Singin' in the Rain

Cliff Edwards

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 1999)
• Original Release Date: October 19, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B00001ZWCW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #31,967 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #14 in	Music > Pop > Oldies > Tin Pan Alley
  #81 in	Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Vocal Jazz
  #97 in	Music > Miscellaneous > Comedy > Comedic Music > Novelty Music

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Although Cliff Edwards, also known as Ukulele Ike, was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s he is almost forgotten today. He was the first performer to do the classic "Singing in the Rain," he debuted Gershwin's "Fascinatin' Rhythm" in 1924, and he acted in over 100 movies. Unfortunately, he received no screen credit for his most famous role--as the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's Pinocchio. His version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" is still the definitive version of that classic song. Cliff Edwards deserves to be remembered, and a good place to rediscover him is on Singing in the Rain, a collection of songs from the 1910s, '20s, and '30s recorded for radio in the early '40s. He accompanies his jazzy vocals with his virtuoso ukulele playing. His performances have a surprisingly modern feel with none of the stilted quality that performers from the '20s can have. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars cheer up, life's not so bad, June 24, 2004

By	Mr. Kurt Tidmore "Citizen of the World" (Ireland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Singing in the Rain (Audio CD)

My wife says she can always tell when I've been listening to this CD because I go around whistling and smiling. It's that kind of music. Cliff Edwards came to a sad end, but at one time he was one of the great natural singers of pop tunes. Like Louis Armstrong, he has fun with every song, and the fun is infectious. Some of the songs are hokey alright, but hey in fifty years whatever you think is hip is likely to sound hokey too. And some of the tunes, like Singing In The Rain and Over The Rainbow are timeless. Edwards has a great voice and he plays the ukulele like nobody else. Here it's just him and his uke and some un-named bass player, and the format suits him perfectly. His scat singing provides the extra 'instruments' and his falsetto provides the other voices. His energy and love of the music comes straight at you like sunshine through a fresh cleaned window. It's always summer with Ukulele Ike.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intimate view of a seasoned Vaudeville star, September 17, 2002

By	Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Singing in the Rain (Audio CD)

Although he excelled on the Hawaiian ukulele, Cliff Edwards tilted towards the standards rather than island-themed material. On these 1943 wartime radio performances, recorded in NYC for Lang-Worth Transcriptions, Edwards is heard in his most unadorned state, just him, his uke and a standup bass. These recordings are less bouncy and more matter-of-fact than most of his studio recordings, but it's also nice to hear him in such a stripped-down setting, without an orchestra to drown him out. These recordings may be too sparse-sounding for some, but they still reveal a master entertainer, performing in a relaxed, easygoing setting. Brings a lot of these old songs home in a unique fashion.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Sweet Standards!, August 23, 2000

By	Ty R Supancic (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Singing in the Rain (Audio CD)

A must have album for anyone who is a fan of sweet music. It's just Cliff, his uke and an upright bass for the most part. Wonderful! A great introduction to uke music. A great introduction to the vocal music of teens thru thirties.

BUY THIS RECORD!