My Ideal: The Definitive Collection - 113 Tracks [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] 4CD SET [Box set, Import]

Margaret Whiting | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 27, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Jasmine Music
• ASIN: B000X1L852
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #119,259 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. It Might As Well Be Spring

2. Whirlwind

3. The Story Of My Life

4. I Speak To The Stars

5. Singing Bells

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. My Heart Stood Still

2. My Funny Valentine

3. This Can't Be Love

4. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

5. Lover

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. My Own True Love

2. I'll Walk Alone

3. It Happened At The Festival Of Roses

4. How Deep Is The Ocean

5. River Road Two-Step

See all 28 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. My Ideal

2. That Old Black Magic

3. If You Were Only Mine

4. Alone Together

5. Oh, But I Do

See all 29 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Review

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Product Description

My Ideal: The Definitive Collection is the most comprehensive overview of Margaret Whiting's recording output during her tenure with Capitol Records from 1943-1957. With a whopping 113 tracks from who was the best-selling female singer of the post-war years and is a wonderful follow up to last years highly successful "Till We Meet Again" with Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely. Available here are her million selling singles and great American standards. The Hits include: "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Moonlight in Vermont", "Far Away Places", "Now Is the Hour", "My Ideal" plus many more! Collaborations with Johnny Mercer, Bob Hope, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman, Dean Martin. In addition to great orchestral arrangements by Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Frank Devol and more. See also JASBOX26/4 - There Goes That Song Again - The Songbook and the Legacy JASCD343 - The One And Only JASMCD2603 - Till We Meet Again

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SUPERB TRIBUTE TO MARGARET WHITING - VOCALIST SUPREME!, December 10, 2007

By 

A. POLLOCK (PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Ideal: The Definitive Collection - 113 Tracks [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] 4CD SET (Audio CD)

Margaret Whiting had the reputation during the 40's and `50's as a vocalist who could handle all song genres from show tunes and movie themes to country ballads, standards, pop ditties and even kids nursery rhymes set to music. In other words, a singer with all-round versatility who budded at Capitol in 1943 and bloomed there until 1957 when she sought pastures new and renewed popularity elsewhere. This anthology is a fine tribute to Margaret's vocal talent as it touches all bases described above, with no fewer than 113 tracks spread over four discs brim-full of quality songs like IT'S A MOST UNUSUAL DAY, HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN and I COULD WRITE A BOOK.

Thanks to Johnny Mercer signing her to his newly-launched label in 1943, Margaret's hits began as featured vocalist on Freddie Slack and his Orchestra's THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC and continued through MOONLIGHT IN VERMONT with the Billy Butterfield Orchestra until her solo name was sufficient to propel IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING, ALL THROUGH THE DAY, IN LOVE IN VAIN, GUILTY, A TREE IN THE MEADOW, NOW IS THE HOUR,, FAR AWAY PLACES and many others into the Hit Parade.

Being the daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting who had died in 1938, growing up in the circle encompassed by other songwriters enabled Margaret to appreciate a good song when she heard it and of course she had her father's song catalogue to explore with MY FUTURE JUST PASSED and MY IDEAL prime examples. Capitol certainly ensured she had the best orchestral backings with Frank DeVol, Paul Weston, Nelson Riddle, Jerry Gray, Billy May, Lou Busch and others guilding the vocal lily while duets with Bob Hope (LUCKY US and three others), Jack Smith (IT'S A BIG, WIDE, WONDERFUL WORLD), Jimmy Wakely (Try Jasmine's TILL WE MEET AGAIN (JASMCD 2603) for all twenty-nine sides they recorded together) and Johnny Mercer (BABY, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE) contain charm, humour and musical excellence in equal measure. Joining Mercer, Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman and The Pied Pipers for Irving Berlin's THE FREEDOM TRAIN was also a highlight of Margaret's career and a 1947 released album of Rodgers and Hart numbers ensures LITTLE GIRL BLUE, MY FUNNY VALENTINE and LOVER brightly shine here thanks to her emotive sincerity.

