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Dick Haymes: You’ll Never Know - His 53 Finest
rec. 1940-1950
RETROSPECTIVE RTS4292 [78:06 + 77:11]

Dick Haymes (1918-1980) was one of the top male vocalists of the last century. He possessed a rich baritone singing voice that put him in the same league as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. Dick started his career as a songwriter and vocalist with his own group, the Katzenjammers. He was hired by trumpeter and bandleader Bunny Berigan to be the band’s featured vocalist before being headhunted by Harry James. Harry paired him with Helen Forrest, and both singers became enormously popular. Dick later recorded with Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and many other swing bands, as well as acting in 35 movies, including “One Touch of Venus” with Ava Gardner, “Diamond Horseshoe” with Jeanne Crain, and the 1945 film “State Fair”, with Dana Andrews and Vivian Blaine.

This two-disc collection contains 53 of his songs recorded between 1940 and 1950. Fools Rush In was recorded in New York in 1940 with Harry James and His Orchestra on the Varsity label, with Harry and trumpeter Jack Palmer leading the orchestra’s easy swing arrangement. Serenade In Blue was a collaboration with Benny Goodman in 1942 on Columbia, and Benny’s melodic clarinet solo provides an intriguing balance to Dick’s smooth verse delivery. The country tune Idaho was recorded at the same session, and the band swings through it with a full saxophone section filling in around Dick and Benny. One of the many fine duets Dick recorded with Helen Forrest is Long Ago and Far Away, taken down in 1944 with Tutti Camarata and his Orchestra on Decca. The two singers had superb voices that fit well together, with similar styles of phrasing and intonation. Dick recorded the ballads By The Old Corral and Let The Rest Of The World Go By in 1944 working with Victor Young and His Orchestra. The full, lush arrangements were perfect for Dick’s voice and singing style, and the Ken Darby Singers provide colourful backing harmonies. Dick also recorded a number of tunes with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra. Little White Lies was one of his biggest hits, selling over two million copies. The arrangement features Dick singing with the marvellous close harmony singing group, Four Hits and a Miss. The tune Mam’selle was written by Edmund Goulding and was originally composed as instrumental background music for the 1946 film The Razor’s Edge. Mack Gordon added lyrics and the song first became a hit for singer Art Lund. Dick recorded the tune with Gordon Jenkins in Los Angeles in 1947 on Decca.

A 16-page booklet is included, with notes by Peter Dempsey and Clive Fuller. Music was compiled by Ray Crick, and audio restoration and re-mastering by Martin Haskell. This is a great collection of hits from Dick’s career, and the sound quality is excellent.

Bruce McCollum

Track Listing
CD 1 [78:06]
1940-1945
1. You’ll Never Know (with the Song Spinners) [2:38]
2. How High the Moon? (with Harry James and His Orchestra) [2:55]
3. Fools Rush In [3:03]
4. Ol’ Man River [2:52]
5. I’ll Get By [2:42]
6. Yes, Indeed! [3:03]
7. Serenade In Blue (with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra) [3:13]
8. Idaho [2:58]
9. Wait For Me, Mary (with the Song Spinners) [2:49]
10. It Can’t Be Wrong [3:15]
11. Put Your Arms Around Me, Honey [2:39]
12. Long Ago And Far Away (duet with Helen Forrest with Tutti Camarata and His Orchestra) [3:21]
13. How Blue The Night (with Emil Newman and His Orchestra) [3:02]
14. It Had To Be You (duet with Helen Forrest with Victor Young and His Orchestra) [3:10]
15. Together duet (with Helen Forrest) [3:05]
16. Great Day! (with The Andrews Sisters, Vic Schoen and His Orchestra) [2:25]
17. By The Old Corral (The Ken Darby Singers with Victor Young and His Orchestra) [2:44]
18. Let The Rest Of The World Go By (The Ken Darby Singers) [3:08]
19. The More I See You [3:01]
20. I Wish I Knew [3:07]
21. Where Or When [2:02]
22. I’ll Buy That Dream (duet with Helen Forrest) [2:56]
23. Love Letters [2:43]
24. Laura [3:03]
25. The Night Is Young And You’re So Beautiful [3:11]
26. It Might As Well be Spring [3:06]
CD 2 [77:41]
1945-1950
1. That’s For Me (with Victor Young and His Orchestra) [2:51]
2. Till The End Of Time [3:03]
3. How Deep Is The Ocean? (with Lyn Murray and His Orchestra) [3:04]
4. I’m Always Chasing Rainbows (duet with Helen Forrest with Earle Hagen and His Orchestra) [2:58]
5. Oh, What It Seemed To Be! (duet with Helen Forrest) [2:55]
6. It’s A Grand Night For Singing [2:30]
7. Amada Mia [2:58]
8. Come Rain Or Come Shine (duet with Helen Forrest with Victor Young and His Orchestra) [2:50]
9. You Make Me Feel So Young ((duet with Judy Garland with Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra) [2:43]
10. For You, For Me, For Evermore [3:11]
11. How Are Things In Glocca Morra? [2:58]
12. Mam’selle [3:03]
13. Little White Lies [3:11]
14. Nature Boy (with the Song Spinners) [2:57]
15. The Ould Plaid Shawl (with Victor Young and His Orchestra) [2:46]
16. It’s Magic (with Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra) [2:29]
17. Say It Isn’t So (with Carmen Cavallaro (piano)) [2:49]
18. Cheek To Cheek [2:46]
19. The Song Is Ended But The Melody Lingers On [2:29]
20. Say It With Music [2:08]
21. Soft Lights And Sweet Music [2:48]
22. All Alone [2:38]
23. Room Full Of Roses (with unnamed rhythm accompaniment) [2:35]
24. The Old Master Painter (with Sonny Burke and His Orchestra) [2:21]
25. Count Every Star (with Artie Shaw and His Strings and Woodwinds) [2:53]
26. You’re Just In Love (duet with Ethel Merman with Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra and Chorus) [3:15]
27. I Guess I’ll Have To Dream the Rest (with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra) [3:12]