A Song in the Air: The Debut Recordings [Extra tracks]

Jane Powell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 25, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Flare UK
• ASIN: B000040OIR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,768 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Kiss in the Dark

2. Will You Remember?

3. Over the Rainbow

4. Summertime

5. The Donkey Serenade

6. I Think of You

7. Mighty Like a Rose

8. Kiss Me Again

9. Les Filles de Cadiz

10. Through the Years

11. Sweethearts

12. Springtide

13. One Kiss

14. Lover, Come Back to Me

15. Italian Street Song

16. Ave Maria

17. Musetta's Waltz Song

18. Magic Is the Moonlight

19. Love Is Like That

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Musical Treasure, June 29, 2000

By 

Karl Hess (Sandy, Utah United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Song in the Air: The Debut Recordings (Audio CD)

These debut recordings by MGM's lyrical song bird Jane Powell are a fan's dream come true. These 16 songs were recorded by Columbia before MGM started their soundtrack albums and the remastering here has remarkable quality. The selections are mainly from the operetta venue for which her voice was impeccably suited and her own youthful embellishments add charm to her delightfully beautiful singing. As her voice progressed, she became the screen's most gifted lyric soprano and her beauty and charm made her a musical comedy star without peer. What a treasure we have in these early recordings and how wonderful it would be to have a compilation of the Verve recordings--the "Can't We Be Friends" album plus as extra tracks the four singles that were released--"True Love", "Mind If I Make Love To You", "A Ride On A Rainbow" and "I Have You To Thank." MGM also has a gold mine of her recordings which would make a wonderful anthology and hopefully the Turner people will compile a CD with outtakes and never-before-released material as they have done for Lanza, Garland, and Kelly. In the meantime, we have this enchanting CD as a reminder of all the reasons we cherish and revere the talents of this musical miracle we know as Jane Powell--and, of course, we have most of her movie musicals that are available in VHS and some DVD formats. A special thanks to Bernard Taylor and all of the people at Flare Records (UK) for having the vision and determination to bring this little masterpiece to us.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Song in the Air, April 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Song in the Air: The Debut Recordings (Audio CD)

This is an exqisite vocal collection by diminutive MGM musical great, Jane Powell. The pop and operetta standards offered were recorded by Powell for Columbia Records between 1946 and 1949 when she was still in her teens. The voice is small but phenomenally rich and flexible, with an astounding agility in such coloratura showcases as "The Donkey Serenade" and "The Italian Street Song". Powell also gives precocious and sensitive readings to romantic classics like "Will You Remember?" and "Lover, Come Back to Me" It is to be hoped that this British import will inspire nostalgia labels in this treasurable little artist's native America to release further compilations of both her soundtrack and pop recordings. Charlotte Church, eat your heart out!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant singer-actress of late forties and early fifties, January 12, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Song in the Air: The Debut Recordings (Audio CD)

Suzanne Burce's parents were determined that Jane would be the next Shirley Temple - this didn't happen but Suzanne eventually gained the recognition her parents craved when she was signed up as a teenager by MGM who were looking for the next Deanna Durbin. One of the first things that MGM did was to change her stage name to Jane Powell.

Jane had a high soprano voice just as Deanna did, but each of them had their own style. Although signed to MGM, they often lent her out to other studios and in any case did not release soundtrack recordings when they first signed Jane (they did later). So this collection, covering the period 1946 to 1949, is made up of sixteen tracks recorded for Columbia, with whom Jane secured a recording contract while signed to MGM for musicals, plus three tracks that she actually recorded for MGM after they started releasing soundtracks.

Perhaps the most famous songs here are Summertime, Over the rainbow and Ave Maria, all of which have been recorded my many different singers down the years, with new versions appearing regularly. Jane's renditions of these classics are among the best and most distinctive. Among the other great recordings here are Italian street song, Donkey serenade, Will you remember, Kiss me again, I think of you and Sweethearts - but every track here is brilliant.

This is one of two outstanding compilations of Jane's music released on the Flare label. Brilliant as this is, the other one covering her later music (Heart that's free) is even better, but I recommend that you buy both if you like this type of music.