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Get Happy! Judy Garland's "Soundtracks" Offers 48 Classic Songs On Two CDs

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Clang, clang, clang went the trolley once again, as Mint Audio Records has today announced its newest release - a 2-CD collection celebrating the soundtrack performances of the legendary Judy Garland.  Soundtracks features 48 original Garland recordings recorded between 1929 and 1961, including four outtakes.  These include many of her most beloved cinematic songs, as well as some surprises, including:

  • "(Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You" (The Broadway Melody of 1938)
  • "Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart" (Listen, Darling)
  • "Over The Rainbow" (The Wizard of Oz)
  • "Danny Boy" (Little Nellie Kelly)
  • "Singin' In The Rain" (Little Nellie Kelly)
  • "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Ziegfeld Girl)
  • "How About You?" with Mickey Rooney (Babes on Broadway)
  • "For Me and My Gal" with Gene Kelly (For Me and My Gal)
  • "The Trolley Song" (Meet Me in St. Louis)
  • "The Boy Next Door" (Meet Me in St. Louis)
  • "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" (Meet Me in St. Louis)
  • "On the Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" (The Harvey Girls)
  • "Be a Clown" (The Pirate)
  • "A Couple Of Swells" with Fred Astaire (Easter Parade)
  • "I Wish I Were In Love Again" with Mickey Rooney (Words and Music)
  • "Last Night When We Were Young" (In the Good Old Summertime)
  • "Friendly Star" (Summer Stock)
  • "Get Happy" (Summer Stock)
  • "The Man That Got Away" (A Star is Born)
  • "The Far Away Part Of Town" (Pepe)
  • "Little Drops Of Rain" (Gay Purr-ee)

In other words, these tracks encapsulate the best of the Great American Songbook as performed by one of its eternal leading lights.  Composer and lyricists represented on this collection include Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, Ted Koehler, Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown, Andre and Dory Previn, and many others.

Soundtracks has been newly remastered and restored by our friend Richard Moore of Mint Audio, previously responsible for a number of stellar collections from Matt Monro and others.  Richard has provided detailed notes on the mastering of each track at Mint Audio's website.  The set has been compiled by Garland historian Lawrence Schulman and Judy Room founder Scott Brogan, and the accompanying 12-page booklet includes track research by Schulman as well as sleevenotes by Brogan, plus photos from Schulman's collection.  Both Schulman and Brogan have spearheaded numerous prior, acclaimed Garland releases.

Full discographical annotation on Judy Garland's Soundtracks can be found at The Judy Room at this link. Soundtracks is made possible pursuant to current U.K. public domain laws, and is shipping now directly from Mint Audio via the label's own website or via Amazon U.K.!  You can order at the links below!

Judy Garland, Soundtracks (Mint Audio, 2017) (Amazon U.K. / Mint Audio)

  1. Blue Butterfly (Tucker/Schuster), A Holiday in Storyland (1929), November 1929
  2. It's Love I'm After (Mitchell/Pollack), Pigskin Parade (1936), Summer 1936
  3. Everybody Sing (Freed/Brown), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), with Sophie Tucker, 5-3-37
  4. (Dear Mr. Gable) You Made Me Love You (McCarthy/Monaco/Edens), Broadway Melody of 1938 (1937), 7-5-37
  5. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (Cahn/Chaplin/Secunda), Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), 21-6-38 (outtake)
  6. In Between (Edens), Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938), 24-6-38
  7. Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (Hanley), Listen Darling, 16-9-38
  8. Over The Rainbow (Harburg/Arlen), The Wizard Of Oz (1939), 7-10-38 & 13/4/39
  9. I Cried For You (Freed/Arnheim/Lyman), Babes In Arms (1939), 23-5-39
  10. I'm Nobody's Baby (Davis/Ager and Santly), Andy Hardy Meets Debutante (1940), 14-3-40
  11. Danny Boy (Weatherly), Little Nellie Kelly (1940), 10-9-40 (outtake)
  12. Singin' In The Rain (Freed/Brown), Little Nellie Kelly (1940), 10-9-40
  13. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Carroll/McCarthy), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), 13-11-40
  14. Minnie From Trinidad (Edens), Ziegfeld Girl (1941), 14-1-41
  15. How About You? (Freed/Lane), Babes on Broadway (1941), with Mickey Rooney, 18-7-41
  16. For Me And My Gal (Leslie/Goetz/Meyer), For Me and My Gal (1942), with Gene Kelly, 21-3-42
  17. How 'Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm? (Lewis/Young/Donaldson), For Me and My Gal (1942), 27-3-42
  18. But Not For Me (Gershwin/Gershwin), Girl Crazy (1943), 29-3-43
  19. Bidin' My Time (Gershwin/Gershwin), Girl Crazy (1943), with The King's Men, 14-4-43
  20. The Trolley Song (Martin/Blane), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), 2-12-43
  21. The Boy Next Door (Martin/Blane), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), 4-12-43
  22. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Martin/Blane), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), 4-12-43
  23. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe (Mercer/Warren), The Harvey Girls (1946), 8-1-45

