Lisa Kirk and the RCA Show Time Series

When RCA Victor decided to issue a series of musical comedy recordings in 1953, for the most part it turned to performers who were then in leading roles on Broadway, but it made sure to include Lisa Kirk, who, will not then currently in a play, had been memorable in Allegro and Kiss Me Kate in previous years.

The post is something of a tribute to Kirk, a wonderful singer who is heard far too little these days, as well as RCA's venture into potted musicals. It includes three of the shows RCA issued in its Show Time Series, along with a number of Kirk's RCA singles from the same era.

The Show Time Series included four songs each from 18 shows. Limiting the number of songs to four meant that the company could issue each show on an EP, and combine two shows on a 10" LP. It also differentiated the RCA effort from Columbia's popular series of records that already had presented LP-length revivals of several shows - notably Pal Joey, which led to it being revived on Broadway.

The RCA and Columbia series shared a number of artists - Jack Cassidy, conductor Lehman Engel and, notably, Harold Lang, who starred as Pal Joey on the RCA record and in the subsequent revival.

We begin this post with an RCA LP that combined songs from two Rodgers and Hart scores, Babes in Arms and Jumbo, both featuring Lisa Kirk. On the Babes in Arms side, Kirk is excellent in "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "My Funny Valentine." William Tabbert, who was then on Broadway as Joe Cable in South Pacific, does "Where or When" (not very well). And Sheila Bond, who was in Wish You Were Here at the time and won a Tony, has her way with "Johnny One Note."

In the songs from Jumbo, Lisa has only "Little Girl Blue." Joining her is the superb Jack Cassidy on "My Romance" and "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World." Cassidy was starring with Sheila Bond in Wish You Were Here at the time. The LP is rounded out by Jordan Bentley (Wreck in Wonderful Town - "I could paaaaas that football"), with "Over and Over Again."

Before moving on to Lisa Kirk singles, I've added a bonus EP of The Band Wagon, with two songs from Harold Lang. Lang started as a dancer, and while he could sing, subtlety was not his specialty, perhaps because he was used to playing such bluff characters as Pal Joey and Bill Calhoun (he was in Kiss Me Kate with Kirk). Here Lang blasts his way through "I Love Louisa" and "New Sun in the Sky." Lang is joined by George Britton, who had replaced Ezio Pinza in South Pacific, and Edith Adams (later Edie Adams), who was in Wonderful Town at the time. Britton does "Dancing in the Dark" and duets with Adams on "High and Low."

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Finally we have six Lisa Kirk songs from RCA singles - "Exactly Like You," "You're a Sweetheart," "Charlie Is My Darling" and "Beautiful Brown Eyes" from 1951, and "Do Me a Favor" and "King Size Kisses" from 1953. Kirk is generally fine but the material is variable here. None were hits (although Rosemary Clooney's rival - and superior - cover version of the country tune "Beautiful Brown Eyes" was a good seller).

The sound is excellent on all items except for the first two singles mentioned, which are transferred from a worn 78. The download includes contemporary photos of all the artists mentioned.

I've often remarked that it's a shame that a certain artist isn't better remembered - and that's once again true with Lisa Kirk, a glamorous, talented singer and fine actor. I'll probably be back later with one of her LPs.

NEW LINKS - REMASTERED AND REPITCHED VERSIONS (JUNE 2014):

BABES IN ARMS-JUMBO | BAND WAGON | SINGLES