Of all the secret singing stars of Hollywood -that is, those unheralded but talented vocalists who helped make so many actors appear to shine in movie musicals one of the most versatile and vivacious was undoubtedly Annette Warren, an accomplished pianist and song stylist, born in Cleveland in 1922, who is best remembered today for her vocal performances of Bill and Cant Help Lovin That Man in the 1951 film version of Show Boat with Ava Gardner.
This extensive compilation of her early work (1945-1957) includes all of her early Brick Fleagle and Phil Moore recordings, rare soundtrack and broadcast performances and several singles including the infamous Starland sessions, historically interesting because of the jazz artists involved, but even more importantly because they brought Annette together for the first time with pianist Paul Smith, who would later become the most important figure in her life.
Also featured is Annettes's complete critically-acclaimed 1957 album, Theres a Man in My Life!, a jewel that has been newly polished in digital sound and showcases Annette Warrens vocal artistry at its very best. As a singer, Annette Warren can do no wrong, said Steve Allen. She has a full, rich, womanly tone which brings warmth and clarity to anything she sings.
Tracklist
Total time: 157:13 min.
CD 1
01. Shufflin Shoes (Sour-Manners) 1:59
02. Night Wind (Taylor-Sour) 1:56
03. Frost on the Moon (Taylor-Anderson) 2:04
04. Swamp Mist (Stewart-Anderson) 1:55
05. Am I Blue? (Clarke-Akst) 2:41
06. Lots of Luck to You (Erby) 3:02
07. How High the Moon (Lewis-Hamilton) 2:56
08. Falling In Love Again (Cant Help It) (Hollander-Lerner) 2:54
09. Oh, Wont You Please Come Back to Poor Me (Johnson-Patton) 2:33
10. Good for Nothing (Boby) 2:37
11. Whatll I Do (Berlin) 2:45
12. I Never Knew (Pitts-Egan-Marsh) 1:56
13. Call Me Darling (Reisfeld-Fryberg-Marbot) 2:41
14. Down by the O-Hi-O (Olman-Yellen) 2:25
15. Honda Hula (Ruch-Martin) 2:40
16. A Guitar Has Played Its Last Love Song (Anson-Waller) 2:39
17. Could They Be Teardrops (Sheffy) 2:44
18. When Maple Leaves Are Red (Blackwell) 2:37
19. Lets Go Out to the Movies (Edward Albertson / Arr. Tony Lavello) 2:28
20. Gone (Pasmezoglu-Arnold / Arr. Phillip Moody) 2:48
21. Mister Kemp Say (Embry) 2:54
22. In My Heart (Hollis S.C. Brown) 2:33
23. Why Dont You Act Like a Caveman (Robbins) 2:45
24. Beside the Hondo (Clements) 2:58
25. Tell Me Youre Glad That Im Sorry (Jones) 2:50
26. I Found the Old Wishing Well (Turner) 2:40
27. Sunrise Darling (Mallouf) 2:58
28. When Its Nighttime, Its Lovetime (Johnson) 2:57
29. Sweetheart of the Hills (Curry) 2:32
30. It Was Wonderful (Vincenti) 2:53
CD 2
01. Tame Me (Adams-Strouse) 2:39
02. Circle (Berman-Cahn-Mitchell) 2:43
03. Im a Puppet on the Strings of Love (Feiler-Feiler-Samuels) 3:06
04. My Boy (Samuels) 2:38
05. Take His Hand (Brown-Shuman) 2:00
06. The Right Kind of Love (Adams-Strouse) 2:33
07. Theres a Man in My Life (Marion Jr.-Waller) 2:15
08. A Little at a Time (Stefano) 3:52
09. If You Go (Si Tu Partais) (Parsons-Emer) 2:01
10. More Than You Know (Youmans-Rose-Eliscu) 3:20
11. Year After Year (Howard) 1:56
12. Warm All Over (Loesser) 2:25 (Excerpt from Act II, Scene 3 The Most Happy Fella)
13. Suddenly Its Spring (Burke-Van Heusen) 2:09
14. What Does It Matter? (Berlin) 2:18
15. Dearly Beloved (Mercer-Kern) 1:32
16. Wrong Joe (Charlap-Hilliard) 2:30
17. When Im with You (Revel-Gordon) 3:10
18. Out of this World (Mercer-Arlen) 2:27
Bonus Tracks:
19. Empty Arms (Uhland) 2:11 (From the film Midnight Frolics 1949)
20. Having a Wonderful Dream (Evans-Livingston) 1:51 (From the film Sorrowful Jones 1949)
21. Meetcha Round the Corner 1:35 (From the film The Paleface 1948)
22. Cant Help Lovin That Man (Hammerstein) 3:02 (From the film Show Boat 1951, alt. version)
23. Bill (Hammerstein-Kern-Wodehouse) 2:55 (From the film Show Boat 1951, alt. with strings)
24. My Buddy (Donaldson-Kahn) 3:06 (From The Liberace Show 1954)
25. Stormy Weather 3:20 (From the Jubilee show, February 13, 1947)
26. Old Fashioned Love 2:04 (From the Jubilee show, February 13, 1947)
27. Fatima from Argentina (Unknown) 2:38 With The Sherrill Sisters (1952)
28. The Honda Hula (Ruch-Martin) 3:02 With The Sherrill Sisters (1952)
29. Am I Blue / Interview / I Concentrate On You 5:49
(From the show U.S. Navy Broadway in Review , October 11, 1954)
Album details
Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1 & 2, from H.R.S. Music Library BF-1000 (33 1/3 RPM)
Tracks #3 & 4, from H.R.S. Music Library BF-1001 (33 1/3 RPM)
Tracks #5 & 6, from Black and White 78 RPM 826 A (BW 553), 826 B (BW 552)
Tracks #7 & 8, from Black and White 78 RPM 849 A (BW 613), 849 B (BW 614)
Tracks #9 & 10, from Starland Records (78 RPM) 201-1A (230-G), 201-1B (211-W)
Tracks #11-16, from the 78 RPM Starland album "Favorite Songs of Annette Warren"
