While Diana Lynn is best known today as an actor, she started out as a piano prodigy, breaking into films for her musical ability. But her charm and good looks were apparent, and soon she was something of a juvenile lead.
Diana made a number of records during the 40s, collected in this 10-inch LP on Capitol. I believe that the six Cole Porter tunes were recorded for a 78 album, with Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and Lover added later to make this LP - but not certain of that.
All the tunes here display her considerable skills and beautiful tone, and are graced by Paul Weston's fine orchestral arrangements. The piano arrangements are by George Greeley, who made many records of his own. Capitol's sound is excellent.
This post is for my friend Mel of Sallie and Mel's Golden Age of Hollywood, one of the sites over at Isbum's Place.
9 comments:
I will never be able to thank you enough for sharing this rarest of the rare albums.
I've been trying to get a copy for over half a century - and it all came about after a chance remark from quinlan over at Franklynot about the Capitol label....
You mentioned that Diana Lynn’s piano arrangements were by George Greeley - a fact that I was not aware of.
I am familiar with Greeley’s work and consider him to have been a wonderful pianist.
Would you by any chance have a copy of his Capitol 10” LP Piano Demitasse - H438 that you could post here?
Hi Mel,
I am not nearly the piano aficionado that you are. I see Greeley's records a lot (although not that one), but have never purchased one. I will be on the lookout for you - but I see about one 10-inch LP for every 500 12-inch LPs I come across!
I can almost smell the seats of my local cinema, closed, alas, in the late sixties!
Ronan,
Funny, I was just thinking about the smell of my local cinema last night - a combination of dust and popcorn. I just loved that place. It was a close second to the local amusement park.
"In the still of the night" is an absolute winner. Beautifully arranged and played!
Ireland has the highest cinema attendance figures per capita in the EU, I believer. Certainly, cinemas are opening up - a new one right beside us. So the tradition lives on!
I enjoyed the Dardanelle recording so much that I hoped this one would be just as nice.
If you've got room on the re-up queue, I hope you'll add these two.
Thanks.
Sure, will do - but she is nothing like Dardanelle.
Remastered version from mp3 files, in Apple format:
https://mega.nz/#!TYMAwDob!VpoujHqf3tB2HpQUO14OxZQQisFuJ1Eh8VjIHhpLCuQ
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