The Sentimentalists
Encyclopedia
The Sentimentalists, also known as the "Clark Sisters" (and also as the "Original" Clark Sisters; so-called to distinguish them from the current gospel music group of the same name), were an American close harmony
singing group, consisting of sisters Mary Clark, Peggy Clark Schwartz, Ann Clark, and Jean Clark. Hailing from Grand Forks, North Dakota
, they were a mere seventeen to twenty-three years of age, when they signed with the Tommy Dorsey Band, in 1944, to replace the popular Pied Pipers, after the Pipers had quit Dorsey's band to go out on their own.
Although they never achieved the fame and fortune of some of their contemporaries (like the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters), the Clark Sisters' recordings are today actually more highly-prized by jazz aficionados, for their unique vocal stylings, in which they often emulate (and in fact sing the actual charts for) instrumental sections. By contrast, neither the Andrews Sisters, nor the McGuire Sisters are today considered to be part of the jazz lexicon, despite their chart success.
, where they appeared on Major Bowes Amateur Hour
. Although they did not win, they did receive a contract to appear for several months in a USO show.
Following their USO tour, they returned to New York, where, by good fortune, Tommy Dorsey
was looking for a vocal quartet to replace one of his band's most popular features, the Pied Pipers. Dorsey, (who was prone to incidents of bad temper) became angry at one of the Pipers for sending him in the wrong direction at the train station in Portland, Oregon
, and fired him. The Pipers, out of "team loyalty," resigned en masse. At that moment, the #1 record on the charts was "There Are Such Things" sung by Frank Sinatra
and the Pied Pipers; the last RCA
record they did with Dorsey.
The sisters auditioned for Dorsey in their west Forty-Fifth Street apartment, where he offered them a job on the spot.
However, Dorsey, still feeling as though he had been betrayed by the Pied Pipers' departure, after he had made them into stars, vowed not to be similarly burned a second time. Since the Pipers had utilized their name, long before signing with Dorsey, he was determined that his new proteges would not able to capitalize in the same way.
To that end, rather than allowing the Sisters to be billed under their own names, he re-christened them as "The Sentimentalists"; a name which he had previously utilized for a small instrumental combo. Since he "owned" the name, he was confident that he would, in this way, be able to avoid a repeat of the incident with the Pied Pipers.
The Sisters' mid-western good looks and bubbly personalities, endeared them to the members of Dorsey's band, who became their good friends, and acted very protectively towards them.
Although the Sisters had to begin by learning all of the Pipers' songs with the band, they were soon able to grow into their own artistic voice as well. This was helped along by the willingness of Dorsey's band members (particularly lead alto saxophonist and arranger Sid Cooper, as well as Nelson Riddle
, guitarist Bob Bain, Sy Oliver
and Buddy Defranco
) to write and arrange musical numbers which featured the Sisters' talents to their fullest.
Peggy Clark Schwartz (the widow of clarinetist Willie Schwartz of the Glenn Miller Orchestra
), later recalled, in the Tommy Dorsey biography, authored by Peter J. Levinson, that she and her sisters might have been a little naive, when they originally went to work for Dorsey: "In those days, you had to be young and stupid. You also had to be pretty needy ... it was almost comical when you look at it; it was part of the growing-up process!"
While with Dorsey's Band, the Sisters had several hit records, including "I Should Care
", "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
", "On the Sunny Side of the Street
", a version of "Chicago" (with Sy Oliver) and "Why Do I Love You?", from the musical Show Boat
.
Despite Dorsey's pettiness however, the Sisters persisted, and in addition to continuing to perform well into the 1960s, they recorded three LP albums under their own name (although none of the albums are still available commercially). In 1990 however, Jasmine Dream Records acquired the rights to the master tapes, and re-released the three albums, compiled into a single CD, titled, "The Clark Sisters Swing Again".
Close harmony
Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note , while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array expanding the harmonic range past the octave...
singing group, consisting of sisters Mary Clark, Peggy Clark Schwartz, Ann Clark, and Jean Clark. Hailing from Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
, they were a mere seventeen to twenty-three years of age, when they signed with the Tommy Dorsey Band, in 1944, to replace the popular Pied Pipers, after the Pipers had quit Dorsey's band to go out on their own.
Although they never achieved the fame and fortune of some of their contemporaries (like the Andrews Sisters and the McGuire Sisters), the Clark Sisters' recordings are today actually more highly-prized by jazz aficionados, for their unique vocal stylings, in which they often emulate (and in fact sing the actual charts for) instrumental sections. By contrast, neither the Andrews Sisters, nor the McGuire Sisters are today considered to be part of the jazz lexicon, despite their chart success.
