I love The Yam!
I just love this whole number, it makes me happy! Nobody ever mentions it much though.
shareYou have to admit that it's a bit strange - and a splendid treasure trove for the names of all the bizarre dances that were the rage in 1938! Elsewhere on these boards a review states that Fred thought the song was so silly that he refused to sing it, and that Ginger was dubbed.
Firstly Ginger wasn't dubbed and secondly regardless of what Fred thought at the time he did make a recording of it, the dance however was pretty good even if the lyrics were perhaps a bit strange
I've danced with you, I'm never gonna dance again - Lucky to Penny in Swingtime, 1936
I quote Alan Vanneman (the first listed in 'external reviews'): Along the way, there are two more dances, "The Yam," a boisterous showpiece sung by a dubbed Ginger,15 and "Change Partners," a "hypnosis" dance that is reminiscent of, but not equal to, the great "Night and Day" (Gay Divorcee) and "Let’s Face the Music and Dance" (Follow the Fleet) numbers.16
Vanneman's note 15 says: 15. Apparently, Ginger, who was not much of a singer, didn’t have the chops for the number. Her voice is clearly dubbed, but neither Arthur Mueller nor Arlene Croce have the nerve to mention it.
[They being writers of books on Fred and Ginger]
I know insufficient to have a view on this, but I thought I'd let you know where I was coming from!
I've read just about everything there is to be had on Fred and Ginger and seen all but one of Ginger's films and have never seen that claimed anywhere even in Sheridan Morley's book which is not particuarly nice. Ginger had a night club act in later years so trying to claim that she wasn't a particuarly good singer is rubbish
I presume you'd know that Carefree was much more successful for Ginger than for Fred and that in Europe the film was called 'Amanda' to demonstrate that fact?
I've danced with you, I'm never gonna dance again - Lucky to Penny in Swingtime, 1936
I did not know that. I was also surprised to see Hattie McDaniel, as she did not appear in the credits (this was befoe GWTW, of course).
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