Lanza's influence on rock musicians

[Derek McGovern]

I use the Google alert system for any references to Lanza on the
Internet, and I'm often amazed by the number of times he pops up in
unlikely places. Just the other day, for example, there was a glowing
reference to him in an interview with the well-known guitarist and
composer Steve Hackett, a former key member of the rock group Genesis.
He had this to say about Lanza:

"As a young kid growing up in the 1950's I found that one of the first
things I liked listening to on the radio was the sound of Mario Lanza;
little did I understand then that this was the sound of Opera and of
the musical influence it would have on me. [...] I find that the
likes of Bach and Mario Lanza
remain influential in my thoughts when working on compositions.

And an Elvis Presley quote from the 1950s that found its way into
another Google alert:

"From Roy Acoff all the way up to Mario Lanza, I just admire them if
they're really great, if they have a really built a name for
themselves. [...] I like anything [Mario Lanza] records."

The Elvis quote actually inspired me to do a little further digging on
the Internet. I was reminded recently of how Lanza biographer Roland
Bessette had attacked Armando in his amazon.com review of Mario Lanza:
An American Tragedy for having written in his book that Lanza was a
major influence on Presley. Since Mr. Bessette refuses to believe
this, perhaps we should alert him to the following extracts from the
webpage http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_influences_lanza.html:

"Elvis' intense liking of Mario Lanza records is well documented in
the world of Elvis literature.

"Peter Brown and Pat Broeske in 'Down at the End of Lonely Street' observed:

"'Incredible as it might seem, his favourite was Mario Lanza. Elvis
played the sound-track album from MGM's The Singing Prince so often he
wore out the grooves.

"Lanza's delivery of such songs as 'Golden Days', 'I'll Walk With
God', and 'Serenade' had such an impact on Presley that he went on to
mimic the style in his own impending songs, including the ballad
'Can't Help Falling In Love' and the operatic 'It's Now or Never'.

"Similarly, Marty Lacker, in Alanna Nash's superb book "Elvis Aaron
Presley: Revelations of the Memphis Mafia' (re-issued in 2005 as
'Elvis and the Memphis Mafia') said:

" 'Elvis loved opera, and he especially liked Mario Lanza. He would
watch The Student Prince which was set in Heidelberg, over and over
again. He loved the power of the big voices. And he loved big
orchestras. He liked real dramatic things.'

"When asked what kinds of music Elvis liked, Kathy Westmoreland
responded that he listened to gospel as well as opera singers Leontyne
Price, Mario Lanza and Enrico Caruso. The fact that Lanza was also a
movie star would have reinforced Elvis's liking for him and his music.

"Jerry Hopkins in his Elvis - The Final Years, even suggests that
Elvis is reported to have told the directors of Elvis On Tour, Pierre
Adidge and Bob Abel, that more than anyone else Mario Lanza influenced
his singing."

[Vince Di Placido]

I am in no doubt that Elvis was an admirer of Mario & in a recent tour
of Graceland on tv Priscilla pointed out a Mario Lanza LP in Elvis'
collection (Student Prince I think!?) & explained that one of their
first common interests was Mario Lanza! I also think that Elvis'
admiration for Mario & Tony Curtis had an effect on his hair styling.

On Jul 24, 11:14 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I use the Google alert system for any references to Lanza on the
> Internet, and I'm often amazed by the number of times he pops up in
> unlikely places. Just the other day, for example, there was a glowing
> reference to him in an interview with the well-known guitarist and
> composer Steve Hackett, a former key member of the rock group Genesis.
> He had this to say about Lanza:
>
> "As a young kid growing up in the 1950's I found that one of the first
> things I liked listening to on the radio was the sound of Mario Lanza;
> little did I understand then that this was the sound of Opera and of
> the musical influence it would have on me. [...]  I find that the
> likes of Bach and Mario Lanza
> remain influential in my thoughts when working on compositions.
>
> And an Elvis Presley quote from the 1950s that found its way into
> another Google alert:
>
> "From Roy Acoff all the way up to Mario Lanza, I just admire them if
> they're really great, if they have a really built a name for
> themselves. [...] I like anything [Mario Lanza] records."
>
> The Elvis quote actually inspired me to do a little further digging on
> the Internet. I was reminded recently of how Lanza biographer Roland
> Bessette had attacked Armando in his amazon.com review of Mario Lanza:
> An American Tragedy for having written in his book that Lanza was a
> major influence on Presley. Since Mr. Bessette refuses to believe
> this, perhaps we should alert him to the following extracts from the

> webpagehttp://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_influences_lanza.html:

[Derek McGovern]

On 7/25/08, Vince Di Placido <vincent....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am in no doubt that Elvis was an admirer of Mario & in a recent tour
> of Graceland on tv Priscilla pointed out a Mario Lanza LP in Elvis'
> collection (Student Prince I think!?) & explained that one of their
> first common interests was Mario Lanza! I also think that Elvis'
> admiration for Mario & Tony Curtis had an effect on his hair styling.

