The Rosemary Clooney CBS Radio Recordings 1955-1961
Mosaic Records Limited Edition 5 CD Box Set
|     Track Listing     |     Personnel/Session Information     |     Sample Sound Recordings     |

A Missing Treasure Trove Rediscovered 

Rosemary Clooney was more than just a favorite of mass radio audiences. She was a favorite of a lot of highly respected musicians who found her easy, natural, charming approach to popular songs irresistible. Her personal taste tended toward authentic compositions by America's great songsmiths. While Rosemary's record producers might have reined her in with iron fists, her good friend Bing Crosby let her record what she wanted to record for the radio shows he shared with her. And those recordings appear - most for the first time since they were broadcast -- on the new Mosaic box set, "The Rosemary Clooney CBS Radio Recordings 1955-61." 


Twelve tracks showed up on the Coral Records LP, "Swing Around Rosie." Two additional tracks appeared as bonus material on the Japanese CD of the same title. But the rest -- 90 recordings - have never been available until this limited, collector's edition set. 

With Bing's longtime musical collaborator Buddy Cole on piano, organ, and other keyboards, plus guitar, bass, and drums, they are an ideal setting for appreciating her extraordinary voice. And a lovely way to revisit some exceptional compositions by Cole Porter, Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer, her friends the Gershwins, and others. Plus music made famous by Joe Bushkin, Illinois Jacquet, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and more. With theater and cabaret numbers always popular, she could choose from Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, Cy Coleman, and others. The radio shows were a blank canvas for great songs and singing. 

Rosemary would be the last person to claim status as a jazz singer. She felt she didn't possess the inventiveness most jazz musicians strive to achieve. In fact, she thought her singing matched her looks - in her view, quite plain. Ordinary. Like anyone's. But that wholesomeness and straightforward approach were what made her an individual. One-of-a-kind. A genuine artist. And you know what else? The girl could swing. 

Paramount Pictures called her to test for the movies. At the studio, she met a man who was her musical idol: Bing Crosby and there was an instant bond. Almost immediately, she began appearing on his radio show.

Radio suited Rosemary as she would breeze through as many numbers as possible in a session and then get back to her life. The pace probably improved the result. Without frills and fluff, you concentrate on Rosemary's voice. There was nothing accidental or haphazard about the mood she created with every song. And there's no question she was doing more than singing notes and words. Rosemary was an unparalleled storyteller. Her precise intonation and spot-on sense of rhythm took full advantage of any song that gave her the leeway to swing the beat and pop the lyric. 

What's refreshing is, throughout her career she was self-deprecating about her talent and embarrassed by her acceptance into the musical community. It probably confused her that Ella Fitzgerald was a colleague and friend. And never dawned on her that her singing made her so very likable by fans and stars together. 

This Mosaic set includes five CDs. Transfers were from the original mono analog tapes conforming to Mosaic's typical exacting standards.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

1. Just You, Just Me (A) 1:32     (R. Klages-J. Greer)

2. Don’t Take Your Love From Me (A) 3:00        (Henry Nemo)

3. I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan (A) 2:38     (H. Dietz-A. Schwartz)

4. Keep It Gay (A) 1:37     (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein)

5. I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me (A) 1:22     (C. Gaskill-J. McHugh)

6. From This Moment On (A) 1:48     (Cole Porter)

7. But Not For Me (A) 2:34     (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)

8. Nice Work If You Can Get It (A) 2:00     (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)

9. ‘S Wonderful (A) 1:43     (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)

10. Taking A Chance On Love (A) 2:07     (Latouche-Fetter-Duke)

11. It’ A Most Unusual Day (A) 1:46     (H. Adamson-J. McHugh)

12. C’est Magnifique (A) 2:59     (Cole Porter)

13. Mood Indigo (B) 2:53     (Ellington-Bigard-Mills)

14. Back In Your Own Backyard (B) 1:39     (Rose-Dreyer-Jolson)

15. You’re The Top (B) 1:35     (Cole Porter)

16. The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re In The Money) (B) 1:39   (A. Dubin-H. Warren)

17. Anything Goes (B) 1:10     (Cole Porter)

18. All Through The Night (B) 2:48     (Cole Porter)

19. Teach Me Tonight (B) 2:57     (S. Cahn-G. DePaul)

20. I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (B) 2:28     (Irving Berlin)

21. I Get A Kick Out Of You (C) 2:32     (Cole Porter)


DISC TWO

1. I Feel A Song Coming On (C) 1:27     (McHugh-Fields-Oppenheim)

2. Little Man You’ve Had A Busy Day (C) 3:28     (Sigler-Hoffman-Wayne)

3. Thou Swell (C) 1:38     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

4. You’re In Kentucky Sure As You’re Born (C) 2:02     (Little-Gillespie-Shay)

5. Almost Like Being In Love (D) 2:32     (A.J. Lerner-F. Loewe)

6. Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (D) 1:46 (J. Young-F. Ahlert)

