More Against the Days

[ruudsaurins at aol.com]

Pynchon the Jazzer...
    ....might be a fan of the Artie Shaw tune, but I had always suspected that "Frenesi" was intended as a homonym for "free 'n easy", and that "Gates" was being similarly employed for the german "geht es" (abbreviated "geht's", roughly translated as "it goes").  This name then rather accurately describes several females with whom I enjoy (or have enjoyed; conjugating verbs, here) an acquaintance.
                                                                       truly,
                                                                       ruud 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: paul.mackin at verizon.net
To: pynchon-l at waste.org
Sent: Fri, 20 Oct 2006 3:27 AM
Subject: Re: More Against the Days


On Oct 19, 2006, at 8:03 PM, David Casseres wrote: 
 
> Again iTunes is a useful research tool. It lists many recordings of 
> "Frenesí," most of which are this song. Most are straight swing 
> renditions, like the very nice one by Anita O'Day (the girl with no 
> uvula!) and the instrumentals by Artie Shaw, Duke Ellington, etc. But 
> then you find the versions by Chet Baker, and Gerry Mulligan, and 
> Benny Carter with Oscar Peterson; the tune has legs as a jazz 
> standard. 
 
My recollection is that Frenesi "belonged" to a Artie Shaw. His was the definitive version. Isn't there some 
story of his bringing the tune and Latin beat back from Mexica, on his return from that famous escape. Without his recording would there even have 
been all those "vocal" renditions? Would the silly English lyrics even have been written or ever heard of? These are questions, not statements. 
Not really certain at this point in history. 
 
Another thing. What reason is there to think either Pynchon or the Gateses had the English lyrics in mind in naming the daughter? 
It was the NAME of the song in all its exoticness that would have been on their minds. If the Gateses were even mildly "hip" they would know and love Shaw's version. It would have been no contest. The only possible reason, among the sophisticated, for not worshipping at his alter would be if you liked Benny Goodman's playing better. (that old question--Shaw actually considered Goodman the better clarinetist but himself the better musician) 
 
> 
> On 10/19/06, Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net> wrote: 
>> 
>> On Oct 19, 2006, at 4:32 PM, Chris Broderick wrote: 
>> 
>> > I always thought that Pynchon was referring to the Artie Shaw 
>> > version, which was one of his bigger hits (not as big as Begin the 
>> > Beguine, but certainly very popular). I wouldn't call it treacly, 
>> > but it's pretty standard big band swing stuff from Shaw. 
>> 
>> It was recorded when he was using that huge string section. Sounded 
>> impressive enough but he must not have had too much confidence in the 
>> tune itself because, unlike say with Stardust and Begin the 
>> Beguine, he only put one version of it on his 5-CD Self Portrait 
>> release. 
>> 
>> > 
>> > It was adapted from a Spanish tune by Alberto Dominguez with new 
>> > English lyrics (by Ray Charles [I don't think it's the same one] 
>> > and S.K. Russell). Here's the lyrics to it, and to the original >> tune. 
>> 
>> Shaw would have nothing to do with these lyrics--disliked vocalists 
>> anyway. 
>> 
>> With some notable exceptions 
>> 
>> 
>> > 
>> > http://ntl.matrix.com.br/pfilho/html/lyrics/f/frenesi.txt 
>> > 
>> > As for theories, I keep fixating on the line in the English >> version: 
>> > "I knew that frenesí meant "Please love me"" 
>> > 
>> > The literal translation of frenesi is "frenzy", or "madness". Hub 
>> > & Sasha sure burdened their daughter with one hell of a name... 
>> > 
>> > -Chris 
>> > 
>> > Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 14:13:10 -0400 (EDT) 
>> > From: kelber at mindspring.com 
>> > Subject: Re: Re: More Against the Days 
>> > Anyone ever listened to the song Frenesi? Or have any theories as 
>> > to why Pynchon used the song to name his VL character? I've only 
>> > found an Edie Gorme rendition. I think Artie Shaw has an 
>> > instrumental version. Pretty treacly stuff. 
>> > Laura 
>> > 
>> > 
>> > 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
 
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