Hi Vince: Yes, Priscilla Presley also discussed Mario on Larry King
last August, correcting King's observation that Elvis "liked" Lanza to
"He *loved* him."

Aside from the rock musicians who have been influenced by Lanza, there
are also actors such as Terence Stamp, who remarked (on, I think, BBC
Desert Island Discs) that, "I know there's a lot of controversy about
[Lanza], but to me he's simply the best." Apparently, Lanza's a
frequent choice among Desert Island Show participants of quite
disparate backgrounds, with even the chairman of British Telecom
selecting one of Mario's recordings (Danny Boy) a few years back.

[Joe Fagan]

Frank Sinatra certainly was not a rock singer but rather than start
another thread, I thought I would stick this post in here. The well
established ( at the time) Sinatra also was a great fan of Mario's
singing according to reports. In fact, wasn't Mario a guest at some
of the Hollywood parties where Frank was also in attendance? This was
before lanza went professional. I don't know if there was any
influence on either one's singing BUT I was always surprised, given
this background, that Frank did not try to open up some opportunties
for Mario!. ( i.e "gigs") Maybe he did and I am just not aware of it.

On Jul 24, 6:57 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Derek McGovern]

On Jul 27, 3:44 am, Joe Fagan <jorain...@comcast.net> wrote:

> Frank Sinatra certainly was not a rock singer but rather than start
> another thread, I thought I would stick this post in here. The well
> established  ( at the time) Sinatra also was a great fan of Mario's
> singing according to reports. In fact, wasn't  Mario a guest at some
> of the Hollywood parties where Frank was also in attendance? This was
> before lanza went professional. I don't know if there was any
> influence on either one's singing BUT I was always surprised, given
> this background, that Frank did not try to open up some opportunties
> for Mario!. ( i.e "gigs")  Maybe he did and I am just not aware of it.

Joe: Pages 35-36 of Armando's book contain details not only about
Sinatra's "swooning" to Lanza's voice, but also his attempt to
persuade Columbia Records to sign Mario to their label. (I wish
Columbia had.)

Incidentally, back in 2001, a poster on the Rense forum at the time --
one "Anthony V" -- wrote the following message about Sinatra (and it
would be most interesting to find out if the interview he refers to
here really took place!):

Noticing that Sinatra was recently mentioned, I recall an interview he
did with NJs Star-Ledger news paper in the late '70s while appearing
at the Garden State Arts Center where Sinatra mentioned Mario quite
extensively after the interviewer asked about Sinatra being dubbed
"the voice" after an old Columbia LP was released under that same
title. Sinatra stated that if
anyone deserved to be called "the voice" it was Mario Lanza. He
recalled the first time hearing Lanza sing and getting chills because
of the enormity of his voice, and that he learned to "color" a song by
feeling rather than just singing the words, saying that Mario's one
overlooked gift was that he could "paint pictures" with his phrasing
and vocal prowess..

...Sinatra also said that what happened to Mario was a tragedy the
world of fine music would take years to comprehend and realize the
loss because he was the one who brought operatic music to the popular
American culture during the '50s, and that he should have identified
with Lanza during the final years of his life, and admitted he was one
of those people who could have helped Mario but didn't. I always
remembered that interview, but never thought to save it - sadly
enough.

[Joe Fagan]

very interesting! As always Derek, thank you!.........Joe

[Lou]

Still on the Lanza-Sinatra connection, Sinatra's daughter Nancy posted
this item in the Sinatra Family Forum in reply to another poster's
query about Lanza's singing during parties at Sinatra's house in the
late 40s:

"Mario Lanza is a favorite of mine from when I was a little girl. I
still love his movies and his voice. "Because You're Mine" is on my
personal top 40 all time recordings list.

"I have no recollections of Mario Lanza singing at my parents' home
but […] my mother tells me that Mario was brought to our house by my
'uncle' Morris Stoloff, who was the head of the music department at
Columbia Pictures. He believed in Mario who could not get a job in
those days. Morris felt that if Dad could hear him sing he would help
him find a spot in the movies.

