Who Sings Happy Days Again at the Beginning of Mrs Maisels Season 1 Episode 4
"Thank you and good night!"
Midge Maisel, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is an award-winning American comedy-drama set in the late 1950s about Miriam "Midge" Maisel, a Jewish housewife and mother of two, who decides to pursue a career in stand-up comedy after her husband dumps her. The music soundtrack featured in the show is a delightful collection of jazz, pop and show tunes that perfectly fit the characters and the time period. Here are 10 Great Songs Featured in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
1.Happy Days Are Here Again
Artist: Barbra Streisand
Episode Featured: Season 1, Episode 4 "The Disappointment of the Dionne Quintuplets"
In the first season's fourth episode, Midge has decided it is time for her to move out of the apartment that she once shared with Joel and the kids. As she walks from room to room of the house, directing removalists to pack up her belongings, she can't help but think back on all of the happy memories she created in the house with Joel and the kids. Midge is heartbroken to move on from her once-perfect life and wonders how everything fell apart and if she will ever be happy again. "Happy Times Are Here Again" by Barbara Streisand works wonderfully in this scene. The song plays out in full for three entire minutes with no dialogue set to a montage of scenes. In the flashbacks, Midge and Joel seemed so happy together, which makes their break-up all the more devastating for Midge to process in the present. How could this happen to her? Will she ever experience happy days again? "Happy Days Are Here Again" was written in 1929 by Jack Yellen with music composed by Milton Anger. Barbara Streisand released a cover of the song in 1963 as part of her debut album The Barbara Streisand Album. The album sold over one million copies worldwide and was awarded two Grammy Awards one for Album of the Year and another for Best Female Vocal Performance. In January 2006 the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Critics praised Streisand for the strength and purity of her voice and the vocal effects on the album, describing each song as a "one-act musical".
2. I Enjoy Being a Girl
Artist: Sutton Foster
Episode Featured: Season 1, Episode 5 "Doink"
In the season one episode "Doink" Midge gets a job at B.Altman's cosmetics counter so she can start earning her own money to help support her children. The episode begins with Midge walking down the street to attend a job interview at B.Altman to the tune "I Enjoy Being a Girl" by Sutton Foster. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is a show tune from the 1958 stage musical Flower Drum Song. It was written by Oscar Hammerstein II and composed by Richard Rodgers. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" was recorded by Sutton Foster and Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks in 2017 for the season one soundtrack of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Sutton Foster is an American actress, singer and dancer who is best known for her work on Broadway. "I Enjoy Being a Girl" is a perfect for the time period and themes of The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and the character of Midge herself. One of the things that I like about Midge is she isn't afraid to be herself. She breaks gender norms during her stand-up routines, but she is also unapologetically feminine, who loves the colour pink, make up, and pretty dresses. Midge will fight for her right to be girly, but also independent and outspoken as well. She doesn't want to pretend to be something that she's not.
3. Someone To Watch Over Me
Artist: Blossom Dearie
Episode Featured: Season 4, Episode 8 "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"
In the season 4 finale, Lenny Bruce and Midge finally give in to the sexual tension that has been brewing between them for a while, and share a romantic night together in a hotel. Before agreeing to sleep with him, Midge makes Lenny promise to remember that she is a talented and funny comic. Lenny promises her that he will be laughing the whole time and then kisses her. As they give into their passion, Blossom Dearie's "Someone To Watch Over Me" begins playing in the background. Blossom Dearie was an American jazz singer and pianist who was well known for having a light and girlish vocal style. She had an impressive career that spanned from 1952 to 2006. She released "Someone To Watch Over Me" in 1961 as part of her album My Gentleman Friend. The song was a cover of the original 1926 song which was composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was written for the musical Oh, Kay! (1926) and originally sung on Broadway by English actress Gertrude Lawrence. "Someone To Watch Over Me" is considered one of the greatest love songs in American musical theatre history. It was originally written for Oh, Kay! as an up-tempo rhythm song. It was only in the 1930s and 1940s that it became popular as a slower ballad, which later became the standard after Frank Sinatra recorded a cover of the song in 1946 and again in 1954. Blossom Dearie's cover of "Someone To Watch Over Me" is considered a jazz classic and one of the best performances of the slow ballad version of the song.
4. Femininity
Artist: Eileen Rodgers
Episode Featured: Season 4, Episode 8 "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"
In season 4 Midge becomes the MC at a burlesque club called The Wolford. When she first starts working there, the club is poorly managed, the audience is badly behaved, and the performances are underwhelming. Over time, with some help from Midge, the quality of the entertainment at The Wolford improves, which helps to bring in a better clientele. In the season 4 finale, Midge has become the star of the show, with people coming to see her stand-up and the dancers put on an opulent spectacle of a performance. The burlesque show we see in "How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall?" is the best out of the entire season. In an elaborate set designed to look like an apartment building, we see women dancing seductively with each other to the tune of "Femininity" by Eileen Rodgers. "Femininity" was a big band musical number from the 1958 musical comedy Oh, Captain. I thought it was a great fit for the scene. The song didn't just highlight the sensuality of the performers, I felt like it drew attention to their skill as well, and the amount of hard work that goes into performing a burlesque show.
