Early Gisele MacKenzie

The reaction to my recent Gisele MacKenzie post on my other blog surprised me. Far more people like Gisele than I realized. Most of you probably like her more than I do!

With so much latent interest in the singer, I thought I might transfer her rarest LP. It is Orchids from Gisele, a promotional item issued only in her native Canada by the sponsor of her radio show.

While the album came out in 1958, it collects singles issued on Capitol from 1952 through early 1954, before MacKenzie spent several years with RCA Victor and its offshoot Vik.

The songs themselves are what you might expect from the period - a mixture of ballads, novelties and covers of country tunes. I find this era fascinating, while realizing that others disagree.

A few notes:

"Whistle My Love" was from the the Disney film Story of Robin Hood, and was widely recorded at the time. I had one of the recordings (can't recall which) and don't think I had heard the song in the intervening years. I liked it when I was four, and I like it now. Arranger Buddy Cole takes the "whistling" literally and has violinist Paul ("The Hot Canary") Nero on hand to supply the high harmonics. I could have done without them - Cole has a tendency to overdo things. This shows as well in the next song, the familiar "Adios," which includes a female backing vocal that sounds like Mary Ford on phenobarbital. Cole  adds organ accompaniment that sounds remarkably like Walter Wanderley's records of 10 years later.

"Mississippi River Boat" is another novelty, and if you can handle the constant "tu pocketa, tu pocketa" refrain, you may enjoy this. It's not my thing.

Nelson Riddle's arrangements are definitely my thing, and he takes over for "A Letter and a Ring" and "A Walkin' Tune." Both are handled nicely by MacKenzie.

"The Best Things in Life Are Free" was apparently unreleased except for this compilation. "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" was a country hit for Slim Willet (the composer) among many others, and Gisele's cover is accomplished. "My Favorite Song" is a good Moose Charlap composition. Buddy Cole is back for the latter two songs.

Possibly the best effort on the LP is MacKenzie's version of "Gone," a legendary country song by Smokey Rogers. "Gone" was a giant hit for Ferlin Husky in 1957 - five years after this version was cut. Husky had recorded the song earlier (also for Capitol) under the name Terry Preston, and it was even issued on a promo record together with Gisele's recording. MacKenzie appears on the sheet music.

As a bonus, I have included the promotional version of "My Buick, My Love and I" recorded by Gisele and Gordon MacRae and given out by Buick dealers in 1952. It was the theme song for Milton Berle's second TV program, The Buick-Berle Show. The promo record also had a version by the Mellomen on the back. The Macs' version was issued commercially as well. The bonus is not my transfer, although I have remastered it, and is from a lossy original. The LP transfer is of course from my own copy.