A Dick Haymes Serenade

It's such a pleasure to present these recordings by one of my favorites - Dick Haymes. Here we have a 1951 compilation of earlier singles by the great baritone - some familiar, some less so.

The first two songs - "It's a Grand Night for Singing" and "It Might as Well be Spring" are from the superb Rodgers and Hammerstein score for Haymes' best movie, State Fair, an entirely charming if insubstantial musical from 1945. If I remember correctly, Haymes shared the former song with co-star Vivian Blane, but Louanne Hogan sang the latter, dubbing Jeanne Crain. Haymes  recorded a six-song album from the film when it came out.

"It's Magic" was introduced by Doris Day in the 1947 Romance on the High Seas. 

Unlike these songs, Victor Young's "Searching Wind" from the 1946 film of the same name, did not become a standard; it is, nonetheless, quite a good song.

Back to the hits: "When I'm Not Near the Girl I Love" is from Finian's Rainbow, which debuted on Broadway in 1947. "My Future Just Passed" is a Richard Whiting standard from a number of years earlier. On this one, Haymes is backed by Les Paul, possibly the most over-praised guitarist in history. (Every time I vent that opinion, people vehemently disagree.)

"Some Hearts Sing" is another obscurity, which Billboard touted as something of a prestige item when it was recorded in 1946. It turns out to be an entirely conventional outing with an interesting bridge. It's by Joan Whitney and Alex Kramer - good songwriters who also did such things as "Ain't Nobody Here but Us Chickens," so I don't know how high brow they can be expected to be.

Finally, one of Haymes' biggest hits - David Rose's "Our Waltz," which was an instrumental hit and became popular as well with words by Nat Burton.

Haymes is superb throughout. Decca's transfer to LP was about a half-step flat, which I have corrected. The sound is quite good. The various orchestral backings are by Earle Hagen, Victor Young and Gordon Jenkins; all are outstanding.