Let There Be Love

Joni James | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 1, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Taragon
• ASIN: B000003H7T
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,850 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. You're My Everything

2. You're Nearer

3. Love Is Here To Stay

4. I'll Be Seeing You

5. Let There Be Love

6. My Romance

7. The Nearness Of You

8. You're Mine You

9. I Need You Now

10. This Is My Confession

11. The Moment I Saw You

12. Am I In Love

13. Coming From You

14. We Know

15. Mira (Can You Imagine That)

Editorial Reviews

This isn't Joni's legendary first album, "Let There Be Love," but a collection of cleaned-up radio transcriptions from programs done for the U.S. government and military as a civic service. They were never intended for release on records, but they do prove Joni James in person sounded exactly the same as Joni James in the recording studio and was one artist who didn't need or rely on engineering feats for her sound. Most of the "Little Girl Blue" album is here in live versions with assorted hits and other album tracks, all performed more fluidly than on the recorded versions as permanency wasn't anticipated here. It's all delightful and a much needed tribute to a unique artist. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A historic album sounds still fresh today, April 28, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Let There Be Love (Audio CD)

When M-G-M Records gave Joni James the go-ahead for her first album after her first year as a record star with an incredible 12 sides placed in the top 20 charts, they also let her produce the project, since she had chosen all her single sides and basically produced them. "Let There Be Love" was the first album to tell a story in song with a beginning, middle and end through standards and unified arrangements (by the genius Lew Douglas, who also conducted). Recorded at Universal Studios in Chicago using mostly the topnotch radio orchestra musicians in the Windy City, it achieved a rich, buttery orchestral sound through an arrangement of musicians around the microphone which still is a secret (but will be revealed in an upcoming Joni James autobiography). The eight songs Joni selected are perfect, the vocal performances timeless and heartfelt and knowing, and the entire project utterly original. The singles added through the years to expanded versions of the album include "I Need You Now," recorded before Eddie Fisher's hit version and cancelled for release when his appeared. It's an unforgettable record. The miracle of "Let There be Love" is that it STILL sounds innovative, STILL tugs at the heart and Joni James STILL is a true original.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best "Our Love Is Here To Stay" that I have ever heard., July 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Let There Be Love (Audio CD)

Joni James brings a delicacy and depth-of-feeling to the lyrics of this collection of mostly-standards that blend perfectly with the orchestrations. The arrangements are intimately lush; romantic and smooth but not over-orchestrated or syrupy, and they support her intimate, gentle voice perfectly. This CD contains the best version of "Our Love Is Here To Stay" that I have ever heard. Her renditions of "You're My Everything," "You're Nearer," "Let There Be Love," and "My Romance" are also wonderful. "Let There Be Love" is considered to be one of the first albums to tell a unified story in song. The original 10" album consisted of the first eight songs, with songs nine to twelve added when it was re-released a couple years later as a 12" album. The first eight songs do work as a whole, while the next four are fine accompaniments. The final three songs were added for the CD release. The last track, "Mira," from the Broadway musical "Carnival," is a great performance backed by the New York Pops, so it is easy to overlook the fact that it is not quite in keeping with the theme of the other songs. However, the other two, "Coming From You," and "We Know," while enjoyable, do not quite fit in with the rest of the songs in sophistication of lyrics and orchestration. But aside from these minor complaints, the original album is a classic and worthy of five stars.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Playful, May 9, 2005

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let There Be Love - Transcriptions Recordings [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] (Audio CD)

This CD is made up from Joni's mid-50s discs that the liner notes refer to as "transcription discs" which have never before been released commercially. The sound quality is not quite on a par with some of her album releases for MGM. Some of the tracks were obviously live, however, whether in a studio or concert setting is not cited. The crowd on "Am I In Love" clap enthusiastically, sounding like a big crowd. The songwriters are not cited on the insert. "Purple Shades" sounds like a 40s-style rendition with Joni's lovely voice blending seamlessly with the strings. "Almost Always" that charted for Joni in 1953 is a lovely melody with a tango-flavored arrangement. "These Foolish Things" is a lovely melody with Joni's vocals playful and alluring. "That Old Feeling" creates a slow burn with Joni carrying a torch for a lost romance. "Let There Be Love" is a good disc for those seeking a complete canon; however, the technical sound quality is a bit under par. But Joni's always worth listening to with the live versions displaying particular charm. Enjoy!