The Best of the Decca Years [Original recording remastered]

The Best of the Decca Years [Original recording remastered]

The Best of the Decca Years [Original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Weavers--comprised of Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert--were the most important group of the folk revival. They helped invent hootenany culture, and charged it with a political urgency. They sang everything: Maoist anthems, civil rights hymns, even children's songs like "If I Had a Hammer." The Decca recordings are historic but not always indicative of the Weavers art. "Tzena, Tzena" and "Goodnight Irene" are given more production than suited the quartet's ethos, even if those songs would help change America forever. --Roy Francis Kasten

The Best of the Decca Years,The Weavers,Mca,Folk,Folk & Traditional,Folk Revival,Folksongs,Political Folk,Pop,Traditional Folk,United States of America
Black Coffee: Best of the Decca Years
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • The Decca years
 Black Coffee: Best of the Decca Years
Peggy Lee
Manufacturer: Umvd Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. The Best of Peggy Lee - The Capitol Years
  2. The Complete Recordings 1941-1947
  3. The Best of Miss Peggy Lee
  4. The Best of the Singles Collection
  5. Black Coffee

ASIN: B000024VSS
Release Date: 1997-10-31

Tracks:

  1. Black Coffee
  2. Lover
  3. Mr Wonderful
  4. Johnny Guitar
  5. You Go to My Head
  6. I've Got You Under My Skin
  7. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
  8. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
  9. I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard
  10. Love Letters
  11. Apples, Peaches and Cherries
  12. Sisters
  13. Bye Bye Blackbird
  14. He Needs Me
  15. Sing a Rainbow
  16. How Bitter My Sweet
  17. They Can't Take That Away from Me
  18. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
  19. Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me
  20. Sabs Souci - Peggy Lee
  21. I Never Knew
  22. I've Grown Accustomed to His Face [From My Fair Lady]
  23. What's New?

Album Description

Full title - Black Coffee - Best Of The Decca Years. Budget price collection from Spectrum of undoubtably one of the great female vocalist's most creative periods between 1952 and 1958. 23 tracks. 1997.

Album Details

Budget Collection of Hits from her Decca Years.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Decca years.......2005-03-29

For most of her career, Peggy recorded for Capitol but there was a five-year spell during which Peggy recorded for Decca because Peggy had a major disagreement with Capitol (over the song Lover, which Capitol didn't want her to record) and switched labels in 1952 although she switched back in 1957. Thus, this compilation focuses on Peggy's recordings between 1952 and 1956.

Peggy's career on Decca began with Lover, originally written as a waltz but re-arranged as a dramatic up-tempo song. Upon hearing it, composer Richard Rodgers expressed his displeasure at the arrangement. Nevertheless, it got Peggy's Decca career off to a great start, making the top three in the American charts.

Despite this start, Peggy's years on Decca were not very successful on the singles charts. Nevertheless, Peggy recorded a lot of great music during those years including the albums Black coffee, Pete Kelly's blues, Sea shells and Dream Street. The title track of her first Decca album (Black coffee, a melancholy ballad about loneliness) is now regarded as one of Peggy's most memorable recordings (hence its use as the title of this compilation) although it was never released as a single. It is yet another reminder that singles charts, however useful or interesting, do not tell the whole story.

You will surely recognize Love letters, which Peggy recorded several years before Ketty Lester made the song much more popular in the sixties. Peggy's version of this 1940's song is more intimately romantic than most other versions I've heard. Of course, it is just one of many classic covers that Peggy recorded for Decca and they are always among the best versions of those songs.

Apart from the songs already mentioned, this compilation contains many outstanding examples of Peggy's artistry. Many of the songs are ballads at which Peggy excels though there are several brilliant mid-tempo and up-tempo songs to prove Peggy's versatility.

While not the strongest compilation of Peggy's music for Decca, this budget compilation contains all the essential tracks from the period cover and will be enough for most people.
The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 2: The Composer
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 2: The Composer
    Louis Armstrong
    Manufacturer: Mca Special Products
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1: The Singer

    ASIN: B000006OFJ
    Release Date: 1998-05-19

    Tracks:

    1. Satchel Mouth Swing - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
    2. Lazy 'Sippi Steamer - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
    3. Old Man Mose - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
    4. Hear Me Talkin' To Ya - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
    5. Swing That Music - Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
    6. Brother Bill - Louis Armstrong
    7. Back O' Town Blues - Louis Armstrong
    8. Hobo, You Can't Ride This Train - Louis Armstrong
    9. Wild Man Blues - Louis Armstrong
    10. Someday (You'll Be Sorry) - Louis Armstrong
    11. Potato Head Blues - Louis Armstrong
    12. Gully Low Blues - Louis Armstrong
    13. Struttin' With Some Barbeque - Louis Armstrong
    Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1: The Singer
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • THE SIGNATURE SONGS
    • A good intro to Louis
    • A Great Sample of A Great Artist
    • A Grand Example of Louis Armstrong's Achievements
    		 Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1: The Singer
    Louis Armstrong
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
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    ASIN: B000002PEE
    Release Date: 1989-10-26

