Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years [Box set, Import]

Billie Holiday | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 10
• 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: 101 DISTRIBUTION
• ASIN: B0029XIWCY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #28,933 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #71 in Music > Broadway & Vocalists > Cabaret
  • #86 in Music > Blues > Vocal Blues

Track Listings

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Disc 1: The Original Sessions (1933-36):
1. Your Mother's Son-In-Law
2. Riffin' The Scotch
3. I Wished On The Moon
4. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
5. Miss Brown To You
6. Sunbonnet Blue, A
7. What A Night, What A Moon, What A Girl
8. I'm Painting The Town Red
9. It's Too Hot For Words
10. Twenty-Four Hours A Day
11. Yankee Doodle Never Went To Town
12. Eeny Meeny Miney Mo
13. If You Were Mine
14. These 'N' That 'N' Those
15. You Let Me Down
16. Spreadin' Rhythm Around
17. Life Begins When You're In Love
18. It's Like Reaching For The Moon
19. These Foolish Things
20. I Cried For You
21. Guess Who
22. Did I Remember?
23. No Regrets
24. Summertime
25. Billie's Blues

Disc 2: The Original Sessions (1936-37):
1. Fine Romance, A
2. I Can't Pretend
3. One, Two, Button Your Shoe
4. Let's Call A Heart A Heart
5. Easy To Love
6. With Thee I Swing
7. Way You Look Tonight, The
8. Who Loves You?
9. Pennies From Heaven
10. That's Life I Guess
11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
12. One Never Knows Does One?
13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
14. If My Heart Could Only Talk
15. Please Keep Me In Your Dreams
16. He Ain't Got Rhythm
17. This Year's Kisses
18. Why Was I Born
19. I Must Have That Man
20. Mood That I'm In, The
21. You Showed Me The Way
22. Sentimental And Melancholy
23. My Last Affair

Disc 3: The Original Sessions (1937):
1. Carelessly
2. How Could You?
3. Moanin' Low
4. Where Is The Sun?
5. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
7. I Don't Know If I'm Comin' Or Goin'
8. Sun Showers
9. Yours And Mine
10. I'll Get By
11. Mean To Me
12. Foolin' Myself
13. Easy Living
14. I'll Never Be The Same
15. Me, Myself And I
16. Sailboat In The Moonlight, A
17. Born To Love
18. Without Your Love
19. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life
20. Who Wants Love?
21. Trav'lin' All Alone
22. He's Funny That Way

Disc 4: The Original Sessions (1937-38):
1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
2. Things Are Looking Up
3. My Man
4. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
5. My First Impression Of You
6. When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
7. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
8. If Dreams Come True
9. Now They Call It Swing
10. On The Sentimental Side
11. Back In Your Own Backyard
12. When A Woman Loves A Man
13. You Go To My Head
14. Moon Looks Down And Laughs, The
15. If I Were You
16. Forget If You Can
17. Having Myself A Time
18. Says My Heart
19. I Wish I Had You
20. I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key)
21. Very Thought Of You, The
22. I Can't Get Started
23. I've Got A Date With A Dream
24. You Can't Be Mine (And Someone Else's Too) --Track listing Disc's 1,2,3 and 4

DISC 5: THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS (1938-39):
1. Everybody's Laughing
2. Here It Is Tomorrow Again
3. Say It With a Kiss
4. April in My Heart
5. I'll Never Fail You
6. They Say
7. You're So Desirable
8. You're Gonna See a Lot of Me
9. Hello, My Darling
10. Let's Dream in the Moonlight
11. That's All I Ask of You
12. Dream of Life
13. What Shall I Say?
14. It's Easy to Blame the Weather
15. More Than You Know
16. Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine)
17. You're Too Lovely to Last
18. Under a Blue Jungle Moon
19. Everything Happens For the Best
20. Why Did I Always Depend on You
21. Long Gone Blues

DISC 6: THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS (1939-41):
1. Some Other Spring
2. Our Love Is Different
3. Them There Eyes
4. Swing, Brother, Swing
5. Night and Day
6. Man I Love, The
7. You're Just a No Account
8. You're a Lucky Guy
9. Ghost of Yesterday
10. Body and Soul
11. What Is This Going to Get Us?
12. Falling in Love Again
13. I'm Pulling Through
14. Tell Me More and More and Then Some
15. Laughing at Life
16. Time on My Hands (You in My Arms)
17. I'm All For You
18. I Hear Music
19. Same Old Story, The
20. Practice Makes Perfect
21. St. Louis Blues
22. Loveless Love
23. Let's Do It
24. Georgia on My Mind

