right?" in 1947.