#11: AL-1A (1004 M); #12: AL-1B (1006 M); #13: AL-2A (1005 M)
#14: AL-2B (1007 M); #15: AL-3A (1009 M); #16: AL-3B (1003 M)
Tracks #17 & 18, from Starland Records 78 RPM 209-1A (234-N), 209-1B (213-U)
Tracks #19 & 20, from Starland Records 78 RPM 216-1A (1002 M), 216-1B (1008 M)
Tracks #21 & 22, from Starland Records 78 RPM 217-1A (259-K), 217-1B (210-J)
Tracks #23 & 24, from Starland Records 78 RPM 232-1A (229-H), 232-1B (268-M)
Tracks #25 & 26, from Starland Records 78 RPM 234-1A (248-U), 234-1B (259-I)
Tracks #27 & 28, from Starland Records 78 RPM 225-1A (239-F), 225-1B (272-T)
Tracks #29 & 30, from Starland Records 78 RPM 236-1A (205-B), 236-1B (268-G)
Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1 & 2, ABC Paramount single 45-9657
Tracks #3 & 4, ABC Paramount single 45-9710
Tracks #5 & 6, ABC Paramount single 45-9733
Tracks #7-18, from the ABC Paramount album ABC 183
Tracks #19-26 & 29, from radio broadcasts
Tracks #27 & 28, unissued Starland recordings
Annette Warren, vocals, accompanied by
CD 1
Tracks #1-4:
Brick Fleagle Orchestra
Frank De Martino, Jack Lambert, Bob Sprentall, trumpets; Eddie Anderson, Harry Walters, Irving Sharp, Chuck Evans, trombones; Bill Vitale, Doc Clifford, alto sax & clarinet; Eddie Lichenstein, Stuart McKay, tenor saxes; Sam Lambie, baritone sax; Conrad Lanoue, piano; Ralph Tressel, guitar; Francis Palmer, bass; Vic Engle, drums. Brick Fleagle, arranger.
Recorded in New York City, May 1945
Tracks #5-8:
Phil Moore Orchestra (1947)
Tracks #9-30:
Paul Smith Trio (1950-1954)
Paul Smith, piano; Red Callender, bass; Wes Nellermoe, guitar. Featuring Marshal Royal, clarinet, plus an unknown violinist added in some tracks.
Track #15 with The Sherrill Sisters
Track #19 with The Knightingales
CD 2
Tracks #1-6:
Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Don Costa
Recorded in New York City, November 19, 1955 [1-2]
Recorded in New York City, June 9, 1956 [3-5]
Recorded in New York City, January 16, 1957 [6]
Tracks #7-18:
Orchestra Arranged & Conducted by Frank Beery
Recorded in New York City, November 18, 1957
Bonus Tracks #19-29: Unknown personnel
Original recordings produced by Phil Moore (H.R.S.),
Ralph Bass (Black & White), Sanford Dickinson (Starland), and Don Costa (ABC Paramount)
Produced for CD release by Alan Eichler and Jordi Pujol
Hi-Fi · 24-Bit Digitally RemasteredPress reviews
"It maybe an unfamiliar name but you could well be familiar with her voice. Annette is one of those top-quality singers whose voice is used to overdub film actresses with, shall we say, vocally challenged singing styles. Most famously she overdubbed Ava Gardner’s voice in the film of Showboat. She has also had a multitude of gigs in clubs, revues and even appeared on film as an actress – just once! Sacked from one radio show in the early days for being “too jazzy”, Annette has had a busy career in many different setups using her clear, vibrant voice and is still going strong at the time of writing. The singing is spot on throughout but jazz buffs will most likely get the best from the trio tracks with Paul Smith and bassist Red Callender."
Derek Ansell (March, 2016)
Jazz Journal
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"You probably haven’t heard of Annette Warren, but you might have actually heard her voice. She was a “ghost singer” for actresses like Ava Gardner and Lucille Ball, doing the singing parts in films like “Showboat” and “Fancy Pants.” To give you an idea of the quality of her voice, she was selected over Dinah Shore and Lee Wiley! She was also married to pianist Paul Smith. Got your attention yet?
This 2 disc set from Fresh Sound Records includes her best album, the 1957 There’s A Man In My L ife and it shows her clear and expressive tone feels like a compilation of big band vocalists like Francis Wayne, Martha Tilton and Helen Ward. She’s got a natural swing, a wonderful enunciation and articulation and optimistic pinch to her delivery on a wonderful intro and delivery of “More Than You Know” while “Suddenly It’s Spring” is as winsome as daffodils.
A swinging session with Brick Fleagle’s Orchestra from 1945 includes a snappy “Shufflin’ Shoes” while Phil Moore’s Orchestra has a boppy “How High The Moon.” The real treat here is when Warren teams up with her husband’s trio of Red Callender/b and Wes Nellermoe (along with Marshal Royal on some tracks) in the early 50s for exquisite takes of “What’ll I Do?” and obscurities such as “Tell Me You’re Glad That I’m Sorry.” These two minute ditties are rich bon mots of intimate swing and ballads.
The accompanying booklet gives an encyclopedic collection of her life and career, putting the music and lady in proper perspective. A real charmer!"
George W. Harris (February 22, 2016)
http://www.jazzweekly.com
