In our “Broadway’s Fabulous Fifties” episode of Afterglow, we noted that the 1950 musical Guys and Dolls had produced enough popular hits to fill an entire episode.
So, here we are with an episode dedicated to the score of composer and lyricist Frank Loesser’s most prolific and memorable score. “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” “Luck Be a Lady,” “If I Were a Bell,” and nearly every other song from the score became almost instantly recognizable as hits – but first as exquisitely written character-driven songs that forwarded plot and character development became stand-alone hits within the American Songbook.
We’ll hear versions of these songs as sung by Nancy Wison, Johnny Hartman, Julie London, Mel Tormé, and many more.