7. Hey There (D) 2:15     (R. Adler-J. Ross)

8. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone (D) 2:07     (S. Clare-S. Stept)

9. Something Wonderful Happens In Summer (D) 2:15     (J. DeVries-J. Bushkin)

10. Mountain Greenery (D) 2:14     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

11. Mangoes (E) 2:31     (D. Libby-S. Wayne)

12. How About You? (E) 2:12     (R. Freed-B. Lane)

13. No Other Love (E) 2:18     (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein)

14. It’s Not For Me To Say (E) 2:35     (A. Stillman-R. Allen)

15. So Rare (E) 2:20     (J. Sharpe-J. Herst)

16. Lover Come Back To Me (E) 2:12     (S. Romberg-O. Hammerstein)

17. Oh! Look At Me Now (E) 1:32     (J. DeVries-J. Bushkin)

18. Don’cha Go Away Mad (E) 1:58     (Jacquet-Mundy-Stillman)

19. What Is There To Say (E) 2:01     (E. Y. Harburg-V. Duke)

20. It’s All Right With Me (E) 2:06     (Cole Porter)

21. Goody Goody (E) 2:03     (J. Mercer-M. Malneck)
 

DISC THREE

1. Sunday In Savannah (E) 2:30     (Hugh McKay)

2. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (E) 2:29     (Ellington-Nemo-Redmond-Mills)

3. It Happened To Happen To Me (E) 2:27     (Nick Clooney)

4. A Touch Of The Blues (E) 2:38     (E. Wilcox-D. George)

5. The Nearness Of You (E) 2:22     (H. Carmichael-N. Washington)

6. You’ll Never Know (E) 2:20     (M. Gordon-H. Warren)

7. On The Street Where You Live (E) 2:34     (A.J. Lerner-F. Loewe)

8. New Sun In The Sky (E) 1:54     (H. Dietz-A. Schwartz)

9. Everything Happens To Me (E) 2:21     (M. Dennis-T. Adair)

10. ‘Deed I Do (F) 1:46     (W. Hirsh-F. Rose)

11. I Gotta  Right To Sing The Blues (F) 3:01     (T. Koehler-H. Arlen)

12. I’m Beginning To See The Light (F) 2:40     (Ellington-Hodges-George-James)

13. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (F) 2:45     (D. Ellington-B. Russell)

14. What Is This Thing Called Love (G) 2:23     (Cole Porter)

15. You Make Me Feel So Young (G) 2:24     (M. Gordon-J. Myrow)

16. All The Time (H) 2:40     (R. Evans-J. Livingston)

17. Witchcraft (H) 2:35     (C. Coleman-C. Leigh)

18. You Turned The Tables On Me (I) 2:20     (S. Mitchell-L. Alter)

19. All The Way (I) 2:47     (S. Cahn-J. Van Heusen)

20. Cheek To Cheek (I) 2:11     (Irving Berlin)

21. It’s All In The Game (I) 2:04     (C.G. Dawes-C. Sigman)


DISC FOUR

1. There Goes My Heart (I) 2:19     (B. Davis-A. Silver)

2. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) (I)\ 2:20     (Marvell-Strachey-Link)

