Tonight You Belong To Me – Duo Session
This song was written all the way back in 1926 but it has been in the charts several times since, has been sung by different artists and used in many movies and commercials.
It’s easy to see why! “Tonight You Belong To Me” is such a cute, perfect little tune and we’ve been playing it for many, many years now. Sometimes a song does not need to be complex to be great, and this one is a good example.
Recently we’ve started digging a bit deeper into music from that time period (20’s and 30’s) and we’ve been falling down many a musical rabbit hole!
We remember listening to Marlene Dietrich with our grandmother in her later years and you could see her eyes light up as soon as the music started playing. There is a certain magic in those old recordings!
Many of you will have grandparents or parents who grew up in that time. Did any of “their songs” have a particular impact on you?
M&L xx
My mom loved a lot of the songs from that era. But I think her favorite music was Dixieland jazz. I still have some of her old albums – and will listen to them on her birthday.
Another beautiful performance. Your harmonies are fantastic (they always are). But this song really highlights Lisa’s lead vocal – and she really nails it. It’s a shame that George Harrison didn’t live long enough to get to see Lisa play the ukulele. George loved playing the uke – and I am sure he would have absolutely loved watching the two of you do this song. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Absolutely Superb. It doesn’t get any better than this
I still love this song. “Oh honey, I know”.
Now I’ll be humming it all night long.
Cheers,
Bobby S.
Your cover of this song is so beautiful, it is woderful to hear. Merci pour cette belle chanson.
“Pennies from Heaven” by Fats Waller knocks me out. Earl “Fatha” Hines was so great with his groups and featured some cool singers. I have a set of early small jazz combo recordings by tenor sax legend Coleman Hawkins. I didn’t know he had started out that far back. Amazing era of music. Art Tatum was almost too good on piano. He played at warp speed, kinda like a lady who used to play barnstorming piano solos on the Lawrence Welk Show. I love your musicianship on this song!
Just love that song
The beautiful harmonies of this beautiful song is spot on. How can anyone not fall in love with this version! You ladies are a gift to us all with your talents. To take this song and re due it Mona Lisa style is off the charts to me! I can not say it enough, but thank you Mona and Lisa for sharing your love and spirit in music for us to enjoy!!
Wow! God has blessed you both. The harmonies on this are Angel like. Great singing ladies.
Another gorgeous performance. You took a simple, romantic, feel good song & made it both fresh and faithful to the era it was originally written in. I love the style, the way people dressed and the way they sang in the 1920″s. You really captured that well. You look and sing the part perfectly. Another song I love from that era was originally written by a great blues singer named Ma Rainey in 1924. My favourite version is by Daughter Maitland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK7ROzZuN38
The beauty of this song is the harmonies! And such a simple tune to listen too. We have the Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel , Paul and John ….etc then we have the Mona Lisa Twins. I can not believe how good they sing together and each note is perfect. Again Thank you
The Savage Young Beatles album has an instrumental titled Cry For a Shadow which is the only collaboration between John and George…the title comes from Cliff Richard leaving the Shadows and going solo….I would love to see a studio produced version of this instrumental…Papa Rudi on bass…Lisa on lead guitar and Mona on drums and rythym…the whole video on split screen in 4 sections…OMG that would be a fabulous mind blowing video !!!…so please add this song to your already 36 million and growing list of suggestions ❤️?the face with the sunglasses is Stu Sutcliffe…any true Beatles fan knows that reference !!
Mona and Lisa….Astrid Kirchherr was from Hamburg and I was wondering if in your recent Hamburg trip did you happen to find or see or talk to anyone about Astrid….I have the orange colored album cover titled The Savage Young Beatles with Tony Sheridan …pictured on the cover is John..Paul…George..and Pete Best all dressed in leather and the Elvis Presley haircut.
A sadness creeped into my heart this morning..Sunday May 17..as I sit in Denny’s Restaurant having breakfast having just finished delivering my newspaper route in Euless, Tx and I see in the Obits that one of th most famous photographers in the world has died..ASTRID KIRCHHERR…she is as much of the early legend of the Beatles as anyone ..the Meet the Beatles and With the Beatles album covers are among her most treasured photos!!!
I believe, in all sincerity, that John and Paul would rave about your harmonies! They would consider you on the same level as the Everly Brothers!
