[Ted]

Siriusly Sinatra just played FAS singing Jack Lawrence's "Linda" a huge hit in 1946 for Buddy Clark and arranged by Ray Noble.

What is the origin of the song?

Hint: Van Heusen and Silvers penned a tune for a little girl who would one day become famous

Edited to include: If this is the wrong place to post this, I apologize in anticipation of any forthcoming excoriation.

[SYLMML]

Ted...would that be for Linda Eastman, Paul McCartney's wife?

Originally Posted by tedtcb

What is the origin of the song?

I assume you're asking about Sinatra's version. (I can't add much more about the original Buddy Clark version, except that he sang it with Anita Gordon. The date in my records is 1947.)

Frank recorded it March 14, 1977, in his final session with Nelson Riddle. It was intended for a concept album which was never completed. See here: Here's To The Ladies. It can only be found in The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings (disc 17 of 20).

If this is the wrong place to post this, I apologize in anticipation of any forthcoming excoriation.

Not at all, Ted. When I post a link to another thread, it's usually meant as a helpful cross-reference (for the poster, other readers, and/or the moderators who may wish to merge threads). In this case, I think this separate song thread in Frank's forum is the best place.

Originally Posted by SYLMML

Ted...would that be for Linda Eastman, Paul McCartney's wife?

No, Syl. As explained, this song "Linda" dates from the late 40's when it was a pop hit for Buddy Clark.

BTW, FS first sang it on radio, on his Old Gold "Songs By Sinatra" program, in March 1947. It was almost exactly 30 years later that he picked it up in the studio for his planned "Ladies" album.

[SYLMML]

Originally Posted by Bob

No, Syl. As explained, this song "Linda" dates from the late 40's when it was a pop hit for Buddy Clark.

BTW, FS first sang it on radio, on his Old Gold "Songs By Sinatra" program, in March 1947. It was almost exactly 30 years later that he picked it up in the studio for his planned "Ladies" album.

Bob...I think you are wrong about this song not being written for her.

[Ted]

Syl writes:

Ted...would that be for Linda Eastman, Paul McCartney's wife?

Bingo Syl! You win the prize!

Here Bob:
http://www.jacklawrencesongwriter.com/songs/linda.html

The Story Behind The Song

In 1942 I was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Maritime Service in charge of Welfare and Morale at the Manhattan Beach Training Center in Brooklyn. This was an enormous training base and under my supervision I was responsible for over one hundred musicians I had recruited from all the top big bands: Glenn Miller's bass player, Sammy Kaye's pianist/arranger, Andre Kostalanetz's arranger, Dorsey's trombonist, etc. It was a talented but chaotic group I had to deal with and I divided these temperamental 'tootlers' into two big bands: a marching band under Chief Petty Officer Phil Lang, who had been Morton Gould's arranger. (After this stint in the service, Phil went on to glory as one of the best of the musical show arrangers. As a matter of fact, some years later Phil did a superb job on one of my Broadway scores: "I Had A Ball"). My dance band was under the direction of Dave Terry who had been Kostalanetz's arranger. Dave and Phil taught arranging to one of our ambitious boys, a trombonist named Nelson Riddle.

My attorney at the time was also a close friend whom I visited often and got to watch his children growing up. One day he said to me: "Jack, do me a big favor. You know my wife Louise has a name song — that one popularized by Chevalier, and my daughter Laura is proud of that beautiful Mercer-Raskin song, and my son Johnny has lots of name songs he can claim. But my daughter Linda feels left out. How about writing a song especially for her?"

Being a good friend, I obliged and wrote a song for five-year-old Linda. When I made the rounds of publishers I met with frustration. Most of them like everything about the song but the name Linda. "Why Linda?" they would ask. "That's not a popular name". One guy said: "Call it Ida — after my mother-in-law and I'll publish it". I had to remind him there already was an "Ida — Sweet as Apple Cider!" Another maven suggested the name Mandy. He felt that had a more musical ring than Linda.

I reminded him that Irving Berlin had thought so too, years ago he had written: "Mandy, There's A Minister Handy", etc.

