Ella: The First Lady of Song [Import]

Ella Fitzgerald | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 8, 2004)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Import
• Label: Castle/Pulse
• ASIN: B0002XMEMC
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,678 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. My Favourite Song

2. Flying Home

3. In My Dreams

4. Crying My Heart Out for You

5. Wacky Dust

6. A-Tisket, A-Tasket

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Mixed Emotions

2. A Little Bit Later On

3. Smooth Sailing

4. Take Another Guess

5. Everybody Step

6. Baby What Else Can I Do

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Just a Simple Melody

2. I Found My Yellow Basket

3. Walkin' by the River

4. Foolish Tears

5. What Does It Take

6. I'll Never Be Free

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 60 By The First Lady Of Song - And For a Song, March 3, 2008

By 

AvidOldiesCollector (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ella: The First Lady of Song (Audio CD)

It doesn't get much better than this - three discs and 60 songs by the Grand First Lady Of Song of whom Bing Crosby once observed "man, woman or child, Ella is the best." As it happens, as a collector of original version hit singles I have a number of Ella Fitzgerald compilations and, before getting this set, all but one of her 46 Pop, 6 R&B and 2 Adult Contemporary entries. So, when I saw the low price I didn't hesitate to get it just for that one song - that being Patootie Pie, a # 3 R&B duet with Louis Jordan which was the 1946 flip of Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming), a # 1 R&B for 5 weeks and a # 7 Pop hit as well.

Trying to get every song recorded by this legendary artist would probably put a dent in the Bank Of England considering the approximately 80 albums to her credit, not to mention the hundreds of singles, most of which - and taking nothing away from their quality - did not make any national charts.

In this collection, for example, just 17 made either (or both) the Pop and R&B charts (the latter not introduced until 1942), but when you listen to all three discs you'll be left wondering why they didn't ALL chart. Unfortunately, the liner notes (one page with each disc written by Bernie Tyrrell) provide virtually nothing about when the songs were recorded, and the musicians involved, never mind chart details where applicable. So, for your added information, I have provided details hereunder, showing the songs in chronological order (the earliest recording here is Take Another Guess from 1936, done with Johnny Mundy & His Orchestra and released on Victor 25461 - all the rest are Decca releases):

1936 - billed to Chick Webb & His Orch - vocal by Ella Fitzgerald:
Crying My Eyes Out For You - Decca 785;
Sing Me A Swing Song (And Let Me Dance) - Decca 830 # 18 - her first hit;
A Little Bit Later On - Decca 831;
(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It - Decca 1032 # 20 b/w Vote For Mister Rhythm;
Swinging On The Reservation - Decca 1065;
I Got The Spring Fever Blues - Decca 1087;
Love You're Just A Laugh - Decca 1114;
When I Get Low I Get High - Decca 1123;

1938 singles billed as above
Just A Simple Melody b/w Holiday In Harlem - Decca 1521;
Rock It For Me - Decca 1586 # 19;
The Dipsy Doodle - Decca 1587;
I Got A Guy - Decca 1681 # 18;
If Dreams Come True - Decca 1716;
A-Tisket A-Tasket - Decca 1840 # 1 (10 weeks);
Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil b/w Everybody Step - Decca 1894;
I Found My Yellow Basket - Decca 2148;
Wacky Dust - Decca 2021 # 13;
Got A Pebble In My Shoe - Decca 2231;
T'Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It) - Decca 2310 # 19 b/w I Can't Stop Loving You;

1939 to 1941 - Ella Fitzgerald & Her Famous Orchestra after Webb's death on 6/16/1939
Stairway To The Stars b/w Out Of Nowhere - 1939 - Decca 2598;
Baby What Else Can I Do? - 1939 - Decca 2826;
Moon Ray - 1940 - Decca 2904;
The Starlit Hour - 1940 - Decca 2988 # 17;
Sugar Blues - 1940 - Decca 3098 # 27 flip of Imagination;
If It Weren't For You - 1940 - Decca 3126;
Baby Won't You Please Come Home - 1940 - Decca 3186;
Shake Down The Stars - 1940 - Decca 3199 # 18;
Five O'Clock Whistle - 1940 - Decca 3420 # 9;
Takin' A Chance On Love b/w Cabin The Sky - 1940 - Decca 3490;
Three Little Words b/w The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)- 1941 - Decca 3608;
I'm The Lonesomest Gal In Town - 1941 - Decca 3666 flip of The Muffin Man;

Later cuts
You Won't Be Satisfied Until You Break My Heart - w. Louis Armstrong & Bob Haggart's Orch 1946 Decca 23496 - # 10 Pop b/w The Frim Fram Sauce - (same billing) # 4 R&B;
Stone Cold Dead In The Market (He Had It Coming) - w Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - 1946 Decca 23546 - # 1 R&B (5 weeks)/# 7 Pop b/w Patootie Pie - # 3 R&B - same billing;
Flying Home - 1947 Decca 23956 - w Vic Schoen orch;
To Make A Mistake Is Human b/w In My Dream - 1948 Decca 24529 - studio orch & chorus;
Black Coffee b/w Lover's Gold - 1949 Decca 24646- studio orch & chorus;
Foolish Tears b/w A Man Wrote A Song - 1949 Decca 24773 - w studio orch;
I Don't Want The World With A Fence Around It - 1950 Decca 27061 - w. The Four Hits And A Miss;
I've Got The World On A String - 1950 Decca 27120- w. Sy Oliver orch;
Mixed Emotions - 1951 Decca 27680 w. The Ray Charles Singers & Sy Oliver Orch;
I'll Never Be Free - w. Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - 1950 Decca 27200 - # 7 R&B b/w Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do (same billing);
Smooth Sailing - 1951 Decca 27693 - # 3 R&B/# 23 Pop w. The Ray Charles Singers & Sy Oliver orch;
What Does It Take? - 1952 Decca 28034 - w. Sonny Burke orch;
Goody Goody - 1952 Decca 28126- w The Ray Charles Singers and Sy Oliver orch;
Walkin' by The River - 1952 Decca 28433 # 29 b/w My Favourite Song - w Leroy Kirkland orch.