Hi Mona and Lisa, y’all have a way with a song that is unique unto yourselves. I know that all of us MLT Club members love your versions of everything you do. Can’t wait to hear your next videos. I think that I have listened to everything that you have done now…multiple times. I love hearing new songs that you do and can’t wait for your next cd to come out, whenever that may be. Enjoy the weekend!
Beautifully done!! Thank you, M + L !!
I’ve loved this song ever since I first saw you both singing it, I’d never heard it before. Absolutely love it! I’ve just watched the old version of you singing this at Preston FM too. ?? Much prefer this one ? please put it on one of your next CDs.
Great rendition! It’s very apparent you both enjoy performing this song. It makes me feel happy just watching you sing it. It’s really good to watch even without the sound turned on. Of course, I don’t typically listen that way. Only for a test, mind you ? Keep on playing and we’ll keep listening and watching. ?
Hi Mona & Lisa,
Have you ever considered doing any Rod Stewart songs? He had some great ones. When are you coming out with a new CD of songs you wrote?
I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and have a great new years
Peace &Love & Stay Groovy
David Jones
That song was tailor-made for your harmonies. Everything you two do is just so good.
I knew just one grandparent, the mother of my mother. She lived a little far from us. I didn’t know what kind of music she liked, but she worked for a North American lady, so, I think, she knew this kind fo music. My parents liked the Brazilian country music, than mother started to love the same kind of music we (I/me? and my brothers) loved, Beatles and more.
That was just a wonderful job, Girls. Your harmonies are always so tight and you are with each other on every single word. Loved it.
Ha! Not only were my grandparents around in 1926, but they were also both making records. My grandfather was Chicago Jazz cornetist Jimmy McPartland. His first wife, our maternal grandmother, Dorothy, and her sister Hannah were known as The Williams Sisters.
They were known as the “hippest act in Vaudeville.” They had a hit with “Sam, The Old Accordion Man” with some early scat singing. Ruth Etting also did a version.
https://youtu.be/FA8zXI5KCDc
Hey Doug! Thanks for this. I really enjoyed it and I’m sure the Twins did as well. Your grandmother must have been a hoot to grow up with!
That’s a great song, and when you do it… it’s an even better song! I Love your version; and I love these duo sessions. Maybe someday you’ll put them on a DVD and that night…. one will belong to me! 🙂 Beautiful!!
Another wonderful video from you two. You are both just so adorable. Love everything you do. If I had to pick one or the other – I like just the two of you playing and singing together probably a little bit more than your bigger productions (but I love those very much also).
Since you mentioned that you have started digging a bit deeper into music from the 1920’s and 30’s… I thought it would be appropriate to post George Harrison’s video of “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” which was on his last album “Brainwashed”. George’s version was released in 2002 but the original came out in 1931. The video features Harrison on ukulele, Joe Brown on acoustic guitar, Ray Cooper on drums, Herbie Flowers on tuba, Mark Flanagan on acoustic lead guitar and Jools Holland on piano. There is a sixth guy playing the stand up bass – but I have never figured out who he is. If any of you fans know who he is, please mention his name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMJEtLjnO7E
Mark Flanagan plays that excellent acoustic guitar solo and it is Jools Holland on that very nice piano solo. This might be the last video that George Harrison made. It is so much fun to see him having a great time singing an old tune he loves with a bunch of his best friends. I would love to see you two make a video for this song (which was one of George’s favorites).
Thanks, Michael and a big hello to the Club! George playing his Uke, genuinely enjoying himself, being surrounded by great musicians … it’s beautiful! I don’t think I’ve even seen Jools when he was so young! Thanks for sharing ♥
WOW thank you for that George Harrison video..I’ve never seen that one ?
This one only counts for partial credit since it was recorded in the 1970’s, but Judith Durham did a dynamite Dixieland-style cover of the 1926 song “Coney Island Washboard”, best known from its Mills Brothers rendition.
Judith Durham absolutely one of the greatest women voices ever and fabulous years as lead singer of The Seekers with hits like “I’ll Never Find Another You”…”World of Our Own” …and of course the worldwide blockbuster “Georgy Girl”.
One of my all time favorites I LOVE your version. Thanks for recording and sharing this. It made my day!
Today, I’m feeling a tad down, I ‘m continuing to having on going eye issues, as I was at another eye specialist today on referral from my own eye specialist to see what her thoughts/observations/reccomendations were… Tuning into this song and Xmas Album, have uplifted my downed spirits today, Thankyou and much MLTBuzzed Appreciated, You manage to bring out a smile on the saddest of moods one can be in sometimes✌️?
