It was on this date, 64 years ago, and it happened a bit like this. It was
Saturday night in
New York City. One of the most popular radio shows on the air, "Your Hit
Parade", was
about to introduce what would become their new star. Although the live or radio
audience
didn't know this story was fiction at the time, their new star was introduced
like this by the
shows MC: "You know friends, the other evening, a man of our armed services, on
furlough in New York, had dinner in the Iridium Room of the St Regis Hotel, and
while
there, heard a young lady who played the organ. That young fellow thought the
young
lady was so wonderful that he could talk of nothing else and he has asked Your
Hit Parade
to put her on our program. Well, we're answering the request of that man in
uniform who
"left his heart at the St Regis Hotel" by presenting "Ethel Smith", the girl he
heard on his
big night in the big town. We hope all his buddies in uniform everywhre are
listening right
now, becasue here she is, Ethel Smith at the Hammond Electric Organ playing Tico
Tico....
And the rest is music history. Tico Tico went on to become a huge hit for
Ethel, and in her
own words "meant to me a Palm Beach Ocean Front Condo, and a music publishing
business". Ethel was a huge hit on the hit parade, and ended up playing the
tune in the
MGM musical Bathing Beauty. Tico Tico has gone on to become one of the most
recongnized Latin American tunes of all time, being recorded by hundred's of
artists.
Maybe our good buddy Don will upload a few odd ones to the MP3 section. Until
then,
give the ultimate version a listen, by the one and only.... Ethel Smith !