This is one of those treasuries that the contents - the artists mentioned
above and track-listings given at the foot of this review - just sell
themselves without blandishments or embellishments by a reviewer.
They will certainly resonate as popular music classics of their times
with fans of a certain age. From sweet-voiced - but a little bit nicely
plumy - Jessie Matthews singing ‘My Heart Stood Still’
to Doris Day bewitching us with her rendition of ‘Bewitched,
Bothered and Bewildered’ there are so many magical Rodgers and
Hart memories recaptured here on CD1. The breezy style of the 1920s
in the opening track of ‘Manhattan’, and then a little
further on the title song from
The Girl Friend you can visualise
those flappers flapping. Then there is the unmistakeable chocolate-coloured
voice of Hutch ‘With a Song in My Heart’ and further on
Jeanette MacDonald
sans Nelson Eddy singing with that remarkably
clear diction, ‘Isn’t It Romantic’ while one of
Frank Sinatra’s earliest recordings, but with that unmistakeable
style, comes up with ‘You Are Beautiful’. Soon afterwards
he joins with that lovely expressive voice of Dinah Shore in ‘My
Romance’. The distinctive laidback crooning of Bing Crosby can
be heard in ‘It’s Easy to Remember’.
CD 2 recaptures all the magic of the super-successful musicals of
Rodgers and Hammerstein II. The first four tracks concentrate on the
more romantic songs from
Oklahoma! with the exception of the
title song. In a way this is a pity because the inclusion of one of
the comic songs would have helped balance the selections such as ‘Kansas
City’ and ‘I Cain’t Say No’.
Carousel
with so many heart-stopping songs must surely be regarded as the team’s
masterpiece, a show that really bordered on the operatic. The four
songs here are quite representative but again a lighter-shaded piece
would have been welcome like ‘June is Bustin’ Out All
Over’. Thankfully we have ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man
Right Outa My Hair’ amongst the five songs from
South Pacific.
There is similar variety amongst the five hit numbers from
The
King And I and from
The Sound of Music. It is good to hear
Perry Como sing ‘No Other Love Have I’ which was originally
used in the outstanding documentary series
Victory at Sea.
The 20-page booklet includes the erudite notes of Ray Crick.
A must for Richard Rodgers’ admirers.
Ian Lace
Detailed track-listing
CD1: Rodgers and Hart
1) ‘Manhattan’ from Garrick Gaieties- Ben Selvin
and his Orchestra; rec. 1925.
2) ‘Mountain Greenery’ from Garrick Gaieties-
Frank Crumit (vocal and ukulele with Jack Shilkret (piano); rec. 1926.
3) ‘The Girl Friend’ from The Girl Friend- George
Olsen and his Music; rec. 1926.
4) ‘The Blue Room’ from The Girl Friend- The
Revellers; rec. 1926.
5) ‘My Heart Stood Still’ from One Dam’ Thing
After Another- Jessie Matthews with Hutch (Leslie A. Hutchinson)
(piano); rec. 1927.
6) ‘Thou Swell’ from A Connecticut Yankee- Ben
Selvin and his Orchestra; rec. 1927.
7) ‘You Took Advantage of Me’ from Present Arms!-
Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra featuring Bing Crosby and Bix Beiderbecke
(cornet); rec. 1928.
8) ‘With a Song in My Heart’ from Spring is Here-
Hutch (vocal and piano); rec. 1930.
9) ‘Ten Cents a Dance’ from Simple Simon- Ruth
Etting; rec. 1930.
10 ‘Isn’t it Romantic?’ from Love Me Tonight-
Jeanette MacDonald with Nat Finston & his Orchestra; rec. 1932.
11 ‘Lover’ from Love Me Tonight- Paul Whiteman
& his Orchestra with Jack Fulton (vocal); rec. 1933.
12 ‘You Are Too Beautiful’ from Hallelujah, I’m
a Bum- Frank Sinatra with Alex Stardahl & his Orchestra; rec.
1945.
13 ‘Blue Moon’ (standalone song) Glen Gray & his
Casa Loma Orchestra; rec. 1934.
14 ‘It’s Easy to Remember’ from Mississippi-
Bing Crosby with Georgie Stall and his Orchestra and The Rhythmettes;
rec. 1935.
15 ‘My Romance’ from Jumbo- Dinah Shore &
Frank Sinatra with Axel Stardahl & his Orchestra; rec. 1947.
16 ‘There’s a Small Hotel’ from On Your Toes-
Hal Kemp & his Orchestra with Maxine Gray (vocal); rec. 1936.
