Earl Brent, Angel Eyes, and a Little Hollywood History
This song holds a special place in my heart as I have a personal connection with the lyricist, Earl Brent. As you can see I was quite taken with him and his beautiful song even back then. ;)
Warning: Don’t read on unless you want to geek out on some obscure music history. 🤓
Earl Brent was a songwriter, pianist, and vocal coach during the silver screen surge of Hollywood musicals. He wrote music for MGM and worked as a rehearsal pianist on many movie sets, including The Wizard of Oz, accompanying singing and dance rehearsals. He once shared with my dad that he helped Harold Arlen with one of the chord changes in Somewhere Over the Rainbow—a part of the song that had been stumping him.
Earl Brent giving singing lessons to actor for The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Shoot Date: February 18, 1956. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Brent was occasionally sent on errands in a limo, complete with a chauffeur rolling out the red carpet. It amused him that onlookers assumed he must be a celebrity, when really he was just a "regular guy” running an errand.
Earl Brent is the dapper gentleman, fourth from the left.
Brent accompanied many studio artists, including the incomparable Judy Garland. He later wrote and refined club acts for her and other acclaimed performers, including Frank Sinatra.
For what was intended to be his retirement concert in June of 1971, Frank Sinatra concluded his legendary performance with Angel Eyes, exiting the stage to the haunting line: “Excuse me while I disappear.”
On a personal note, Mr. Brent was my dad’s vocal coach and accompanist. He worked with my dad for many years, polishing his vocal styling and stage presence.
Here’s an excerpt from something my dad shared with me: “My lessons lasted 2 hours. We, at times, talked for several hours together…I paid Earl $90 for two hours, which today would be about $650, which was a hefty sum of money for a starving college student. Occasionally, Earl would travel with me to play piano when I needed an accompanist. I liked singing for the rich women's club ladies. I really appreciated them because they paid well, about $100 per performance, which today would be about $700.”
Earl became a revered mentor and father figure to my dad, and best man at my parent’s wedding—and my dad became the son Earl never had.
Earl Brent’s music and musical legacy live on not only through this beautiful song—recorded by so many remarkable artists—but also through the musicians he quietly shaped along the way. My dad was one of them. And through him, in a small way, so am I.
I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity I had to record his song, and especially thankful to Tyler Jackson, who directed the recording, and to David Mesquitic, Ryan Hagler, and Brandon Guerra for making it sound so beautiful.
Here is my recording of Angel Eyes.
I tried to stick fairly close to the composer, Matt Dennis’s version which I love so much:
While Angel Eyes was written in 1947, it wasn’t until 1953 that it was introduced to the public in the movie Jennifer:
Later that year the song was recorded by Nat King Cole, helping usher it into the jazz repertoire:
And I mustn’t leave you without including this haunting take by the Lady of Song—Ella Fitzgerald. The ending gets me every time: