Customer Reviews

Gay Purr-Ee (1962 Movie Soundtrack) (Rhino Handmade)

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Rhino, in the liner notes for this CD, refers to the Gay Purr-ee soundtrack as having been restored from the original Warner master tapes.

What exactly has been restored is open to debate, as the entire album is marred with audible tape hiss and occasional dropouts. If any restoration of these elements took place, it isn't audible in the finished product.

It's still a "must have" for anyone who loves Judy Garland...but with the tiniest bit of effort, this long overdue CD could have been worlds better. As things stand, it's mediocre at best.

Finally, this wonderful soundtrack is once again available, now on CD!

Except there's one tiny drawback - it's part of the Rhino Handmade collection of limited CD releases. Each one individually numbered and some released limited to as few as 1,000 copies. Gay Purr-ee's soundtrack release is limited to 5,000 copies. Not 5,000 per chain/store/whatever...5,000 total, for everywhere. Meaning Amazon is likely to have less than 1,000, Rhino's online store is likely to have less than 2,000, and then a few thousand more for the rest of the country. So pick up your copy quickly, because once all 5,000 are sold, that's it! (However, Rhino IS selling a digital download version, so if you can't buy a physical CD, you can always buy the download version.)

The soundtrack has been nicely remastered for this CD release. A tiny bit of tape noise still exists on the CD, and there's occasional clipping from the loudness of the recording, but overall, the quality is superb!

Of course, the reason this soundtrack is so spectacular is because of the presence of Judy Garland. Gay Purr-ee was Judy's sole cartoon voiceover work, and the team of E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen, who had penned her signature song Over The Rainbow for her in 1939, wrote several incredible songs for Judy for this film. Take My Pand Paree, Paris Is A Lonely Town, and Roses Red Violets Blue are wonderful songs that showcase her incredible voice. But the highlight of the album, which I also consider to be one of her finest performances ever, is Little Drops Of Rain. Despite the fact that this movie is basically a kid's movie, Little Drops Of Rain is quite an adult lament, as many have said of the song. This song is also available on Rhino's Judy Garland In Hollywood: Her Greatest Movie Hits compilation for VERY good reason - it's one of the best songs she ever sang.

I wholeheartedly recommend this soundtrack. If the Amazon price seems a little steep, it's only about $20 at Rhino's website. Don't wait too long to buy it though - it could be sold out tomorrow!

Judy Garland at her amazing vocal peak in this awesome collection of magnificent songs composed by "Wizard Of OZ" composers Harold Arlen/E.Y. Harburg who of course gave Garland her "Over The Rainbow" & "The Man That Got Away" classic signature songs she performed brilliantly to the end. "Gay Purr-ee" marks the last complete score by the legendary team whose output from the thirties through to the sixties is filled with memorable classic standards that help define what "The Great American Songbook" is all about.
Everyone rose to the occasion in producing a musical treasure filled with amazing performances from everyone in the illustrious cast such as Robert Goulet at his peak and perfection with Garland in gorgeous duets and fun with Red Buttons in "Bubbles". Bonus treats feature unreleased rehearsal performances by song composer giving an inside view to a uniquely original musical taking shape.
"Gay Purr-ee" as a film is pure enchantment and a classic at a level impossible to produce today...artistry such as this is all over so enjoy as greatness such as this is in the past.
Fresh off her "Grammy Award" victory with "Judy At Carnegie Hall", this incredible singer never sounded finer and "Paris Is A Lonely Town" is a timeless classic tour-de-force performance that defines what great singing is all about...turning this great song inside out, amazing this stirring & memorable performance didn't receive "Oscar" for "Best Song" as it was well deserved.
"Gay Purr-ee" Soundtrack is a limited edition so grab it while available as once gone the price for something this great will soar.
Bravo to Judy and Co. for creating a timeless masterpiece delightful to experience over and over that ages well like the finest wine!

A wonderful soundtrack to have with Judy Garland and Robert Goulet amongst others providing the voices for the characters in this Parisian fantasy...Judy is in fine voice in one of her later efforts (1962); actually right before her ill-fated TV series, which is also available in two volumes on DVD....the best ones being put out by Pioneer..Robert Goulet and Judy shine in the song "Bubbles" also fine Judy solos in Paris is Lonely Town, Little drops of Rain, etc..I actually picked up the LP of this somewhere, years ago, and have transferred the recording to CD and then imported the CD to my I-Tune collection, and will probably transfer it to my I-Pod at some future date. The music is penned by Yarburg, the composer of the music of the Wizard of Oz, so it was kind of a reunion for Judy with this famous writer of songs for the Wizard. Would highly recommend this CD to anyone interested in the various recordings of Judy over the years..