17 ‘Where or When’ from Babes in Arms- Lena
Horne with Lou Bing & his Orchestra; rec. 1941.
18 ‘My Funny Valentine’ from Babes in Arms-
Mary Martin with Lehman Engeal & his Orchestra; rec. 1949.
19 ‘Johnny One Note’ from Babes in Arms- Wynn
Murray with Ruby Newman & his Rainbow Room Orchestr; rec. 1937.
20 ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ from Babes in Arms-
Sophie Tucker with Harry Sosnik & his Orchestra; rec. 1937.
21 ‘Falling in Love with Love’ from The Boys From
Syracuse- Allan Jones with Charles Previn & his Orchestra ;
rec. 1940.
22 ‘This Can’t Be Love’ from The Boys From
Syracuse- Benny Goodman (clarinet) and his Orchestra with Martha
Tilton (vocal); rec 1938.
23 ‘I Didn’t Know What Time it Was’ from
Too Many Girls- Margaret Whiting with Frank DeVol and his Orchestra;
rec. 1946.
24 ‘I Could Write a Book’ from Pal Joey- Frank
Sinatra with Axel Stardahl & his Orchestra; rec. 1952.
25 ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ from Pal Joey
- Doris Day with The Mellomen and John Rarig & his Orchestra;
rec. 1949.
CD2: Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
1) ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’ from Oklahoma!
- Alfred Drake with Jay Blackton & his Orchestra; rec. 1943.
2) ‘The Surrey With The Fringe On Top’ from Oklahoma!
- Alfred Drake with Jay Blackton & his Orchestra; rec. 1943.
3) ‘People Will Say We Are in Love’ from Oklahoma!
- Joan Roberts and Alfred Drake with Jay Blackton & his Orchestra;
rec. 1943.
4) ‘Oklahoma!’ from Oklahoma! - Alfred Drake with
Jay Blackton & his Orchestra; rec. 1943.
5) ‘If I Loved You’ from Carousel - Perry Como
with Russ Case & his Orchestra; rec. 1945
6) ‘Soliloquy’ from Carousel - John Raitt with Joseph
Littau & orchestra; rec. 1945
7) ‘What’s the Use of Wond’rin’ from Carousel
- Jan Clayton with Joseph Littau & orchestra; rec. 1945.
8) ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ from Carousel
- Judy Garland with Lyn Murray & his Orchestra & Singers;
rec. 1945
9) ‘It Might as Well Be Spring’ from State Fair
(film musical) Dick Haymes with Victor Young & his Orchestra;
rec. 1945
10) ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ from South Pacific
- Ezio Pinza with Salvatore Dell’Isola & orchestra; rec.
1949.
11) ‘Bali Ha’i’ from South Pacific - Peggy
Lee with David Barbour & his Orchestra; rec. 1949
12) ‘I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair’
from South Pacific - Mary Martin with Salvatore Dell’Isola
& orchestra & female chorus; rec. 1949.
13) ‘I’m in Love With a Wonderful Guy’ from South
Pacific - Mary Martin with Salvatore Dell’Isola & orchestra
& female chorus; rec 1949.
14) ‘Younger Than Springime’ from South Pacific
- William Tabbert with Salvatore Dell’Isola & orchestra;
rec. 1949.
15) ‘Hello Young Lovers’ from The King And I -
Gertrude Lawrence with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra, rec. 1951.
16) ‘Getting to Know You’ from The King And I -
Gertrude Lawrence with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra, rec. 1951.
17) ‘We Kiss in a Shadow’ from The King And I -
Doretta Morrow & Larry Douglas with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra,
rec. 1951.
18) ‘Shall We Dance’ from The King And I - Gertrude
Lawrence and Yul Brynner with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra, rec.
1951.
19) ‘No Other Love’ from Me And Juliet - (adapted
from the instrumental Beneath the Southern Cross in Victory at Sea)
and with Perry Como and Henri René & his Orchestra &
Chorus; rec 1953.
20) ‘You Are Beautiful’ from Flower Drum Song -
Johnny Mathis with Ray Ellis & his Orchestra; rec. 1958.
21) ‘The Sound of Music’ from The Sound of Music
- Mary Martin with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra; rec. 1959.
22) ‘My Favourite Things’ from The Sound of Music
- Mary Martin and Patricia Neway with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra;
rec. 1959.
23) ‘ Edelweiss’ from The Sound of Music - Theodore
Bikel with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra; rec. 1959.
24) ‘Climb Ev’ry Mountain’ from The Sound of
Music - Shirley Bassey with Frederick Dvonch & orchestra;
rec. 1959.
