Template talk:Great American Songbook
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This template was considered for deletion on 2006 October 8. The result of the discussion was to keep.. |
See also Talk:Great American Songbook
What is the criterion for inclusion? Why there is no Nat King Cole but a great many jazz singers and actors who hardly performed pop standards at all? The connection of Joni Mitchell to others is quite tangential. There is Rod Steward but no Barry Manilow, etc. What about having separate sections for male and female singers? --Ghirla -трёп- 11:47, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
- Good questions. Nat King Cole isn't there because nobody has added him. In the discussion over whether to keep this template I argued "Of course there is no "official" list of what constitutes a Great American Singer/Songwriter, but the term Great American Songbook is a very well-established term, widely used in song compilations by artists performing popular songs from the golden age of American popular songwriting generally acknowledged to have been between about 1920 and 1960, and referring mainly to those written by Tin Pan Alley songwriters for Broadway musicals and Hollywood musical films. Some later composers, such as Burt Bacharach and Stephen Sondheim are also often included, because they wrote in a very similar style. Although the term refers to songs written by American songwriters, there is no implication that the singer must also be American. A performer's discography should easily demonstrate whether they belong in this category or not." Rod Stewart's discography certainly qualifies him as a performer, as would Barry Manilow's (but not as a composer). I also don't see how Joni Mitchell qualifies. I think separate sections for male and female singers is likely to take up further space on those pages which use this template and will add to clutter. Dermot 12:55, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
- Thanks for your prompt response. I suggest we replace Mitchell (who is not an American and not a traditional pop-singer) with Cole and Manilow. I'd rather not include Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Etta James, and Natalie Cole (something which I was tempted to do during my previous edit), but I would like to know your opinion about these. Michael Bolton has also performed a lot of pop standards recently, as has Cyndi Lauper. If Bacharach is included, why Henry Mancini and Carole King are not? --Ghirla -трёп- 14:44, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
- Looks fine to me. I would add Paul Anka, he's really in the same crowd as Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin. Michael Bolton certainly. Mancini also, as he composed Moon River which certainly fits. I think King is too late for this list and Lauper I don't know. Dermot 15:50, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
- Thanks for your prompt response. I suggest we replace Mitchell (who is not an American and not a traditional pop-singer) with Cole and Manilow. I'd rather not include Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Etta James, and Natalie Cole (something which I was tempted to do during my previous edit), but I would like to know your opinion about these. Michael Bolton has also performed a lot of pop standards recently, as has Cyndi Lauper. If Bacharach is included, why Henry Mancini and Carole King are not? --Ghirla -трёп- 14:44, 21 March 2007 (UTC)