    Tracks:

    1. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
    2. That Lucky Old Sun
    3. Gone Fishin' With Bing Crosby
    4. A Kiss To Build A Dream On
    5. (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You
    6. La Vie En Rose
    7. Blueberry Hill
    8. In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree With The Mills
    9. The Gypsy
    10. Lazy River
    11. I Surrender Dear
    12. It's All In The Game
    13. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars THE SIGNATURE SONGS.......2003-02-20

    Here are the songs that will always be associated with SATCHMO before the sixties.In his career,LOUIS recorded with virtually every record company:DECCA,RCA,VERVE,COLUMBIA and even CAPITOL(the soundtrack of HIGH SOCIETY).In the best of department,he is the world champion.Trying to compile the numerous greatest hits cds in his catalogue is quite a task.This one is among the ones that delivers the goods.Once you've heard ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STEET done by him or everything else heard here,you can never imagine another doing it.As LOUIS says to BING during GONE FISHIN:you ain't tight up you dog and THE GYPSY although she often lies was right when she told you to buy this.This disc is offered at a low price and ... is never out of stock with SATCHMO.

    4 out of 5 stars A good intro to Louis.......2000-12-28

    I'm no expert on Louis Armstrong (though I do have some of his early Hot Five recordings), so I couldn't tell you whether or not these recordings represent the best versions of various standards or not. Armstrong probably recorded some of the tunes a dozen times. But this disc is a great intro to the style -- Armstrong's commanding trumpet solos as well as his inimitable gravelly voice.

    The best track is probably the first, "Sunny Side of the Street." There are two big trumpet solos here, one at the beginning and one at the end -- and they are both magnificent. Please forgive me Wynton Marsalis, but I have always doubted Armstrong's techincal proficiency -- at least with regard to polish and note-perfect virtuosity -- but the man had musical cojones, no question about it. He steamrolls through this evergreen with his trumpet on full blast, in a kind of drunken swagger, knocking everyone else out of the water (listen to how he obliterates the trombone bit that precedes his second solo at the end of the song). I think that "swagger" in his trumpet lines is more or less the same thing as rubato, combined with lots of strategic note-slurring; anyway it sounds swell.

    I also love the recording of "Lazy River," on which Louis groans and grumbles and mumbles in between singing the verses (I love it when he says "Modulate, daddy, modulate!" as the piano solo comes in). The funny thing is that a lot of the seemingly "improvised" mannerisms on this recording (all that stuff at the beginning, "talking" to the trombone -- "way down, way down, way down" etc.) are almost exactly the same as those on another version of the same song from over 20 years earlier. Apparently when Louis found something he liked, he stuck with it.

    Lots of other good stuff here. The duet with Louis Jordan, "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You," is delightful. Ditto the lazy "Gone Fishing" with Bing Crosby ("I'm real gone, man"). This disc features the version of "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" that Nora Ephron used in "Sleepless In Seattle." Unfortunately not all of Louis' costars hold up well -- even the liner notes admit the chorus on "That Lucky Old Sun" is "unspeakable" (their words), and the Mills Brothers, backing up Satch on a 1930s recording of "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree," seem quite dated compared to Armstrong, however influential they may have been back in the day.

    All in all, a good collection.

    5 out of 5 stars A Great Sample of A Great Artist.......2000-07-07

    A great example of the man's work. Long Live Satch! As an added bonus, he teams with the Mills Brothers in what I believe may be the happiest song in the world... In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree. A great disk at a great price.

    5 out of 5 stars A Grand Example of Louis Armstrong's Achievements.......1999-04-17

    Louis Armstrong has excelled greatly in the fields of vocal and instrumental music. Artists of our day rarely accomplish the same feats as he has. May he rest in peace.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The best of the Decca Years
    • Peggy Lee -- Ultimate Mink Jazz
    • A great collection of Peggy's Decca years (1952-1957)
    • Beautiful Music
    • They don't make 'em like this anymore
    		 The Best of the Decca Years
    Peggy Lee
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    Traditional Jazz GeneralTraditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000002P5A
    Release Date: 1997-02-11

    Tracks:

    1. Lover
    2. This Is A Very Special Day
    3. Just One Of Those Things
    4. Be Anything (But Be Mine)
    5. Black Coffee
    6. He's A Tramp
    7. It Must Be So
    8. Where Can I Go Without You
    9. Somebody Loves Me
    10. Sans Souci
    11. The Possibility's There
    12. I Hear The Music Now
    13. Johnny Guitar
    14. The Siamese Cat Song
    15. He Needs Me
    16. Me Wonderful

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The best of the Decca Years.......2002-04-14

