MASTER BOOK 3+3 NEW 15/5/07 5:56 PM Page 2
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120838bk Ethel:MASTER BOOK 3+3 NEW 15/5/07 5:56 PM Page 2 1. I Got Rhythm 2:59 7. Eadie Was A Lady 6:04 12. Blow, Gabriel, Blow 2:26 17. A Lady Needs A Change 2:31 From Girl Crazy From Take A Chance From Anything Goes From Stars In Your Eyes (George & Ira Gershwin) (Richard Whiting–Nacio Herb Brown– (Cole Porter) (Arthur Schwartz–Dorothy Fields) Orchestra conducted by Jay Blackton B. G. DeSylva) Orchestra & Quartet conducted by Orchestra conducted by Al Goodman Decca 24453, mx W 74230-A With the Take A Chance Octette & Jay Blackton Liberty Music Shop L 256, mx P 24163 Recorded 12 December 1947, New York Victor Young’s Orchestra Decca 24453, mx W 74190-A Recorded 22 February 1939, New York 2. Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries 2:58 Brunswick 6456, mx B 12735-B, 12736-B Recorded 1 December 1947, New York 18. I’ll Pay The Check 3:19 From George White’s Scandals Recorded 16 December 1932, New York 13. The Lady In Red 2:49 From Stars In Your Eyes (Lew Brown–Ray Henderson) 8. An Earful Of Music 2:52 From In Caliente (Arthur Schwartz–Dorothy Fields) Orchestra conducted by Jay Blackton From Kid Millions (Allie Wrubel–Mort Dixon) Orchestra conducted by Al Goodman Decca 24454, mx W 74231-A (Walter Donaldson–Gus Kahn) Orchestra conducted by Al Goodman Liberty Music Shop L 256, mx P 24165 Recorded 12 December 1947, New York With Johnny Green’s Orchestra Brunswick 7491, mx B 17824-1 Recorded 22 February 1939, New York 3. How Deep Is The Ocean 3:22 Brunswick 6995, mx B 16117-A Recorded 17 July 1935, New York 19. Friendship 3:11 (Irving Berlin) Recorded 8 October 1934, New York 14. It’s The Animal In Me 3:15 From Du Barry Was A Lady Orchestra conducted by Nat Shilkret 9. You’re A Builder-Upper 2:34 From Big Broadcast of 1936 (Cole Porter) Victor 24146, mx BS 73708-1 From Life Begins at 8:40 (Mack Gordon–Harry Revel) With Bert Lahr & Orchestra Recorded 29 September 1932, New York (Ira Gershwin–E. Y. Harburg–Harold Arlen) Orchestra conducted by Al Goodman 1940 broadcast, New York 4. I’ll Follow You 3:22 With Johnny Green’s Orchestra Brunswick 7491, mx B 17825-1 20. There’s No Business Like Show (Roy Turk–Fred Ahlert) Brunswick 6995, mx B 16118-A Recorded 17 July 1935, New York Business 2:32 Orchestra conducted by Nat Shilkret Recorded 8 October 1934, New York 15. Down In The Depths (On The 90th From Annie Get Your Gun Victor 24146, mx BS 73709-1 10. You’re The Top 2:50 Floor) 3:05 (Irving Berlin) Recorded 29 September 1932, New York From Anything Goes From Red, Hot and Blue Orchestra conducted by Alfred Newman 5. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues 3:28 (Cole Porter) (Cole Porter) From soundtrack of There’s No Business (Harold Arlen–Ted Koehler) With Johnny Green’s Orchestra With Fairchild & Carroll & Their Orchestra Like Show Business Orchestra conducted by Nat Shilkret Brunswick 7342, mx B 16398-A Liberty Music Shop L 206, mx P 20201-1 Decca 90057, mx WX 87102-A Victor 24145, mx BS 73711-1 Recorded 4 December 1934, New York Recorded 6 November 1936, New York Recorded 1954, Los Angeles Recorded 29 September 1932, New York 11. I Get A Kick Out Of You 3:06 16. It’s De-Lovely 2:48 From Anything Goes From Red, Hot and Blue Transfers and Production: David Lennick 6. Satan’s Li’l Lamb 3:08 Digital Restoration: Graham Newton From Americana (Cole Porter) (Cole Porter) Original monochrome photo of Ethel Merman C (E. Y. Harburg–Johnny Mercer–Harold Arlen) With Johnny Green’s Orchestra; With Fairchild & Carroll & Their Orchestra from the Tully Potter Collection Orchestra conducted by Nat Shilkret Johnny Green at the piano Liberty Music Shop L 206, mx P 20202-1 M Victor 24145, mx BS 73710-1 Brunswick 7342, mx B 16397-A Recorded 6 November 1936, New York Recorded 29 September 1932, New York Recorded 4 December 1934, New York Y 5 8.120838 6 8.120838 K 120838bk Ethel:MASTER BOOK 3+3 NEW 15/5/07 5:56 PM Page 1 they made her attend secretarial school, where Scandals of 1931 and then found herself in a songs, Down In The Depths (On The 90th Merman continued performing on Broadway ETHEL MERMAN It’s De-Lovely she became unusually good at shorthand. troubled musical called Take a Chance. Floor). Listen to this recording made one week through 1970, when she took over the lead in Original 1932–54 Recordings (She’d later boast it came in handy when she The show never amounted to much, but it after