The tracks are generally sorted for variety rather than chronological order and no recording dates are listed but with excellent sound quality and very informative notes, this collection from the excellent and caring UK reissue label Jasmine, is by far the most comprehensive Whiting appraisal currently available. Its strength lies not only for including her well-known songs but also ensuring that many neglected recordings are rounded up for renewed appraisal. It is highly recommended to those who revere classy girl vocalists - of which Margaret Whiting was up there with the best of the period - and those who enjoy a wallow through superbly sung standards and popular songs of the 40's and 50's.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE VERSATILE MARGARET WHITING, January 5, 2008

By 

Harold Jacobs (North Hollywood, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Ideal: The Definitive Collection - 113 Tracks [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] 4CD SET (Audio CD)

WOW! 113 songs by a lady with one of the most versatile voices from the golden age of popular music. With a warm, smooth, clear alto/contralto voice along with perfect pitch, excellent diction, and complete control, Margaret Whiting could effectively sing in a soft, intimate style (MY DREAM IS YOURS, DON'T TELL ME), straight down the middle of her range (IT MIGHT AS WELL BE SPRING, TRUE LOVE), in her deep sultry register (MY FUNNY VALENTINE, OVER AND OVER AND OVER), or in full voice against the lustiest orchestrations (ALONE TOGETHER, WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME?). She also was very adept at singing upbeat tunes and novelty songs (A WONDERFUL GUY, OOPS!, C.O.D., BLIND DATE, ALL I WANT IS ALL THERE IS AND THEN SOME). I never get tired of listening to her.

This is definitely the definitive collection so far of Whiting's Capitol years. Many of her million sellers and hits are here as well as great standards and wonderful lesser known performances. The arrangements backing her by such luminaries as Paul Weston, Frank DeVol, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Lou Busch and others are inventive and outstanding, and the sound throughout all four discs is crisp and clear.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Jasmine Records for this wonderful tribute to a GREAT singer.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and extensive collection, March 30, 2009

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: My Ideal: The Definitive Collection - 113 Tracks [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] 4CD SET (Audio CD)

The first thing to say about this compilation of Magic Maggie's music is that a lot of hits are missing. None of her duets with Jimmy Wakely are here, these being covered in a separate single CD Till we meet again that contains every duet they ever recorded, plus a few solo tracks. However, some of Maggie's solo hits are also missing, though all the hits that really matter are here including Moonlight in Vermont, Guilty, Oh but I do, You do, Now is the hour, A tree in the meadow (a British song originally recorded by Dorothy Squires), Far away places, Forever and ever and her Christmas duet with Johnny Mercer, Baby it`s cold outside, together with some of her lesser (but still brilliant) hits that I haven`t mentioned. Maggie's top ten hits with Freddie Slack (That old black magic) and Paul Weston (It might as well be spring) are also included here, though it doesn't normally appear on compilations of her music. Another hit she had with Freddie Slack, Silver wings in the moonlight, is mentioned in the liner notes but not included; I've yet to find this track anywhere though I haven`t actually looked for it specifically.

With over 100 tracks included here, there are many great songs that you won't find Maggie's versions of elsewhere. Some of these may be familiar via versions by other artists including True love (Bing Crosby/Grace Kelly), My son my son (Vera Lynn) My funny valentine (Hal McIntyre), My romance (Paul Whiteman), God bless America (Kate Smith) and Look for the silver lining (Marion Harris) to name a few.

This collection, not being limited to her hits, is able to look at the diversity of Maggie's music. It includes a couple of children's songs (This little piggy went to market, Hoppy Topper and me), two solo Christmas songs (Have yourself a merry little Christmas, The mistletoe kiss polka) and four duets with Bob Hope (Home cookin, Lucky us, Ain't we got fun, Blind date). Also here are all eight tracks from Maggie's first album, which featured the songs of Rodgers and Hart.

If you haven't got any of Maggie's music and you want those missing solo hits, you may wish to buy a hits collection first. The best - indeed the ultimate - collection of Maggie's hits is the out of print Complete Capitol hits of Margaret Whiting, which lives up to its title, containing every solo Billboard hit, however minor, plus all her hit duets with Jimmy Wakely, although it doesn`t include the aforementioned tracks with Freddie Slack and Paul Weston. I bought and reviewed that collection some years ago when it was still in print, so the absence of so many hits here is fine by me, leaving as it does more room for other tracks that couldn't have been included if the hits were here. If the only missing hits that concern you are the duets with Jimmy Wakely, you may choose to buy this and Till we meet again. Also worth considering is the 1960 tribute album Margaret Whiting sings the Jerome Kern Song Book.