Breakfast at Tiffany's - Henry Mancini

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Henry Mancini

Thank you, Spencer, for starting this thread.

In 1967, Johnny Mathis released an album entitled "Johnny Mathis Sings." On this album was a vocal version of the instrumental title track to the 1961 film "Breakfast At Tiffany's" renamed "Lovers In New York," and it was from this vocal version that I first became aware of this lovely song. For me, growing up in the 1950s and only vaguely aware of jazz, the music of Henry Mancini was the hippest and most exciting music that I was exposed to, particularly the background music and themes to the television series "Peter Gunn" and "Mister Lucky." I found this song to be particularly attractive, and the use of flat nines in the melody of the bridge was especially strange and beautiful to my unsophisticated ears. The Mathis vocal version, as well as the original instrumental version can both be found on Youtube.

The song, with lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, is of real musical interest. Although the tune has a standard AABA form, the sections have unusual lengths: the first two A sections are ten measures each, the B section is a full sixteen measures, and the final A section is twelve measures. As I mentioned above, the melody in the bridge twice emphasizes the flat nine of a dominant chord. The harmony wanders down the cycle-of-fifths in all the sections, especially the bridge. Finally, the tune starts in one key and ends in another; this is one of two Mancini tunes that does this, the other being the theme from "Mister Lucky." This is an uncommon device; the only other tunes that I know that also do this are "I'll Remember Her" and "Why Did I Choose You."

I've done my own chord charts to "Lovers In New York" and they are presented below. There are some mistakes in Spencer's chart above, and I've changed the formatting to have each section start at the beginning of a line. The first chart pretty much matches the lead sheet to the song in "The Movie Fake Book" published by Hal Leonard. The second chart (k ver) has some more sophisticated harmony. No doubt some of you will want to tinker with these.

I play this tune using the Ballad Swing style at 100 bpm.

Lovers In New York - Mancini-Livingston-Evans

Lovers In New York (k ver) - Mancini-Livingston-Evans

And thank *you*, Keith88 for this interesting information. Mancini did indeed walk the very edge of the line between jazz and normalcy. Most jazz players I have known have looked up to Mancini. Mathis' "Love In New York" is on You Tube! I'm glad I can hear it.

On this point: '...the tune starts in one key and ends in another; this is one of two Mancini tunes that does this, the other being the theme from "Mister Lucky." This is an uncommon device; the only other tunes that I know that also do this are "I'll Remember Her" and "Why Did I Choose You." ', I have one thing to add. "Laura," another favorite of chordophiles, does this too. In fact the only time the tonic harmony is played is on the last note of the tune.

Very nice, guys. Thanks for the links.

Cheers,
Jer

Hi Spencer:

"Laura" is a very strange case. Rather than discuss it here, I'd like you (Jerry, you'll be interested, too) to read Peter Spitzer's Music Blog for a whole presentation about this wonderful tune. For everyone--Peter's blog is always a good read if you're interested in jazz and traditional popular music. See: http://peterspitzer.blogspot.com/201...-vs-sheet.html.


"Laura" discussion continued here:
http://www.irealb.com/forums/showthr...a-David-Raksin

Later correction: I left out "Unforgettable" as a tune that begins in one key and ends in another.

Ah, yes, this may now start a game to find as many tunes as possible that begin in one key and end in another.

I don't have any standards in mind, but Bill Evans has written tunes that do that, notably Comrade Conrad, Maxine, and Time Remembered.

Cheers,
Jer

OK Jer: Standards so far

Laura
Unforgettable
I'll Remember Her
Why Did I Choose You
Theme from Mister Lucky
Lovers In New York

Let's not include any that flip major and relative minor, like Autumn Leaves and Blue Skies, or like Autumn In New York, which keeps the same keynote but starts in the major mode and ends in the minor mode.

Keith,

You're way ahead of me. I can't think of anymore offhand.

There doesn't seem to be a chart here for I'll Remember Her. Do you have one?

If not, I can work one up.

Cheers,
Jer

Jer, I don't have a chart for "I'll Remember Her." I don't think that I've ever played it on a gig, as few people know the tune.

I couldn't wait: I just did a transcription of it, which I'll post separately.

Thanks for turning me on to it. Terrific song.

Cheers,
Jer