The Busby Berkeley Album
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Harry (Salvatore) Warren
Label: Angel
Magazine Review Date: 12/1994
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 70
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: 555189-2
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
Gold Diggers of 1933, Movement: We're in the Money (The Gold Diggers' Song) |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Stan Chandler, Singer |
Gold Diggers of 1933, Movement: Remember My Forgotten Man |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Stan Chandler, Singer |
Gold Diggers of 1933, Movement: Pettin' in the Park |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Stan Chandler, Singer |
Gold Diggers of 1935, Movement: Lullaby of Broadway |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer David Engel, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Nancy Long, Mezzo soprano Stan Chandler, Singer |
Gold Diggers of 1935, Movement: I'm Going Shopping With You |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer David Engel, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Nancy Long, Mezzo soprano Stan Chandler, Singer |
42nd Street, Movement: Forty-Second Street |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus |
42nd Street, Movement: Shuffle off to Buffalo |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus |
42nd Street, Movement: You're Getting to be a Habit With Me |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus |
42nd Street, Movement: Young and Healthy |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Ann Morrison, Singer Brent Barrett, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer John McGlinn, Conductor Judith Blazer, Soprano London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus |
Dames, Movement: Dames |
Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer
Brent Barrett, Singer David Engel, Singer Debbie Shapiro Gravitte, Singer Guy Stroman, Singer Harry (Salvatore) Warren, Composer Jayne Sylvester, Singer John McGlinn, Conductor John McGlinn, Singer Larry Raben, Singer London Sinfonietta London Sinfonietta Chorus Stan Chandler, Singer |
Author: Patrick O'Connor
In his introduction to the admirable booklet that accompanies this sizzling disc, Miles Kreuger writes that if ''by some miracle'' anyone has reached the record-purchasing age without seeing the great Busby Berkeley movies, then they can ''make up their own images'' to go with the exhilarating routines. Despite the devotion of all our television channels to old films, nowadays people are much more likely not to have seen 42nd Street, Dames or the Gold Diggers than they were 20 years ago, the black and white Hollywood classics being generally relegated to antisocial hours. There was an LP issued in the 1970s which included the original sound tracks of some of these numbers. I remember being somewhat disappointed then, for without the sight of Ginger Rogers, Ruby Keeler Dick Powell and supporting cast, the songs seemed to fall a bit flat. The opposite is true of this CD. The sound is terrific and the original orchestrations by Ray Heindorf for Warner Brothers studio come up fresh and inventive. On the whole the modern singers have managed to hit off the required style without resorting to camp impersonations.
Brent Barrett, the memorable Tommy in McGlinn's recording of Brigadoon (EMI, 1/93), is especially successful in the Dick Powell numbers ''Young and healthy'', ''Pettin' in the park'' and one I hadn't heard before, ''I'm going shopping with you'' from the less well-known Gold Diggers of 1935. The one missed chance is in that great lament from the Gold Diggers of 1933, ''Remember my forgotten man''. Though Debbie Shapiro Gravitte is good in this, in the original sequence it was done by two singers, Joan Blondell as the diseuse streetwalker, and Etta Moten as the woman in the window. The electrifying effect when the camera pans away from Blondell, and Moten takes up the melody in a higher key, could easily have been achieved here. As it is, this remains the greatest of all the Depression ballads, along with Blitzstein's ''Nickle under the foot'' and Crosby's ''Buddy can you spare a dime?''.
On screen, the finale ''Lullaby of Broadway'' can seem interminable at the end of a long evening but here it is the fitting climax to John McGlinn and the London Sinfonietta's enterprising foray into the field of the musical film. If you're feeling blue, just put on this CD and, in no time at all, the ''hi-dee-hi and boop-a-do'' will get you feeling ''naughty, bawdy, gaudy and sporty''.'
Brent Barrett, the memorable Tommy in McGlinn's recording of Brigadoon (EMI, 1/93), is especially successful in the Dick Powell numbers ''Young and healthy'', ''Pettin' in the park'' and one I hadn't heard before, ''I'm going shopping with you'' from the less well-known Gold Diggers of 1935. The one missed chance is in that great lament from the Gold Diggers of 1933, ''Remember my forgotten man''. Though Debbie Shapiro Gravitte is good in this, in the original sequence it was done by two singers, Joan Blondell as the diseuse streetwalker, and Etta Moten as the woman in the window. The electrifying effect when the camera pans away from Blondell, and Moten takes up the melody in a higher key, could easily have been achieved here. As it is, this remains the greatest of all the Depression ballads, along with Blitzstein's ''Nickle under the foot'' and Crosby's ''Buddy can you spare a dime?''.
On screen, the finale ''Lullaby of Broadway'' can seem interminable at the end of a long evening but here it is the fitting climax to John McGlinn and the London Sinfonietta's enterprising foray into the field of the musical film. If you're feeling blue, just put on this CD and, in no time at all, the ''hi-dee-hi and boop-a-do'' will get you feeling ''naughty, bawdy, gaudy and sporty''.'
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