Search - Evelyn Laye :: Queen of Musical Comedy

A BOO TO GIVE YOU GOOSE BUMPS

Barry McCanna | Normandy, France | 06/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I don't know why Amazon is showing this as discontinued, because it's only just been issued! Here is the full tracklist:



CD 1: I'll See You Again; The Guard's Brigade; Vilia*; Maxim's*; Merry Widow Waltz*; Love Me Now; Do I Do Wrong? (GG); Lover, Come Back To Me; The Girl On The Prow; Wanting You (HW); One Kiss; The Call Of Life; Dear Little Café*; Zigeuner; Heavenly Night (JB); A Glass Of Golden Bubbles (GB); Butterfly Song; The Princess's Awakening; Near And Yet So Far; Brave Hearts; Love Is A Song; My Home In Tralee; I Wait For You; Brindisi (BM); The Night Is Young (RN); When I Grow Too Old To Dream; Land of Hope And Glory* 78:34



CD 2: Let The People Sing; I See Your Face Before Me*; My Nicolo; Love Never Comes Too Late (RT); Love Live For Ever; Nobody Could You More (RT); Our Love; My Life Belongs To You; If I Should Fall In Love Again (JMC); Only A Glass Of Champagne; You've Done Something To My Heart; I'm Going To See You Today*; Love Is My Reason*; Forever; How Can Words Content A Lover?; A Man Is A Man; In The Pink; They Don't Make Them Like That Anymore; And You Like It (MW); Liaisons*; I Remember It Well (HS)*; If You Were The Only Girl In The World (RH)*; Where Have I Put My Glasses?*; Where Are The Songs We Sung?*; Mrs. Worthington*; Thank You*; When I Grow Too Old To Dream; I'll See You Again* 79:36



Key to duets: GB - George Baker; JB - John Boles; GG - Geoffrey Gwyther; RH - Roy Hudd; JMC - John McCormack; BM - Browning Mummery; RN - Ramon Novarro; HS - Harry Secombe; RT - Richarsd Tauber; HW - Howett Worster; MW - Mark Wynter *Previously unissued



Avid Easy's sixth 2-CD reissue of musical stars is devoted to "Boo" Laye, whose career spanned almost 80 years. There are certain voices that give me goose-bumps, and hers is one of them. Had she been an opera singer, she would have been classed as a spinto soprano; that's to say, her voice had the brightness of a lyric soprano, but could swell to a dramatic peak without strain. It was that quality, coupled with her acting talent and classic beauty, which propelled her to stardom and kept her there for so long.



The earliest recording dates from 1920 and commemorates her first major success in "The Shop Girl": the latest were recorded in 1991 and, like a significant number of others, are issued here for the first time. In between, to give just a brief summary, are her recordings from the 1929 musical "The New Moon", from the films "Waltz Time" (1933), "Princess Charming" and "Evensong" (both 1934) and "The Night Is Young" (1935).. Those involved in the accompaniments include Arthur Wood, Herman Finck, Louis Levy, Ray Noble, Carroll Gibbons and Geraldo. And that's just the first disc! Her four recordings from the 1937 operetta "Paganini", two of which were duets with Richard Tauber, appear on the second disc. Otherwise, the first half is based around the period of the Second World War, and includes three rare ENSA recordings, one with John McCormack. Thereafter recording dates are more fragmented, reflecting changing musical tastes, but they are no less distinguished.



Sound quality is excellent, and prompted me to dig out my Columbia 78 of "Lover Come To Me", (one of my all-time favourites) to which the remastered sound is remarkably true. This is another magnificent compilation in the series, which is complemented by a complete discography and a very comprehensive illustrated 7-page liner note by Michael Thornton, and I cannot recommend it too highly.





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