Over the weekend, Kritzerland announced the latest two titles in its ongoing reissue campaign of Ben Bagley’s Revisited series: Cole Porter Revisited and The Unpublished Cole Porter Vol. 2.

The pride of Peru, Indiana, Porter (1891-1964) remains one of the Great American Songbook’s most renowned exponents.  He lived long enough to see his classic songs such as “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Night and Day,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Just One of Those Things,” and “Anything Goes” become standards, and they’re still performed and recorded today.  But Ben Bagley, as was his wont, sought out the composer-lyricist’s lesser-known songs for Cole Porter Revisited.

The first volume arrived on the Recording Industries Corp. label in 1964 (with reissues released on Crewe in the U.S. and RCA in the U.K. in the first half of the 1970s) with a typically eclectic, all-star line-up of singers: Kaye Ballard (subject of the acclaimed 2019 documentary The Show Goes On, now available on DVD), Bobby Short, Ronny Graham, Bibi Osterwald, and David Allen. Norman Paris provided the musical direction and arrangements of quintessentially Porter tunes including “Red, Hot and Blue” from the 1936 musical of the same name; “But in the Morning, No” and “It Ain’t Etiquette” from 1939’s DuBarry Was a Lady; “I’ve Still Got My Health” from 1940’s Panama Hattie; and “Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye” from the 1941 film You’ll Never Get Rich.  Kritzerland has retained the bonus tracks recorded by Ann Hampton Callaway, Sandy Stewart, and Arthur Siegel for the CD release on Bagley’s Painted Smiles label.  As with all of Kritzerland’s Revisited releases, the audio has been spruced up and the cover artwork by Harvey Schmidt has been retained.

Cole Porter Revisited is joined by its sequel, somewhat confusingly titled by Bagley as Unpublished Cole Porter Vol. 2.  The quirky impresario first released this album on vinyl as Unpublished Cole Porter (boasting “Soon to be produced as a major Broadway musical: Ben Bagley’s Painted Smiles of Cole Porter“) and later added the Vol. 2 designation as well as a further six songs for its CD release.  As the title indicates, it’s chock full of once-lost Porter melodies as sung by Karen Morrow, Edward Earle, Laura Kenyon, Alice Playten, Blossom Dearie, Carmen Alvarez, Charles Rydell, and Kaye Ballard. The arrangements are by Judd Woldin.  Musicals represented on this volume include 1929’s Wake Up and Dream (“After All, I’m Only a Schoolgirl,” “Pills”); 1934’s Anything Goes (the cut “Kate, The Great”), 1941’s Let’s Face It (“Get Yourself a Girl”); and 1948’s Kiss Me, Kate (two cut songs, “If Ever Married I’m” and “What Does a Servant Dream About?”).

In total, Bagley released five volumes dedicated to the Porter oeuvre, the remaining three of which will later be addressed by Kritzerland.  In the meantime, both of these titles are limited to 500 units only and are due to ship by the first week of April.  However, pre-orders placed directly through Kritzerland typically arrive three to five weeks early.  You’ll find pre-order links and track listings for both releases below!

Various Artists, Ben Bagley’s Cole Porter Revisited (Recording Industries Corp. ST 3002, 1964 – revisited Kritzerland, 2021)

1. Come On In – Ronny Graham, Kaye Ballard, Bibi Osterwald
2. A Little Skipper from Heaven Above – Ronny Graham
3. You’re a Bad Influence on Me – David Allen
4. I’ve Still Got My Health Kaye Ballard
5. But in the Morning, No – Ronny Graham, Kaye Ballard
6. Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye – David Allen
7. By the Mississiniwah – Kaye Ballard, Bibi Osterwald
8. I’m Throwing a Ball Tonight – Bobby Short
9. Far Far Away – David Allen, Kaye Ballard
10. Solomon – Bibi Osterwald
11. It Ain’t Etiquette – Ronny Graham
12. Tale of the Oyster Kaye Ballard
13. I Worship You – David Allen
14. Red, Hot and Blue – Kaye Ballard, Bobby Short, Bibi Osterwald
15. Coffee – Ann Hampton Callaway (*)
16. I’m Getting Myself Ready for You- Arthur Siegel, Sandy Stewart (*)
17. I’m Back in Circulation – Ann Hampton Callaway (*)
18. Just Another Page in Your Diary – Arthur Siegel (*)
19. I’m So in Love with You -Sandy Stewart, Arthur Siegel (*)
20. I’ve a Strange New Rhythm in My Heart – Ann Hampton Callaway (*)
21. Through Thick and Thin – Sandy Stewart, Arthur Siegel (*)

(*) first issued on Painted Smiles CD PSCD-121, 1990

Various Artists, Ben Bagley’s Unpublished Cole Porter Vol. 2 (Painted Smiles PS 1358, 1972 – reissued Kritzerland, 2021)

1. Get Yourself a Girl – Edward Earle and Entire Company
2. When Love Comes to Call – Laura Kenyon
3. After All, I’m Only a Schoolgirl – Alice Playten
4. If Ever Married I’m – Blossom Dearie, Carmen Alvarez, Laura Kenyon, Alice Playten
5. Kate the Great – Karen Morrow
6. What Does Your Servant Dream About? – Alice Playten, Edward Earle
7. Oh, It Must Be Fun – Charles Rydell, Karen Morrow
8. Pets – Alice Playten and Entire Company
9. Dainty Quainty Me – Edward Earle (*)
10. At Last in Your Arms – Laura Kenyon (*)
11. Sweet Nudity – Entire Company (*)
12. If You Like Les Belles Poitrines – Alice Playten and Entire Company
13. To Think This Could Happen to Me – Karen Morrow
14. Humble Hollywood Executive Carmen Alvarez
15. I Know It’s Not Meant for Me – Karen Morrow, Charles Rydell
16. Where Would You Get Your Coat? – Carmen Alvarez, Laura Kenyon, Alice Playten
17. I Could Kick Myself – Carmen Alvarez, Blossom Dearie
18. Bertie and Gertie – Alice Playten, Edward Earle (*)
19. Fish – Carmen Alvarez (*)
20. Pills – Edward Earle and Chorus (*)
21. When I Was a Little Cuckoo – Kaye Ballard (*)
22. Give Us the Land – Edward Earle and Entire Company

(*) first issued on Painted Smiles CD PSCD-125, 1991