Say, Darling (1958 Original Broadway Cast)
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Music CD Cover
Composer: Jule StyneComposer: Betty Comden & Adolph Green
Performer: Johnny Desmond
Performer: Vivian Blaine
Performer: David Wayne
Edition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2008-03-04
Music Label: DRG Records
Soundtracks:
- Overture
- Try to Love Me
- It's Doom
- Husking Bee
- It's the Second Time You Meet That Matters
- Let the Lower Lights Be Burning
- Chief of Love
- Say, Darling
- Carnival Song
- Try to Love Me
- Dance Only with Me
- Something's Always Happening on the River
- Finale
Free Music Notes for Say, Darling (1958 Original Broadway Cast)
Free Music Review: "THE MUSICAL THAT CHANGED THE WAY BROADWAY SOUNDED"
Hit: 5 Stars
'Here, after fifty years, is the CD debut of SAY. DARLING, the musical that changed the way Broadway sounded. That's quite a claim, and only half-seriously made; but this unassuming "comedy about a musical" did, in fact, directly bring about the revolution in orchestration that took us from the age of Russell Bennett to the age of -- well, GYPSY.'
So begins Steven Suskin's March 16 Playbill.com review of DRGs "never before on CD" reissue of RCAs first stereo Broadway Cast album, and I urge you to read Suskin's entertaining and highly informative piece. (Go to the website's homepage and chose "On the Record." Type "say, darling" as the keyword and chose the author from the drop down list.) Not only does Suskin clarify his opening statement, but he also provides a wonderful narrative about the creation of the show. Not really a musical, the show was scored for two pianos only, but "RCA reasoned they should add an orchestra, the better to sound like a real Broadway cast album, so they commissioned staff arranger Sid Ramin to work something up." The sound of Broadway was changed forever.
Some critics have dismissed the score as second rate. Marc Miller ("TheaterMania Guide to Musical Theater Recordings") writes: "Most of the numbers are performance pieces that don't advance the plot; some of them -- such as 'Husking Bee' and 'Chief of Love' -- are intentionally cheesy." Suskin avers: "Styne, Comden and Green wrote spoofs in many flavors, but their hearts -- or at least their best efforts -- seemed not to be in it." Call me weird, but I really like the score and have ever since first hearing it nearly 50 years ago. Although the show contains only 10 songs ("Try To Love Me" is sung at different times by the show's two leads), I found myself singing along with at least four of them. Not bad for a show that's not even a musical.
Johnny Desmond (Giovanni Alfredo De Simone), in his Broadway debut, applies his Big Band experience to the title song, as well as "It's the Second Time You Meet That Matters," and "Try To Love Me," and he puts his "legitimate" voice to good use in "It's Doom" and the afore-mentioned "Husking Bee." Vivian Blaine goes "torchy" with the first reading of "Try To Love Me," does a Big Broadway-style duet ("Dance Only With Me") with Steve Condos, and lets it all hang out on "Chief of Love." The big surprise is David Wayne, simply terrific as the second baritone in "Let the Lower Lights Be Burning" (a parody so good, you'd swear it came from a church hymnal), or the snake oil salesman in "The Carnival Song" (with Ms. Blaine and Mr. Condos joining in the sham), and the riverboat captain who informs us that "Something's Always Happening at the River."
All this, and the "breathtaking" overture as well. (Suskin's descriptive, not mine;, with which I agree.)
Allow me to let Mr. Suskin bring this review to an end: "Let us close by saying a word in appreciation of DRG. When the CD format came along, the survivor companies of the major labels -- Columbia, RCA and Capitol -- dutifully (if in a sometimes puzzling manner) transferred a good portion of their respective catalogs. But that was then. The newer corporate parents seemed to lose interest, the stream of reissues dried up, and many of the titles fell back out of print. Over the years, DRG has happily picked up many of the fallen cast albums, and with great dedication and care has brought them -- as well as various never-before-on-CD titles -- back into print. At this point, the catalog includes such titles as NO STRINGS, PLAIN AND FANCY, GREENWILLOW, THE GAY LIFE, the superb Shirley Jones/Jack Cassidy BRIGADOON, OH CAPTAIN!, GOLDEN BOY and more. Each of which, really, should be on your CD shelf . . . " (On the Record, Playbill.com, October 15, 2007)
Highly recommended, even though the audio quality is not up to DRGs lofty standards.
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