David Mann (songwriter)
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David Mann (October 3, 1916 — March 1, 2002), also known as David Freedman, was an American songwriter of popular songs. His best-known songs are " There! I've Said It Again" (1945), popularized first by Vaughn Monroe and later by Bobby Vinton, " No Moon at All" (1947), recorded by
Robert Goulet Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Cana ...
in (1963) and " In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" (1955), recorded most notably by
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
, but
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by many other artists over the decades.


Career

Mann was able to play the piano by ear, at the age of 4, and by age 13, he was playing around Philadelphia. He attended the
Curtis Institute of Music The Curtis Institute of Music is a private conservatory in Philadelphia. It offers a performance diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in opera, and a Professional Studies Certificate in opera. All students attend on full scholarship. Hi ...
. In late 1939, Mann moved to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and became a
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
. He was in Charley Spivak's orchestra until 1941. During World War II, Mann joined the United States Army. Upon his discharge from the Army in 1945, they had the honor of placing Mann as personal pianist to President Truman. Mann worked on or appeared in the
film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s: ''Twenty Grand'', '' I Dood It'', ''Four Jills and a Jeep'', ''Pin-Up Girl'', and, during his Artie Shaw days, '' Second Chorus''. Mann wrote the song "Somebody Bad Stole de Wedding Bell", recorded by
Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
between 1952 and 1954. The song was released as a
B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
to her 1954 non-album single "Lovin' Spree". As a B-side to "Lovin' Spree", the single charted at number 20 on the current US ''
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'' music chart. Later, in 2006, the song was released as a CD bonus track to her album '' That Bad Eartha''. His most enduring composition was " In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", written with Bob Hilliard. The song has over 500 cover versions to its credit, over 100 available today on iTunes. The song enjoys wide acclaim, and the Sinatra album has been considered the first 'concept album'. Jazz musicians love "No Moon At All," written with lyricist Redd Evans, which follows the baroque chord changes of Bach's Double Violin Concerto. One of Mann's hits "There I've Said it Again"—the Bobby Vinton version of 1963—was the last #1 in the United States before the British Invasion. It was knocked off the top spot by The Beatles' song " I Want to Hold Your Hand". Thereafter, his songwriting career was replaced by journalism, writing an op-ed for ''The Suburban Trends'', a local NJ newspaper, for 32 years until his death. David Mann died in March 2002 from complications due to pneumonia and kidney failure.


See also

*
List of songs introduced by Frank Sinatra {{Notability, Lists, date=April 2016 This is a partial list of songs introduced by Frank Sinatra. * 1941 – "Oh! Look at Me Now" (music by Joe Bushkin, words by John DeVries, performed with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra). ** "This Love of Mine" ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, David 1916 births 2002 deaths Jewish American songwriters Songwriters from Pennsylvania Musicians from Philadelphia 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American Jews 21st-century American Jews