Alice Babs & Duke Ellington Serenade to Sweden Dionne
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ALICE BABS & DUKE ELLINGTON SELLING POINTS: SERENADE TO SWEDEN • Duke Ellington Is Widely Recognized as the Greatest Composer Jazz Has Produced STREET DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 • Alice Babs Had a Nationwide Hit in Her Home Country of Sweden at Age 15, and Went On to Appear in 14 Swedish Films from 1938 to 1959 Real Gone Music is proud to present what is probably • Together, These Two Icons Made an Album in 1963, the rarest album in the voluminous Duke Ellington discography, Serenade to Sweden , That Ranks as the Rarest his 1963 date with Swedish singer Alice Babs, Serenade to Sweden . That year, Record in the Ellington Catalog Ellington was hired by the Reprise label as an A&R man, free to sign any artist he Songs: • Never Reissued in Any Form wanted and to record them. His first choice was Babs, who, in Ellington’s words, was • Features Cool Jazz Arrangements by Ellington, “the most unique artist I know…She sings opera, she sings lieder, she sings what we 1. Serenade to Sweden 2. The Boy in My Dreams Some Boasting French Horns, and Some World- call jazz and blues, she sings like an instrument, she even yodels, and she can read 3. Stoona Class Scatting by Babs any and all of it!” For her part, Babs (born Hildur Alice Nilson) had a hit in Sweden 4. La De Doody Do • Liner Notes by Scott Yanow 5. Strange Visitor when was only 15 (“Swing It Teacher”), and was an iconic figure in her homeland, 6. Azure • Remastered by Aaron Kannowski appearing in 14 Swedish films from 1938 to 1959. The result of this meeting of 7. Come Sunday 8. “C” Jam Blues • Essential for E llington Fans and Long Sought After legendary musical minds was a sublime cool jazz masterpiece that, sadly, never 9. I Didn’t Know About You received a proper release in the U.S. and appears to be the only Ellington album 10. Satin Doll 11. Take Love Easy never to be reissued on CD or even digitally, having eluded even the most 12. Babsie 13. (I Want) Something to Live For 8748064 00496 comprehensive compilers. Needless to say, original copies go for big Swedish krona 14. I’m Beginning to See the Light UPC: 848064004967 online, and not just because it’s rare; Babs’ wordless vocals and scat singing on “The 15. Untitled Lullaby FORMAT: CD Boy in My Dreams,” “Strange Visitor,” and “Babsie” are positively Ella-worthy, and PACKAGING: Jewel Case Ellington’s masterful arrangements—at times filigreed with a French horn section— RETURNABLE: Yes provide the perfect accompaniment. We’ve added liner notes by Scott Yanow, while BOX LOT: 30 GENRE: Jazz the album boasts remastering by Aaron Kannowski. Fascinating for any jazz fan— PARENTAL ADVISORY: No essential for Ellington enthusiasts! SELLING POINTS: DIONNE WARWICK SONGS: Disc One • Dionne Warwick Signed to Warner Bros. in 1971 THE WARNER BROS. RECORDINGS and Brought Her Long-Time Songwriting and Production 1. If We Only Have Love 2. Close to You Team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David with Her 3. I Think You Need Love STREET DATE: September 2, 2016 4. Don’t Let My Teardrops Bother You • During Her Five Years on the Label, She Also Worked 5. (I’m) Just Being Myself with Such Legends as Ashford & Simpson, Thom Bell, 6. You’re Gonna Need Me When Dionne Warwick signed to the 7. Sure Thing Jerry Ragavoy, and Holland-Dozier-Holland Warner Bros. label in 1971 (bringing her 8. Who Knows legendary songwriting and production 9. Take It from Me • Despite Their High Quality, Dionne’s Warner Bros. 10. It’s Magic team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David 11. Once You Hit the Road Recordings Have Been Largely Neglected with her), success seemed 12. World of My Dreams preordained for probably the greatest 13. His House and Me • This 2-CD Set Offers Both Her Complete Singles for 14. Ronnie Lee pop-soul singer of all time. However, 15. I Didn’t Mean to Love You Warner Bros. and a Collection of Sides That Did Not like so many other ‘60s superstars, 16. He’s Not for You Appear on LP or on Singles Dionne fell prey to the changing 17. Do You Believe in Love at First Sight tastes of the ‘70s marketplace and 18. Do I Have to Cry • Liner Notes by Paul Howes 19. Keepin’ My Head above Water exited the label five years later sans 20. Livin’ It Up Is Startin’ to Get Me Down her production team or any major 21. Don’t Ever Take Your Love Away • The Missing Chapter in the Dionne Warwick Story chart hits. Subsequent anthologies have, understandably, focused on the Scepter label hits she recorded with Bacharach and David Disc Two during the ‘60s and the more contemporary smashes she recorded for 1. Too Far Out of Reach Arista during the in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, while roundly ignoring her 2. You Hurt Me So 3. Give A Little Laughter Warner Bros. sides. Now, with this 2-CD set containing Warwick’s complete 4. You Are the Sunlight and I Am the Moon Warner Bros. singles and previously unreleased tracks recorded for the 5. The Laughter & the Tears label, Real Gone Music is at last shining a light on a body of work that, 6. We Need To Go Back despite its lack of commercial prowess, ranks as some of the finest this 7. Someone Else Gets The Prize 8. And Then You Know What He Did 8648064 00493 pop-soul diva’s nonpareil career has to offer. The singles collection includes 9. Plastic City all 21 of the “A” and “B” stereo single sides that Warwick recorded for 10. He Walked Right Through the Door UPC: 848064004936 Warner Brothers featuring such tracks that hit Billboard's Hot 100 , R&B and 11. Meant to Be FORMAT: 2-CD Set 12. One Last Memory Easy Listening charts as "Once You Hit The Road" and "If We Only Have 13. I Found Someone Else PACKAGING: Two Compact Discs Inside Slipcase Love." The rarities package, meanwhile, presents 19 tracks that never came 14. Make a Little Love to Me RETURNABLE: Yes out on LP or as singles, and present Warwick working with such legendary 15. Am I Too Late? producers as Ashford & Simpson, Thom Bell, Jerry Ragavoy and Holland- 16. Rest Your Love on Me BOX LOT: 14 17. I'll Never Make It Easy GENRE: Pop Dozier-Holland. Paul Howes supplies the liner notes to these missing 18. Keep Me Warm PARENTAL ADVISORY: No chapters of the Dionne Warwick story! 19. Room Enough.