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MITZI's RARE ALBUM IS A DELIGHT!

A. POLLOCK | PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom | 03/08/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pert and sassy Mitzi Gaynor established her movie career via a contract with 20th Century Fox and the resulting series of entertaining screen musicals. As glitzy singer and dancer, her effervescent personality often energized poor scripts with growing popularity endearing her to the movie-going public of the Fifties.



Moving to television when film musicals faded, Mitzi also recorded a couple of albums which have become highly-prized rarities so this UK released Flare collection is a welcome reissue. Released in 1958, MITZI visits The Great American Songbook for its source of numbers by Berlin, Kern, Hammerstein, the Gershwins, Hoagy Carmichael and others. Inventive orchestrations by conductor Pete King prove a winning asset with swinging versions of CHEEK TO CHEEK, I WON'T DANCE, DO IT AGAIN and I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. Conversely, THE NEARNESS OF YOU, WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE and THAT OLD FEELING are subtle ballads which reflect Mitzi's great interpretive qualities. Less familiar choices, NOBODY ELSE BUT ME and RAIN, show the care taken to ensure varying choices for an album which is fresh in its approach with a lightly Latin-beat underpinning THE THRILL IS GONE another appealing highlight.



Additional tracks include four numbers from Mitzi's most popular film, SOUTH PACIFIC, whilst YOU'RE THE TOP is shared with Bing Crosby with whom she starred in the movie ANYTHING GOES. Two rarities are heartfelt ballads THE TOUCH OF TIME and I DON'T REGRET A THING which carry elements of nostalgic longing whilst the Gershwins' SOON and THE HALF OF IT DEARIE BLUES have been extracted from the other album Mitzi recorded around 1958.



Excellent restoration, useful liner notes and two-page spread of Mitzi's poses help make this an excellent tribute to one of Hollywood's brightest Fifties musical stars.

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