Dolores Gray CDs

I only own two CDs with Dolores material. Lately,the resurgence of lounge music has meant that a song or two of hers has popped up on a few compilations ,including Rhapsodesia and Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hart

Although I used to list just stuff I own, now I will list some that I know of, but don't own yet.

Afterglow/Warm Brandy
EMI - 7243-4-93063-2-5 - Dan Kiggins points out that EMI has reissued Warm Brandy as half of a compiled CD with June Hutton. The Dolores Gray tracks feature an orchestra conducted by Sid Feller. I don't know about the Hutton tracks.
  1. Never In A Million Years - June Hutton
  2. Gone With The Wind - June Hutton
  3. Until The Real Thing Come - June Hutton
  4. I Should Care - June Hutton
  5. It's The Talk Of The Town - June Hutton
  6. You're Getting To Be A Habit - June Hutton
  7. Day By Day - June Hutton
  8. East Of The Sun (And West of the Moon) - June Hutton
  9. Taking A Chance On Love - June Hutton
  10. I Hadn't Anyone Till You - June Hutton
  11. My Baby Just Cares For Me - June Hutton
  12. Dream A Little Dream Of Me - June Hutton
  13. Shangri-La - Dolores Gray
  14. Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone) - Dolores Gray
  15. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me - Dolores Gray
  16. Kiss Me - Dolores Gray
  17. How Long Has This Been Going On? - Dolores Gray
  18. Close Your Eyes - Dolores Gray
  19. You Go To My Head - Dolores Gray
  20. Do-Do-Do - Dolores Gray
  21. Speak Low - Dolores Gray
  22. Don't Blame Me - Dolores Gray
  23. Isn't It Romantic? - Dolores Gray
  24. You're My Thrill - Dolores Gray
American Songbook Series: Jule Styne
Smithsonian RD 048-12 - 1994 - Doug May also tipped me off to the existence of this CD. I've been pleased with the quality of the Smithsonian's compilations, so it's probably good. The great news is that it has "If You Hadn't But You Did" from Two on the Aisle! If you have no other way of hearing this song, it alone is worth the price of the CD.

Annie Get Your Gun: Dolores Gray & the Original London Cast
LaserLight 12 449 (originally recorded 1947?) - I got this as part of a 4 CD set put out by LaserLight, king of cheapie CDs. I purchased it at PriceCostco. Tower Records tends to carry LaserLight as well. This was produced for compact disk by Rod McKuen, if you can believe it. It's an odd collection because the songs come so fast and furious that I have to wonder if this recording came from one of those medley EPs. It does not feel like a regular cast recording. This is the show that Dolores Gray really broke through with. My impression is that she was always a bigger star in England than she was in the United States. (That's typical. Brits catch onto and sustain some of our greatest stars. The blues wouldn't be as strong as it is in this country if not for the Limeys.) The music and lyrics are by Irving Berlin and they fill out the remaining minutes of the CD with Berlin songs performed by other artists. I expected to love the Dolores version much more than the Ethel Merman version, as Ethel is a bit brassy for me. However, I find that it's more of a tug-of-war. There are tracks that Dolores does better and others that Ethel wails on.
  1. The Girl That I Marry - Bill Johnson
  2. They Say It's Wonderful - Dolores
  3. There's No Business Like Show Business - The Company
  4. You Can't Get A Man With A Gun - Dolores
  5. My Defenses Are Down - Bill Johnson & Ensemble
  6. Moonshine Lullaby - Dolores Gray & Ensemble
  7. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly - Dolores Gray and Ensemble
  8. Who Do You Love, I Hope - Irving Davies & Wendy Toye
  9. Anything You Can Do - Dolores and Bill Johnson
  10. I'm a Bad Bad Man - Bill Johnson & Ensemble
  11. I Got the Sun In the Morning - The Company
  12. How Deep is the Ocean? - Dorothy Squires
  13. Alexander's Ragtime Band - Alice Faye
  14. Doin' What Comes Natur'lly - Dinah Shore
  15. All Alone - Rosemary Clooney
  16. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - Les Brown & His Band Of Reknown
Destry Rides Again
MCA 11573 - 1997 - Haven't actually laid eyes on it yet, but I sure would like to own this on CD. You can't go wrong with this musical: it's got an extremely strong score.

