Two 'Harlow' Scores, from Hefti and Riddle

Screen siren Jean Harlow had been dead for nearly three decades when Hollywood suddenly decided that her story was so compelling it demanded two separate "Harlow" biopics, which reached theaters about a month apart in 1965.

Neither film was very successful, although the second and glossier version, with Carroll Baker in the lead, fared better with critics than the quickie that cast Carol Lynley as the ill-fated star.

Fortunately for us, the separate producers (who reputedly hated one another) saw fit to engage two of the best musicians then working, Neal Hefti and Nelson Riddle, to handle the scores. Today's post provides the resulting soundtrack LPs. Both are highly enjoyable.

Lobby card

Hefti helmed the Carroll Baker film, producing a characteristic score that does not attempt in any way to capture the musical styles of the 30s, at least in the cuts heard here. The LP goes so far as to include 60s-esque tunes titled "Carroll Baker A-Go-Go," with prominent electric guitar and organ, and "Lonely Girl Bossa Waltz."

But then, the LP is labelled "Music from the Score of the Motion Picture," so what we hear on the record may be at some distance from what moviegoers experienced. For example, Bobby Vinton sang the theme song over the titles, where here on the album it is handled by a chorus. The lyrics were by Livingston and Evans, a fact only mentioned on the label. Side note: Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote two songs for the picture, "Harlow" and "Say Goodbye," which weren't used.

The best known tune on the record is "Girl Talk," which achieved some renown as a pop song after acquiring Bobby Troup's notoriously sexist lyrics. The LP version is instrumental, so as a bonus I have added Tony Bennett's superb rendition, also arranged and conducted by Hefti. Here, as elsewhere in the score, the composer achieves memorable results from simple, repetitive riffs.

Lobby card

Nelson Riddle had no such pop success with his competing score for the Carol Lynley "Harlow." His efforts were not notably improved by a few flowery songs from pop producer Al Ham, with lyrics by Marilyn and Alan Bergman. The vocal versions of the songs are beautifully done by Mary Mayo, Ham's wife.

Riddle's own material is gorgeous as always, notably "Come to Me." He uses some period effects in the score, although he undershot the mark with "Wake Up." Its wah-wah trumpet and banjo are more reminiscent of the 20s than the 30s.

If neither musical score recaptured the time in which Harlow lived, the same may be true of the films themselves. Baker and Lynley were beautiful women and accomplished actors, but neither captured Harlow's unique look, with penetrating eyes set off by platinum hair, arched eyebrows and bow lips, nor her charisma. Those were Harlow's alone.

Baker, Harlow, Lynley

Christmas Music from M-G-M

The M-G-M label issued quite a number of Christmas singles in the 1950s, and this 1958 LP on its budget Lion label presents a good selection.

We start with several items from 1950. One of the label's issues that year was a enjoyable double-78 set from the popular hillbilly-hokum band, the Korn Kobblers. Three of the four items on the 78 set are repackaged here. (The pianist-arranger for this group was Marty Gold, who later made many space-age pop LPs.)

Lionel Barrymore had made a famous recording of "A Christmas Carol" a few years earlier. He followed it in 1950 with a breathless dash through "'Twas the Night before Christmas." Finally from that year, we have delightful Jimmy Durante versions of "Frosty, the Snow Man" and "Christmas Comes But Once a Year." Roy Bargy conducts.

We skip ahead to 1953, and Little Rita Faye's twangy "I Fell Out of a Christmas Tree." Also from that year is "Tom and Jerry Meet Santa Claus," with music by Leroy Holmes. These are the narrated antics of the cartoon characters, who did not speak - seems a little strange.

Leslie Uggams began making Christmas records in 1953, as a 10-year-old. Here we have her 1954 entry, "The Fat, Fat Man," which is a little too show-bizzy for my taste.

More to my liking is a relatively big hit from 1955 (and a gigantic favorite with the young Buster), "Nuttin' for Christmas," an Art Mooney record with a wonderfully convincing vocal from the great Barry Gordon. For 1956, Gordon changed into a good kid, and came out with the cheery "I Like Christmas." I prefer the kid who "ain't been nuttin' but bad."

The final item is also from 1956, I believe. It is from Mary Mayo, a fine singer who mostly was a studio vocalist. Here she presents "God Bless You, Little Children."

Good sound on these.