Take Advantage of Me [Import]

1. Set Up

2. Cherish This Love

3. Baby Don't Play Me

4. Take Advantage of Me

5. No Groove Sweating

6. Gota Be Down

7. It's On

8. I Get the Job Done

9. That's on Me

10. Blanket of Playboys

11. You Got Someth'n I Want

12. (Don't Let Me Catch You) Slippin'

13. I'm Ready

Tracks:

Overture
Night Of The Stars
Gotta Have Me Go With You
Norman At Home
Pasion Oriental
The Man That Got Away
Cheatin' On Me
'I'm Quitting The Band...'
The Man That Got Away (Instrumental Version)
Esther In The Boarding House
Oliver Niles Studio
Esther's Awful Makeup
First Day In The Studio
Born In A Trunk (Medley)
Easy Come, Easy Go
Here's What I'm Here For
The Honeymoon
It's A New World
Someone At Last
Lose That Long Face
Norman Overhears The Conversation
It's A New World (Alternate Take)
The Last Swim
Finale - End Credits
When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
The Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Commercial

Customer Reviews:

Forgive the cheesy title, but a star is re-born once again........2007-07-09

In 1954, Judy Garland gave the most acclaimed performance of her career as a musical movie star in George Cukor's musical remake of the 1937 straight-up drama A Star Is Born. After its premiere, the film was heavily edited and would not be seen in its near complete form again for nearly thirty years. Judy was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance, but lost to Grace Kelly, to the chagrin of many Garland fans to this day, as well as many celebrities of the day. (Groucho Mark famously called it the biggest robbery since Brinks.)

In all that mess, the soundtrack was released by Columbia on vinyl record in mono and has since never been out of print and was a best-seller for years. In 1988, Columbia took the musical numbers and the overture directly from the film's stereo soundtrack (As, sadly, stereo soundtrack masters no longer existed.) and released those onto CD. The sound quality was somewhat horrendous, but digital audio was still in its infancy and not much else could be done.

In 2004, for the film's 50th anniversary, Columbia, Legacy, and Sony Music Soundtrax released this incredible new expanded remastered CD reissue of the film's soundtrack. This is the most complete soundtrack you can find and it's definitely worth upgrading from your 1988 CD release.

This CD contains not only all of the songs, including an extended intro to The Man That Got Away which was shortened in the film as well as the complete intro to Gotta Have Me Go With You, but also contains a near complete release of the instrumental score, which includes whole tracks and parts of tracks that were not used in the film, as well as an alternate vocal take of It's A New World, the deleted When My Sugar Walks Down The Street segment from Born In A Trunk, and a static-y complete version of The Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Commercial, which was taken from a worn acetate playback disc - the only complete recording in existence.

The soundtrack is taken from a mixing and matching of several elements, such as acetate playback discs, the original Columbia mono soundtrack album masters, and the film's 4-track stereo soundtrack, among others. This means that the soundtrack goes back and forth from being stereo and mono. However, this does not detract from my listening experience any, and frankly, I can't tell much of a difference. One interesting note is that Gotta Have Me Go With You uses both the film's soundtrack and the mono soundtrack album masters to create a faithful listening experience, from the mono instrumental intro to the song itself, which except for a short portion, is taken from the film's 4-channel soundtrack. (The mono portion of the vocal part was used to edit out some plot-related screams that were present in the 1988 release. This method of retaining the aural integrity of Gotta Have Me Go With You was also used when it was included on the Rhino Records compilation Judy Garland In Hollywood: Her Greatest Movie Hits.)

Despite the fact that this soundtrack is taken from several different surviving elements and sadly not from a single set of elements, as Warner Bros. didn't have the foresight to save everything like MGM and Disney did, this is an excellent presentation of this landmark soundtrack. The sound quality for the most part is excellent, and the liner notes are also wonderful. Garland historian John Fricke writes a small essay on the production of the film and an annotated guide to the soundtrack, which gives a synopsis of the plot and also indicates where the tracks from the CD appear in the film. Producer Didier C. Deutsch also writes a small essay on the creation of this CD release, giving notes on the elements and some specific tracks.

