Stage Door Records’ five volumes of Lost West End have sampled numerous rare musicals that have played London over the years.  Now, the U.K. label is turning its sights across the pond to the Great White Way to launch a new series: Lost Broadway.  The first volume focuses on the year 1961, when composer-lyricist Jerry Herman made his Broadway debut with the successful Milk and Honey; some of the brightest stars included Barbara Cook, Jerry Orbach, Elaine Stritch, and Alfred Drake; the venerable Noel Coward returned with Sail Away; and the hits included How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Carnival (both in the calendar year 1961 but in different seasons).  While the latter, less frequently revived show is represented on Lost Broadway, How to Succeed isn’t – and most of the collection is dedicated to shining a new light on all-but-forgotten shows and might-have-beens.  The 2-CD, 57-song collection, due this Friday, May 31, features original cast performances on Disc One, and a treasure trove of pop covers and rare versions on Disc Two.

The featured musicals on Lost Broadway: 1961 – with their writers and original runs indicated – are:

• 13 Daughters (Eaton Magoon, Jr.) (March 2, 1961 – March 25, 1961)
• The Conquering Hero (Larry Gelbart/Moose Charlap/Norman Gimbel) (January 16, 1961 – January 21, 1961)
• The Happiest Girl in the World (Henry Myers/Fred Saidy/Jacques Offenbach/E.Y. Harburg) (April 3, 1961 – June 24, 1961)
• Milk and Honey (Don Appell/Jerry Herman) (October 10, 1961 – January 26, 1963)
• Subways Are For Sleeping (Betty Comden/Adolph Green/Jule Styne) (December 27, 1961 – June 23, 1962)
• Sail Away (Noel Coward) (October 23, 1961 – February 24, 1962)
• Let It Ride! (Abram S. Ginnes/Jay Livingston/Ray Evans) (October 12, 1961 – December 9, 1961)
• Donnybrook! (Robert E. McEnroe/Johnny Burke) (May 18, 1961 – July 15, 1961)
• Carnival (Michael Stewart/Bob Merrill) (April 13, 1961 – January 5, 1963)
• The Gay Life (Fay Kanin/Michael Kanin/Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz) (November 18, 1961 – February 24, 1962)
• Kean (Peter Stone/George Wright/Robert Forrest) (November 2, 1961 – January 20, 1962)
• Kwamina (Robert Alan Aurthur/Richard Adler) (October 23, 1961 – November 18, 1961)

The first disc has 25 tracks from original cast recordings (all previously released on CD, or in the case of Let It Ride!, official CD-R), but the second disc has 32 songs, over 20 of which appear on CD for the first time.  With the major record labels eager to promote the shows for which they held original cast recording rights, the day’s top tier artists were assigned theatrical material to cover for the pop market.  Hence, on this disc, you’ll find tracks by Doris Day, Johnny Mathis, Mel Tormé, Nat “King” Cole, Vic Damone, Margaret Whiting, Joanie Sommers, Robert Goulet, and Judy Garland – as well as less familiar names like Percussion Unlimited, The Three Young Men (From Montana), Jimmy Elledge, and The Blue Chips.  While 13 Daughters and The Conquering Hero never received cast albums, their songs live on here; James Kaina, Jo Ann Campbell, and Mathis all covered the former’s score while Percussion Unlimited and Marilyn Michaels tackled the latter.  The release of all these tracks is possible via current U.K. public domain laws.

Stage Door has included a 12-page booklet with additional information on these lost musicals and associated recordings.  Look for this rarities-packed collection on May 31 in the U.K. and one week later (June 7) in North America at the links below!

Various Artists, Lost Broadway: 1961 (Stage Door Records, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1 – ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDINGS

1. THE GLORY THAT IS GREECE – Cyril Ritchard, Company

(from ‘The Happiest Girl In The World’)

2. THE HAPPIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD – Dran Seitz, Bruce Yarnell

(from ‘The Happiest Girl In The World’)

3. SHALOM – Robert Weede, Mimi Benzell

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)

4. MILK AND HONEY – Tommy Rall, Juki Arkin

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)

5. CHIN UP, LADIES – Molly Picon

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)

6. RIDE THROUGH THE NIGHT – Carol Lawrence

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

7. I’M JUST TAKING MY TIME – Sydney Chaplin

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

8. COMES ONCE IN A LIFETIME – Sydney Chaplin, Carol Lawrence

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

9. SAIL AWAY – James Hurst

(from ‘Sail Away’)

10. BEATNIK LOVE AFFAIR – Grover Dale

(from ‘Sail Away’)

11. WHY DO THE WRONG PEOPLE TRAVEL – Elaine Stritch

(from ‘Sail Away’)

12. HEY JIMMY, JOE, JOHN, JIM, JACK – George Gobel

(from ‘Let It Ride!’)