5. Autumn in New York
Artist: Billie Holiday
Episode Featured: Season 2, Episode 1 "Simone"
After an impromptu stand-up performance in a nightclub in Paris, Midge feels sad about the break-down of her marriage and homesick for New York City. As she gathers her things and leaves the nightclub, wiping away tears from her face, "Autumn in New York" by Billie Holiday begins softly playing. "Autumn in New York" is a popular jazz song that was written in 1934 by Vernon Duke. It has been covered by numerous famous artists. Billie Holiday recorded a version of the song for her album Billie Holiday which was recorded between 1952 and 1954. Billie Holiday's version of the song is considered to be one of the definitive versions of the jazz classic and was ranked Number 5 on TimeOut's list of the 100 Best New York Songs.
6. Tea For Two
Artist: Blossom Dearie
Episode Featured: Season 2, Episode 1 "Simone"
While walking the streets of Paris, Midge sees couples everywhere, which makes her feel desperately sad. In a moment of loneliness, she rings Joel from a payphone and begs him to take her back. He tells her that he still loves her and is supportive of her comedy career, but won't take her back unless she agrees to give it up, because he cannot be the subject of her stand-up routines. Midge refuses to give up her career and tearfully hangs up the phone. When Midge is walking through Paris, "Tea for Two" by Blossom Dearie plays, a superb song choice that captures the heartbreak that Midge is feeling in that moment. "Tea for Two" is a slow romantic jazz ballad that was released by Blossom Dearie in 1959 as part of her album Once Upon a Summertime. The lyrics talk about feeling discontented and wanting a romantic happy ending with their lover, but fearing that it might never happen, shattering their hopes and dreams.
7. Just Leave Everything to Me
Artist: Barbra Streisand
Episode Featured: Season 2, Episode 1 "Simone"
In the opening scene of the season 2 premiere, we see that Midge is working in the switchboard operator at B.Altman. Midge has adapted well to the stressful atmosphere inside the switchboard room. She is quick and efficient, answering calls and patching them through, in a curt and professional manner. She is so good at her job, the other women she works with frequently ask her to help them, when the number of calls becomes too much for them to cope with. In the wonderfully choreographed scene, Barbara Streisand's iconic song "Just Leave Everything To Me" plays in the background, which is a perfect match for Midge's character and her confident attitude. "Just Leave Everything To Me" was performed by Barbara Streisand and featured in the 1969 film Hello, Dolly! It is a great song from the 1960s that sums up what a modern woman Midge Maisel is.
8. Fly Me To The Moon
Artist: Julie London
Episode Featured: Season 3, Episode 3 "Panty Pose"
In the episode "Panty Pose" Midge and Susie board a plane headed to Las Vegas. Susie has never flown before, so she is scared to travel in the airplane. Once they're safely in the air, she looks out the window and comments that she feels like they're on top of the world. "Fly Me To The Moon" by Julie London begins playing as we transition from the plane to Midge and Susie being driven in a car with Shy Baldwin through the streets of Las Vegas. "Fly Me To The Moon" was written in 1954 by Bart Howard and was first recorded by Kaye Ballard that same year. "Fly Me To The Moon" is one of the most famous jazz love songs of all time. It has been covered by hundreds of different artists. In 1963 Julie London included a cover of the song for her album The End of the World. Her version of the song is fast-paced, feminine and romantic, with strings and smooth piano.
9.Jumping At The Woodside
Artist: Count Basie
Episode Featured: Season 4, Episode 8 "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"
When the police suddenly raid The Wolford in the season 4 finale "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?", Midge and Lenny Bruce are forced to flee, along with the rest of the scantily clad performers to avoid arrest. As everything turns to chaos, Count Basie's "Jumping At The Woodside" begins playing, which just adds to all of the fun. "Jumping At The Woodside" was first recorded in 1938 by the Count Basie Orchestra. It is considered one of the bands signature tunes and has been called the "very definition of swing". The 1938 recording features Earle Warren on the alto sax, Buck Clayton on the trumpet, Lester Young on the tenor sex and Herschel Evans on the clarinet. "Jumping at the Woodside" was the perfect fit for this scene. It is chaotic, fast-paced and fun.
10.How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?
Artist: Sparks
Episode Featured: Season 4, Episode 8 "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?"
After being fired from the Shy Baldwin tour at the end of season three, Midge struggles with a fear of failure for most of season four. This causes friction between her and her friend and mentor, Lenny Bruce, after she turns down a job to perform as Tony Bennett's opening act at the Copacabana. After Lenny performs a sold-out show at Carnegie Hall, he speaks to Midge after the show, and tells her that he recommended her for the Tony Bennett job and was disappointed to hear she rejected the offer and others like it. Midge explains that after what happened with Shy Baldwin, she doesn't want to do opening acts anymore, she only wants to be a headliner. Lenny reminds her that stand-up comedy is a business, that she can't hide in The Wolford forever, and that if she doesn't get back to performing, she will break his fucking heart. Afterwards, while walking home, Midge is thinking about Lenny's words, when she stops and stares at a billboard for The Gordon Ford Show. The title of this episode comes from the song "How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?" by Sparks which plays during the ending credits. The choice to use this song suggests that Lenny was able to get through to Midge and that she will return to performing in season five and will strive to get herself to Carnegie Hall. "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall?" is a glam-rock song that was released in 2002 by the American rock band Sparks. The album it was featured on, Lil' Beethoven, was a radical departure from the band's previous works. The band used strings, piano and voices to create a unique modern sound that has been described as a blend of classical and pop.
Why? The music featured in the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will make you feel nostalgic about jazz classics and uplifting showtunes from the 1950s and 60s.
Source: https://www.weekendnotes.com/10-great-songs-featured-in-the-marvelous-mrs-maisel/