Barkleys was a spring 1949 release (as was I, come to think of it), and at that time the 78 was still the dominant format. M-G-M took four songs from the score and issued them in a gatefold package for this release, with a colorful cover and the interior devoted to a spectacular Fred-and-Ginger montage (see below). As always, restored high-res scans are in the download.
The plug song from this production was the (to me) almost unlistenable "My One and Only Highland Fling," with the performers adopting broader accents than would be heard in your local high school's presentation of Brigadoon, and the added detraction of Rogers' wavering intonation. But things improve thereafter, and Astaire is terrific in the other numbers - although "Shoes with Wings On" isn't much of a song.
To me, one of the great pleasures of this package is the work of Conrad Salinger (and perhaps other studio hands) on the arrangements, which are simply glorious, and extremely well played by the orchestra led by Lennie Hayton. The sound on these original 78s is very vivid.
10 comments:
Thank you so much for this -- agreed, the packaging is gorgeous! Strange that MGM didn't include "Swing Trot" on the album; I love that arrangement.
missladiva, even stranger is that Swing Trot - easily the best number in a fairly dire film - plays out behind the main titles! Thanks to That's Enertainment III we can now see it with the titles removed. Many thanks for this fascinating souvenir of the movie, Buster.
Thanks! Such a classic MGM movie, with such classy stars and musical arrangements. Oh that MGM sound! Strange coincidence - Just last month I got myself these four tracks after discovering they are included in a digital re-release of MGM's 1970s compilation, "Those Glorious MGM Musicals". However of course there they came without your great scans!
I reconstructed the whole OST album a while ago and can post, if requested.
As for "Swing Trot", Rhino released two different versions/edits of it, using different surviving recording angles each time. They could indeed be blended into one actual stereo recording! Anyone skilled at Audacity or similar software..?
Hi MusicalGuy, I'd love to listen to your reconstructed OST and give a go at combining the stems for "Swing Trot"!
Here's my compilation, as requested. (Moderator, please feel free to remove it if it is too "remote" from the blog's theme, "Singles".)
I edited together various pieces from the different (and differently edited) releases. Even "Shoes with Wings on" now includes two additional bars of instrumental music (right before Fred Astaire starts singing) which are available only on the otherwise heavily cut singles release. Enjoy!
http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/rk4hn0
@missladiva: Check here for a text file I uploaded for you, with some info on two songs that could be edited to stereo with a professional software: http://anonym.to/?http://www.sendspace.com/file/87p2qy
@MusicalGuy38 - Thanks! I meant to encourage you, but forgot to do so. I love this kind of thing.
Could you please re-up this link?
The Mega file is gone, unfortunately. Please re-up?
New link:
https://www.mediafire.com/?tbfryd2qwhc04tl
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