Vic's titanic tête is overlooking a tender riverside tête-à-tête and a Parisian cafe scene. (The artist must have thought that "amor" is a French word.)
The record recycles a number of singles that Damone made for Mercury in previous years, and it displays some of the typical repertoire being presented on the pop singles of the day. Damone often is in excellent form, notably on the ballad Rosanne and on The Breeze and I.
As a bonus I've added a 1951 single of It's a Long Way (From Your House to My House) entirely because it contains an arrangement by George Siravo, whom we've been featuring in the recent past. (I have to say that the arrangement is too busy for my taste.) The flip side is Calla Calla (that is, Bride Bride), a Yiddish song arranged by George Bassman. This and the Latin items on the LP show how singers and producers were searching for new and different material, which also led them to cover R&B and country songs. One of the latter (Afraid) appears on this LP.
The recording quality for the LP is fair, even though it was pressed on cheap vinyl. The 45 is another story - the sound here is at once dull, disembodied and shrill. I've done my best to compensate.
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6 comments:
Buster,
There are some really great Damone sides on this album--even with the occasionally excessive production. I've been building a collection of songs named after women from this period and "Rosanne" (very reminiscent of "I'll Remember Suzanne" recorded by Gene Krupa in 1945) is a worthy addition to it. "Sugar" is unusual for Damone at this time. Who is the sax player? Georgie Auld? I just wish you hadn't 'gifted' us that tinny-sounding 45 which sounds like it was recorded in one of those penny arcade recording booths of the time. Only kidding; well, half kidding. By the way, let me commend you on your job of cleaning up a really atrocious pressing. Coincidentally, I was listening to Damone's phenomenal 1967 album, "The Damone Type of Thing," this morning. Thanks to unsung hero Bill Reed, it was released on SSJ Records in Japan with astonishing mastering. So my day began and ends with Vic Damone. Not a bad day, I'd have to say.
Thank you for posting this. I really appreciate your unique niche in music blogging.
David - Sorry, I meant to mention that there is no information on the LP about arrangers or musicians.
Thanks to both of you for your comments, as always!
I sent "Rosanne" to my friends and some wrote back to say they also fell in love with the song. By the way, since I have you to thank for my discovery of Jackie Paris, let me recommend an amazing documentary about him called "'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris," made by Raymond De Felitta. It's on DVD and it is, in my humble opinion, the equal to "Let's Get Lost," the movie about Chet Baker.
David,
Great call on Rosanne - I think it's a fine song as well. Thanks for reminding me about that Jackie Paris documentary - I didn't know it was out on DVD. Have to order it! I saw Let's Get Lost in the theater when it came out. Enjoyed it a lot.
Thanks Buster. My education re Damone's Mercury years starts here!
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