That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it Jacki? Great music is the best medicine money can’t buy. Your MLT Club family all hopes for the best for you.
Thankyou David✌️
Just great. With respect to Patience & Prudence (another sister duo) who had a one-shot hit with this in ’56, I like yours better.
This was always my favorite part of “The Jerk”. Leave it to Mona and Lisa to remind us again, old things can be new things and are beautiful things. Hope this doesn’t stay a MLT Club exclusive for long. THX
Thanks, Stephen! We might share it outside the Club later down the line but we want to keep it “Club exclusive” for a while. Same with the other Duo session … two more coming this month 🙂
Fantastic, as always. A fun song to play and a great tune to hear from The Twins.
I thought I should type more, but I seem to have misplaced my thesaurus.
YES! I can’t tell you how much I LOVE your version of this song! I first heard you do it on one of the live videos of you at the THE MET, BURY on Youtube. THANK YOU for recording it proper!
My mom used to sing this song to me when I was little: “Bushel and a peck”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GycI-yTcOM0
Ladies!, once again you have taken a song and knocked it out of the park with your Impeccable touch and Magic.
Your period hair styles and Dress gives ” Tonight You Belong To Me” a taste of time gone by. Very Well Done Ladies.
In The Good Ole Summer Time, and There’s A Kind Of Hush are the songs that take me back to that time. A Vaudeville flavor, and would have used a Megaphone when singing it. Also Al Jolson would have been a particular artist from that time. When my dad was little his dad, and his 2 other brothers formed a Barber Shop Quartet.
Thanks for the memories Ladies. Glad to see Lampi kept his eye on Lisa and kept her on Key.? ?❤???
Hello everyone. Thank you very much for this beautiful version of a must-have classic that in the voices of Mona and Lisa sounds fresh, original and unique!. I am from 77 and the Spain of my grandparents is spain of 20 and 30 and is the Spain of Boleros and Copla, the Spain of Jorge Sepúlveda, Machín… but in my house, my grandparents listened a lot to Nat King Kole (although it is later that date) and his “Cachito”. Is it a different style than they expected, isn’t it? hahaha. Music is magical and has many styles, colors, sounds and culture and they are all beautiful. Good weekend and thank you to Mona and Lisa for sharing this beautiful version.
M&L, you may remember the other day I implied that the ukelele was not one of my favourite instruments. Well, guess what? Now it is! Lovely song ?, lovely singing ?, lovely playing ?.
Ha, mission accomplished 😉 Thanks, Jim!
A simple song made to sound beautiful by the gorgeous twins and their wonderful voices, nothing unlucky about this Friday 13th❤️?
A lovely version of this 20s song that has enjoyed several returns to the charts over the years when other artists covered it. Seen videos of you playing it live on more than a few occasions and always enjoyed hearing these ukulele based songs. Great fun to play I’m sure and a treat for your audiences. Another 20s song I love to hear is Joe Brown’s ukulele version of “I’ll see you in my Dreams” which he played at the end of The Concert for George. I just love the chord progressions of a lot of the songs from that era. Thanks for the Duo Session musical delight. Enjoy your weekend.
“I’ll see you in my dreams” … gets me all choked up :’-) It works really well on the Uke and highlights all the intricate chord changes and half step shifts. After watching Joe Brown’s version I want to look up the Uke chords now, so much happening there!
I would love to hear that song done by you Lisa
I absolutely loved this! The two of you are pure musical magic together. As for music of that period that had a huge impact on me growing up was my folks recording of Leonard Bernstein playing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody In Blue”. I would find myself being mesmerized by that piece even as a small boy. I can’t overstate the impact it had on my development for the love of music.
That’s interesting! Our dad introduced us to Gershwin when we were little and I think he learned about him as a little boy at school. There is something so uniquely captivating about his work, that’s going to speak to every generation. “Rhapsody In Blue” is a standout masterpiece without a doubt.
My dad loved the Andrews sisters – but the Wagner sisters are the best!
Musically adorable and harmonically MLT-licious and awesome!
You ladies are fantastic! As an aside, I don’t think you need any makeup as you are looking more beautiful every video! Thanks for a great treat!
