The latest installment in our slow-motion examination of RCA's "Show Time" series from 1953 is notable for documenting that year's revival of
Porgy and Bess - but I particularly enjoyed the songs from
Girl Crazy on the other side of the record.
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| Leslie Scott |
This recording presents Cab Calloway, Leslie Scott and Helen Thigpen from the Broadway Porgy. Calloway is Sportin' Life, as he was in the 1953 production. Scott is Porgy, and he was one of the Porgys on Broadway. Thigpen is Bess, although she was Serena in the stage play.
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| Helen Thigpen with William Warfield |
Calloway is vivid in this role, but as usual remarkable in the wrong way. Scott is a vulnerable Porgy, lighter voiced than such singers as Paul Robeson or even William Warfield. Thigpen is a shrill Bess. Jay Blackton conducts here; the music director for the stage was Alexander Smallens.
The LP was in effect a Gershwin double-feature, with songs from
Girl Crazy on the other side.
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| Edie Adams and Rosalind Russell |
Edith (Edie) Adams, a talented singer-comic actor, is delightful in "Embraceable You," complete with verse. She was in
Wonderful Town with Rosalind Russell at the time of this recording. Also terrific are two then luminaries of Broadway, whom we have seen before in this series. Lisa Kirk does "But Not for Me" and Helen Gallagher "I Got Rhythm". Their previous appearances in the RCA series can be found
here. Milton Rosenstock conducts.
RCA didn't bother much with documentation on these records. There is no identification of who sings what. "Bidin' My Time" is sung by a completely anonymous male quartet to close out the record. It's strange that the company was so off hand about such a well-produced, enjoyable series that shows what great talent there was on Broadway at the time.
31 comments:
Link (Apple lossless):
http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?cqm8b2hn6x8dmju
Oh Buster, this is so right up my alley, you can't imagine. Thank you thank you thank you.
You call this the "latest installment," so there must have been previous ones, and I'll be searching for them now. What bliss!
looking forward to your reposting on Mediafire of the Lisa Kirk material from the first of the showtime items you posted to Rapidshare.
Fantastic post. Thank you Buster !!
Thank you, Buster!
Do you have a discography of all these Show Time records, Buster? I know it may seem like the supply is endless, but someone has to know how many different ones exist. :)
Ernie - There was only one set, which is listed on the back cover of this LP. I've posted most of them - I've yet to track down a few items.
I'll have to take a peek through the stacks and see if I've got any you haven't posted. :)
Thanks! Great sound/remastering of yours. Don't know who let Thipgen into a recording studio, but I'm thoroughly enjoying Mr. Scott's "Porgy", as well as the "Girl Crazy" tracks.
MusicalGuy - The Bess in that production (one of them anyway) was Leontyne Price; I guess RCA couldn't get her into the studio in place of Thigpen (whom I don't like). Thanks for your compliments!
In the mid-50s, Price had recorded Barber songs, but for Columbia not RCA where she was later exclusive contract (after 1958-9). She may have been blocked from doing an RCA album at that time, or just too expensive for what would appear to be a budget project.
Rootie - That could be. I have the Hermit Songs LP; I believe it's from 1954.
I have a couple of these in the series. It's always fun to hear some show's classics by someone else (talented as Lisa Kirk, Cab Calloway...). A treat ! Thanks !
Buster, thanks once again for making my day. Cab Calloway's spirited rendering of "It Ain't Necessarily So" has always been a favorite of mine. It was featured on an RCA anthology LP called "A Collector's Porgy & Bess," which I used to own. I remember playing the Calloway recording for my then-girlfriend, and she remarked, "He sounds like a chazzan on acid." Which pretty much sums it up.
@ Hotspur - Yes, that is just about what he sounds like. That's why I don't like it, myself, but I am very happy that you do!
@Buster
Thanks for converting and uploading this series. I have a few of the recordings on vinyl, but my copies are from (old) used record stores, and are not in the best of shape.
One entry in this series was a Victor Herbert twofer: MADAMOISELLE MODISTE and NAUGHTY MARIETTA, with Doretta Morrow and Felix Knight. Alas, this title has eluded me, though I have managed to find a rather poor-sounding download. If you happen to have this one on your shelves, I for one would love to hear your treatment of it.
