LadyDot Review: Puttin' On the Ritz

LadyDot Review: Betty Booom & J Fitz – Puttin’ On the Ritz

Electro Swing elegance: a visit to the Ritz Hotel with Betty Booom and J Fitz! Song review: “Puttin’ On the Ritz”

As you know very well, I have almost always had the feeling that I have an old soul and actually come from the 1920s. I think you Electro Swing fans feel the same way! I have quite a few vintage style clothes. I love the polka dots pattern and the chic black dresses. Today I’m taking you on a musical journey to the elegant Ritz Hotel in London. Our guides will be artists from different parts of the world: Betty Booom from South Africa and J Fitz from Denmark. Put on your favourite retro clothes and we’re off! The obligatory tune that will accompany us is of course “Puttin’ On the Ritz”.

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The long history of “Puttin’ On the Ritz”

Did you know that the first version of this song was written in… 1927? It was written by the excellent composer Irving Berlin, who also created the Christmas song “White Christmas” and the timeless hit “Cheek to Cheek”. “Puttin’ On the Ritz” has already been performed by many famous artists (such as Fred Astaire and Robbie Williams), but only now, thanks to Betty Booom and J Fitz, can we listen to it in an Electro Swing version.

You’re the one… who can sing that song!

I can’t imagine this song being sung by anyone other than J Fitz. Not least because his artistic pseudonym rhymes so well with Ritz! I can definitely say that when I first listened to “Yato” (it’s J Fitz’s Electro Swing debut), I fell in love with his warm voice with a unique oldschool mannerism. I look forward to his next collaborations. Electro Swing is mostly sung by women, but I hope there will be plenty of room on your playlists for new tracks by this gentleman (and of course for “Puttin’ On the Ritz” :))! Hats (or rather bowler hats in this case) off to you, Mr J Fitz!

Big boom for Betty Booom

I’ve been meaning to review one of her songs for a while now and I finally got the chance! Today I’m delighted to listen to “Puttin’ On the Ritz” and appreciate her work even more. Why? Because each of her songs is completely different (although, in my opinion, “Betty Boop” and “Wellerman” have some things in common). “Puttin’ On the Ritz” quickly made it onto my “favourites” list. I like the subtle sounds of the xylophone (or vibraphone, but I think I hear wooden bars being hit here), the crazy brass section, the addition of old swing and… techno. Betty Booom combines all these elements into a perfectly coherent whole.

The second life of Electro Swing

Both fashion and music trends have definitely changed over 100 years. Today you don’t have to wear a high hat, a tailcoat and a shirt with a stiff collar to feel at least a little bit of the atmosphere from those years. All you need is “Puttin’ On the Ritz” by Betty Booom and J Fitz! I guarantee you that you will have a great time. However, if I could change anything, I would add more lyrics to this song from the 1927 song in addition to the chorus. The original version has such great lyrics that it begs to add a few more single lines. But that’s just my opinion. :)

Written & reviewed by LadyDot (Ja, Wizeruk) Date: 2021-09-23

Bio – LadyDot

Anna (LadyDot) was born in ’94, but always felt she came from the Golden Twenties. “Polka” in Polish means “girl from Poland”, so she’s “Polka in polka dots”. She loves vintage style and spontaneous travels around Europe. But her greatest love (apart from her husband) is of course music, especially Electro Swing.

On her own Blog www.jawizeruk.pl she writes about various music genres. She is a copywriter, so writing is her strong point. Anna likes singing (not only in the shower!) and cooking (especially Italian and Hungarian cuisine).