Your brilliant harmony magic, and sweet melody are absolutely wonderful. Love it. Right from the start that Lanikai Uke sings so happily too and sets the cheerful mood of the song. Thanks for such beautiful singing and delightful music. The spirit soars hearing you play!
One of the earliest records I remember my parents listening to a lot was in a yellow record cover with a picture of a champagne glass and a lady like Doris Day or Patti Page on it. It was called “Million Hit Party” and had songs like London Bridge, Green Fields,Rawhide, Buttons and Bows, OK Corral, Kay Sera Sera. They use to listen to that all the time. I was about 5 years old then and always enjoyed listening to that album. It’s still in my parents old place in storage somewhere.
Amazing and Bravo!
My dad was born in 1926 and my mom 1936. I grew up listening to classical and the big band era because of my dad, my mom loved country western. so it was a mixture of Beethoven, Glen Miller and Jonnny Cash.
What a perfect little song. I love it. Your voices go together so well. Even though I don’t know the song. It sounds just perfect two. Wonderfully talented ladies
Darktown Strutters Ball from 1917 is a good one.
There are many versions of it around from over the years.
I just had a listen and now I feel like twirling around town greeting strangers on the street and giving candy to kids. Impossible not to smile with that kind of music!
I’ve been collecting a bunch of 20’s to 40’s songs to play on ukulele. “Five Foot Two” has been one of my favorites for a long time. “Ain’t Misbehavin'”, “Dream a Little Dream of Me”, “Makin’ Whoopee”… tonight our uke group played the great Harold Arlen’s “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” which I’m sure you know George Harrison covered — while Ringo did “Sentimental Journey” and the pre-Ringo Beatles recorded “Ain’t She Sweet”. How does it all keep coming back to the Beatles?
Anyway if you decide to make an album of 20’s/30’s covers I’ll be first in line to buy a copy!
Burgess Meredith sang Dream A Little Dream Of Me a Capella in Grumpy Old Men. Beautiful!
Yes, I have that movie and it’s sequel… I love Cass Elliot’s version of it ?
Another lovely treat from the Terrific Twins. You’ve made my Friday. Not so Black now! ?❤️
Yes! Best Friday the 13th ever!
This song only dates from the 1940’s, but when I was a kid my mom blew my mind by singing “Mairzy Doats”.
” A kid would eat ivy to, wouldn’t you?
That’s close-harmonies galore! Would be interesting to deconstruct those kinds of songs and have a look at the different vocal melodies! I’ll save that idea for a rainy day 🙂
I’ve always loved this song since Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters did it in “The Jerk”
Love your version best of any I have heard– thanks again!
Fortunately MLT’s version doesn’t involve a trumpet, so no one has to worry about getting spit on them.
Loved this song when I first heard you perform it on a radio show a few yrs back… I sang along… Your vocals suit this time period of music perfectly…. “No More Worries Company” is another fine example of a time Era classic sound from that time frame…. This reminds me of a memory: My late Grandma R. Mom’s Mother), was married around 1922-24ish, and I had the utmost pride and trust from my Grandma to allow me to take her wedding dress ensemble to school for an oral presentation in History class in Grade 7 or 8 it was, and got an A++ on it… The teacher was flabbergasted at how well preserved (minus some discoloration) both dress/veil was… Grandma took good care of it.
My late Mom had great music tastes, but her fave was Big Band Era, hence around this time frame of 1920s-1940s.
Kudos on doing this song as your Duo Session gift for us thisvweek??
It’s an absolutely wonderful song and you two made it as perfect as always. Thank you for saving this little gem from being forgotten.
Thank you ♥ Good songs deserve to live forever.
A cute tune and a wonderful performance by Mona and Lisa. Have you considered “When I Fall In Love”, “Skylark”, or “I Love You For Sentimental Reasons” ?
William Hauslein
Argh, 3 gorgeous tunes! Our list of potential cover songs is loooong but I’d love to do some more songs from that era at some point in the future.
Seems like so many knew which song was coming! It’s still a wonderful world when the MonaLisa Twins sing! LOVE IT! Thank you! ?♀️????? The antidote to Friday the 13th!
My grandma had an old gramophone (state of the art when she got it). Though she grew up in the 20’s (b.1910) she loved classical and had dozen of box sets of classical music which she always played, until I showed up and would play Beatles non-stop. At the time I thought she was very fussy about the gramophone, now looking back, she had the patience of Job with us kids.