DISC 7: THE ORIGINAL SESSIONS (1941-42):
1. Romance in the Dark
2. All of Me
3. I'm in a Low Down Groove
4. God Bless the Child
5. Am I Blue
6. Solitude
7. Jim
8. I Cover the Waterfront
9. Love Me or Leave Me
10. Gloomy Sunday
11. Wherever You Are
12. Mandy Is Two
13. It's a Sin to Tell a Lie
14. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
15. Saddest Tale
16. No Regrets
17. Way You Look Tonight, The
18. Who Loves You?
19. Pennies From Heaven
20. That's Life I Guess
21. They Can't Take That Away From Me
22. I Don't Know If I'm Comin' or Goin'
23. I'll Get By
24. Mean to Me

DISC 8: THE ALTERNATE TAKES & AIR-CHECKS (1937-38):
1. Me, Myself and I
2. Without Your Love
3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
4. Swing, Brother, Swing
5. I Can't Get Started
6. My First Impression of You
7. When You're Smiling
8. I Can't Believe You're in Love With Me
9. If Dreams Come True
10. Now They Call It Swing
11. On the Sentimental Side
12. Back in Your Own Back Yard
13. You Go to My Head
14. Moon Looks Down and Laughs, The
15. If I Were You
16. Forget If You Can
17. Having Myself a Time
18. Says My Heart
19. I Wish I Had You
20. I'm Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away the Key)
21. I Can't Get Started
22. I've Got a Date With a Dream --Track listing Disc's 5,6,7 and 8

Disc 9: The Alternate Takes & Air-Checks (1938-40):
1. April In My Heart
2. They Say
3. You're So Desirable
4. You're Gonna See A Lot Of Me
5. Hello My Darling
6. Let's Dream In The Moonlight
7. I Cried For You
8. Jeepers Creepers
9. That's All I Ask Of You
10. More Than You Know
11. You're Too Lovely To Last
12. Under A Blue Jungle Moon
13. Night And Day
14. Falling In Love Again
15. Laughing At Life
16. I'm All For You
17. I Hear Music
18. Same Old Story, The
19. Same Old Story, The
20. Practice Makes Perfect
21. Practice Makes Perfect
22. Practice Makes Perfect

Disc 10: The Alternate Takes & Air-Checks (1940-44):
1. St. Louis Blues
2. Loveless Love
3. Let's Do It
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Romance In The Dark
7. Romance In The Dark
8. Romance In The Dark
9. All Of Me
10. All Of Me
11. God Bless The Child
12. God Bless The Child
13. Am I Blue
14. Am I Blue
15. Jim
16. Gloomy Sunday
17. Wherever You Are
18. Mandy Is Two
19. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
20. It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
21. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
22. Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me / I'll Get By (As Long As I Have You)
23. I Love My Man --Track Listing Disc's 9 And 10

Product Description

Digitally remastered 10 CD box set from the Jazz diva containing her complete recordings for the Columbia Records label spanning the years 1933-41. Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia features 230 tracks recorded during her most critically and commercially successful period. When people talk about classic Billie Holiday, they are referring to these absolutely essential recordings. From heartwarming to heartbreaking, it's all here. This box also includes a 72-page booklet with discography, photos and essays by scholar/writer Gary Giddins and Michael Brooks. Sony. 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remastered Columbia Recordings at Great Value, December 5, 2009

By 

Let S Listen (TN) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years (Audio CD)

This set is a European budget edition of the more lavish US box. Discs are in simple cardboard sleeves; the 10 of them and the booklet fit neatly in a cardboard box the size of a thick jewel case. Another review incorrectly identifies this as a Definitive Records (Spain) issue. However, this is genuine Sony Music, Legacy series. The sound is as good as the US edition. Extra tracks (alternative takes and airchecks) start on disc 7 and take up the last three discs, as on the US edition. The booklet contains full production notes, an alphabetical song index, and Gary Giddins' essay "Ladies Day". Another essay by Farah Jasmine Griffin describes literary references to Ms. Holiday. The sound on these 2001 remasters is excellent: hi-hats and bass are easily heard. The sound is possibly as open and natural as it will ever get. I am very pleased with this set.

