28 April 2011

Dorothy Collins and Raymond Scott

Two of this blog's most popular posts were devoted to records by singer Dorothy Collins and proto-space age pop maestro Raymond Scott.

This entry ought to outdo them all, because it brings them together for "At Home With Dorothy and Raymond" (they were husband and wife). Coral Records helpfully labels them on the cover so there is no mistaking who is who.

Collins is similar to Peggy King in some ways - a skillful singer who appeared on a low-brow American television program (in Dorothy's case, it was Your Hit Parade), and today has a smaller reputation than her talents deserve. Collins in fact is more remembered for her 1971 appearance in Sondheim's Follies than she is for her 1950s recordings. A shame, because the early material is very fine.

Dorothy warbles; Raymond twiddles
Well, much of it anyway. In truth, Raymond Scott was perhaps not the ideal arranger for any singer. His tricky, idiosyncratic charts do nothing to set off the voice, which is here in a decidedly secondary role. Although top-billed, Collins only appears on half the numbers. The others are devoted to Scott's characteristic compositions, which are not markedly different from what he was producing in the 1930s. I enjoy listening to them, but a little goes a long way, and none of these items are as memorable as Powerhouse or his best-known works.

But I do like Dorothy, and will have to present more of her - these five songs just aren't enough.

This is presented by request. The sound is excellent.
Labels: , , ,

19 comments:

  1. Buster28 April, 2011 18:11

    Links:

    mp3

    http://www.mediafire.com/?b1b84td3xd87ku9

    http://rapidshare.com/files/459028762/Dorothy_Collins_and_Raymond_Scott_-_At_Home_mp3.zip

    FLAC

    http://rapidshare.com/files/459029786/Dorothy_Collins_and_Raymond_Scott_-_At_Home.zip

    http://www.mediafire.com/?2sx4mgiasg3j56q

    If you are a fan of Dorothy, Raymond, or Buster, please leave word below.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bobb28 April, 2011 18:50

    Thanks for this:).

    ReplyDelete
  3. sunlion77728 April, 2011 20:27

    Buster,

    Thank you for sharing the great music, as always!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ernie28 April, 2011 21:37

    I'm a fan of Buster, no doubt about it!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous28 April, 2011 23:15

    Very interesting

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous29 April, 2011 09:47

    Thank you,didn't even know this record existed ! Big Dorothy Collins fan here. When doing some research on Your Hit Parade several years ago, I was sorta surprised to read that Dorothy and the other big(ish) singer on the show, June Valli, didn't get along very well at all. Seems June thought Dorothy got all the good numbers and she got stuck with the schlock and novelty numbers and this made for some hard feelings.

    ReplyDelete
  7. RonH30 April, 2011 03:03

    It's a beauty. Thanks Buster.

    RonH

    ReplyDelete
  8. iggy01 May, 2011 10:12

    Thanks so much, Buster. Love 'em both, apart or together. But sort of a classic Odd Couple in some ways, eh?

    Iggy

    ReplyDelete
  9. JohnnyLovesRecords02 May, 2011 19:36

    Buster, terrific sound on this recording of Dorothy Collins and Raymond Scott. How she can make even Tiger Rag sound that lovely is something else huh??
    I found a 78 of Peggy Mann this weekend and have had a hard time finding any of her recordings. Would you have any Peggy Mann records you could share??

    ReplyDelete
  10. Buster02 May, 2011 19:56

    Hello everyone, thanks for the great comments.

    iggy - they were an odd couple. Dorothy was Scott's protege from the time she was 13. Later he married her. Just a little creepy.

    Johnny - Collins was very talented. If I have any Peggy Mann, it would be an isolated 78, and finding that in my collection would be sheer luck!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous03 May, 2011 04:26

    How do you download? Am I missing something?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Buster03 May, 2011 09:25

    @ jamesnobel - Links are in the first comment above.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous03 May, 2011 21:06

    Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jeff06 May, 2011 09:50

    Buster--thanks so much for these. I just love her way with a song but I can never find her records anywhere.

    As for "Follies," if you haven't seen her performance of "Losing My Mind" on The David Frost Show, well, you really need to. Phenomenal:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU9CE6N_Dck

    ReplyDelete
  15. Buster06 May, 2011 10:37

    Thanks Jeff - I will definitely take a look!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Richard Bock07 May, 2011 10:40

    Thanks for this and other marvelous life affirming music on your blog. Much appreciated

    ReplyDelete
  17. rowgatien16 September, 2012 19:39

    Many thanks! I bought the "Wreckless..." CD years ago just by curiosity and was hooked right away after the first listening. I did not know Scott's work that well if at all. Things have surely change since then.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Muff Diver12 February, 2018 16:51

    Thank you Buster for offering this rip as LOSSLESS!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Eden7828 March, 2021 02:33

    Thank You!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)