Doris Day made quite a splash in 2011 when My Heart, her first album of primarily original material in some seventeen years, entered the British album charts with a Top 10 placement. The singer, actress and animal rights activist turns 88 today, April 3. Day remains greatly beloved around the world, and our coverage of My Heart quickly became one of The Second Disc’s most-visited articles since our inception in January 2010. Now, two new releases are looking back on her rich musical legacy. We have previously reported on With a Smile and a Song, a 2-CD anthology released by Sony Masterworks in conjunction with Turner Classic Movies and Warner Home Video. It arrives in stores today and coincides with a new 4-DVD box set from Warner Home Video, TCM Greatest Legends: Doris Day, and a 5-night “Star of the Month” retrospective on the cable network. Across the pond, Sony Music has delivered The Ultimate Collection, a single-disc set bringing the Day catalogue up to the present day with the inclusion of two tracks from My Heart.
With a Smile and a Song has been curated by the great lady herself, with two 15-track CDs. Though many of Day's all-time favorites are present, this isn't a typical "greatest hits" set. Songs like "Everybody Loves a Lover" and "Move Over, Darling" among the absent titles. The first disc is dedicated to “The Leading Lady of Movies,” featuring songs performed by Day on the silver screen from motion pictures like Love Me or Leave Me, Billy Rose’s Jumbo and of course, The Man Who Knew Too Much, in which Day introduced Jay Livingston and Ray Evans’ “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera).” Calamity Jane’s classic “Secret Love” is here, as is the title song to Pillow Talk and Romance on the High Seas’ memorable “It’s Magic.”
The second disc of With a Smile and a Song, “The Leading Lady of Song,” is no less impressive, offering tracks from the late 1940s right up through the mid-1960s. Two tracks are offered from Day’s sublime 1962 pairing with Andre Previn, Duet, while another two songs from Latin for Lovers see the singer addressing the bossa nova phenomenon. Some of America’s greatest composers are represented on this disc, including Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and George Gershwin, and the collection’s namesake is also heard here. “With a Smile and a Song,” from Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, also titled Day’s 1965 Columbia album for children of all ages.
Hit the jump for details on The Ultimate Collection, plus track listing and discography for both releases, as well as news of the Warner Home Video box set and more!
The line-up on The Ultimate Collection is much more traditional than that of With a Smile and a Song. Its 25 tracks cover the period between 1948's "It's Magic" and 2011's "My Heart" and "Heaven Tonight." You'll find many of the songs omitted on the With a Smile and as Song set including "Move Over, Darling," "Everybody Loves a Lover" and "Sentimental Journey," with the latter heard in its 1965 recording. Jim Pierson provides two pages of liner notes on this fine overview of Day's career in music. Many of her film songs, of course, are also represented, including two from Calamity Jane, "The Deadwood Stage" and the inevitable "Secret Love." Day's personal favorite of her albums, 1962's Trio with Andre Previn, is excerpted with "Close Your Eyes." Two different songs from Trio appear on With a Smile and a Song. Though there is some overlap between the two collections, both are worthwhile purchases if you don't already own the bulk of Day's original albums or the comprehensive Bear Family complete box sets.
On the home video front, the box set TCM Greatest Legends: Doris Day, is available now, including four must-own films: Calamity Jane, Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Love Me or Leave Me and Romance on the High Seas. The TCM on-air celebration will kick off April 2 and run through April 6. This weeklong event coincides with Ms. Day’s 89th birthday on April 3.
With a Smile and a Song arrives today from Sony Masterworks on what should be declared “Doris Day Day,” April 3. The Ultimate Collection is already in stores in the U.K., and you can order both titles at the links below!