Amazon is offering this soundtrack at an excellent price, and I have to say, it's a bargain for a soundtrack of this caliber and sound quality. Any Garland fan or movie soundtrack fan should have this in their collection.

A Star Is Born Soundtrack Review.......2007-01-10

A really excellent soundtrack to go with an excellent movie. This is some of Judy Garland's best material in both music and acting. The power of her voice on "The Man That Got Away" is amazing. "Born In A Trunk", "It's A New World", "Someone At Last" and "Lose That Long Face" are other recommended tracks. This is a MUST HAVE for all you Judy Garland fans.

Judy at her peak!.......2006-05-30

Judy Garland's finest film work was "A Star Is Born." Because she and her husband, Sid Luft, were also the producers, it was the most intensely involving production she had ever undertaken. The laser focus of her brilliant talent was never before realized on film to this degree. Also, she had gained tremendous personal confidence due to the unprecedented audience response to the concerts she had done between her MGM films and ASIB. The love with which the live audience embraced her, brought new heights to her acting as well.
The production values of the film were top of the line and it shows on this fine CD. It's a chance to experience Judy's talent on a more intimate basis without the visuals.
A must-have for every serious Garland collector.

a "Star" shines like never before..........2005-04-27

This reissued remaster of A STAR IS BORN is a must-own for fans of the movie, and in particular those who were somewhat dissatified by the previous CD edition (CK 44389). That edition was great for offering us most of the main numbers in stereo/mono mix but was marred by poor analogue distortion and other remastering problems (though this was the best that could have been done at the time). This new edition (CK 65965) presents the entire score, including background and incidental sections as well as the cut material, in a sparkling new package.

The big bonus for getting this latest edition is for Garland's complete rendition of "The Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Commercial" (without the dialogue of James Mason). This has been taken from a rare acetate master, so while the sound quality is not the best, having the number complete without interrupting dialogue is a more than ample compensation. You will notice too that "Lose That Long Face" has been newly mastered from a better stereo source (cutting out the thunder-crashes that were heard on the first CD master, and Garland's singing no longer has those violent analogue fluctuations during the introduction). "Gotta Have Me Go with You" is now presented without the screams and noises, in a new master from the mono soundtrack.

"When My Baby Walks Down the Street", a section cut from the "Born in a Trunk" sequence, has been added as a bonus track. This sparkling-new STAR IS BORN reissue is a great tribute to what is most definitely Judy Garland's greatest hour on film.

Musical perfection of the highest magnitude!!!.......2005-02-25

Was there ever a more perfect voice than the one possessed by Judy Garland? Powerful yet gentle. Dynamic yet restrained. Bone-chilling yet soothing. She had the pipes!

And her instrument was showcased at its best in the music from her triumphant "A Star is Born".

This expanded version is a bona-fide treasure with the highlight being Garland's earth-shattering "The Man That Got Away," presented with vocals and several instrumental versions. Along with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Trolley Song", "The Man That Got Away" is an essential for Garland fans, as well as those that know a good song when they hear it.

The fifteen-minute medley that was featured in the film as the "introduction" of "Vicki" to the public is another outstanding track, featuring "Born in a Trunk", "Suwanee," and "My Melancholy Baby," all exquisitely performed by the legendary talent.

Clocking in at just under eighty minutes, the soundtrack to the classic film is, indeed, in a class by itself, and deserving of repeated listening, maintaining its "freshness" after more than five decades.