Although Billie's Columbia recordings have been reissued many times and in many formats, the one used here with the sessions complete as far as master takes are concerned is most pleasing as it preserves the mood of those sessions without getting bogged down. Among the delights: songs that somehow never get featured on Billie Holiday compilations but contain stellar performances by the accompanists can be enjoyed side by side with the better known ones. Any of these ten discs (and especially the first six) can be appreciated as fine representations of the music of the era. For that reason, and while this complete set is available at budget prices, I recommend it over pick-and-choose three or four disc compliations. For a concise listening experience, the 2-CD reduction Lady Day is excellent (good selections and flow) and also recommended. Another recommended set (1-CD) is "A Musical Romance": Although by no means representative of everything she did during the Columbia years, it nevertheless manages to capture the essence of the period and some of her best work with Lester Young. The CD keeps you engaged and wishing the romance never ended with each passing song.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE REAL THING COMES ALONG AT THE RIGHT PRICE, December 28, 2009

By 

Barry McCanna (Normandy, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lady Day: The Complete Columbia Golden Years (Audio CD)

Time was when Columbia reissued "The Quintessential Billie Holiday" on CD, in their CBS Jazz Masterpieces series, proudly proclaiming "Digitally remastered directly from the original (sic) analogue tapes". Despite that claim, sound quality left much to be desired, and is perhaps most politely summed up as muffled.

That ended appropriately with "Until the Real Thing Comes Along", and was overtaken in 2001 by the reissue of the 10-CD boxed set "Lady Day, The Complete Billie Holiday on Columbia" which retailed for £100. Not a bad price, unless you stopped to reflect that the dedicated collector would have expended several times that amount already on previous vinyl and digital reissues. The price was geared as much to the LP-sized package as to the contents, but sound quality was vastly improved.

Having stayed my hand then, I am delighted that this magnificent compilation has been repackaged in a CD-sized box and is now available at a price that puts it in reach not just of the ardent collector, but of the casual purchaser also. The set includes a 68-page booklet, which comprises a song index (invaluable if you want to locate just one) an appreciation of Lady Day by Gary Giddins, a shorter essay of her effect on literature by Farah Jasmine Griffin, and a discography. Photographs are scattered throughout the essays, and there's a colour montage of some of the original 78 labels.

Giddins makes a nod in the direction of John Hammond, and the latter deserves credit as the catalyst for these recording sessions. He was not a hard-nosed record producer (most of whom were unsympathetic to jazz) but a genuine fan who could afford to indulge his passion. To digress, I'm glad also that Giddins has highlighted the irony of the sympathetic portrayal of Louis McKay in the biopic "Lady Sings the Blues", but the irony didn't end there. McKay acted as a paid consultant on the movie, which portrayed Billie as having been introduced to drugs by one of the members of an unnamed white band with which she was touring. Had Artie Shaw chosen to sue it would have been no contest!

To begin with Teddy Wilson got label credit and Billie's vocal was confined to the middle section. Later her own name was used increasingly, and she introduced the song, the group played the middle section, and she sang the ride-out. My favourite disc is number 6, which includes such sublime masterpieces as Some Other Spring, Ghost of Yesterday, and Body and Soul. Billie is very much in the driving seat, and the various groups provide the most wonderful homogenised accompaniments, against which she weaves the lyric. But whichever you choose to play there is treasure, and this set must rank as the Best Buy of the Year.

26 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Columbia years collection!, May 17, 2007

By 

Lorenzo71 (Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ladyday Complete Columbia Golden Years (Audio CD)

The Spanish label "Definitive Records" collected 233 songs, including all the studio material recorded between 1933 and 1942 for Columbia. All the alternates are included (at the end of every cd: good choice) and there are some great live sessions. The 10 cd box is very cheap and has a nice design. There's a 100 pages booklet with all the lyrics, the liner notes and a short essay about the issue. The 24-bit remasterization, in my opinion, cleaned the sound and made the instruments more "present", even if a background noise is recognizable in many songs. I think the result is remarkable, and I suggest this box not only to Billie Holiday's fans but also to all music lovers.