RCA VICTOR LPM-1191
MONAURAL LONG PLAY
ASSEMBLED IN 1956
Perry Como
With Betty Hutton, Sally Sweetland and The
Fontane Sisters
Mitchell Ayres' Orchestra and Chorus
Although
"mellifluous" is hardly a term to be heard around Broadway,
it does seem to be as accurate a one-word description of Perry Como’s
singing style as anyone is likely ever to find. For
"mellifluous" means "sweet and smooth flowing" —
adjectives which well describe the unique vocal artistry of one of
America’s all-time greats in the field of popular music.
Perry Como’s life and
artistic career are typically and uniquely American. He was born in
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the seventh of thirteen children of Italian
immigrants. While still in school his principal interest was owning
his own barbershop — he started his barbering career at the ripe old
age of twelve; and, fortunately for us all, he also liked mightily to
sing. His first professional job paid him all of $28 per week; this
was followed by a seven-year engagement with Ted Weems. From Weems’
orchestra Perry went on to New York and subsequent triumphs which have
automatically placed him among the most popular and most admired of
all Radio and TV stars in the ‘40s and ‘50s.
Although Perry has been
prominently identified with outstanding Tin Pan Alley hits, perhaps
his real forte lies, after all, in his interpretation of Broadway show
tunes. It has often been asked: how do songs from Broadway musicals
differ from ordinary popular tunes? For although they may have similar
style and arrangement, the Broadway melody often displays a verve and
descriptiveness denied to other popular favorites. The reason is at
least twofold: first, show numbers are the product of today’s most
widely experienced composers; second, such music is written in a
context, a whole musical production which individual songs must
support and exemplify.
Perry Como is an ideal
performer of the brilliant music from the Great White Way. His style
is both intimate and versatile enough to capture every tuneful
situation. And for those who have seen or heard these productions, the
Perry Como approach will prove a guarantee of renewed enjoyment. The
earliest show represented in this collection is the Rodgers and Hart
"Connecticut Yankee." My Heart Stood Still has been a
great favorite ever since the play was first performed in 1927 and, if
possible, increased in popularity when the show was revived in 1943. Summertime
is of course only one of many hits from Gershwin’s "Porgy and
Bess." Actually an opera in English, "Porgy and Bess"
was based on DuBose Heyward’s play and was produced by the Theatre
Guild in 1935.
In the year 1950 appeared two
smash musical successes: Frank Loesser’s "Guys and Dolls,"
based on the novel characterizations of Damon Runyon, and Irving
Berlin’s "Call Me Madam." From the first, Perry here sings A Bushel and a Peck in a sparkling duet with Betty Hutton,
while from the second he interprets Marrying for Love, You’re
Just in Love, and It’s a Lovely Day Today — the last
two with The Fontane Sisters.
As an exponent of Rodgers and
Hammerstein, Perry lends his adaptable styling to selections from four
of their many hit shows. From the 1945 Theatre Guild Production of
"Carousel," Perry has chosen You’ll Never Walk Alone;
from "South Pacific," which won the Pulitzer Prize for 1950,
we hear Some Enchanted Evening and Bali Ha’i; from the
popular 1951 musical "The King and I," there are Hello,
Young Lovers and We Kiss in a Shadow; and finally, from the
most recent Rodgers and Hammerstein production "Pipe Dream,"
Perry sings the romantic All at Once You Love Her, a tune which
promises to become one of the great Como classics.
Copyright 1956, Radio
Corporation of America
This is an RCA Victor High Fidelity Recording
It is distinguished by these characteristics: 1. Complete frequency
range.
2. Uniform response across the record. 3 A minimum of noise and
distortion.
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The R.I.A.A. or "New Orthophonic" curve adjustment. The
A.E.S.
Position may also be used with bass boosted and treble reduced.
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with other records. This feature will give you many additional
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