Customer Reviews

Platinum & Gold: The MGM Years

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

 

 

This is certainly the most comprehensive collection of Joni's original hits to be released in the CD format. However, there is something that bothers me about the sound mix of this collection. Part of Joni's charm as a vocalist was the subtle and reticent (almost shy) quality of her voice. That seems to be lacking in this new re-mix. Her voice comes through quite clearly but almost in a bold way, as if she is singing really, really close into the mike. Another thing that caused me to do a double-take is the fact that the accompanying liner-note booklet includes absolutely no recording dates for the songs nor does it include biographical dates, etc. Good liner notes should include such historical/statistical data; it's almost as if the producers don't want to acknowledge the 1950's origin of these wonderful recordings. Anyhow, in general, the collection is a good one and certainly a "must" for Joni's fans.

If you're looking for a single CD set that contains most of Joni James big hits, this is a good purchase. However, as suggested by another reveiwer, there is something dissapointing about the sound quality, and not just because of the vintage of the recordings. To my ear, it is not as rich as on Joni James CD's produced by Taragon. Hence four stars instead of five.

Platinum & Gold: The MGM Years is a two CD set containing many--but not all--of Joni James's greatest hits. Why they leave some out is beyond me; but this is still just about the best single CD set compilation that currently exists for the great Joni James. The sound quality is excellent; and I like that artwork!

"Have You Heard" starts the set off with Joni singing her very beat; her voice is rich, warm, and very vibrant. The strings are also used to great advantage. "Almost Always" is another great hit from Joni; the musical arrangement has that trademark Latin beat that works so well even today. I love it! There's also "Your Cheatin' Heart;" Joni aces this effortlessly and I'm very impressed.

"Why Don't You Believe Me" is a stunning ballad that Joni infuses with so much emotion that it becomes a golden masterpiece in her capable hands; and listen for "You Are My Love." "You Are My Love" has great brass and Joni's voice is as clear as a bell. Excellent!

"When You Wish Upon A Star" is a lovely ballad when Joni sings this so sweetly; and Joni delivers "Danny Boy" with panache; the backup vocalists harmonize well and this enhances the beauty of this classic ballad. Similarly, "You Belong To Me" gets quite a fine interpretation from Joni who sings this passionately.

"In A Garden Of Roses" features Joni front and center--this all works wonders for this tune. "Little Things Mean A Lot" was always one of my favorite love songs; and I suppose it always will be, too. Joni's rendition would make Kitty Kallen proud--it's beautiful and very sensitive. The melody is very pretty, too. "They Really Don't Know You" touches my heart when I hear it; it tugs at my heartstrings and Joni James makes this so wonderful. "I Still Get Jealous" has that late `50s/ early 60s sound that I always enjoy; Joni delivers this flawlessly.

"Maybe Next Time" places Joni James squarely in the spotlight--right where she belongs! Joni never sings a superfluous note, either. "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" is another touching ballad that is very pretty and memorable at once. The CD ends with Joni performing "Am I In Love." "Am I In Love" has a great arrangement and Joni never misses a beat.

My only complaint is that, as other reviewers have noted, not all of Joni's biggest hits made it to this CD set. On the other hand, however, what we do get is perfectly wonderful material, so I will give this two CD set four stars.

Joni James just doesn't get the recognition she deserves. I hope that with sales of CDs like this people will come to know her better. Joni James fans will want this for sure; and people who like classic pop vocals will cherish this CD for years.

Joni James' M-G-M Records singles are unlike anything any other singer ever did, from the songs she searched out and selected, to the magnificent and amazingly complicated and detailed orchestrations, to her own vocals which, in an era of Doris Days were much closer to a Sarah Vaughan. There's never been anyone like her. She doesn't perform a song, she lives it, pure and simple. There are so many remarkable recordings in this collection it's hard to know where to start, but one listen to "Why Don't You Believe Me," "How Important Can It Be" or "There Goes My Heart" and you'll get the point. James voice and style changed considerably over the years; she was never a Joni One Note. This is like hearing many singers, not one, but all of them are endlessly fascinating.

At the dawning of the decade of the Fifties each of the major labels had their single female vocalists firmly in place to compete for the attention of DJs and the record-buying public.

Leading the way for RCA Victor were Dinah Shore, Eartha Kitt, and Mindy Carson, Columbia had Doris Day, Jo Stafford, Sarah Vaughan, Toni Arden, and Rosemary Clooney as their stars, Capitol relied on Margaret Whiting, Kay Starr, and Ella Mae Morse and, until she switched to Decca in 1952, the incomparable Peggy Lee. Mercury also lost one of their stars to Decca in 1954 when Kitty Kalen made the switch, but they still had Patti Page, Georgia Gibbs, and Dinah Washington to carry the banner. Decca, in addition to gaining the above-mentioned singers, also had Evelyn Knight and, of course, the great Ella Fitzgerald.

