Don’t know why there’s no sun up in the sky…

Well, the sun has come up, and the reason’s clear: Kritzerland has a new 2-CD complete edition of the soundtrack to Stormy Weather, Twentieth Century Fox’s 1943 musical extravaganza starring Lena Horne, Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Dooley Wilson, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, The Nicholas Brothers and many more.  Loosely based on Robinson’s life, the film is short on plot but long on song-and-dance, with musical figuring into over 70 of its 78 minutes!  Kritzerland’s upcoming reissue of its soundtrack, currently available for pre-order, is being released in conjunction with Twilight Time’s new deluxe Blu-ray presentation of the movie.

This groundbreaking film, with musical direction by Emil Newman and songs from Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler, Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields, and many more, offered a showcase for African-American performers at a time when such showcases were truly a rarity.  It also offers Lena Horne in one of her few non-MGM film performances.  As Kritzerland’s Bruce Kimmel writes, “Horne’s ethereal, gorgeous voice lends an unforgettable purity to her renditions of ‘There’s No Two Ways About Love’ and the title song, ‘Stormy Weather.’  The inimitable ‘Fats’ Waller delivers the definitive ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ and a superb duet with Ada Brown called ‘That Ain’t Right.’ Cab Calloway sashays and cavorts through ‘Geechy Joe’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jive.’ Bill Robinson bends the mind with his agility at age 65, and Mae Johnson does a great ‘I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City.’”  And that’s not all!

Stormy Weather was originally released on CD in 1993 from Arista Records.  Though that long-out-of-print presentation was incomplete, it did contain bonus material.  For this new, definitive release, Kritzerland has the full-length soundtrack recordings of all the songs (many were edited in the film), all the incidental music (save for one seven-second bit of scoring for which an overlay couldn’t be found), and four outtakes that were recorded for but not used in the film.  The first disc of this deluxe edition contains the complete film soundtrack of around seventy-eight minutes’ length.  CD 2 features all the bonus material.  All tracks are in beautifully restored mono sound compliments the Kritzerland team including restoration expert Mike Matessino.

Stormy Weather is a limited edition of 1,000 units, and though it’s a 2-CD set, it’s available from Kritzerland at the same standard $19.98 plus shipping as the label’s single-disc releases.   It’s due by the second week of April, but pre-orders placed directly through Kritzerland typically arrive two to four weeks early.  You can pre-order this landmark soundtrack release from the Golden Age of Hollywood – and hear sound samples – at the link below!

Stormy Weather: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Kritzerland, 2015)

CD 1

1. Stormy Weather – Main Title
2. Rang Tang Tang/My, My, Ain’t That Somethin’
3. Memories/Victory March (including Over There/Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, Bugle March/ Mademoiselle from Armentieres)/Memories II/The Darktown Strutter’s Ball
4. Margie/There’s No Two Ways About Love
5. Ja-Da
6. “Walkin’ the Dog” (vocal – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson)
7. Bright Eyes
8. “There’s No Two Ways About Love” (vocal – Lena Horne)
9. There’s No Two Ways About Love (piano intro)
10. “The Cakewalk” (including At a Georgia Camp Meeting/De Camptown Races)
11. “Linda Brown” (vocal – The Tramp Band)
12. “Moppin’ and Boppin’”
13. “That Ain’t Right” (vocal – “Fats” Waller & Ada Brown)
14. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (vocal – “Fats” Waller)
15. Memories III
16. “Diga Diga Do” (vocal – Lena Horne)
17. “African Dance”
18. Memories IV/Dah, Dat, Dah
19. “I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City” (vocal – Mae Johnson)
20. Nobody’s Sweetheart
21. I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City/My, My Ain’t That Somethin’/Dark Blues
22. Nobody’s Sweetheart II
23. “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” (vocal – Lena Horne & Bill “Bojangles” Robinson
24. Memories V
25. “Geechy Joe” (vocal – Cab Calloway)
26. There’s No Two Ways About Love (Instrumental)
27. Stormy Weather (extended sequence) (vocal – Lena Horne)
28. “There’s No Two Ways About Love” (Reprise) (vocal – Cab Calloway, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson & Lena Horne)
29. “My, My, Ain’t That Somethin’” (vocal – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson)
30. “The Jumpin’ Jive” (vocal – Cab Calloway)
31. “My, My, Ain’t That Somethin’/“Stormy Weather” (Reprise and Finale) (vocal – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Cab Calloway & Lena Horne)

CD 2 (Bonus Tracks)

1. Body and Soul
2. “Good for Nothin’ Joe” (vocal – Lena Horne)
3. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (alternate)
4. (vocal – “Fats” Waller)
5. “I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City” (alternate)
6. (vocal – Mae Johnson)
7. “Alfred the Moocher” (vocal – Cab Calloway)
8. “My, My, Ain’t That Somethin’” (Reprise – song version)(vocal – Lena Horne)
9. “Stormy Weather” (Song Version)
10. “Nearer to You” (vocal – Cab Calloway)
11. “Nobody”
12. “Sunday in Savannah” (vocal – Cab Calloway)
13. “Shadrack” (vocal – Bill “Bojangles” Robinson)