Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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JENKINS, Gordon

(b 12 May '10, Webster Groves MO; d 1 May '84) Composer, arranger, conductor. Worked in radio as a multi-instrumentalist, then wrote arr. for Isham Jones, Benny Goodman, Vincent Lopez, Lennie Hayton, Andre Kostelanetz, many others; wrote 'P.S. I Love You', 'When A Woman Loves A Man', Goodman's closing theme 'Goodbye', many more. Conducted The Show Is On '35 on Broadway; worked for Paramount Pictures, then NBC network in Hollywood '38--44, for Dick Haymes on radio '44- -8, signed with Decca '45 and eventually became managing director. Nine top ten hits '48--51 incl. 'Maybe You'll Be There' with vocalist Charles La Vere, 'Don't Cry Joe (Let Her Go, Let Her Go, Let Her Go)', 'Bewitched'. He spotted the Weavers in the Village Vanguard early '50; then-boss Dave Kapp didn't like them but Jenkins snuck them into a recording session and made one of the biggest singles Decca had: 'Goodnight Irene'/'Tzena, Tzena, Tzena' as 'Gordon Jenkins and the Weavers', his arr. for orchestra sympathetic and not as unlikely as it might have been. He accompanied many other artists on big hits, incl. Haymes, Louis Armstrong, the Andrews Sisters.

Chart LPs were Seven Dreams '54 on Decca, Manhattan Tower '56 on Capitol: written '45 and first recorded for Decca, this was an ambitious attempt at a kind of high-class mood music suite which has dated badly, but songs incl. 'Married I Can Always Get'. He conducted for Judy Garland in London '57; arr./conducted for Nat Cole on Capitol, 'Stardust' and 'When I Fall In Love' among his finest work; for Frank Sinatra on Reprise incl. All Alone '62, September Of My Years '67 (won Grammy), many tracks on others. A skilled arranger but a composer manqu‚, one of the last things he did was one of the worst: part three of Sinatra's Trilogy three-LP set '80 was Jenkins's 'Future'; it is unlistenable mush.