By a coincidence which I cannot now recall (it’s unimportant in any event), I recently communicated with two fellows whom I met in Provincetown, Cape Cod about 40 years ago. The relevance of this happily sustained acquaintance is that this time of year (late August and early September when the temperatures start to drop and the days begin to shorten) inevitably puts me in mind of Cape Cod where Rocci, John and I first met. And of Patti Page naturally!
In the interest of disclosure I am bound to account the abrupt though comical occasion of my initial encounter with Rocci (not Patti obviously). It was late one evening in a so-called leather bar on Atlantic Avenue in Provincetown though it may have been on Masonic Place because by further coincidence on another occasion I had (in the same bar) been welcomed by a Brother into the ancient Masonic Lodge in Provincetown located on the same street as the bar. The Lodge by the way had been chartered by Paul Revere who was then the Grand Master of the Boston Lodge across the Bay. I marvelled to have stepped across the identical floor boards once struck by the heels of Paul Revere.
Anyway, Rocci and I happened to be standing at the bar next to one another waiting to order a drink. He turned to me and said, “Gimme a cigarette. And light it.” We’ve been laughing ever since.
Rocci is a writer. John is a realtor. We each harbour an undying affection for Provincetown. In later years I returned to P-town deeper into the autumn season when the place was less busy. I was asked to play the piano as background music for a congregation of some sort. The town quickly assumed a far more rustic flavour among the predominantly local inhabitants
What however never changes is the serene nature and quaint atmosphere of the Cape. The effects of the Ocean are impossible to ignore. P-town never loses its small-town feel. And the food is guaranteed superb! Basically everything Patti says is true!
When looking for a rendition of Old Cape Cod on the internet today I came across this note by Paul Brewer who I understand is a musician of considerable accomplishment himself. It was an interesting read so I thought I’d share it with you.
Paul Brewer (6 years ago on Twitter):
In March of 1972, I was 20 years old and in school at North Texas State University in the great jazz program there (I’m a trombonist). During that time, I got a call to play a two-week tour with Patti Page. I really needed the money, so I was able to arrange my schedule to do the tour, make a little money, and then go back to school. Patti was 45 years old at the time as I recall. And all I knew about her were her two hits, The Tennessee Waltz and How Much Is That Doggie in the Window? So, I expected the tour to be dull and lacking in musical integrity. I was far too hip, you see, as an aspiring modern jazz musician playing in one of the top bands at one of the top jazz schools in the world to take seriously some pop star who had recorded some silly tunes in the 1950s. Man, was I wrong. Was I ever so ridiculously wrong! During the first rehearsal, the arrangements turned out to be very hip and featured many really beautifully composed standard songs that I had never heard Patti sing. Patti did sing her hits, for sure, but she did very much more than that – and sounded so damn good! Patti was a lot of fun be with, too! She was like one of the guys after our performances and spent a lot of time with us. She was a gem. At the end of that tour, I found myself wondering if there was any song from The American Songbook that Patti didn’t know. She seemed to know so many. And she sang them all so beautifully. And when she first sang this song, “Old Cape Cod”, as we accompanied her, she won us over and gained our unequivocal respect. Never again after that tour did I underestimate anyone from the world of pop music when I happened to get a gig with them. Patti changed my young mind about that forever. When I got the news that Patti died on New Year’s day, 2013, tears welled up in my eyes. But, in large measure, they were tears of gratitude for what I had learned from her about how never to prejudge or underestimate anyone in the world of music. Artistic greatness can come from anywhere. It was such a surprise and such a joy when I was a very young man to hear it flow continuously from the voice of the sweet and endearingly ingenuous Patti Page.
Lyrics
If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
(You’re sure) You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
(Old Cape Cod, that old Cape Cod)
If you like the taste of lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
(You’re sure) You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath the skies of blue
Church bells chimin’ on a Sunday morn’
Remind you of the town where you were born
If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay (on Cape Cod Bay)
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
You’re sure to fall in love, you’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
Songwriters: Claire Rothrock / Milton Yakus / Irwin Pincus
Old Cape Cod lyrics © Round Hill Songs, George Pincus & Sons Music Corp., Pincus G & Sons Music Corp