Love From Norm

The recent travelogue we've been on will be put on hold for at least the next two weeks, while I offer up my annual tribute to St. Valentine's Day. And what lucky young person wouldn't feel lightheaded and start to faint at the thought of being serenaded by Sterling's own smooth singing Norm Burns?

Here's Norm, with a tender waltz sung to his one-and-only, "My Lovely, Lovely Valentine". It seems very likely that Ruth Ekey wrote this song as a tribute to her husband (or husband-to-be), and I do wonder when I see such a name on a lyric, what the song-poet thought when she heard a male voice singing her song. Ah, well, hopefully Ruth and her beloved were captivated by Norm's dulcet tones.

Download: Norm Burns and the Five Stars - My Lovely, Lovely Valentine
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As is sometimes the case when I offer up a seasonally appropriate song as the feature, the real winner is on the flip. In this case, I suspect that almost anyone reading and listening today will agree that "Democracy" is the more memorable of the two tunes on this 45.

I'm not saying "better", because I'm not that's the right adjective. "Weirder" certainly applies, as do several other words, including "unusually lengthy for a song-poem" - it's four minutes long! Rather than give a greatest-hits review of this unique set of lyrics and performance, I think I'll just let you enjoy it, enjoy it, enjoy it yourself. The more I hear this one, the more I think it might have been compilation worthy.

Download: Norm Burns and the Five Stars - Democracy
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Norm, Norm, Norm!