Politely! / Swingin' Pretty - Two Classic Albums from Keely Smith

Keely Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 14, 2000)
• Original Release Date: November 14, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice Music
• ASIN: B0000507YX
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #228,381 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sweet and Lovely

2. Cocktails for Two

3. The Song Is You

4. I'll Get by (As Long as I Have You)

5. Lullaby of the Leaves

6. On the Sunny Side of the Street

7. I Can't Get Started

8. I'll Never Smile Again

9. S'posin'

10. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)

11. All the Way

12. I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody (Like I'm Loving You)

13. It's Magic

14. It's Been a Long, Long Time

15. Stormy Weather

16. Indian Love Call

17. The Nearness of You

18. What Is This Thing Called Love?

19. The Man I Love

20. You're Driving Me Crazy

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars KEELY SMITH'S SHINING HOURS, December 5, 2000

By 

Giovanni M. (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Politely! / Swingin' Pretty - Two Classic Albums from Keely Smith (Audio CD)

Keely Smith is one of those rare stars that comes along every few thousand blue moons that is not particularly flashy or flamboyant, but gets every drop out of any song that she lays her chops on. Former husband Louis Prima knew talent, and here's proof of Louis' smarts thanks to the people at EMI/Capitol Special Markets. Teamed with fantastic arrangers Billy May (on the "POLITELY" sides) and the incomparable Nelson Riddle ("SWINGIN' PRETTY sides), Keely exudes and exceeds all emotions from wistful to downright pandemonium. While many of these sides can be found on various other CDs, there are some real standouts here. Billy May's rip-roaring chart for "ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET" still makes me throw my head back and laugh with delight. Keely keeps right up with the band too, and makes this old chestnut a fine swinger. Other great charts from Billy include the female counterpart to Ol' Blue Eyes' timeless "ALL THE WAY", which Keely really torches soulfully, the bouncy "S'POSIN'", and the sly "COCKTAILS FOR TWO". Being a huge Billy May fan, I really enjoyed that part of the CD. Being a HUGER Nelson Riddle fan, I could hardly wait to hear the few sides I hadn't previously. One of which, the evergreen Gershwin standard "THE MAN I LOVE" is absolutely grand. (It could never compare to the reading Nelson and Ella Fitzgerald gave it a few years prior on Ella's "Gerswhin Songbook" set, but then, what could?)Still though, a real gem. Keely starts it out slow enough, despite the slightest under-urging from Nelson's "sneak-up-on-ya" swinging chart. By mid-song, it's a free-for-all, if only for a moment, to build to the fantastic tag as only Riddle could do (and help the singers he backed acheive as well) Sadly, there are no extensive liner notes to tell for sure,(although replications of BOTH original albums are in the booklet) but it really sounded like Keely was back with Sam Butera and the Witnesses on "YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY", another great one of this album. It's amazing to watch Riddle drift in and out of somber to swingin' tempos on otherwise melancholy songs such as "STARDUST" and "THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU" (two hits for Nat King Cole on the same Capitol label, arranged by the same Nelson Riddle!) These sides close with a fine reading of "WHAT CAN I SAY AFTER I'M SORRY?" A great re-release of two great albums.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A master at work--actually, masters at work, June 30, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Politely! / Swingin' Pretty - Two Classic Albums from Keely Smith (Audio CD)

Capitol knew just what to do with Keely Smith, with producer Voyle Gilmore putting her in the hands of Nelson Riddle and Billy May. Her three albums for Capitoll are models of imaginative song selection, exceptional arranging and vocal performances that are continually surprising--resting on a rock solid voice with impeccable intonation, warmth, irony, humor and wisdom. Frank Sinatra felt Keely was truly one of the great popular singers of all time and these splendid albums certainly show why. When she went to Dot she found herself in the hands of Billy Vaughan--yoicks--and it was all downhill from there. As she later lamented on the "Tonight Show"--"I thought all record labels were the same." The low points were an album with Keely as a painted Indian on the cover and an album of twist music. Actually, on Dot there were no high points. So cherish the Capitol material--it's absolutely topnotch and makes you wonder what might have been had Louie and Prima stuck with Capitol.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forty years later, Keely still swings pretty, December 6, 2000

By 

Steve Emerine (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Politely! / Swingin' Pretty - Two Classic Albums from Keely Smith (Audio CD)

The torch-singing Keely Smith has always been better listening than the comedy-singing Keely who charmed Las Vegas and other venues with her then-husband, Louis Prima. This double-album Capitol re-release makes the point better than any customer's review. With terrific arrangements from Billy May and Nelson Riddle, Keely's renditions of "Cocktails for Two," "Sweet and Lovely," "Stormy Weather," "The Man I Love" and 20 more equally great standards make this Collector's Choice CD a great choice for your collection ... and for the collection of someone you love. Having named my only daughter Keely some 40 years ago, I can only hope there's another double-album re-release of Keely Smith ballads coming soon.