UPDATE 2/10/16: Whether imploring those around her to "Get Happy" or dreaming of a place "Over the Rainbow," Judy Garland gave some of the most immortal performances of her career (and indeed, of the whole of popular music as well as film) with the songs of Harold Arlen. In Arlen's sophisticated yet blues-based melodies, Garland found the perfect expressions in which to bare her soul, alternately with vulnerability, tenderness, desperation and joy. Now, JSP Records, the label which has recently released such landmark Garland collections as Lost Tracks (and the new The Best of Lost Tracks), Smilin' Through: The Singles Collection 1936-1947, The Carnegie Hall Concert, Creations, and The Garland Variations, has announced one of its most exciting projects yet. Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen will arrive on JSP at retailers JPC and Amazon France with a release date of FEBRUARY 12; and at Amazon U.K. with a release date of MARCH 11. The 2-CD set features 45 tracks (and 2-1/2 hours of music) from the rich, enduring collaboration of the actress-singer and composer.
Produced by JSP's John Stedman and curated and compiled by Garland historian Lawrence Schulman, Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen traces the Garland/Arlen partnership with recordings made between 1938 and 1968 in the studio, on film, radio and in concert. Four tracks are completely new to CD, including a newly-discovered A Star is Born pre-recording of the complete version of "Lose That Long Face." We're pleased to announce that our very own Joe Marchese has contributed an essay to this definitive, first-of-its-kind collection. Joe's essay joins the sleeve notes and discography by Schulman as well as an essay by Garland discographer and historian Scott Brogan of The Judy Room.
You'll find the full text of JSP's press release below with even more details on this exciting new release including the complete track listing with annotations. Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen will be available in early 2016; watch this space for further details once they are available!
LONDON -- JSP Records is proud to announce it will release in early 2016 JUDY GARLAND SINGS HAROLD ARLEN, a 2-CD box set devoted to Harold Arlen (1905-1986) tunes Judy Garland (1922-1969) performed in the studio, on screen, on the radio, and on stage between 1938 and 1968. Four tracks are new to CD.
The Garland-Arlen association began with the 1939 The Wizard Of Oz in which Garland sang the classic "Over the Rainbow", and other Arlen songs were recorded for such films as her 1940 Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, 1948 In The Good Old Summertime, 1950 Summer Stock, 1954 A Star Is Born, 1962 Gay Purr-ee, and finally her last film, the 1963 I Could Go On Singing. She also recorded numerous Arlen tunes during her tenures at Decca Records (1936-1947) and Capitol Records (1955-1965). On these sides, Arlen the composer worked with some of the most distinguished lyricists of the era, namely Ted Koehler, "Yip" Harburg, Johnny Mercer, and Ira Gershwin.
Produced by John Stedman, the 45-track 2 ½ hour anthology has been compiled by the award-winning Garland historian, Lawrence Schulman, who has also penned the sleeve notes and provided the discography. Noted music journalist Joe Marchese, who heads the website The Second Disc and Second Disc Records, and Garland discographer and scholar Scott Brogan, who heads the websites The Judy Room and The Judy Garland Online Discography, which are the leading online sources of information concerning Garland, have also contributed essays. The release has been remastered by Peter Rynston, of Tall Order Mastering, with John H. Haley, of Harmony Restorations LLC, contributing restorations on several tracks. Andrew Aitken of Aitken Design has designed the set.
One of the highlights of the compendium is the world premiere release of a newly-discovered A Star Is Born prerecording from the collection of Rick Smith of the complete version of "Lose That Long Face," which was transferred from a lacquer playback disc and meticulously restored by John H. Haley. The disc contains a never-previously-heard chorus by Garland and a refrain by Monette Moore that were cut from the full sequence as originally filmed, for which footage survives, although without sound... until now. Also new to CD are an overture to A Star Is Born by the late audio restorer Robert Parker based on an amalgamation of two takes, and two radio appearances from 1939 and 1943. A 1968 Lincoln Center appearance based on collector Steve Gruber's original source closes the set.
JSP is honoured to be the label behind such other Schulman-curated collections in recent years as LOST TRACKS (2010), SMILIN' THROUGH (2011), THE CARNEGIE HALL CONCERT (2012), CREATIONS (2013), THE GARLAND VARIATIONS (2014), and THE BEST OF LOST TRACKS (2015).
Currently, Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen is available for pre-order at JPC and Amazon France with a release date of FEBRUARY 12; and at Amazon U.K. with a release date of MARCH 11! You'll find links below!
Judy Garland, Judy Garland Sings Harold Arlen (JSP, 2016) (Amazon U.K. / Amazon France / JPC)
CD 1:
- Overture from A Star Is Born^+*
IN THE STUDIO:
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- The Jitterbug (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Buds Won't Bud (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Blues In The Night (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- That Old Black Magic (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Come Rain Or Come Shine (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- Last Night When We Were Young (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)
- Down With Love (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Stormy Weather (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)
- The Man That Got Away (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- Come Rain Or Come Shine (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
SOUNDTRACKS:
- The Jitterbug (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Buds Won't Bud (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Last Night When We Were Young (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Get Happy (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)
CD 2:
- Here's What I'm Here For (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- Gotta Have Me Go With You (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- The Man That Got Away (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- Someone At Last (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- It's A New World (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- Lose That Long Face (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)
- Little Drops Of Rain (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Take My Hand Paree (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Paris Is A Lonely Town (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Roses Red, Violets Blue (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- I Could Go On Singin' (Till the Cows Come Home) (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
ON THE RADIO:
- God's Country (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)*
- That Old Black Magic (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen)
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)†*
- Get Happy (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)
BONUS TRACKS:
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)
- Lose That Long Face (with Monette Moore) (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)°~†*
- When The Sun Comes Out (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)
- The Man That Got Away (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)#~†
- It's A New World (Ira Gershwin/Harold Arlen)#~†
- Get Happy (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen)#~†
- Over The Rainbow (Edgar Yipsel "Yip" Harburg/Harold Arlen)#~†
^From the collection of Lawrence Schulman
+Audio restoration by Robert Parker
°From the collection of Rick Smith
#From the collection of Steve Gruber
†Audio restoration by John H. Haley
~Newly restored from original source
*First time on CD
Lawrence Schulman says
I would like to add that since the set comes out in France and Germany on Friday, February 12, 2016, I have given permission to my friend Laurent Valière, who is the producer and host of 42e rue (42nd Street) on France Musique, to broadcast the newly discovered "Lose That Long Face" this Sunday, the 14th, at 11 A.M. Paris time. Here in the States, you can listen live at http://www.francemusique.fr/ or for a few weeks following the 14th at the website of 42e rue at http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/42e-rue/2015-2016#reecouter-emission . Enjoy!
Kevin says
Why not a simultaneous worldwide release?
Lawrence Schulman says
Hi Kevin,
JSP always releases their sets first in Europe. As to why first in France and Germany then in the U.K., I am sure it is merely due to distribution.
Lawrence Schulman