13. LET IT RIDE – Sam Levene, Company

(from ‘Let It Ride!’)

14. HIS OWN LITTLE ISLAND – George Gobel

(from ‘Let It Ride!’)

15. SEZ I – Joan Fagan, Company

(from ‘Donnybrook!’)

16. HE MAKES ME FEEL I’M LOVELY – Joan Fagan

(from ‘Donnybrook!’)

17. YES, MY HEART – Anna Maria Alberghetti

(from ‘Carnival’)

18. HER FACE – Jerry Orbach

(from ‘Carnival’)

19. LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND – Anna Maria Alberghetti

(from ‘Carnival’)

20. MAGIC MOMENT – Barbara Cook

(from ‘The Gay Life’)

21. WHO CAN? YOU CAN! – Walter Chiari, Barbara Cook

(from ‘The Gay Life’)

22. SWEET DANGER – Alfred Drake

(from ‘Kean’)

23. WILLOW, WILLOW, WILLOW – Lee Venora

(from ‘Kean’)

24. WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME – Sally Ann Howes

(from ‘Kwamina’)

25. ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE – Sally Ann Howes

(from ‘Kwamina’)

CD 2 – COVERS AND RARITIES

1. ROUGH TIMES – Percussion Unlimited

(from ‘The Conquering Hero’)

2. PAST THE AGE OF INNOCENCE – Marilyn Michaels

(from ‘The Conquering Hero’)

3. CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?- Joni and Tony

(from ‘Carnival’)

4. HER FACE – Mel Tormé

(from ‘Carnival’)

5. LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND – Jane Morgan

(from ‘Carnival’)

6. HE MAKES ME FEEL I’M LOVELY – Jane Morgan

(from ‘Donnybrook!’)

7. THE DAY THE SNOW IS MELTIN’ – Pete King Chorale

(from ‘Donnybrook!’)

8. IF IT ISN’T EV’RYTHING – Pete King Chorale

(from ‘Donnybrook!’)

9. PUKA PUKA PANTS – Jo Ann Campbell

(from ’13 Daughters’)

10. LET A GO YOUR HEART – James Kaina

(from ’13 Daughters’)

11. YOU SET MY HEART TO MUSIC – Johnny Mathis

(from ’13 Daughters’)

12. MAGIC MOMENT – Nat “King” Cole

(from ‘The Gay Life’)

13. SOMETHING YOU NEVER HAD BEFORE – Vic Damone

(from ‘The Gay Life’)

14. WHO CAN? YOU CAN! – Margaret Whiting

(from ‘The Gay Life’)

15. SAIL AWAY – Gordon MacRae

(from ‘Sail Away’)

16. GO SLOW, JOHNNY (Pop Version) – James Hurst

(from ‘Sail Away’)

17. THIS IS A CHANGING WORLD – Dinah Shore

(cut from ‘Sail Away’)

18. THE HAPPIEST GIRIL IN THE WORLD – Polly Bergen

(from ‘The Happiest Girl In The World’)

19. ADRIFT ON A STAR – Gogi Grant

(from ‘The Happiest Girl In The World’)

20. WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME – Joanie Sommers

(from ‘Kwamina’)

21. ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE – Robert Goulet

(from ‘Kwamina’)

22. WHO KNOWS WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN – Doris Day

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

23. WHEN YOU HELP A FRIEND OUT – The Kirby Stone Four

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

24. COMES ONCE IN A LIFETIME – Judy Garland

(from ‘Subways Are For Sleeping’)

25. SWEET DANGER – Judy Garland

(from ‘Kean’)

26. TO LOOK UPON MY LOVE – Richard Hayes

(from ‘Kean’)

27. CHIME IN – The Three Young Men (From Montana)

(from ‘Kean’)

28. HEY JIMMY, JOE, JOHN, JIM, JACK – Jimmy Elledge

(from ‘Let It Ride!’)

29. LET IT RIDE – The Blue Chips

(from ‘Let It Ride!’)

30. MILK AND HONEY – The Limeliters

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)

31. I WILL FOLLOW YOU – Gloria Lynne

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)

32. SHALOM – Eddie Fisher

(from ‘Milk And Honey’)