Front Row Center
Two songs from Destry Rides Again were included on MCA's compilation - "Ladies" and "Fair Warning". I finally found this box at the local library and I have to say that it's a wonderful, crisp remastering of these tracks. I heard new sounds that I hadn't heard before. I also like the care that was put into the design and liner notes. I've only been able to check out 2 CDs out of the set, but the first volume is very strong. Things get a bit weaker in the 4th volume, but that's really more a measure of how I feel about what's happened to the American Musical.
Dolores fan David Torresen, who turned me on to many recordings I didn't know, pointed out that MCA really goofed by not including any tracks from Two on the Aisle which it owns the rights to. Once again, folks underestimate Dolores' appeal.

It's Always Fair Weather
Sony AK 47026 - 1991 (originally released in 1955). The CD has a Dolores track that the albums don't have - "Klenzrite", a cynical reworking of "Hungarian Rhapsody #2". I haven't seen the movie yet, but I think Dolores' movie career didn't take off simply because MGM didn't know how to use her. I will list only the songs Dolores sings:

Kismet
Rhino 72482 - 1997. This release claims to be the first complete soundtrack to the movie. It includes lots of stuff that isn't on the album. I finally purchased this CD this week (11/12/99) and like some things and hate others. The version of "Rahadlakum" on the LP is stronger even though it's shorter. I saw the movie some time ago so I don't remember it well enough to be able to say if the CD adds things that aren't in the movie. However, there is no doubt that the sound is cleaner and bigger on the CD.
  1. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Main Title (Not Since Nineveh, Stranger In Paradise)
  2. Howard Keel, Ann Blyth & Chorus: Rhymes Have I (outtake)
  3. Howard Keel: Fate
  4. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Bazaar Of The Caravan
  5. Delores Gray & The M-G-M Studio Chorus & Orchestra: Not Since Nineveh
  6. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Dabba (Stranger In Paradise)
  7. Ann Blyth &The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Baubles, Bangles And Beads
  8. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: I Am A Gardener
  9. Ann Blyth & Vic Damone: Stranger In Paradise
  10. Howard Keel, Delores Gray & The M-G-M Studio Chorus: Gesticulate
  11. Delores Gray: Bored
  12. Howard Keel, Delores Gray & The M-G-M Studio Chorus: Fate (reprise)
  13. Vic Damone & The M-G-M Studio Chorus: Night Of My Nights
  14. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Rahadlakum (instrumental)
  15. Howard Keel: The Olive Tree
  16. Delores Gray, Howard Keel, Betty Wand, Barbara Allan & The M-G-M Studio Chorus: Rahadlakum (complete version)
  17. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Marsinah Arrives At Castle; I'm In Love; Certain Young Women (Baubles, Bangles And Beads; Stranger In Paradise)
  18. Howard Keel, Ann Blyth & Vic Damone: And This Is My Beloved
  19. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Innocent Amusement (Medley: And This Is My Beloved; Rahadlakum)
  20. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Diwan's Dances, Part One (Rahadlakum)
  21. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Diwan's Dances, Part Two (Rahadlakum)
  22. The M-G-M Studio Orchestra: Drowning Scene; Sentence (Fate)
  23. Howard Keel: Sands Of Time; End Title/Kismet

The Sullivan Years: The Best of Broadway
Tee Vee Tunes TVT 9436-2 - 1992 - I've known about the existence of this for a while, but Doug May prompted me to get off my butt and list it. He says Dolores sings "You're the Top".

The Sullivan Years: The Best of Broadway II
Tee Vee Tunes TVT 9439-2 - 1993 - Dolores sings "Night and Day".

The Sullivan Years: An Evening with Rodgers and Hammerstein
Tee Vee Tunes TVT 9439-2 - 1993 - Dolores sings "It Might As Well Be Spring". I wouldn't be surprised if this is the same performance that's on the Blue Pear LP.

That's Entertainment! the Ultimate Anthology of M-G-M Musicals
Turner Classic 72182 - 1995 - Two more songs - "Thanks a Lot But No Thanks" and "The Opposite Sex" are included in this six-CD set.

Dolores performed some songs for Painted Smiles series of composer retrospectives. She's on Cole Porter Revisited, volumes 3 and 4, Make Mine Manhattan & Great Revues Revisited and Harold Arlen & Vernon Duke Revisited Volume 2. I don't know exactly which songs she does, but Painted Smiles is good at recording obscure songs that are available nowhere else.

Doug May sez: "The soundtrack for There's No Business Like Show Business issued on LP has Dolores singing Marilyn Monroe's songs from the film. The recent CD re-issue has Marilyn's vocals, but I understand it has one of Dolores' tracks."

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Last modified on 2/16/00

All prose © 1997 - 2000 Megan Lynch except where obviously not.