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Mel Torme Quotes

Powerful Mel Torme for Daily Growth

About Mel Torme

Mel Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), born Martin Tanner in Chicago, Illinois, was an American jazz vocalist, songwriter, and composer, renowned for his distinctive voice, improvisational ability, and innovative compositions. Known as 'The Velvet Fog,' he made significant contributions to the realms of jazz and popular music. Tormé started his career in show business at an early age, performing with his family's vaudeville act. He later joined big bands, including those led by Jimmy Dorsey and Harry James, before launching a successful solo career. In 1947, he co-wrote the Christmas standard "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), alongside Bob Wells. This tune became one of his most enduring legacies. Tormé was influenced by Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra, but his unique style, characterized by a warm, velvety tone, swift scat singing, and emotional depth, set him apart from his contemporaries. His major works include albums such as "Mel Tormé at Newport" (1956), which showcased his improvisational skills; "Mel Tormé Sings His Greatest Hits" (1958), a collection of his most popular songs; and the groundbreaking jazz opera "Velvet Mood," released in 1972. Throughout his career, Tormé worked extensively as a songwriter and composer, penning hits like "A Wonderful World" (later made famous by Louis Armstrong) and "It Come's Down." He also authored several books on jazz and scotch whisky. Tormé continued to perform and record until his death in 1999 at the age of 73. His legacy lives on, influencing generations of musicians and continuing to enchant audiences with his velvety voice and innovative spirit.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The music's effect on me is like a drug."

The quote "The music's effect on me is like a drug" by Mel Tormé suggests an intense, addictive, and powerful connection he felt towards music. It implies that music had a profound impact on him, akin to the effects of drugs - it stirred strong emotions, altered his state of mind, and was irresistible in its appeal. This quote highlights how deeply music moved Tormé, and serves as a testament to its transformative power.

"If you want to sing really well, you start with really living."

This quote suggests that one's ability to perform music authentically and effectively is closely tied to their personal experiences and emotional depth. In other words, living a rich, meaningful life provides the raw material for genuine and powerful singing. A singer who lives fully can tap into a deep well of emotions and express them through their art in a way that resonates with audiences. This idea emphasizes the importance of authenticity and lived experience in artistic expression.

"When you're in love, the clock stops."

This quote by Mel Tormé suggests that when one is deeply in love, time seems to stand still or move more slowly, as the intense emotions experienced overshadow ordinary concerns and daily routines. The focus shifts entirely towards the beloved person, creating a sense of timelessness and heightened awareness.

"I never had any formal training whatsoever. I've always approached music emotionally and tried to convey feelings rather than just sing notes."

Mel Tormé, in this quote, expresses his unique approach to music as an artist who prioritized emotion over technicality. Instead of focusing solely on hitting the right notes, he aimed to express feelings through his singing, emphasizing the emotional depth of his performances rather than technical perfection.

"The only thing better than singing is more singing."

Mel Tormé's quote, "The only thing better than singing is more singing," speaks to his deep passion and love for music, particularly singing. It suggests that Tormé found joy and fulfillment in every note he sang, and craved even more opportunities to share his art with the world. This statement can be interpreted as a testament to the power of music to bring happiness and a reminder that one should always strive to fully immerse themselves in their passions, especially when it comes to something they love deeply, like singing.

Whenever I did a good performance, my Dad and my uncles, who were rabid movie fans, took me to the movies. There began my underlying love affair with film.

- Mel Torme

Love, Movie, Took, Underlying

See, I never wrote arrangements for the band for Judy Garland; I did strictly special material, special lyrics, put together all of her medleys.

- Mel Torme

Garland, Wrote, Judy Garland, Judy

There isn't a dearth of it, but I will confess that it's harder for me to find songs on which I'm willing to invest anything from ten to fifteen hours writing an arrangement than it was in times past.

- Mel Torme

Hours, Fifteen, Which, Dearth

It may sound a bit like an army barracks, but the truth of the matter is: there must be some time laid aside for arranging, time for working on either a book or an article - I've written two articles in the last four months for the New York Times book review section.

- Mel Torme

Book, Sound, Some, Arranging

How many radio shows I did is lost to memory now; it's in the hundreds - maybe even close to being in the thousands - for the span of years from the time I was eight till I was about fifteen.

- Mel Torme

Memory, Maybe, Till, Span

Right now, my career is in three directions: as a performer, as an arranger, as an author - and I don't give any one of them true precedent, or true top marks, as opposed to the other two.

- Mel Torme

Career, Give, Opposed, Marks

But, in fairness to them, too, the popular song per se is really a pretty shallow medium to perform in.

- Mel Torme

Song, Fairness, Pretty, Shallow

I got into radio when I was eight, and I was one of the busiest child dramatic actors in America.

- Mel Torme

Radio, Dramatic, Got, Busiest

Because Chicago was to radio what Hollywood was to films and Broadway was to the theatre: it was the hub of radio.

- Mel Torme

Theatre, Hollywood, Films, Hub

I didn't really have an act per se - a theatrical performance, as opposed to just: here I am, folks, and you're all supposed to be dead quiet while I sing eight or nine songs, then get off the stage.

- Mel Torme

Here, Nine, Theatrical, Per

As regards my feelings about drummers - there's Buddy Rich, and then there's everybody else.

- Mel Torme

Everybody, About, Else, Regards

I would be a liar if I said it wouldn't be lovely and soothing - that's the word - to have a hit single or a hit album.

- Mel Torme

Lovely, Single, Hit, Liar

As a singer, the biggest joy I have are the arrangements.

- Mel Torme

Joy, Singer, Biggest, Arrangements

I was a singer professionally when I was four years old, and I did not really begin to play any instrument - the first one, of course, was drums - till I was about nine years old.

- Mel Torme

Play, Nine, Till, Professionally

As Buddy Rich, for instance, broke into the business at the age of three, I think it was, on drums, so indeed did I break into the business at the age of four as a singer.

- Mel Torme

Think, I Think, Instance, Drums

I hadn't been a recording artist all that long when albums came on the scene, and I was one of the first singers to point the way to how varied an album's contents could be.

- Mel Torme

Been, Singers, Albums, Varied

My initial career, really, as a baby, was as a singer.

- Mel Torme

Baby, Career, Singer, Initial

So I'm sorry, I'm going to continue to talk to the people, because I do believe that if they get to know you and what you are as a human being, they can more appreciate what you are as a performer.

- Mel Torme

More, Performer, Human Being, Sorry

Because obviously the whole purpose of putting records out is purely and simply to make money.

- Mel Torme

Money, Purpose, Putting, Purely

Talking money is crass; so I'm not going to tell you what I made last year.

- Mel Torme

Year, Going, Last, Last Year

Buddy Rich is one of a kind; he's a genius, and that's all there is to it.

- Mel Torme

Kind, Rich, Buddy, Genius

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