Would you believe that nothing happened with my "Linda" song until I was out of the service in 1946? My attorney friend called to tell me that one of his clients, Charlie Barnett was starting a company and in return for publishing rights, agreed to record "Linda." Okay, I said. And then a weird thing happened. Somehow, Ray Noble got an advance copy of the song, fell in love with it, dreamed up a charming arrangement and recorded it with Buddy Clark singing the vocal. After all those years of going nowhere, "Linda" was an overnight sensation. I can't recall how many weeks it was number one on the Hit Parade.

Sadly I then discovered that my pal, my best friend, my attorney for whose little girl I had written this song — HE was the backer of Charlie Barnett's company and HE owned the copyright on my song. That was the end of our relationship.

Some years later a group of ladies in the middle west contacted me to explain that they had started an organization called LINDA and were holding annual meetings with many other ladies who had been named Linda as a result of my song. I went as their guest to their third annual meeting in Des Moines, Iowa and it was a most peculiar feeling to address each and every one as LINDA. They spell it L.I.N.D.A., which stands for Lindas Involved In Network Development Association, and they have networked about three hundred Lindas from various states who attend their annuals. In 1996 they held their tenth. I don't know of any other songs that have sparked such yearly meetings.

One final note: little five year old Linda Eastman, for whom I wrote the song, grew up to be the lovely, talented lady who married Paul McCartney of the Beatles and went with him on all his gigs while raising their family. See what a song can do!

[SYLMML]

Ted, I remember that story being told somewhere. Thanks...

Originally Posted by SYLMML

Bob...I think you are wrong about this song not being written for her.

I stand corrected!

Thank you, Sylvia and Ted. I never imagined that Linda Eastman could have been the subject. I've really got to learn to use Google.

[Ted]

Hey you two....nice playing with you!

By the way, I'm a little slow on the uptake today.

I pulled a "LINDA Rondstadt" on Ted's post. (It blew by me. )

I missed the significance of the word "Quiz" in the title, and I thought Ted was asking a question for which he didn't already know the answer. My apologies, Ted!

[SYLMML]

Originally Posted by Bob

I stand corrected!

Thank you, Sylvia and Ted. I never imagined that Linda Eastman could have been the subject. I've really got to learn to use Google.

No problem, Bob. You are entitled, you work so hard and are appreciated for all you do here.

[SYLMML]

Originally Posted by tedtcb

Hey you two....nice playing with you!

I'm sure the three of us will remember this song from now on...

Originally Posted by tedtcb

If this is the wrong place to post this, I apologize in anticipation of any forthcoming excoriation.

It's the perfect place for a Sinatra quiz, Ted. See these ones that I conducted quite some time ago:

• The FS "Game" Songs Game
• Ain't We Got Fun? (A Sinatra Lyrics Quiz)

[Ted]

Terrific stuff Bob! Love it! As usual, thanks!

[Rich K]

Linda was a quite popular name for girls when I was growing up. So was Nancy (imagine that). My wife is named Nancy and her mother, who is still quite the Sinatra fan, admitted to her the name was inspired by the song and the two Nancy Sinatras. With both of those names, you can often come close to figuring the woman's age if she has one of these names.

[Gail]

Originally Posted by Bob

I stand corrected! .

I'm sorry, but this is SUCH A RARE event, I have to bump it

[voice1]

It's more common than you think, Gail....but I'm not going to tell anyone about it. Bob would be crushed. He hates the exposure.

[Greggie]

Thanks Ted nd Sylvia. This is amazing. I would have placed any amount of money on a bet that this was "NOT" about Linda, Paul McCartney's wife.

I always loved hearing Buddy Clark sing this.

[Ted]

Grace writes:

Thanks Ted nd Sylvia. This is amazing. I would have placed any amount of money on a bet that this was "NOT" about Linda, Paul McCartney's wife.

I am honored to have both stumped and enlightened you Grace

[jack]

..there's another linda song...i don't know the title but the lyric starts..."light for me a cigarette....in that cafe where we met...let me feel your fingertips...linda, linda on my lips".....i think i've got the words right, and at one time i knew it's origin, but that was a long long time ago. i'm not entering this as a quiz, just wondering if anyone knows this one and can fill in the blanks in my memory.