Those relying primarily on one female vocalist were Coral (Terese Brewer), London (Vera Lynn), and Atlantic (Ruth Brown). MGM joined the pack in 1952 when they began releasing the efforts of one Joan Carmello Babbo, a 22-year-old former dancer, who had recorded briefly that year for the small Sharp label. They changed her name to Joni James, and late in 1952 her rendition of Why Don't You Believe Me? shot to # 1 where it remained for six weeks, spending a total of 23 weeks on the charts. Not a bad debut.

Between then and 1955 she had over a dozen more hits, but with the advent of R&R many of the above-named, whose styles varied widely from pop to pure jazz, began falling by the wayside in terms of singles chart success as musical tastes began to change dramatically. Joni James, however, was one of those who made the transition as her material changed with the times, and from 1956 to 1961 she made the Billboard Pop Top/Hot 100 no less than 13 times. By then, however, she had been eclipsed by another rising MGM star named Connie Francis.

This effort by Collector's Choice puts a pretty good dent in Joni's list of charted hits, but there are significant omissions, those being Don't Tell Me Not To Love You and I Woke Up Crying from 1956(# 83 and 72 respectively), I Still Get A Thrill (Thinking Of You) from 1959 (# 51), and her last two hits - I Need You Now (# 98 with the 101 Strings in 1960) and My Last Date (With You) which peaked at # 38 early in 1961. Why they left off I Need You Now while including its flipside, You Belong To Me (a # 101 "Bubble Under") is anyone's guess.

Not being an audiophile, the sound quality called into question by some reviewers is something I can live with. But the omissions of the above-named hits in a 42-track set, and the complete lack of discography in the liner notes, results in the deduction of 2 stars in my opinion. Unfortunately, this is STILL the best overall Jone James hits collection you are going to find.

This should have been Joni James' greatest peformances, not greatest hits. I was pleasantly surprised when this was released. The 1st 12 tracks, [which made up Joni's AWARD WINNING ALBUM] are beyond desription. They are actually an oxymoron: intelligent, sophisticated pop hits. Joni was lucky to have the songwriters & arrangers she did to work on those forgotten treaures; but as time went on, her voice & song quality faltered. I wish just the excellant & the good were put on the cd. Actually I Need You Now should have been included. Ditto for Anyone But Her, an exception to her late releases. It's very listenable. Dinah Washington once said of Joni James. "I sound better when I have a cold" That maybe very true but when Joni had the right material & back up in her early years, she was almost Eydie Gorme or Judy Garland. She was THAT GREAT!

My big sister, who passed away in 1971 from an auto accident had all of Joni James' hits from 1952 to about 1955 on old 78's. As a kid, I remember those meteolite MGM records with the bright yellow label with the lion on it. These are pleasant and poignant memories of my sister who was then in her teens and in love. Joni's records always sounded dreamlike and of the best quality. Her voice was haunting, pretty and dramatic in a gentle way. I haven't heard some of these songs since those days but remember most of them. Joni was very popular back then, but many folks today are not familiar with this amazing singer. This has all the big hits and more. Did you know she charted 24 hits from 1952 to 1961? Why Don't You Believe Me was Number One for 6 weeks in 1952 (her debut). The arrangements on her records always sounded lush and dreamy and first class all the way. The sound quality of the CD is excellent. Ms. James had the final say in the remastering and as usual her taste is superb. If you remember Joni James, you have to get this one. Even the great Barbra Streisand tried to sing like her as a kid.

Everyone who was ever young and in love will enjoy this collection of Joni's sweet renditions of 1950's classic love songs. I grew up in the 50's but I think that her soulful singing crosses and appeals to all the decades since.

I was in grade school when Joni's hits of "Why Don't You Believe Me" and "Little Things Mean a Lot" were on the charts but I remember so well listening and singing along with my older siblings when Joni's music came on the radio. These two numbers alone would have made it worth buying this two-disc CD, but I now have several more favorites by Joni - some I'd never heard before. This is a great CD for all of you who like swinging to the "Oldies" of the '50's and '60's. A collection of this era of music would not be complete without Joni James! Thanks to Amazon for allowing me to build up my collection and helping make my walk down memory lane more pleasant with the actual sounds I grew up with.

Here they are - all of Joni's big hit records in one terrific package from Collector's Choice. A big, beautiful nostalgia trip in wonderful sound.