CD 2

  1. In The Valley (Where the Evening Sun Goes Down) (Mercer/Warren), The Harvey Girls (1946), 16-2-45
  2. Look For The Silver Lining (DeSylva/Kern), Till The Clouds Roll By (1946), 2-10-45
  3. Who? (Harbach/Hammerstein/Kern), Till The Clouds Roll By (1946), 9-10-45
  4. Love Of My Life (Porter), The Pirate (1948), 13-5-47
  5. You Can Do No Wrong (Porter), The Pirate (1948), 13-5-47
  6. Be a Clown (Porter), The Pirate (1948), with Gene Kelly, 14-7-47
  7. I Want To Go Back To Michigan (Down On The Farm) (Berlin), Easter Parade (1948), 12-11-47 & 19-2-48
  8. A Couple Of Swells (Berlin), Easter Parade (1948), with Fred Astaire, 13-11-47
  9. Better Luck Next Time (Berlin), Easter Parade (1948), 7-1-48
  10. I Wish I Were In Love Again (Hart/Rodgers), Words and Music (1948), with Mickey Rooney, 28-5-48
  11. Johnny One Note (Hart/Rodgers), Words And Music (1948), 30-9-48
  12. Last Night When We Were Young (Harburg/Arlen), In The Good Old Summertime (1949), 16-11-48 (outtake)
  13. Merry Christmas (Spielman/Torre), In The Good Old Summertime (1949), 16-11-48
  14. I Don't Care (Lenox/Sutton), In The Good Old Summertime (1949), 17-11-48
  15. You Can't Get A Man With A Gun (Berlin), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), 25-3-49 (outtake)
  16. If You Feel Like Singing, Sing (Gordon/Warren), Summer Stock (1950), 13-10-49
  17. (Howdy Neighbor) Happy Harvest (Gordon/Warren), Summer Stock (1950), 13-10-49 & 2-2-50
  18. Friendly Star (Gordon/Warren), Summer Stock (1950), 27-10-49
  19. Get Happy (Koehler/Arlen), Summer Stock (1950), 15-3-50
  20. Here's What I'm Here For (Gershwin/Arlen), A Star Is Born (1954), 21-8-53
  21. Gotta Have Me Go With You (Gershwin/Arlen), A Star Is Born (1954), 22-8-53
  22. The Man That Got Away (Gershwin/Arlen), A Star Is Born (1954), 4-9-53
  23. It's A New World (Gershwin/Arlen), A Star Is Born (1954), 23-11-53
  24. The Far Away Part Of Town (Langdon/Previn), Pepe (1960), April 1960
  25. Little Drops Of Rain (Harburg/Arlen), Gay Purr-ee (1962), November 1961
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Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  2. Thanks for the great piece, Joe. I initiated the project, and with the invaluable help of Scott Brogan, we put together a set that will interest both fans and music lovers who admire Garland's music. A special nod must go to Richard Moore, who painstakingly restored and remastered all the tracks, which here sound better than ever before. I think it is a great set all around. Oh yes, and Scott's insightful 6-page notes are as good as it gets insofar as information concerning Garland soundtracks. All things considered, this is a set that has its rightful place in the Garland discography.

    Reply

    • Any new updated remastering of Judy is great. Thanks to you and all the Garland professionals that do this loving gift for us. One thing though, is why has not Judy Garland At Home At The Palace, originally on ABC records, never been pursued? Not her best vocals, but her version of Old Man River is electrifying, much better than the tv version. And the overture is exciting intro to I Feel A Song Coming On. Thanks again.

      Reply

      • The simple reason is that the album is still under copyright of ABC Records. No public domain label can re-issue it. I am glad you are enthusiastic about it, but that, in general, is not the opinion of most people. I was there on opening night, and it was a memory I will cherish forever. But, the LP does not well reflect the thrill of the evening. Insofar as "Ol' Man River," I have to beg to disagree. Her performance of the song in 1963 on her series is one of her truly great performances. The Palace 1967 interpretation doesn't come close, in my opinion. The voice was just not longer what it used to be. In any case, in the upcoming Garlands For Judy, to be published at The Judy Room, I wrote an article on the evening. It is quite personal, and more a memory of my youth than a review of the album. By the way, my friend, John H. Haley, has remastered the Palace 1967 performance based on a tape, and it sounds remarkably better than the LP. So, sonically, it is a more pleasurable experience. Last, I can still remember the goosebumps on my neck when she hit that last note of "What Now My Love?" A truly amazing moment!