"Mom said Mario sang often at our house (maybe that's why I love his
voice) and that she used to feed him often. She said that many times
she gave him money for food as well. It sounds as though he was not
very well off at the time. This was way before he became a star."

> enough.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Interesting, Lou. It would seem that Lanza knew Sinatra somewhat
better than I'd originally thought. The time period that Nancy Sinatra
is referring to here must have been around 1944.

[Lou]

Here's another excerpt along that line, Derek: "In 1947, Frank
Sinatra, who had heard Mario sing in Winged Victory, asked the tenor
to visit him in Hollywood. The Lanzas stayed with Frank for three
weeks." This is from a longish, heartwarming article by Jack Wade in
the October 1951 issue of Modern Screen. I take this with a grain of
salt, though, as at one point, the author refers to Mario as "the
six-
foot tenor." :-) As I’ve written in another thread, I’m leery about
authors who make careless, avoidable mistakes like that.

[Vince Di Placido]

On Jul 26, 4:44 pm, Joe Fagan <jorain...@comcast.net> wrote:
BUT I was always surprised, given
this background, that Frank did not try to open up some opportunties
for Mario!. ( i.e "gigs")  Maybe he did and I am just not aware of it.

I know that Frank offered to "open doors" for Dean Martin in the
1940's but Dino insisted he would make it on his own, possibly Frank
offered help to Mario but who knows, I have read that Frank blamed his
career low point, the late 40's/early 50's on the fascination of the
public on BIG voiced singers, which Mario led the way with in his pop
recordings "Be My Love", "Because You're Mine" & his Coke radio show
performances. Frankie Laine became very popular around this time as
well & Frank felt that his smooth, intimate 1940's voice & style was
now not wanted, he cleverly reinvented himself as a ballsy swinging
man about town & to his credit still kept his intimate, perfectly
interpreted ballad side alive with albums like "In the wee small
hours".
I heard Nancy say that Frank adored operatic & big broadway style
voices & lamented that he didn't have this type of voice & she said to
him, "But if you did then you wouldn't be FRANK SINATRA!" There is
evidence throughout Franks career of his dabblings with trying to sing
bigger, as far back as the 1940's with recordings of "Ol' man river",
"Where is my bess?" & "Soliloquy".
By the time Mario made it big Frank was low & wasn't needed as regards
helping Mario & by the time Mario had problems, 1953, Frank was back
on top & was hardly in the frame of mind to push a style of singer he
most probably blamed for the demise of his first wave of success. I
would like to think that Frank would have tried to help Mario in some
way during those troubled, wilderness years...

[Derek McGovern]

Interesting post, Vince. Actually, we shouldn't forget that Mario went
out of his way to praise Sinatra at the Photoplay Magazine Gold Medals
Awards in 1952 during the lowest point in the latter's career. Terry
Robinson claims that Sinatra (who was present at the ceremony) was
very touched by Lanza's gesture.

[Derek McGovern]

Well, not a rock musician as such, but a jazz great: trumpeter Marcus Belgrave. In today's edition of The Windsor Star (Ontario, Canada), Belgrave acknowledges Lanza's influence on his playing (in an article appropriately titled "It's All About Soul"):

"The more I hear of all these younger players," the veteran jazz trumpeter said, "the more I believe they have plenty of technique and sound but they lack soul. The soul that speaks directly to you." 

           . . .

"One of the first things I learned about the trumpet," said Belgrave, "is that it's a voice. When I was learning how to play, I'd listen to singers like Mario Lanza and emulate them."

[gary from NS]

I enjoyed re-reading these posts regarding Mario and Elvis etc.

There is no doubt in my mind how much Elvis adored the singing of Mario.

 

These thoughts take me back to my own early years,especially around the age I first heard Elvis on radio.

Up to that time Mario had been my favourite singer,and then Elvis came onto  the scene.

 

Well, folks, this was a great treat.I had already spent hours 'trying' to sing like Mario, and standing in front my mom's full length mirror trying to emmulate his movements as I sang Song of India aloud.I always studied his movements and facial expressions when watching The Great Caruso,which I saw at least twice in those early years with my dad.

I felt such a deep appreciation of his singing,and I wanted to sing on stage 'just like Mario'.

 

Then of course along came Elvis, and I could now switch from wanting to be like Mario, to dreaming of being another Elvis type singer.

He was young,exciting to watch, and his voice touched my just heart and soul,like Mario's had before.

