THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

669-Kay Starr with Orchestra Conducted by Harold Mooney-Comes A-Long A-Love.

1953-Number 1 single.

Best Bit-At 0.32. It’s the song that people could Jive to, while they were patiently waiting for Rock ‘N Roll to be invented.

Kay Starr was born Catherine Laverne Starks, on July 21st, 1922, in Dougherty, Oklahoma, United States, she died on November 3rd, 2016, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease, at the age of 94. From the age of seven Catherine began taking part in local talent contests, which eventually led to her performing twice a week on the Dallas’s ‘WRR’ radio station. At the age of 15 she moved with her family to Memphis, Tennessee, where she was given her own ‘Starr Segment,’ on the Memphis’s ‘WREC’ radio station. Due to many people incorrectly saying her surname, she adapted the stage name of ‘Kay Starr.’ In 1939 she was recommended as a singer to the American bandleader Bob Cosby, (1913-1993) (the younger brother of Bing Crosby) with whom she performed with briefly, before performing another brief assignment with the American bandleader Glenn Miller (1904-1944) (see also best songs 808-321 and 146.) In 1940 Kay Starr completed her high school education, then moved to Los Angeles to work alongside the American Jazz musician Joe Venuti, (1903-1978) before performing with the American Jazz trumpeter, and bandleader Wingy Manone (1900-1982.) From 1943-1945 she sang with the American Jazz saxophonist Charlie Barnet, (1913-1991) and his ensemble, before going solo, and signing a contract with ‘Capital Records’ in 1946.

The discography of Kay Starr includes 18 studio Albums released between 1955-1981, and 87 singles released between 1945-1981, there are also 18 official compilation Albums, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, Kay Starr has had 32 top 40 hit singles, with both ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ (1952) and ‘The Rock and Roll Waltz,’ (1955) both getting to Number 1, while ‘Comes A-Long A-Love,’ peaked at Number 9. In the UK, where there was no official chart until November 1952, she has had five top 40 hits, with ‘Comes A-Long A-Love,’ and ‘The Rock and Roll Waltz,’ both making the Number 1 position. In January 1953, on the then fledgling UK singles chart, ‘Comes A-Long A-Love’ became only the third different song to top the chart.

‘Comes A-Long A-Love’ was the 40th single released by Kay Starr, from September 1952, and would later appear on her 1956 compilation Album ‘The Hits of Kay Starr.’ The song which can be filed under the genre of ‘Traditional Pop,’ was written by Al Sherman, (1897-1973) with the arrangement being by Harold Mooney (1911-1995.) The songs melody was adapted from the final part of the overture to the Italian composer Gioachino Rossini’s (1792-1868) opera Semiramide (1823.)

‘Comes A-Long A-Love’ was the last hit song written by Al Sherman, who was born Avrum Sherman, on September 7th, 1897, in Kiev, Russian Empire, which is now the Ukraine, he died on September 16th, 1973, at the age of 76. Al Sherman was the middle link in a very talented musical family tree, as his father, the violinist Samuel Sherman, (1871-1948) was the court composer, and conductor for Emperor Franz Josef I, (1830-1916) of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, between 1903 and 1909. Al Sherman was a songwriter and composer, who was active during the ‘Tin Pan Alley’ era in American music history, with some of his most recognisable song titles including, ‘You Gotta Be a Football Hero,’ (1933) ‘Now’s the Time to Fall in Love,’ (1931) and ‘Lindbergh (The Eagle of the U.S.A.’) (1927.) It is often said that Al Sherman’s greatest achievement was the mentoring of his sons the ‘Sherman Brothers,’ Robert Sherman, (1925-2012) and Richard Sherman, who was born in 1928. Together the Sherman brothers wrote major film scores for many enduring film classics, including ‘Mary Poppins,’ (1964) ‘The Jungle Book,’ (1967) and ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (1968.)

‘Comes along a love, suddenly brother are you happy and excited. Comes along a love, suddenly everywhere you go you feel invited. Comes along a love, suddenly every dream you have becomes ignited. You just begin to live, comes along love.’