Doris Day, The Ultimate Collection (Sony Music UK 88691 95234 2, 2012)
- Move Over, Darling
- Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera Sera)
- Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
- Heaven Tonight
- Oops
- Pillow Talk
- Sentimental Journey
- Cuddle Up a Little Closer
- A Very Precious Love
- Secret Love
- Don’t Take Your Love From Me
- Teacher’s Pet
- It’s Magic
- The Song is You
- The Deadwood Stage
- Love Me or Leave Me
- Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)
- Dream a Little Dream of Me
- You’ll Never Walk Alone
- Lullaby of Broadway
- Close Your Eyes
- Everybody Loves a Lover
- Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (78 RPM version)
- When I Fall in Love
- My Heart
Track 1 from Columbia single 42912, 1964
Track 2 from Columbia single 40704, 1956
Tracks 3 & 17 from Latin from Lovers, Columbia CS-9110, 1965
Tracks 4 & 25 from My Heart, Sony (UK) CD 88697 92775 2, 2011
Track 5 from Columbia single 39637, 1952
Track 6 from Columbia single 41463, 1959
Track 7 from Doris Day’s Sentimental Journey, Columbia CS-9160, 1965
Track 8 from On Moonlight Bay, Columbia CL 6186, 1951
Tracks 9 & 12 from Columbia single 41123, 1958
Tracks 10 & 15 from Calamity Jane, Columbia CL 6273, 1953
Tracks 11 & 14 from Day By Day, Columbia CL 942, 1956
Track 13 from Columbia single 38188, 1948
Track 16 from Love Me or Leave Me, Columbia CL 710, 1955
Track 18 from Day by Night, Columbia CL 1053, 1957
Track 19 from You’ll Never Walk Alone, Columbia CL 1904, 1962
Track 20 from Columbia single 39159, 1951
Track 21 from Duet, Columbia CS 8552, 1962
Track 22 from Columbia single 41195, 1958
Track 23 from Columbia single 38698, 1950
Track 24 from Columbia single 39786, 1952
Doris Day, With a Smile and a Song (TCM/Masterworks, 2012)
CD 1
- On Moonlight Bay
- Till We Meet Again
- It Had To Be You
- I'll See You In My Dreams
- It's Magic (78rpm Version)
- By The Light Of The Silv'ry Moon
- Secret Love
- I Speak To The Stars (from "Lucky Me")
- Love Me Or Leave Me
- At Sundown
- Shaking The Blues Away
- Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)
- Pillow Talk
- My Romance
- Little Girl Blue
CD 2
- Easy To Love
- Imagination (78rpm Version)
- You Go To My Head (78rpm Version)
- Don't Take Your Love From Me
- But Beautiful
- The Song Is You
- Our Love Is Here To Stay
- Oh, But I Do
- Here We Go Again
- Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread)
- In Love In Vain
- With A Smile And A Song
- Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)
- Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas)
- There They Are
CD 1, Tracks 1-2 from On Moonlight Bay, Columbia CL 6186, 1951
CD 1, Tracks 3-4 from I’ll See You in My Dreams, Columbia CL 6198, 1951
CD 1, Track 5 from Columbia single 38188, 1948 or master RHCO 10185 rec. 1952
CD 1, Track 6 from By the Light of the Silv’ry Moon, Columbia CL 6248, 1953
CD 1, Track 7 from Calamity Jane, Columbia CL 6273, 1953
CD 1, Track 8 from Columbia single 40210, 1954
CD 1, Track 9-11 from Love Me or Leave Me, Columbia CL 710, 1955
CD 1, Track 12 from Columbia single 40704, 1956
CD 1, Track 13 from Columbia single 41463, 1959
CD 1, Tracks 14-15 from Billy Rose’s Jumbo, Columbia OL 5860, 1962
CD 2, Tracks 1 & 7-8 included on Hooray for Hollywood, Columbia C2L-5, 1958
CD 2, Track 2 from Columbia single 38698, 1950
CD 2, Track 3 from Columbia single 38545, 1949
CD 2, Tracks 4-6 from Day By Day, Columbia CL 942, 1956
CD 2, Track 9 from Columbia single 41630, 1960
CD 2, Tracks 10-11 from Duet, Columbia CS 8552, 1962
CD 2, Track 12 from With a Smile and a Song, Columbia CS 9066, 1965
CD 2, Tracks 13-14 from Latin for Lovers, Columbia CS 9110, 1965
CD 2, Track 15 from Columbia single 43606, 1966
Robert Lett says
Love it. She's nice, she still answers her fan mail. She signed one of the Bear Family boxes for me.
Kevin says
I would say "The Ultimate Collection" would be the four Bear Family boxsets together.
A real nice compilation would be ALL of the ballads included in the Bear Family sets.
Lamar says
I prefer the alternate take of "Close Your Eyes" on the Bear box. Duet is a great album.