Customer Reviews

Bergen Sings Morgan / Party's Over

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An avid fan of the movies while growing up, I first came to know Polly Bergen as an actress in many notable films of the 60s, among them "Cape Fear," "The Caretakers," "Kisses for My President," "Move Over, Darling" and a cameo in "Guide for the Married Man." After graduating high achool, I happened to come across an album she recorded in the 50s entitled "The Party's Over." Well, from the moment I heard Miss Bergen sings those note "I'm in love with a man....." I was introduced to Polly Bergen, the singer. I simply fell in love with her voice. I quickly learned that before acting, she had established a career as a singer, having recorded five albums for Columbia in the 50s and 60s, as well as singing on the original cast album of "First Impressions," a Broadway musical in which she appeared. As far as I know, she recorded one more full length LP after her contract ended with Columbia. It was an album of motion picture songs entitled "Act One, Sing Too" on the Philips label. It was the most difficult of all her LPs to acquire, but find it, I did. And well worth the search, too. Absolutely wonderful. The two albums compiled on this CD reissue were her first two for Columbia. Hopefully, the others will follow. They are the torch songs that we all love, and Miss Bergen sings them flawlessly. It's hard to pick favorites, but "The Party's Over" was the first time that I heard her sing. It's the best version of that gem that I've heard by a female vocalist. She sang "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and I was fortunate to see a re-run of that episode recently on cable TV. In the early 60s, she also hosted the "Bell Telephone Hour" singing several Gershwin tunes. That show was repeated on a public televison special, and again, I was fortunate enough to see it. Since Polly Bergen only recorded six LPs before devoting herself completely to acting, her fans cherish each and every one of them. Hopefully, CD reissues (in beautifully remastered sound) of her remaining catalog are forthcoming. In the meantime, buy this one while it's still in print, and discover Polly Bergen, the singer.

.....On Thanksgiving Day, 2000. Seemed appropriate, as Polly Bergen was my very first Favorite Singer, and I can still remember the impact her performance in the 1957 Playhouse 90 'Helen Morgan Story' made on me, and the entire world of TV history. Hers was a remarkable performance than won her the Best Actress Emmy that year, and I immediately bought the sountrack album when it became available. One of my great regrets is that an old tape of this show has never been re-released through the years.....and if anyone out there knows where I could get a VHS copy, please write, call, or drop by the house!! Now Columbia has done a great thing by releasing this recording, as well as her follow-up 'The Party's Over' as a 'twofer'CD......I give thanks for that today too.....that great performances by great artists are being preserved. She hauntingly sings (as only she could) ballads and blues with a deep throaty dramatic voice that had no equal. Every single song is a classic, impossible to pinpoint just one. By all means, you 'younguns' who need to know what a real torch singer was/is all about.......buy this CD. As far as I'm concerned, Polly Bergen's only competition as a torch singer came from a totally different type of entertainer, but one just as talented.....the robust and rousing Roberta Sherwood, who could touch your heart with a tear in her voice just as convincingly as Bergen. Maybe on Thanksgiving 2001 I'll be able to give thanks that Decca has finally released some of the thrilling Roberta Sherwood albums on CD!

This CD, originally recorded in the late 50s, showcases a host of beautiful ballads touchingly rendered by Polly Bergen. It evokes memories of an era of smart supper clubs where a chic chanteuse like Polly would sing torch songs like "I'm Through With Love." This CD makes me wish I lived in NYC in the 50s. It must have been grand. If you want to listen to gorgeous ballads by a singer with a smoldering voice and an intelligent and heartfelt approach to the lyrics, then by all means get this CD. It's a real gem. Just like Polly Bergen herself.

Polly was brilliant at what she did best - slow, romantic songs. From the opening bars of Don't ever leave me, you know you don't want to leave her - at least until you've played the whole CD.

Many of these songs are classics from the Great American Songbook, written by such notables as Richard Rodgers, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and others.

Some of the songs are famous (Smoke gets in your eyes, You'll never know, Ev'ry time we say goodbye) while others are obscure, but Polly is in excellent voice throughout. Sometimes, the backing musicians are more prominent than they need to be, but it's a minor criticism - they never get in the way of Polly's lovely voice.

This is a brilliant collection by a wonderful singer who is better known as an actress. Even so, if you haven't got any of Polly's music, I recommend Polly's other twofer (All alone by the telephone / Four seasons of love) ahead of this one. It's even better !!!!

This album actually appeared in early December and I've been going bananas trying to get a review on amazon, which for two long months classified it as unreleased. "Bergen Sings Morgan" is one of the finest popular albums ever recorded, a stunning achievement with intelligent and provocative performances by Bergen and off-beat but never artificial arrangements by Luther Henderson. The songs range from "Bill" to "Why Was I Born" to "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" to "Mean To Me" and Bergen is never less than thrilling. "The Party's Over," the followup album, is likewise splendid, with a great "Smoke Gets In Your Eye" and rueful "I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan." For those who owned the LPs, it is heaven to have them on C.D., sounding better than new. For those who've never heard these exceptional achievements, don't hestitate to get them. Polly will blow musical smoke in YOUR eyes.

"Bergen Sings Morgan" is one of the great pop albums, a stunning achievement. Polly Bergen is a marvelous singer--smokey, dramatic, intelligent, approaching every song as a character in a play (and she was doing it before Barbra). Luther Henderson's luminous arrangements are a revelation. The songs are all top-drawer. "The Party's Over," the sequel, is likewise magnificent. You will love this collection, truly magic moments in pop history.

When I was a young girl, my mother was living a great amount of emotional and romantic drama. Polly Bergen's "Bergen Sings Morgan" was on our record player into the wee hours of the morning as the back score to her troubled life. Mother didn't sleep much during the night. Polly Bergen threw her heart and soul into the Helen Morgan songs. Her delivery was wretching and her voice had just the right amount of smokey pain. It was beautiful. I have been carefully preserving the scratched, though precious original album that belonged to Mother. It brought me memories unlike any music in my life, as it reminds me of a person that has been like no other to me...or to anyone else that knew her for that matter. My God! it's on CD!! I can't wait to hear it again, and again.....and again....

Polly Bergen beautifully recreates the definitive torch singer - from the 20s through the 50s. From Why Was I Born done by Helen Morgan in the 1920s to You'll Never Know made famous by Alice Faye in the 1940s to The Party's Over from The Bells are Ringing - a terrific musical comedy of the 1950s. Yes, one of the best bargains around. Polly Bergen is an original, unforgettable artist - she creates the classic "emotional word picture" - longing for true love.

This album has been out since November and I did write a review on it but it has disappeared into the amazon ether. So here goes again. "Bergen Sings Morgan" is one of the great pop albums, a stunning achievement. Polly Bergen is a marvelous singer--smokey, dramatic, intelligent, approaching every song as a character in a play (and she was doing it before Barbra). Luther Henderson's luminous arrangements are a revelation. The songs are all top-drawer. "The Party's Over," the sequel, is like magnificent. You will love this collection, truly magic moments in pop history.

At last, was able to find this album on Amazon and what a joy to finally have it in my possesion. My vinyl got lost years ago and my collection had a hole in it without this CD. Simply put, this voice, with a hint of smoke and a touch of scotch, sings torch songs like no other. Polly Bergen is the epitome of smoldering, sexy servicing of torch songs, sung the way the composer meant for them to be sung. This listener is taken back to 1957, and while this listener is old now, what a joy to be taken back in time to when I was young. Thank you Amazon and thank you Polly for memories revisited.