27th
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Week of Waller: Day Two
If It Isn’t Love (1936)
If you don’t already know, Fats Waller lived it up, partaking in a little too much of all things that ought to be done in moderation (or perhaps not at all). For this, he was frequently short on cash. So when Waller, a consummate pianist who was unfortunately not allowed to choose most of his recorded material, was handed corny, sentimental pop songs of the day to record for small sums of money, he took the work. If you’re interested, it’s relatively easy to tell how much (or how little) Waller cared for a song simply by how he played it.
If he liked a song, he played it (mostly) straight, giving it the royal Waller treatment with his large, prodigious hands, unique musical phrasings, and little to no periphery nonsense.
If he didn’t like a song, and believe me, he was given some pretty awful songs to record, he’d overplay it, or sing in a funny voice, or fill the spaces in between lyrics with hilarious and outrageous asides. Initially, this was done as a lark, mocking the tunes to entertain his band mates. But then (and not surprisingly) audiences loved it, and it soon became his calling card. A double-edged sword, if you ask me, because while it provided Waller with international success, it ultimately stunted his artistic growth, guaranteeing him an endless parade of maudlin songs he didn’t care for.
“If It Isn’t Love,” with its goofball mock-operatic singing, is just hilarious. I think it’s one of my favorite recordings because it illustrates part of Waller’s genius – his natural showmanship and wit. But then it’s also a little sad to think about how much he clearly hated the tune.