Parchisi - thanks for your comment. I think that's the only item in the series I don't have. I am going to try to find a copy, though!
I got "Mademoiselle Modiste" and "Naughty Marietta" a while ago in excellent quality. Not my rip / Thanks to the original uploader!
Mlle Modiste:
http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/g3jt8p
Naughty M.:
http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/5yfap9
Thanks MusicalGuy38!
Upon checking my files, I realized that Buster had provided NAUGHTY MARIETTA previously, along with THE LITTLE SHOWS, on August 8, 2011. But MADAMOISELLE MODISTE has not been posted here.
In this "Showtime" series, only two titles have not been posted here:
SHOWBOAT (Carol Bruce, Helena Bliss, John Tyers, WIlliam C. Smith/ Lehman Engel)
THE CAT AND THE FIDDLE (Stephen Douglass, Patricia Neway/ Lehman Engel)
The rest of the series can be found in the archives (and the links appear to be still active):
OKLAHOMA! - April 29, 2012
CAROUSEL - April 29, 2012
BABES IN ARMS - July 25, 2010
JUMBO - July 25, 2010
MADAMOISELLE MODISTE -[comment on Girl Crazy]
NAUGHTY MARIETTA - August 8, 2011
SHUFFLE ALONG - December 26, 2011
BLACKBIRDS OF 1928 - December 26, 2011
THE BAND WAGON - July 25, 2010
THE LITTLE SHOWS - August 8, 2011
GIRL CRAZY - Sept 15, 2012
PORGY AND BESS - Sept 15, 2012
KISS ME, KATE - March 14, 2010
ANYTHING GOES - March 14, 2010
Gosh, I forgot I posted Naughty Marietta - naughty Buster!
Musical Guy - Thanks for the Mlle Modiste!
I will put the missing items on my want list. I'd like to complete the set.
Here's "The Cat and the Fiddle", again not my rip / Thanks to the original uploader! Tracks 1 & 2 are ripped from a CD (where they were bonus tracks), 3 & 4 are LP rips.
http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/7avvk1
I also have "Show Boat", however with a lot of surface noise. If someone has software to eliminate cracks and pops, I can post or e-mail it.
MusicalGuy38,
Thanks so much! I can fix Show Boat. A lossless rip would be best; but can work with whatever you have. Just post here. Thanks again!
I've been missing all the fun here in the comments!
Thanks again, MusicalGuy38! Even though there are only 4 tracks, Stephen Douglass and Patricia Neway are two performers that we just didn't hear enough of when they were in their prime(s).
I happen to own a 10" LP of Show Boat/ Cat and the Fiddle. There are some clicks and pops, but here is a rip of my LP in .wav format:
http://www.mediafire.com/?aomgcvt163bswoq
Perhaps Buster can work his magic on these files.
Yes, Ernie, this is a lot of fun!
Thanks Parchisi - No problem with cleaning it up. I will publish all this good work on the main page as soon as I am able, which will not be before the weekend (I am about to leave on a short trip).
Thanks again to everyone - this is terrific!
Here's the "Show Boat" from my vaults; no less clicks and pops, unfortunately, however this one might have the correct pitch (half a note lower):
http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/oamm3j
I'm curious what Buster's wizardry will be able to make of these two sources ... ;-)
(PS Just for info - My links are no permanent links)
MusicalGuy38 - Thanks also to you! Are you saying the original was a half step sharp or the transfer? Also, does anyone have scans of these fine records?
Buster, I *believe* that the Show Boat that I posted has the correct speed, just because it seemed to me that the other tracks from that collection had the same pitch as your (sonically upgraded) posts, and the key in some cases was even the same key in which Kern had written the songs (which, of course, doesn't necessarily mean much). So, if you use Parchisi's rips, the pitch of these tracks might need to be lowered about half a note. - But of course I can be wrong ... ;-)
Here's a "Show Boat" cover:
http://castalbums.org/covers/03/03245.jpg
What else is missing?
Simplemente estoy muy agradecido, saludos.
Francisco - ¡Por favor, disfruta!
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