Average customer rating:

Didn't Get The Push She Deserved!
Blankets of Playboys
Brigette's second album did her justice.
Disappointing

Take Advantage of Me
Brigette McWilliams
Manufacturer: EMI Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Dance & DJ | Imports | Stores | Music

R&B | Imports | Stores | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Too Much Woman
True Spirit
Starlite Lounge
Mystory
The Inner Beauty Movement

ASIN: B000000W5X
Release Date: 1994-07-26

Tracks:

Set Up
Cherish This Love
Baby Don't Play Me
Take Advantage of Me
No Groove Sweating
Gota Be Down
It's On
I Get the Job Done
That's on Me
Blanket of Playboys
You Got Someth'n I Want
(Don't Let Me Catch You) Slippin'
I'm Ready

Customer Reviews:

Didn't Get The Push She Deserved!.......2006-02-03

A lot of you probably aren't familiar with this hidden gem. Right around the time when Hip-Hop and R&B were becoming more intermingled is when Brigette McWilliams released Take Advantage Of Me. Artists like Mary J. Blige, SWV, and Adina Howard were mixing their seductive voices with hip-hop flavor and commanding all the attention from R&B lovers. A little more publicity and financial backing by Virgin on this project probably would have been the start of a great career for McWilliams. Few even got to chance to hear Take Advantage Of Me, including myself. I didn't hear this album until about a decade later when I was given a copy to listen to. There's no reason why this couldn't have been pushed by her label.

From the opening sequence, you know exactly the groove Brigette was going for. "Cherish This Love" has a heavy dose of hip-hop edge, "Baby Don't Play Me" is a soulful rhythm with a similar vibe, and the title track is a heartened plea for someone to do just what she's asking. "No Groove Sweating" goes right along those lines but resorting more on a jazzy background though. "Gotta Be Down" is a radio-friendly cut that will remind you of Adina Howard in a heartbeat. "I Get The Job Done" is a brash mid-tempo melody about how she puts it down, "That's On Me" superbly mixes Hip-Hop, R&B, and Jazz like you've never heard, and "Blankets Of Playboys" is a drawn out tune that could have been left off the album. She closes the cd with the funky track "You Got Somethin' I Want" and the hip-hop laced "(Don't Let Me Catch You) Slippin."

Brigette McWilliams is like a lot of R&B artists that are around today. They can sing, they can get the party going, and they can slow it down when the time is right. And with everybody trying to do the same thing, somebody's going to be left out in the cold. Take Advantage Of Me wasn't taken advantage of at all, and that's truly a shame. Brigette McWilliams would try once again a few years later with Too Much Woman. And even though that album was just as good (if not better than her first), it too didn't see its full potential. If you want to have a cool R&B album from the early 90s, then this is one of the cds to get.

Blankets of Playboys.......2005-11-02

This cd is diffrent from her latter two, but nonetheless i love it. This cd is a mid 90s newjack (adina howard flava) sound with some jazz elements, and her vocals always soulful.
Stand out tracks..."i get the job done"
"take advantage of me"
"blankets of playboys"

Brigette's second album did her justice........2003-08-14

DEFINITELY steer clear of this one, folks! Even Ms. McWilliams herself admitted she had ZERO creative control in the development of her debut at the time. When you hear it all the way through, that fact becomes even more apparent. A Mary J. Blige "wannabe"? McWilliams??? NOT IN A BILLION YEARS, LOL!!!

So 'Take Advantage of Me' should be thoroughly deleted from Virgin's catalog and her superior sophomore release ('Too Much Woman') be brought back into circulation ASAP. Many of today's young people are actually being robbed of some pretty good music in recent years, especially by this talented woman whose second album has quickly become one of the best kept secrets around.

GET WITH THE PROGRAM ALREADY, VIRGIN!!!

Disappointing.......2003-06-09

I actually heard this album after her amazing second album Too Much Woman" because it's much harder to find. TMW set the bar pretty darned high, but it seems Brigette wasn't at that level at the time of Take Advantage of Me. The only good tracks are Cherish this Love, the title track and You Got Somethin I Want, which is the only Steve Harvey produced track on the album. Luckily, Harvey had a much bigger role in TMW, and it really shows. Steer clear of this one, but PLEASE don't sleep on Too Much Woman.

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