Customer Reviews

On Screen & Radio 1932-1943

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

 

 

The quality of the recordings on this unusual CD are not always first rate but for good reason. All the early recordings have been cut from Alice Faye's appearances as the vocalist on Rudy Vallee's Fleischman Hour from late 1932 to mid 1934. The fact that they have survived is surprising enough but to hear Alice at the age of 17 singing songs from "42nd Street" is a treat. This was a star in the making. We hear what Rudy Vallee heard and prompted him to promote her.

The second half of the CD contains numbers cut from her films of the forties and the orchestrations are lush from the 20th Century Fox studio orchestra. This was when Harry Warren wrote for Alice and many were enormous hits, even though she was restrained from making her own commercial recordings. This is Alice Faye absolutely at her peak but it should be noted that these recordings are available on other CDs.

While I'm not thrilled with the cover, I so enjoyed hearing some tunes that I hadn't heard Alice Faye sing before and several that I do have on other CD's, I can't go lower than 5 stars for lovely Alice. What a voice! Since there are a few songs from 42nd Street, you get a glimpse of what she could have accomplished at Warners Bros, if things had been different. Since you're told from the title, the selections are from screen and radio, the sound isn't studio sharp, but Alice Faye is always quality listening.