Lloyd “Skip” Martin (Part 2)
Read Part 1.
Martin wrote for the Les Brown band for many years. One day in 1946, Brown recorded an Irving Berlin standard. His was the house band for Bob Hope’s radio show (he also toured with Hope), and one day the Berlin standard was broadcast. It got a great reception from the studio audience, and Columbia wired him to come into the studio and record it. “Look in your vault,” he wrote back. I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” was a big seller, always requested in live appearances, and re-recorded several times. It is a Skip Martin classic.
Another great Skip Martin treatment of a standard:
By 1949, Martin was making records and orchestrating/arranging in the Hollywood studios.
Lucy Ann Polk had been a member of The Town Criers with her brothers and sister. She subsequently sang with Kay Kyser and Les Brown. RCA Victor made a couple of singles with her for release on their Bluebird label. Martin arranged and led one of those sessions, If I Knew You Were Comin’) I’d ’ve Baked a Cake.
He made several recordings with Tony Martin.
He made a series of recordings with The Pied Pipers.
He arranged and conducted for a young performer who’d been signed by M-G-M and made some records for their label, Barbara Ruick, who later became Mrs. John Williams.
He was a staff composer/arranger at M-G-M and worked on many films that are well known. “Summer Stock,” “Royal Wedding,” “An American in Paris,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” “The Band Wagon,” and “It’s Always Fair Weather” had Skip Martin arrangements and orchestrations.
Here is From this Moment On from Kiss Me, Kate.
He was the sole credited orchestrator for Judy Garland’s A Star is Born. Here is the complete version of Lose that Long Face, a number which was cut out of the film soon after it was released.
One of his last recordings was accompanying Johnny Mercer in a demo of Shake It But Don’t Break It.
He left us in 1976.
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