ELISABETH WELCH “STORMY WEATHER” (1979)
originally recorded by Ethel Waters (1933)
cover version available on “Stormy Weather” b/w “You’re Blasé” (Industrial Records, 1980)
I post this in honor of my departure tomorrow to Chicago for Throbbing Gristle’s two-night stand.
Elisabeth Welch’s cover of “Stormy Weather”, a well-worn jazz standard, first came into my life as the lead-in to the B-side of The Industrial Records Story, a compilation of tunes by Throbbing Gristle, Leather Nun, SPK, among others. Admittedly, its appearance on said record is incongruous, but in doing some research this morning, I found that it all makes sense.
Welch’s cover appeared in Derek Jarman’s film, The Tempest (1979), and TG had a long-standing relationship with the filmmaker. This weekend, and at other points on their brief tour, they will be performing a soundtrack alongside Jarman’s In the Shadow of the Sun. Jarman’s extensive filmography includes Jubilee, Caravaggio, music videos for The Pet Shop Boys, Orange Juice, and The Smiths.
Elisabeth Welch has an interesting history—one of the most popular Black singers and stage actors in England during the 30s and 40s. She collaborated with jazz king Cole Porter on several occasions, performed with Josephine Baker, and was well loved and respected in Britain’s theatre community.
More on Elisabeth Welch on BBC’s The Woman Hour
Welch’s obituary, with an overview of her career, on The Independent
Elisabeth Welch on Wikipedia
