Customer Reviews

The '50s Remembered, The Pop Vocalists Era: Toni Arden, Kitty Kallen, Jane Morgan, Sylvia Syms

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The '50s brimmed with so many outstanding female vocalists even great talent sometimes could not really make the the top or keep up there consistently. These four singers technically are beyond reproach and each has her own individual style, plus all four benefitted from the best arrangers and musicians on their sessions. This is a thoroughly enjoyable C.D., not just nostalgia but a current enjoyment.

This and its companion male vocalists volume from Varese Vintage, first released in 1996, offer up a mix of some true 1950s hard-to-find gems, a few that seem to make their way into numerous compilations of this sort, and several that simply do not fit the title and in no way help you to "remember" the 1950s.

Starting off with Kitty Kallen, who began her career singing with the Jack Teagarden, Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, and Artie Shaw bands in the 1940s, producers Cary E. Mansfield and Marty Wekser had numerous memorable performances to choose from and, I suppose, it would be difficult to focus on just four Kitty Kallen tunes without including tracks 5 and 8. Although available in any number of CDs, these were, after all, her two best hits as a solo artist.

The other two, however, are questionable. Are You Looking For A Sweetheart was a very minor # 27 hit in 1953, while her 1956 rendition of True Love, although a nice effort, did not chart for Decca and is not the one we recall. That honour would fall to either the Bing Crosby/Grace Kelly release for Capitol [# 3 Billboard Pop Top 100] or the one by Jane Powell on Verve [# 15 Top 100]. Much better Kallen choices would have been Go On With The Wedding [# 39 Top 100 in 1956 with Georgie Shaw's orchestra] or If I Give My Heart To You [# 34 Top 100 in 1959]. Another possibility was the # 10 Our Lady Of Fatima with Jimmy Carroll's orchestra in 1950.

Toni Arden's 1959 rendition of Besame Mucho (Kiss Me Much) is not really associated with that decade (it wasn't even a hit), nor are her versions of Non Dimenticar and Without Love (There Is Nothing), which belong to Nat "King" Cole and Clyde McPhatter respectively. Padre, of course, was a # 13 Top 100 Decca hit in 1958 for this one-time band singer with the Al Trace and Joe Reichman bands. But in lieu of the other three our memory cells would have been better jogged with her versions of Are You Satisfied? [# 78 Top 100 in 1956], Too Young [# 15 Pop in 1951], and Kiss Of Fire [# 14 Pop in 1952]. And if they really wanted to include a tune that belonged more to Nat "King" Cole they might have chosen Too Young, which for Toni was at least a # 15 Pop in 1951.

Much the same applies to musical comedy star Sylvia Syms, discovered by Mae West in 1948 and once called "the world's greatest saloon singer" by Frank Sinatra. There's no doubt that I Could Have Danced All Night was the most memorable of the many 1956 recordings of that tune from My Fair Lady, reaching # 20 Top 100, but tracks 13, 14, and 16 activate none of my memories. At least, not by her. Now, had they included English Muffins And Irish Stew [# 21 Top 100 in 1956] and Dancing Chandelier [# 68 Top 100 in 1957] - neither of which are available anywhere in CD format - rather than two of those three, that alone would have raised this to a 5-star CD in my estimation.

The best grouping by far are the four tracks by Jane Morgan. Yes, tracks 9 and 10, her best, are among those to be found on numerous compilations, but not so when it comes to Two Different Worlds, a 1956 pairing with pianist Roger Williams which reached # 41 Top 100, and With Open Arms, a # 39 Top 100 in 1959.

With the insert you get a full page of background notes on each of the four artists written by Robert W. Rice, and on the back of the CD is a discography of the contents showing label details and chart performances. The sound quality is excellent.

Included in this CD are some of the best vocal recordings from some of the best vocalists of the 1950's. There is a good mix of the big hit records like Little Things Mean a Lot by Kitty Kallen to some of the lesser known but good performances such as With Open Arms by Jane Morgan. This is a good collection of 45's from the 1950's.

I bought this CD for "With Open Arms" by Jane Morgan, but I discovered many other gems here. I had never heard Sylvia Syms before, and her rendition of "You Fascinate Me So" is full of energy and humor. I also like her version of "It's Good to Be Alive." Of the four singers in this collection, I am not crazy about Toni Arden. Her voice is strong and clear, but I find her interpretations somewhat "big" and impersonal. I like all the Jane Morgan songs on this CD; all the Sylvia Syms songs except "The Night They Invented Champagne," which has a gimmicky arrangement; and all the Kitty Kallen songs except "True Love" (not because of her, but I just don't like the song). For anyone who likes female pop vocalists of the 1950s, this is a great collection that offers a variety of styles.

As you can see, this CD focuses on four terrific songbirds who were quite popular in the fifties: Toni Arden, Kitty Kallen, Jane Morgan and Sylvia Syms. It's very good as far as it goes; but of course these four ladies were not the only successful songbirds who enjoyed fame and fortune at that time. This really should have been a two or three CD set with more recording artists on it. On the other hand, however, I must say that this album contains nothing but dazzling music; I certainly don't think that this album itself is a disaster zone. In addition, the quality of the sound is excellent. The artwork is also very nicely done.

The CD starts with a few numbers by Toni Arden. "Besame Mucho" has quite a strong musical arrangement; and Toni's rendition of this is most spirited and it all holds its own very well. "Non Dimenticar" showcases a very different side of Toni Arden, on this track she sings very sweetly with a great deal of sensitivity. Toni's voice is as clear as a bell and that's grand. Her sophisticated phrasing makes "Non Dimenticar" a highlight of this CD. In addition, Toni outdoes even herself on "Without Love (There Is Nothing);" "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" gets the royal treatment from Toni and her talent is abundantly clear when you listen to her sing this song.

We then get four songs performed by the magnificent Kitty Kallen. "Little Things Mean a Lot" was certainly one of Kitty's signature songs; she delivers this with panache and she never lets go of a superfluous note, either! "Little Things Mean a Lot" will always be one of my very favorite classic pop vocal tunes--it's so touching, I love it. "Are You Looking for a Sweetheart" features Kitty Kallen front and center--and that music fits in perfectly with Kitty's sublime vocals. "True Love" is very easy on the ear--what a classic love song this is! "In the Chapel in the Moonlight" also shines bright when Kitty sings it to perfection--and beyond!

"Fascination" was a song that will forever be associated with Jane Morgan; Jane sings this without a flaw and I'm very impressed. "With Open Arms" features Jane at her usual very best, too. "With Open Arms" has a fantastic melody and Jane makes it shine with her terrific interpretation of this ballad. "Two Different Worlds" has quite an elegant piano arrangement and Jane Morgan sounds just perfect--no wonder she will never be forgotten!

Sylvia Syms does a great job on "It's Good to Be Alive;" the backup singers harmonize faultlessly. Not that Sylvia needed backup; but they do sound pretty good anyway. "You Fascinate Me So" is very well done; and Sylvia's boisterous rendition of "I Could Have Danced All Night" from "My Fair Lady" shows how well she could turn out a fine show tune! "The Night They Invented Champagne" comes from "Gigi;" and Sylvia Syms performs this faultlessly.

Please make no mistake about it: Toni Arden, Kitty Kallen, Jane Morgan and Sylvia Syms were four very, very special, supremely talented songbirds and this album showcases their singing very nicely. While I wish that this was a two or three CD set with more variety, what we do get is nothing short of the most amazing music. Fans of these four ladies and classic pop vocals will enjoy this CD. It's a good CD for people just discovering this genre of music; and people who want a sampler type of CD would do well to add this to their collections, too.