Category Archives: Ballads – Old Standards

Ballads and music from 1920’s through the 1960’s. Great cocktail music.

I Only Have Eyes for You

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

I Only Have Eyes For You is a favorite and several of the eye songs I pulled out to go with my cataract surgery. It went well and I am amazed that my tennis shoes are white, my Corel dishes are white and I can’t believer how white my hair is!!! I can’t wait to get the other eye done. My eye was a little gritty the first day, but since then is great. I gave thought to how I could illustrate the song, but couldn’t come up with anything interesting. Then I thought the only people that ever had eyes for me were my wonderful dogs. We had over 14 dogs in the early ’80s since our shelter was very, very high kill. I did their website and worked for them one summer. I could not stand to watch dog after dog being taken to the back room to be put to sleep. I had many more that we were able to get to rescue. My last little girl, Sweetie, who was 20 years old died a few months ago along with Nikki. So I adopted Chloe from the shelter so Peanut would have a buddy to play with. Almost all the dogs in the video are gone. Great memories for me. “I Only Have Eyes for You” is a romantic love song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written for the film Dames in 1934.… Read the rest

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Another interesting, old song from the ’60’s when I was growing up. Easy to hum and easy to dance to. Thank You to the very talented artists at pixaby for the wonderful free graphics. They make the presentation very nice. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli.… Read the rest

Midnight in Moscow

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Midnight in Moscow. I remember hearing this played in the old days. I always liked it and had it on my pile of music to play for quite awhile. I went to You Tube to hear it and all I found were big serious, Russian versions. Then – I found the 1961 version. That’s the way I wanted to play it. Did not need to be serious. Had fun with all the sounds and graphics which were free. Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen played Midnight In Moscow in 1961. Midnight in Moscow, also known as Moscow Nights (Подмосковные вечера), is a Russian song, and one of those best known outside its homeland. Created as “Leningradskie Vechera” (“Leningrad Nights”) by composer Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi and poet Mikhail Matusovsky in 1955 (when both had well-established careers), but at the request of the Soviet Ministry of Culture, the version… Read the rest

Edelweiss

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Edelweiss for the Oktoberfest month. Did you ever take a road trip to NY and end up in Florida? This was to be a Roland featured video with Mr. Weltmeister in the background. Roland never did do his thing right with many tries! The background track of the Weltmeister was very nice, so it became the main feature with a little singing. Still a nice acoustic accordion video. The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry! LOL “Edelweiss” is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. It is named after the edelweiss, a white flower found high in the Alps (Leontopodium nivale). … It was the last song ever written by Oscar Hammerstein II, prior to his death in August 1960.… Read the rest

The White Cliffs of Dover

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

The White Cliffs of Dover is one of my absolute favorites. It is such a beautiful song about faith and hope. With all the crazy stuff going on in our world – Covid-19, hurricanes, massive fires – I thought we can all use some hope. This is my 101st video. I thought I would start my second century of videos with a beautiful song. On to the polkas and hand clappers tomorrow.
“(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover” is a popular World War II song composed in 1941 by Walter Kent to lyrics by Nat Burton. The song was written about a year after the Royal Air Force and German Luftwaffe aircraft had been fighting over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover, in the Battle of Britain. Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe and in 1941 was still bombing Britain.… Read the rest

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore seems appropriate during this Covid thing. I bought a great Jayco Travel Trailer in 2015 and had the joy of traveling around a bit. Liked to go South in the cold weather for a month or two. Since I am 76 and being precautious with Covid, I didn’t use my camper all this year. It is just sitting. At the rate things are going, it doesn’t look like next year will be a good camping year for me either. So I decided to sell my Jayco to someone that could use it. I am happy I sold it, but sad, too. I remember all the great times I had camping. So I sadly make a video to remember Mr. Jayco. Just a simple video with simple music. Goodbye Mr. Jayco.… Read the rest

Satin Doll

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Satin Doll. Just a slow dance from September to October. We always played this for dancing. Another of my favorites. So much good music in this world. It is just a simple rendition since the whole band wasn’t here with me! “Satin Doll” is a jazz standard written by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Written in 1953 and its chord progression is well known for its unusual use of chords and opening with a ii-V-I turnaround.… Read the rest

Swinging on a Star

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Swinging on a Star Cover by Pat Walter. Playing through some of my music books and came across this. I always liked it when I was younger. Decided I like it when I’m older. The USB drive did a couple strange things, but I just kept playing! Pretended I was on a job! A fun song to play, sing and create a video with. Thanks to Pixabay for the cute free graphics. “Swinging on a Star” is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film Going My Way, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.… Read the rest

I’d Do Anything

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

I’d Do Anything cover by Pat Walter. Written in 1960 by Lionel Bart for the Musical Oliver. I have always liked this song. I think of it more as a good friends song if you leave out the romantic kissing part. LOL It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon and I thought I would get to know Mr. Weltmeister a little better. Learning to play more smoothly. Not perfect, but a nice song. For some reason I want to sing when I play the Weiltmeister. LOL Nothing fancy like the Roland, but still nice accordion music.… Read the rest

Mr. Lonely

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Mr. Lonely cover by Pat Walter. It’s a lonely, Covid Saturday night – what’s better than playing a lonely song? Nothing crazy, just nice mellow voices from the Roland. Words and Music by Bobby Vinton and Gene Allan in 1962 – the year I graduated from high school. Another oldie, but goodie.… Read the rest

Time In A Bottle with Acoustic Accordion

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Time in a Bottle cover by Pat Walter. Time in a Bottle cover by Pat Walter. I just did Time in a Bottle with my Roland FR 4X. I think it was one of the best videos I have done. There are those acoustic accordion players that much prefer the reeds and bellows to the virtual accordion. Someone said they would like to hear the song on an acoustic accordion. I had been practicing is with my little Weltmeister, but decided to drag out my 29 pound Elkavox. I can hardly lift it, but it has a nice sound. So here it is again – do it until you get it right. I’m not as smooth on the acoustic as my beloved Roland. LOL Not much else to do during the Covid Stay at Home Time anyways. “Time in a Bottle” is a hit single by singer-songwriter Jim Croce. Croce wrote the lyrics after his wife Ingrid told him she was pregnant, in December 1970. Thanks to Pixabay for the wonderful free graphics.… Read the rest

Time In A Bottle

Accordion Player Pat Posted on by

Time in a Bottle cover by Pat Walter. I have been playing this for a few weeks. Always thought it was a beautiful song. I just couldn’t fine the sounds I wanted on the Roland and spent time today programming a new user set of, what I think are, beautiful orchestral sounds. The audio was straight from the USB drive on the Roland FR 4X. I didn’t show a full video of me playing the whole time. I felt the music and visual experience was more important than looking at me. I think this is the most beautiful video I have done. Thank You to Pixabay for the free graphics. I reall enjoyed making this video. I hope you enjoy it too.… Read the rest