        LAWRENCE SCHULMAN

        Reply

        • Thank you so much. I guess I was moved by Old Man River because she sounded so good at that particular time, much like, Never, Never Will I Marry, on the London Palladium cd. Judys voice wasnt good, so when she did rise above the elements. for her fans, it was energizing, as is What Now My Love. I recall vividly seeing her at Merriweather Post in Columbia, Md. The audience simply refused to leave, lights were on, orchestra gone, and she finally came back on and said the union was going to kill her, but did bring out the orchestra for a reprise of Chicago. As far as the London Palladium recording at the time, I got so upset at some of the negative comments in HiFI Stereo Review (that name at the time) that after a few months I just had to write a letter saying the Palladium concert was more of a tribute to Judy and the love she received from her admirers. I was amazed that they published it, and even more amazed at all the letters I received from readers. Thanks for taking precious time out to answer me. I feel like I just found a water in the desert.

          Reply

          • Hi Bob,

            We all have our likes and dislikes, even when it comes to various versions of songs by Garland. It's all a matter of taste. I don't care for most of her versions of "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and a lot of my Garland friends tease me about it. It's just not a song that I particularly like, overall. That's what makes all of this so enjoyable, the fact that we're all different with different likes and different approaches to the same material.

            I hope you enjoy the CD set. It's really quite wonderful!

            Reply

            • Thank you Scott. I cant believe you said that because I feel absolutely the same about that song. I am looking forward to the set as well, but sadly its missing one of my favorite songs, Embraceable You. and Paris Is A Lonely Town. Maybe on series 2, hmmm? I will say that I am totally wiped out with all the Star Is Born songs. They seem to be on every recent compilation. But you got this set right with Who and Love Of My Life, two of my other favorites. Thanks for taking time out to send me the message.

              Reply

        • Although released by ABC Records, the AT HOME AT THE PALACE masters were licensed to the label by Garland's husband, Sid Luft, who retained ownership. So Universal Music (present owner of ABC Records' catalog) can't reissue the album. It's unlikely Luft's or Garland's estates are aware of this.

          Reply

          • I remember when this LP came out, there was a big ad for it in the newspaper by Korvettes!! It was exciting to see it. And a picture puzzle box that came out then also of the image of Judy on the marquee. I had my friend put it together, since he liked that challenge. Anyhow, had it mounted and framed. I read somewhere that maybe there are deleted moments from the concertrecording and that maybe, someday, a full version might be found. So, while not too popular, apparently, it still has an intriguing history.

            Reply

          • Max,

            How are you aware of this fascinating information? Thanks.

            All best.
            LAWRENCE SCHULMAN

            Reply

            • I worked with MCA/Decca/Universal (not as a paid employee) when they were doing Broadway cast and "traditional pop" reissues in the '90s and until they pretty much stopped doing those kinds of things a couple of years ago. And I was involved with the Judy Garland DECCA MASTERS PLUS box set, as well as some other Garland compilations. I suggested a reissue of AT HOME AT THE PALACE, but when they researched the contracts, it was learned that ABC Records hadn't owned the masters. As I posted previously, they were owned by Sid Luft. By this time, Luft wanted Universal to release songs Judy sang on her TV series, which the label was ready to do, but it all fell apart in legal disputes about who actually owned the material (Luft had sold rights to the shows in the meantime but was in a court battle to have the sale stopped). And Luft wanted to control how the material was issued, which Universal didn't want, so it ended badly and they didn't want to have to deal with him again regarding the Palace material. Luft had never contacted ABC or Universal regarding the LP tape masters since the album came out, perhaps not remembering he owned rights to them. So that's how things were left. "Don't stir the pot." Now it would be up to Luft's estate to try to open that door and try to get a reissue or take back the master tapes and do it with some other label.

              I don't know who has the original tapes, if they still exist. ABC was given only the final LP master tape, which is what they used for the release.

              Reply

              • Hi Max,

                Do you think it is remotely possible that Luft had the complete first three nights, and not just the LP master? Or am I dreaming? Thanks for your perspective.

                All best.
                LAWRENCE SCHULMAN

                Reply

                • Wow!! Look what I started by a simple question. A lot is missing for sure, especially since you were there opening night and know what is.

                  Reply

                • I have no idea, Larry, but I think it's at least *likely* Sid had to have recorded more than just the opening night performance in case there were problems soundwise or with Judy's vocals.

                  Don't we know that the LP isn't *all* from the opening night? At least I seem to remember "someone" saying that.

                  I doubt if anyone except Sid knew what happened with the original tapes once he had delivered the LP master to ABC. Were they in a proper storage facility? And if they were, did anyone know where it was, or go though it after Sid died?

                  Unanswered questions remain....

                  Reply

                  • Max,

                    I was at the opening night, and there is indeed far more than on the LP. It is known that the first three nights were recorded. Side One was the first night and Side Two was a mix of nights two and three. It now makes more sense to me that the LP is such a fiasco. Whatever Sid touched turned to "dreck." In any case, after what you have written, I have a bit more hope that the tapes for the first three nights might still exist. Who knows?

                    LAWRENCE

                    Reply

                    • Even the LP liner notes indicate The Man That Got Away, and Over The Rainbow, as on overture, but not sung on LP>

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