Call Me Madam [Soundtrack]

Irving Berlin (Composer), Dinah Shore (Performer), Jay Velie (Performer), Ralph Chambers (Performer), Pat Harrington (Performer), Paul Lukas (Performer), Russell Nype (Performer), Galina Talva (Performer), Dick Todd (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Dinah Shore, Jay Velie, Ralph Chambers, Pat Harrington, Paul Lukas, et al.
• Composer: Irving Berlin
• Audio CD (January 30, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Flare UK
• ASIN: B000056NME
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #418,826 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Overture - Dinah Shore

2. Mrs. Sally Adams

3. The Hostess With the Mostes' on the Ball

4. Washington Square Dance

5. Welcome to Lichtenburg

6. Can You Use Any Money Today?

7. Marrying for Love

8. The Ocarina

9. It's a Lovely Day Today

10. The Best Thing for You

11. Something to Dance About

12. Once Upon a Time Today

13. They Like Ike

14. You're Just in Love (I Wonder Why)

15. Blue Skies, song (originally interpolated into the R.Rodgers musical 'Betsy') - Dinah Shore

16. Outside of That I Love You, song - Dinah Shore

17. How Deep Is the Ocean?, song - Dinah Shore

18. You Can't Get a Man with a Gun, song (from 'Annie Get Your Gun') - Dinah Shore

19. Remember, song - Dinah Shore

20. You Keep Coming Back Like a Song, song - Dinah Shore

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Dinah replaced the contractually unavailable Ethel Merman to lead the original Broadway cast on this soundtrack to Irving Berlin's hit show, featuring Marrying for Love; It's a Lovely Day Today; You're Just in Love , and more. This reissue also contains Dinah's performances of Blue Skies; How Deep Is the Ocean , and other Irving Berlin classics!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not essential but useful, February 2, 2001

By 

Mark Andrew Lawrence "Theatre Reviewer" (Toronto) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Call Me Madam (Audio CD)

RCA Victor had backed the 1950 musical CALL ME MADAM hoping to get the cast album rights. The star, however, was Ethel Merman and she was under exclusive contract to Decca who planned their own MADAM album. Decca launched the first attack by releasing a 10" Lp with Merman, Dick Haymes and the Gordon Jenkens orchestra and Chorus called "Songs from CALL ME MADAM." RCA responded by recording the full original cast album but signing Dinah Shore to sing the role of Sally Adams. They also re-orchestrated many of the songs and, in a curious move, had Paul Lukas record narration linking the songs. Strangely, they semed to had given up on this approach mid-way as the narration disappears after the first side of the record. Decca's response was to withdraw their 10" Lp and reissue the album on 12" with 5 additional songs (dropping an orchstral medley by the Jenkins orchestra) and placing them in show sequence. Although RCA's album has a more theatrical feel to it, Decca had Merman and therefore created the better selling album. RCA's disc was deleted rather quickly, although briefly reissued in 1977 and now (finally) available on CD... except this isn't an RCA release (!!!!) Is this even released with RCA's permission? I highly doubt it since RCA eventually plans to reissue the remaininder of their show catalogue on CD. Decca's album was reissued on Cd but that disc is now out-of-print. IF you can get both albums and do some creative programming you can combine trcaks and create your own composite original cast album.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A crucial oddity, February 21, 2001

By 

Michael A. Benedetto (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Call Me Madam (Audio CD)

I'm not sure whether it's stranger that this album has languished in the vaults for so long or that it was recorded in the first place. But we should be grateful that it's here, as it's an important recording, a fun score, and a fascinating piece of theatre recording history.

Dinah Shore is by no means an ideal substitute for Ethel Merman (who was under contract to Decca Records and not permitted to appear on the official cast album), make no mistake. But Merman made her own album with her own takes on the big songs, so it's perhaps a good thing that RCA went for a dramatically different take here. Shore sings very attractively here -- she's not a tough broad, but a sweet charmer, but the album still works. The show was, of course, a big hit that had plenty of strengths even though it might be too dated to rework today.

The Merman album was already released on CD once, and will be issued again within the year, but this is still worthwhile for Shore's performance, for the niceties of the show like the other original players, orchestrations and songs that Merman didn't preserve, and for a lengthy appendix of Shore's versions of classic Irving Berlin songs.

No one will ever claim that Call Me Madam changed their life. Shows didn't used to need to elicit that reaction to be considered successful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a fascinating recording, October 5, 2003

By 

Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Call Me Madam (Audio CD)

Irving Berlin's CALL ME MADAM appeared on Broadway in 1950. His previous musical, 1949's MISS LIBERTY, was an unqualified flop. MISS LIBERTY was his follow-up to 1947's mega hit ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, starring Ethel Merman.

Ethel Merman headlined his original cast of CALL ME MADAM, a bouncy musical which told the story of ebullient Sally Adams, who is dispatched as ambassador to the fictional European province of Lichtenburg. The supporting cast included Paul Lukas, Russell Nype (GOLDILOCKS), and Galina Talva as Princess Maria.

Due to a contractual snafu however, there are two very different recordings of CALL ME MADAM. Ethel Merman was under contract to the Decca label (which had recorded her ANNIE GET YOUR GUN cast album), but the recording of MADAM was to be produced by cast album heavyweight RCA Victor. Decca wouldn't release Merman from her contract, as it was planning it's own CALL ME MADAM release.

Popular vocalist Dinah Shore stepped in and played Sally Adams on the RCA Victor album of CALL ME MADAM, which featured the entire original cast. Decca released a "studio cast" album of MADAM headed by Ethel Merman, aided and abetted by popular crooner Dick Haymes (STATE FAIR) and a backup chorus. Of these two albums, the Dinah Shore version is the more delightful. She wisely doesn't try to emulate Miss Merman but sails through the songs in her own charming style. Russell Nype and Galina Talva are wonderfully-winning in their performances and Paul Lukas is superb.

I strongly suggest that you also purchase the Ethel Merman recording as well as the 1995 Encores! cast starring Tyne Daly. CALL ME MADAM is one of the most delightful of classic Broadway musicals.