Baubles, Bangles, & Beads
"Baubles, Bangles, & Beads" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet, credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. It is based on the second movement from string quartet nr.2 in D major, "Scherzo. Allegro" by Russian composer Alexander Borodin.
Background
Like almost all the music in that show, the melody was based on works by Alexander Borodin,[1][2] in this case the second theme of the second movement of his String Quartet in D. The "Kismet" setting maintains the original's 3/4 waltz rhythm; pop music settings change the rhythm to a moderate four-beat accompaniment. Jazz musicians are especially drawn to the song's beguiling melody and advanced harmonic structure. The familiar AA'BA+Coda structure of the song is energized by a key change up a major third interval for every section; the transition is marked by a harmonic progression from the central major key of one section to the tritone minor key of the following section.
1953 recordings
The best-selling version of the song was recorded by Peggy Lee on September 16, 1953[3] and charted briefly that year.[4] Other versions were recorded that year by Lu Ann Simms and Georgia Gibbs.
Kirby Stone Four recording
- The Kirby Stone Four re-make hit No. 25 in the Billboard Top 100 in 1958[5] and remains a favorite on adult standard stations.
Other recordings
The song has appeared on numerous albums over the years including:
- Gerry Mulligan - Recorded in Boston at Storyville (1956)[6]
- Wes Montgomery - Fingerpickin' (1957)[7]
- Lena Horne - Give the Lady What She Wants (1958)[8]
- Eydie Gorme - Gorme Sings Showstoppers (1958)[9]
- Frank Sinatra - Come Dance with Me! (1959),[10] Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1967)[11]
- Kay Starr - Movin' on Broadway (1960)[12]
- June Christy - The Cool School (1960)[13]
- Sarah Vaughan - You're Mine You (1962)[14]
- Oscar Peterson Trio - Affinity (1962)[15]
- Chet Atkins - Travelin' (1963)[16]
- Johnny Mathis - So Nice (1966)[17]
- Sylvia Telles - The Face I Love (1966)[18]
- Dionne Warwick - On Stage and in the Movies (1967)[19]
- Argentine composer Ernesto Acher mixed the scherzo of Borodin's string quartet with this piece of music, under the name "Borodin, Bangles & Beads" in 1987 on his album Juegos [20]
- Sofia Hoffmann - Rebirth (2022)[21]
References
- ^ Kaye, Colin. Classical Connections: Stolen melodies, www.pattayamail.com, September 3, 2021.
- ^ McHugh, Dominic “I’ll Never Know Exactly Who Did What”: Broadway Composers as Musical Collaborators. Journal of the American Musicological Society, Vol. 68, Number 3, pp. 605–652 ISSN 0003-0139, electronic ISSN 1547-3848.
- ^ "peggyleediscography.com". peggyleediscography.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 270. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ "The Kirby Stone Four Baubles, Bangles And Beads Chart History". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
- ^ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. 1960. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
- ^ "www.discogs.com". www.discogs.com. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
- ^ "Borodin, Bangles & Beads" (Borodin's Scherzo from the Quartet n° 2/Baubles, Bangles & Beads) is also on the album Mischief with Mozart - Comical Combat with the Classics (Stradivari Classics).
- ^ "SOFIA HOFFMANN NA SMOOTH FM: ENTREVISTA E NOVO ÁLBUM!". Retrieved October 25, 2023.