About “Are You Havin’ Any Fun?”
May 14, 2011
A while ago, we were searching for some new repertoire to add some spark to our shows. We have long been a fan of barbershop arrangements by Ruby Rhea, the tenor of 1965 SAI Queens of Harmony Shalimars. While reading through her extensive arrangement list, this title popped out. “Are You Havin’ Any Fun?”
What came to my mind first was a TV commercial showing frazzled Christmas shoppers with Tony Bennett singing “Are ya havin’ any fun? Whatcha gettin’ outta livin’?” in the background. The tune is catchy, the beat is swingy, and the lyric sounded upbeat and, shall I say, fun.
For those of you who know us, you know that we like to laugh and have fun. So this seemed like a good candidate for us. I did a quick browse on YouTube and iTunes to find some sample recordings by other artists, and looked up the lyrics. (This is my fairly standard method for checking things out when considering new quartet songs.) So far so good!
A quick email exchange with Ruby, and a few days later we were the proud owners of a new song!
The piece was written by Sammy Fain (music) and Jack Yellen (lyrics) for a Broadway production called “George White’s Scandals of 1939.” The most popular recordings are by Tony Bennett and Count Basie. There are a lot of other covers as well, including a light-hearted ukulele version by Cali Rose, and a samba version by Elaine Stritch a la Carmen Miranda “Chiquita Banana” style.
As for Lustre, we have found our inner polka on this song – when we perform it, we do a “mash up” with another popular “fun” song that has the same melody as the first line “Are You Having Any Fun”… can you guess what it is? You’ll have to come out to one of our performances to hear it!
And the search begins again…
May 11, 2011
It seems like just yesterday we were looking for new contest music. Every time we would see a barbershop friend, mentor, or coach, we would ask, “Do you have any good ideas for a new contest song?” We got lucky last summer when we found “What Kind of Fool Am I?” pretty early in the game, and settled on that as our contest ballad fairly quickly. It was quick to learn, and before long, we were really getting into the juicy parts of the craft, making the song really work for us.
Our contest uptune was harder to find. We made lists, scoured web sites, asked everyone we knew, and we ordered preview copies of well over a dozen songs before we settled on “South Rampart Street Parade” around early December. While it didn’t take very long to learn, it did take some time to make it “performance ready”. The choreography was even harder to fit into the mix, and it wasn’t until early to mid March that we felt that the song was really going to be ready for contest in late April. Whew!
So after spending quite a few months searching for and working on new songs, we now find ourselves right back in that same place again. We need some new music!
We’re looking first for a new ballad. Preferably something happy — not a break-up song, not a lost love song, not a man hater song. Something positive, uplifting. Perhaps even inspiring. Would love something warm, juicy, with a real “Ahhhh” factor. Sure, that should be easy to find, right?
Anyone have any suggestions?
Proud to be 2011 SAI Region 19 Quartet Champions!
May 5, 2011
We are thrilled beyond belief to be able to report that we have earned the title of 2011 SAI Region 19 Quartet Champions! On Friday April 29, we took the stage in Ocean City, MD. We sang our hearts out, and were rewarded with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic reception from the crowd, and positive comments and scores from the judges. The many years together learning the barbershop craft, and the many hours of rehearsal and preparation culminated in 6 magical minutes on stage, and a whole weekend of magical moments with family and friends.
There are so many people to thank for helping us achieve this goal – our families, friends, coaches, choruses, supporters, Region 19 folks, SAI folks, fellow quartet competitors – we can’t possibly name them all here. These people have all touched our lives during the past six years, and have all contributed to our achievement, each in their own way. We know that we could never have gotten to this point on our own, and we are humbly grateful for all those who have been there for us.
We are looking forward to competing in the SAI International Quartet Contest in Houston, TX on October 19th. That will open a whole new chapter in the Lustre history book. We hope to do Region 19 proud!
Sons of the Severn Spring Show – Reunion Rivalry
May 2, 2011
Event Date: May 7, 2011
Lustre is pleased to be performing on the Sons of the Severn spring show. Come on out and see us! In addition, you’ll also get to see and hear our friends MAXX Factor, current Sweet Adelines International Quartet Champions, and many other fine barbershop quartets!
When: Saturday May 7, 7:00pm
Where: South River High School, Edgewater, MD
Cost: Adults $15, Student/Senior/Military $10, Kids 12&Under Free
Call 410-674-7165
Order Online: www.SingAnnapolis.com
Visit Sons of the Severn on Facebook or at their website.
Baltimore Flower Mart
February 8, 2011
Event Date: May 7, 2011
Join Lustre in the beautiful Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore for a home-town festival celebrating flowers, art, and community spirit. We’ll be entertaining the crowd on the main stage at 12:00pm. This is our third year performing in this venue, and we are excited to be back again, joining in the fun. We hope to see you there!