Customer Reviews

Just Sings

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Back in 1956, Jerry Lewis wanted to record an album where he would sing "straight" songs (he had previously recorded a lot of songs, but those were all novelty songs). He couldn't interest a record company in recording him singing serious songs, so he financed a recording session himself. After he recorded the album, he sold it to Decca Records, and it was a smash hit. Jerry's singing style here is reminiscent of Al Jolsen, and in fact, Jerry's hit "Rock-a-bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" was orginally recorded by Jolson. Jerry is no Dean Martin, but he acquits himself quite well here, and the album is very enjoyable. The CD adds two singles that Jerry released after this album (a-sides and b-sides). Plus, two false starts of "Rock-a-bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody". These are pretty funny, as Jerry starts acting silly after he messes up the lyrics, singing in his goofy "Hey, Laaaady!" voice. This has nothing to do with the album, but I want to say that Jerry Lewis deserves the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards for all the work he has done for muscular dystrophy.

I have been a fan of the movies of Jerry Lewis of the late 50's into the 1960's but I have come to enjoy him even further with this selection of music from about 50 years ago! His rendition of Rock A Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody is worth the price of the C.D. I just wish as an extra track they would have a recording of him performing "You'll Never Walk Alone" from one of his Labor Day M.D. Telethons. This is a fun collection from one of the best movie comedians! Thanks Jerry!

In 1956 I bought the original. Think I wore it out. Today I was reminded of it and thought I'd check out Amazon. I am never disappointed here and am so happy there is a cd of "Just Sings". These are wonderful old classics at their most enjoyable. Jerry Lewis has a surprisingly mellow, lovely, exciting voice. He may not be a top 'crooner' or 'king of song' or whatever the term, but he certainly brings feeling to the soul where it makes you feel so good. That's good enough for me, ergo 5 Stars. Thank you, Jerry, for all the pleasure you have given me.

Once upon a time the Magic Store, Hollywood, presented entertainers who fulfilled that word in a broad-sense. Jerry Lewis is one of those shining stars. He, at one time in his career, was the highest paid actor, highest paid Vegas act, highest paid producer/director, and highest paid Broadway star. And for good reason--he knows what people want. In 1956, after the break-up of Martin and Lewis, Jerry introduced himself first not as a comedian, or a movie star, but in this extraordinary collection of standards. From the opening of "Come Rain or Come Shine", to his covers of "I've Got the World on a String" and "Get Happy", Lewis gives an energetic and inspiring performance that certainly had listeners of the 1950's and certainly can have listeners today toe-tapping, dancing, and singing along.

When I heard this album many years ago, I loved it. I thought it had long since disappeared, so when I heard a track played on the radio recently, I immediately went to the record store and bought the cd.

When I showed it to my dad, he cringed. Never a fan of Jerry Lewis, the thought of hearing Lewis sing made his skin crawl. Then I played the cd. He reluctantly had to agree that this cd swings and Jerry Lewis knows how to sell a song.

A few weeks later, I heard him playing the cd on his own stereo. At the end of one of the tunes I heard him comment to my mother, "He really swings!"

Lewis sings in the Jolson style (as did his father before him), but what makes this album really come together is the powerful band and tremendous arrangements, both courtesy of Bunny Bregman.

Lewis also aquits himself well on ballads, including a sensitive rendition of "With these hands."

If you want a pleasant surprise, and a new favorite cd, pick this one up!

I, too, bought the original in 1956. Mine was just the 45 rpm of "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody" and I must have played it a thousand times on my little record player. Over the years I have searched for a replacement since my whole collection was stolen from my college dorm attic in 1961. Amazon has come to the rescue again! Jerry's singing voice to me is at least equal to Dean's and I'm so glad he made this album to prove it. To me Jerry's singing stacks up to Judy Garland, Ethel Merman, and the other "belters" of the day, even though singing was not his foremost talent.

Jerry Lewis is one of my all-time favorite performers, so I was thrilled when I found he had a CD out along with all of his great movies. My mother's not a big Jerry Lewis fan, so despite the fact that she has involuntary facial spasms when I play this CD (lol), I think it really swings. His voice isn't great, but not bad either and the band is wonderful. The more you listen to it the more you like it! Some of my favorite tracks are "Rock-a-Bye", "With These Hands", "It All Depends on You", "Shine on Your Shoes", "Your Own Backyard" and "By Myself". The Rock-a-Bye false starts are funny. Great CD. I recommend it for any of Jerry's fans.

When I was a teenager back in the 1970's, I was very big into older adult contempory. Stuff my mom and dad listened to in the 50's. I had one of those compilation 8 tracks you would send away for. One of the songs on the 8 track was Jerry singing Rock A bye your baby. I used to imitate him, I used to do that song ALOT. So when I researched if there was a cd in print with the song I found this one. However, I have come to find out that the copy of Rock a bye, is actually not the one that was recorded for sale. This one is of Jerry and sounds like, Deano, on stage, hamming through. It still reminds me however of the recording I used to have, and it makes me feel good. I hope I can find a copy of the one I remember.

Back in the fifties I heard this--actually Dixie and Come Rain or Come shine on the juke box--used to play it constantly. Jerry sings with a lot of heart and earnestness! At the time, it was sort of an off-the-wall recording; but I took it seriously--I liked it!

I'm from Germany and I love Jerry Lewis so much, because he is a wonderful comedian and also a great talent in case of a

lot of different things. E.G. his talent of playing instruments which aren't there or his dancing talent.

I watched his movies even when I was a little girl, because my parents like him, too and so I knew his movies very early.

His sort of humor was always pleasing and great in cooperation with Dean Martins "coolness" who also was a great actor and singer!!

But I always thought that Jerry was the better actor and EVEN a kind of "better" singer.

It's a matter of taste of course.

Dean's voice is very pleasing and deep(I hear him very often, too), but Jerry has something special, as some other comments already mentioned.

I always wanted to hear more of his voice, which was obviously better, than he let it appear. (Of course this was his trademark...)

So I was very happy, when I noticed, that there exists a record of his songs.

To everyone who likes his movies and his songs: This CD is a "must-have"!!!!!