the 1936 opening and discover the way Hello, Dolly! Along the way, she had some was on the road with troubled musicals as she did give Merman (and us) one of the classic she conveys class, sass and heartbreak – all in awesome hits (Gypsy) and some disappointing Everybody has a favourite Ethel Merman story of American Musical Theatre. She wasn’t could help keep track of all the numerous ‘blowsy lady’ anthems. Listen to her sing the three minutes. flops (Happy Hunting). But through it all, she and here’s mine. particularly subtle, or unusually versatile, but she rewrites!) sardonic Eadie Was A Lady and you’ll hear the Stars In Your Eyes was a troubled 1939 remained the one and only Ethel Merman. She It was the opening night of Annie Get Your did one thing extraordinarily well. By 1930, Merman was spending equal time origins of later similar numbers like Weill’s “The show that united Merman with Jimmy Durante died in 1984. Gun on Broadway and those concerned had a Ethel could belt. as a singer and a stenographer. It was while Saga of Jenny” and Sondheim’s “The Story of and gave her two ‘sadder but wiser’ songs she No one ever sang quite like her before; no lot at stake. Merman hadn’t had a classy hit in Back in those pre-microphone days, performing between screenings at the Brooklyn Lucy and Jessie”. sells to great effect: A Lady Needs A Change one has ever sung quite like her since. years; Irving Berlin’s last few musicals had been composers and lyricists got down on their knees Paramount Theatre that producer Vincent A couple of disappointing Hollywood films and I’ll Pay the Check. Hearing Merman in her prime on this lacklustre; director Joshua Logan was trying to re- at night and thanked God for someone like Freedley caught her act. followed and Merman needed a Broadway hit. So She next paired up Bert Lahr for Du Barry recording, it’s possible to understand how establish himself after his service in World War II. Merman who could make each note ring to the He was about to produce a new musical did Vincent Freedley, who was nearly broke after Was a Lady, and although their personal George Gershwin felt when he ran backstage to The tension level was high. Waiting in the rafters while still making sure that every lyric called Girl Crazy by the Gershwin Brothers, a series of flops. relationship was chilly (‘She never looks at you her dressing room during the intermission of wings was a terrified young chorus girl, trying to landed in the back row of the balcony. George and Ira. There was a featured part called He came up with an idea he thought was on stage’, complained Lahr), they made things Girl Crazy’s opening night after she had slayed stop her knees from shaking. Suddenly, she Gershwin, Berlin, Herman, Styne, Arlen – they Kate Fothergill that they needed to fill. She surefire: a musical built around a group of zanies work during the show, as this 1940 recording of the audience with “I Got Rhythm”. looked up and saw the show’s leading lady, Ethel all sang her praises. Most of the time, they even didn’t have to act much, just show up to raise who get involved with a shipwreck. He hired Friendship demonstrates. ‘Ethel,’ he asked breathlessly, ‘do you know Merman, standing as calm and solid as the Rock wrote their shows with her in mind. Cole Porter the roof with two showstoppers: “I Got Rhythm” Merman to play singing evangelist Reno Sweeney The 1940s brought Merman some predict- what you’re doing out there?’ of Gibraltar. There was only one thing moving: made sure that the money notes of his songs and “Sam and Delilah.” as well as William Gaxton and Victor Moore (the able vehicles (Panama Hattie, Something For She blushed and admitted that she really Merman’s jaws, as she chomped on a giant wad coincided with those that Merman sang best. Freedley knew Merman was what he needed Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick of their day) the Boys) as well as a truly unhappy show she didn’t understand what made her sing the way of gum. But her face betrayed no emotion. No single collection could cover all of and he brought her to meet George Gershwin, to play a pair of con-men and then set to work. quit during rehearsals (Sadie Thompson). she did. The near-hysterical chorine finally found the Merman’s extensive career, but this one gives us who loved her voice. When she heard the songs Tragically, shortly before the start of No wonder she was ready for Annie Get ‘That’s okay,’ said Gershwin.