Early history
The Clark Sisters were born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota. They began singing together as young children, and by the late 1930s they were all performing together in civic events and church services. After achieving some local fame, the sisters were taken by their mother to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, where they appeared on Major Bowes Amateur Hour
Major Bowes Amateur Hour
Major Bowes Amateur Hour, American radio's best-known talent show, was one of the most popular programs broadcast in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s...
. Although they did not win, they did receive a contract to appear for several months in a USO show.
Following their USO tour, they returned to New York, where, by good fortune, Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
was looking for a vocal quartet to replace one of his band's most popular features, the Pied Pipers. Dorsey, (who was prone to incidents of bad temper) became angry at one of the Pipers for sending him in the wrong direction at the train station in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and fired him. The Pipers, out of "team loyalty," resigned en masse. At that moment, the #1 record on the charts was "There Are Such Things" sung by Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and the Pied Pipers; the last RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
record they did with Dorsey.
The sisters auditioned for Dorsey in their west Forty-Fifth Street apartment, where he offered them a job on the spot.
Emerging Popularity
Following their initial few appearances on Dorsey's radio program (during which, they remained uncredited), he began to receive mail from listeners, wondering about the identities of the new vocalists. Realizing that he had a potential threat to the vocal domination of The Andrew Sisters, he made plans to build them into more regular and featured appearances on his show.However, Dorsey, still feeling as though he had been betrayed by the Pied Pipers' departure, after he had made them into stars, vowed not to be similarly burned a second time. Since the Pipers had utilized their name, long before signing with Dorsey, he was determined that his new proteges would not able to capitalize in the same way.
To that end, rather than allowing the Sisters to be billed under their own names, he re-christened them as "The Sentimentalists"; a name which he had previously utilized for a small instrumental combo. Since he "owned" the name, he was confident that he would, in this way, be able to avoid a repeat of the incident with the Pied Pipers.
The Sisters' mid-western good looks and bubbly personalities, endeared them to the members of Dorsey's band, who became their good friends, and acted very protectively towards them.
Although the Sisters had to begin by learning all of the Pipers' songs with the band, they were soon able to grow into their own artistic voice as well. This was helped along by the willingness of Dorsey's band members (particularly lead alto saxophonist and arranger Sid Cooper, as well as Nelson Riddle
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s...
, guitarist Bob Bain, Sy Oliver
Sy Oliver
Melvin "Sy" Oliver was a jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader...
and Buddy Defranco
Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is an American jazz clarinet player.-Biography:DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
) to write and arrange musical numbers which featured the Sisters' talents to their fullest.
Peggy Clark Schwartz (the widow of clarinetist Willie Schwartz of the Glenn Miller Orchestra
Glenn Miller Orchestra
The Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
), later recalled, in the Tommy Dorsey biography, authored by Peter J. Levinson, that she and her sisters might have been a little naive, when they originally went to work for Dorsey: "In those days, you had to be young and stupid. You also had to be pretty needy ... it was almost comical when you look at it; it was part of the growing-up process!"
While with Dorsey's Band, the Sisters had several hit records, including "I Should Care
I Should Care
"I Should Care" is a popular song by Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston and Sammy Cahn, published in 1944. The original recording by Ralph Flanagan and His Orchestra, with vocalists: Harry Prime and The Singing Winds was made at Manhattan Center, New York City, on July 18, 1952...
", "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe
"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" is a popular song which refers to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was written for the 1946 film, The Harvey Girls, where it was sung by Judy Garland. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year.The music was written by Harry...
", "On the Sunny Side of the Street
On the Sunny Side of the Street
"On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a song with music composed by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, which was introduced in the Broadway musical Lew Leslie's International Revue, starring Harry Richman and Gertrude Lawrence....
", a version of "Chicago" (with Sy Oliver) and "Why Do I Love You?", from the musical Show Boat
Show Boat
Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It was originally produced in New York in 1927 and in London in 1928, and was based on the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber. The plot chronicles the lives of those living and working...
.
Later years
In 1953, the Clark Sisters made the decision to leave the Dorsey organization, primarily due to Dorsey's failure to pay them what they felt they were worth, as well as their desires to leave the road life, and devote themselves to family and to recording. True to his original intentions, Dorsey refused to allow them to continue to use the "Sentamentalists" name, and would not even allow them to reference in their publicity information that they had ever been known under that name.Despite Dorsey's pettiness however, the Sisters persisted, and in addition to continuing to perform well into the 1960s, they recorded three LP albums under their own name (although none of the albums are still available commercially). In 1990 however, Jasmine Dream Records acquired the rights to the master tapes, and re-released the three albums, compiled into a single CD, titled, "The Clark Sisters Swing Again".