3. Love Letters (I) 2:22     (E. Heyman-V. Young)

4. Too Close For Comfort (I) 2:37     ((Bock-Holofcener-Weiss)

5. This Can’t Be Love (I) 2:06     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

6. We’ll Be Together Again (I) 2:30     (C. Fischer-F. Laine)

7. You Took Advantage Of Me (I) 2:21     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

8. Moonlight Mississippi (A Whistle Stop Town) (I) 2:33     (Willard Robison)

9. Blue Moon (I) 2:24     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

10. There Will Never Be Another You (I) 2:17     (H. Warren-M Gordon)

11. That Old Black Magic (I) 2:18     (J. Mercer-H. Arlen)

12. Love Look Away (I) 2:30     (R. Rodgers-O. Hammerstein)

13. I Wish I Were In Love Again (I) 2:20     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

14. What Did We Do Last Night? (I) 2:04     (J. Livingston-R. Evans)

15. You Ol’ Son Of A Gun (I) 2:06     (Arnold-Dickinson-Lloyd)

16. Sing, You Sinners (I) 2:12     (W.F. Harling-S. Coslow)

17. Tenderly (I) 2:33     (J. Warren-W. Gross)

18. I Should Have Told You Long Ago (I) 2:25     (H. Marchese-S. Parker)

19. Goodbye Blues (I) 2:52     (Fields-John-O’Connor)

20. You Got (J) 2:37     (Ian Bernard)

21. Harbor Lights (J) 2:59     (Kennedy-Williams-Grosz)


DISC FIVE

1. Everything’s Coming Up Roses (J) 1:46     (J. Styne-S. Sondheim)

2. I Love You (My Every Thought Is You) (J) 2:03    (unknown)

3. Where Or When (J) 2:18     (R. Rodgers-L. Hart)

4. Danny Boy (J) 2:07     (Frederick Weatherly)

5. Give Me The Simple Life (J) 2:46     (H. Ruby-R. Bloom)

6. Bye Bye Blackbird (J) 2:27     (M. Dixon-R. Henderson)

7. Anyone For Love (J) 2:18     (L. Lee-N. Washington)

8. How Will I Remember You? (K) 2:57     (W. Gross-C. Sigman)

9. Get Me To The Church On Time (K) 2:17     (A.J. Lerner-F. Loewe)

10. Love Among The Young (K) 2:37     (A. Wilder-N. Gimbel)

11. The Best Thing For You (Would Be Me) (K) 2:31     (Irving Berlin)

12. Every Time I See You I’m In Love Again (K) 3:02     (D. Whitaker-B. Cole)

13. A Lot Of Livin’ To Do (K) 2:18     (L. Adams-C. Strouse)

14. If I Ever Love Again (K) 3:15     (R. Carlyle-R. Reynolds)

15. With A Dream Of Love (K) 2:42     (Ian Bernard)

16. I’m Losing Control (K) 2:28     (Ian Bernard)

17. My Old Kentucky Home (K 3:45)     (Stephen Foster)

18. Don’t Blame Me (K) 3:13     D. Fields-J. McHugh)

19. (Why Don’t You Give Yourself) Half A Chance (K) 2:45     (unknown)

20. Can’t Get Out Of This Mood (K) 3:22     (F. Loesser-J. McHugh)

 

PERSONNEL / SESSION INFORMATION

On all sessions:

Buddy Cole - piano, organ, celeste, harpsichord
Vince Terri – guitar    
Don Whitaker - bass     
Nick Fatool – drums, percussion

Session A was recorded on March 10, 1955, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session B was recorded on December 29, 1955, CBS, Hollywood, CA
Session C was recorded on March 8, 1956, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session D was recorded on July 7, 1957, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session E was recorded during several days in September 1957, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session F was recorded on November 1, 1957, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session G was recorded on January 7, 1958, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session H was recorded on April 4, 1958, Palm Springs, CA
Session I was recorded during 1958, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session J was recorded on January 20, 1960, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA
Session K was recorded on February 28, 1961, CBS Studios, Hollywood, CA

Disc 2 (#21), Disc 3 (#1, 4, 10 & 13) and Disc 4 (#4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 & 16) were issued on “Swing Around Rosie” (Coral CRL (7)-57266). Disc 3 (#11 & 12) were added to Japanese CD (J) 25P2-2840 as bonus tracks.

Original sessions produced by Buddy Cole
Recording engineer: Bob McKenny
Originally recorded for The Rosemary Clooney Show (A-C), The Ford Road Show(D-I) and The Crosby-Clooney Show(J-K)
Produced for Bing Crosby Enterprises by Bill Morrow and Murdo MacKenzie
Rosemary Clooney appears courtesy of Clooney Tunes

Produced for release by Robert S. Bader
Executive producer: Michael Cuscuna
Archival restoration engineer: Robert S. Bader
Production assistance: Mindy Johnson and Kathy Brown
Mastered by Malcolm Addey at the Malcolm Addey Studio, New York.

Transfers from the original analog tapes to digital format were made using 32 bit technology with a sampling rate of 96 kHz.

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