 

I was a staunch fan of Elvis for many years (still a fan), and admit he had a huge impact on my teen and early adult years.

 

Elvis had a rich,wonderful voice, and even in his decline (far too early in life) his voice never failed.

 

When Elvis died I was terribly saddened,just as when Mario passed.

 

My life has been enriched from the artistic merits of these two great singers,and bigger than life personnas.

 

Just yesterday I heard of the passing of Amy Winehouse at age twenty seven. Although not a fan as per se, I could appreciate her talent,and I am sure she would have had a great success in later years.Another who lost it all, to personal demons.

Tony Bennett who recorded a song (Heart and Soul) with her sometime in the past year said in a tribute to her,

"I am deeply saddened to learn of her tragic passing. She was an extraordinary musician with a rare intuition as a vocalist and I am truly devastated that her exceptional talent and has come to such an early end. She was a lovely and intelligent person and when we recorded together she gave a soulful and extraordinary performance.

"I was honored to have the opportunity to sing with her. It had been my sincere hope that she would be able to overcome the issues she was battling and I send my deepest sympathy to her father Mitchell, her entire family and all of those who loved her."

Cheers,

Gary

[Michael McAdam]

Nice post, Gary. I echo many of your sentiments re the Elvis and Mario singing influence in your youth (hey, did you buy my full-length mirror I shattered with my high note? ;-)) It's uncanny that I read your post right after I had taken down my '45' of Elvis' All Shook Up from its shelf to show my son-in-law (a collector offered me $300 a month ago for it. The record sleeve is the rare picture type where Presley, in 1956, has brown hair, of course!)

M.

[gary from NS]

Ahhh.. the great 45's,and the sleeves. I haven't seen one for years. To think back and wonder where they have gone.
My sister and I had a nice collection and we used to share the record player.We had plenty of those plastic adapters which fit into the middle of the 45 disc,and you could grab them by the handful out of a fishbowl in the record store.
I saw a yellow one several months ago at a garage sale and someone asked the seller,"what is this little piece of plastic for?" Anyways she bought it for a Loonie,and was happy with the find.
My very first 45 was Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino,and my first LP was by Elvis.Where does the time go?
Cheers
Gary

[Michael McAdam]

 

Hey Gary, a little off the Lanza subject but still on music, right? (what happened to "eh", eh? ;-)

My first '45'? Wake Up Little Susie by the Everly Bros. First LP: The Fabulous Johnny Cash. He gave it to me (yep!) along with an 8x10 pic which I forgot to get the lanky troubador to sign! Lanza's You Do Something To Me was my 5th or 6th LP? Can't remember.

 

I do remember when Presley's It's Now Or Never was on the hit parade (and I played and sang along, natch) it caused me to dig out O Sole Mio by Lanza and a few others. Maybe Elvis was doing some subliminal suggestion to the 50's youth, who knows?

 

Mike

[gary from NS]

Hi Mike,

I can't recall the title of my first Elvis album,but I sure do recall It's Now or Never,when it hit our local radio station. I kept singing that along with Elvis,and something kept going off in my mind,that said, "I know that tune".and suddenly it dawned on me "eh".! I couldn't wait to tell my dad that Elvis was not just singing rock,but he was using one of Mario's pieces of music.
He was duly impressed.

Ahead a few years and I began hearing such a wonderful yet differant voice,and was again becoming a fan of another whose singing I rank up with Elvis,and that was of course The Caruso of Rock and Roll.(Roy Orbison) I can guarantee that now as I near seventy in less than three years,I play all three of these singers weekly,and they still thrill me as they did many years back.
And it blows me away, when I think of the fame and fortune these singers experienced (all from humble beginnings) shared by the amount of misfortune that also beheld them all.

Cheers,
Gary

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

Here's just an additional, yet brief-statement of Steve Hackett about Mario Lanza which I spotted the other day:

It is from an interview (titled "Still Going Strong On His Own") for the "Southern Daily Echo," February 2012:

 

“You have to remember that I was born before the advent of rock ’n’ roll,” he says with a laugh “My dad played the harmonica and I kind of followed that lead.

Even at the age of four I would try to play like Larry Adler and people like that, but it was when I heard the recordings of Mario Lanza, that I really become interested in music. It was an ecstasy moment for me.                                                The first time I heard Ravel’s Bolero, it had a great effect on me as well, it sounded spooky, weird and powerful.”

 

The complete interview can be read here:

 

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/leisure/music/interviews/9538083.Still_going_strong_on_his_own/

 

Steff