When I acquired this record, I thought it was a promotional item that the Ice Capades (an American skating show) sold at its events in 1953. Turns out that it actually was a regular Columbia issue of that year, as an ad in the download shows.
Commercial issue or not, no doubt this 78 was intended to promote the ice show, which featured an ice skating version of the Broadway hit (this predates the film, which didn't come out until 1954).
Interestingly to me, the record was issued in the same series as the Columbia children's records of the time, using the same type of laminated picture sleeve and a similar yellow label. The sleeves in this particular series tended toward the hideous. This one is more accomplished than some I have seen, if hardly subtle.
The 78 contains a potted version of the Brigadoon score, compressing it to seven minutes. The excellent vocal soloists are Lee Sullivan (heard here previously in Rodgers and Hart songs) and Sally Sweetland, a studio vocalist.
This probably was not the actual performance heard at the Ice Capades show, which likely would have been much longer. The download includes a Popular Science article that claims the music at the show consisted of taped vocals and live musicians, which seems very unlikely.
The set of the frozen version of Brigadoon is below, courtesy of the same article.
LINK
To the best of my knowledge, Sally Sweetland and Lee Sullivan, a married couple, are still around (they must be in their nineties by now) and still run their school of singing. Sally Sweetland dubbed the singing voices of many movie stars in films of the 1940s and was in the original 1953 Broadway cast of Brigadoon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this most interesting record.
Mel - I had no idea they were married or still with us. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAnother amazing treasure! Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the chances of getting the entire album. This one is a gem!
ReplyDeleteHi Patt - Sorry, this is all that is available.
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