    Some people believe that the Decca years were Peggy Lee's finest. Whatever one believes, it cannot be denied that during her time with Decca she made a number of very fine recordings many of which are featured on this CD. From her original rendition of "Lover" through to the almost whispered "Mr. Wonderful" she displays her own inimitable talents. Peggy does not have a powerful voice in the conventional sense of the word and perhaps that is part of the secret of her success. Her voice has a quality with somehow compels her audience to listen and to concentrate on her singing. Once you do that, she has got you - like a femme fatale she tightens her grip and any attempt at escape is futile. This CD encompasses the complete spectre of human emotions from elation to blues as in her rendition of "Black Coffee". From the less serious side of her nature as portrayed in two of her tunes from "Lady and the Tramp" to a more contemplative mood in such classics as "Where Can I Go Without You" and I would thoroughly recommend it to those who enjoy nostalgia, or those like myself, born after these recordings were made, who just enjoy good music. The recent death of Peggy Lee in January 2002 leaves an empty space which will never be filled for she was, in the tradition of all truly great performers, unique. We can, however, take some solace in the fact she left behind a plethora of recordings covering half a century and keep her memory alive for many years to come.

    5 out of 5 stars Peggy Lee -- Ultimate Mink Jazz.......1999-11-13

    This CD captures Peggy Lee at her most expressive. Containing many of her own compositions, including one great ditty with the Mills Bros., she tears out your guts right from the start. But this is no ordinary singer, this is Miss Peggy Lee. She makes you think you know where she's going, then-- BANG--you are taking ANOTHER magic ride! That's the mark of genius, and, of course, the mark of Miss Peggy Lee. This is a MUST HAVE!

    5 out of 5 stars A great collection of Peggy's Decca years (1952-1957).......1999-11-10

    This superb collection will introduce you to some of Peggy's best work on the Decca label. When Capitol Records wouldn't record her amazing rendition of "Lover" she signed with Decca. This CD opens with her smash-hit "Lover" and includes her unequaled reading of "Black Coffee." It also has seven songs written by Peggy! "Johnny Guitar" and "Where Can I Go Without You" are Peggy Lee (lyrics) and Victor Young (music) classics! Then there's her wicked "Sans Souci," watch out! Truly a five star CD. For more info on Peggy please write to: The Peggy Lee Fan Club - 744 Collier Drive - San Leandro, CA 94577

    5 out of 5 stars Beautiful Music.......1999-11-04

    Peggy Lee could sing the phone book & it'd be great..how I wish I were fortunate enough to have seen her perform live about 40 yrs. ago, I heard she gave the audience more than their money's worth, singing all her hit songs & more. Hers was one of the best voices in recorded music & I'm thankful Peggy has such a treasure trove of songs on both Decca & Capitol Records. This cd is an absolute must have if you're a true fan.

    5 out of 5 stars They don't make 'em like this anymore.......1998-08-07

    This collection of Decca Hits by Peggy Lee is a must for any true fan of her music. Miss Lee was ahead of her time as she wrote quite a few of her hits (Johnny Guitar,Golden Earring,I Don't Know Enough About You,It's A Good Day and on and on)before it was common for women to do so. What an enormous talent! Makes you wish today's music sounded as good as this.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • No other like them
    • Rediscovered Mellow Memory Maker
    • A nice walk down memory lane.
    • Great Sound, But Geared For The Mills Bros' "Pop" Fans
    		 The Best of the Decca Years
    The Mills Brothers
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    ASIN: B000002PEH
    Release Date: 1989-12-20

    Tracks:

    1. Paper Doll
    2. Across The Alley From The Alamo
    3. Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
    4. Be My Life's Companion
    5. Lazy River
    6. Glow Worm
    7. You Always Hurt The Ones You Love
    8. The Window Washer
    9. Daddy's Little Girl
    10. The Jones Boy
    11. Till Then
    12. In A Mellow Tone
    13. You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine
    14. Opus One

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars No other like them.......2006-05-07

    How could you ever find another group whose mellow tunes surround you with soft lullabies, lifting your heart up to the sky, while you and your sweetheart hug beneath a great blue moon? Definitely a must for young and old.

    5 out of 5 stars Rediscovered Mellow Memory Maker.......2000-05-08

    I had not thought of the Mills Brothers in years; many years. Then one night while watching a television show ("The Others"), I kept hearing this wonderful music in the background. At one point one of the characters picked up an album from a table and it said Mills Brothers on the cover. I went straight to Amazon.com and purchased this CD. I am not only not disappointed, I am thrilled! What a rediscovery! This is one very excellent CD!

    3 out of 5 stars A nice walk down memory lane........2000-02-24

    I have always loved the sound of the Mills Brothers. Whether 4 brothers, 3 brothers and a Dad, or just a trio, their harmonies and swing style can not be beat. I was blessed to see them in concert in the mid 1970's (when they were probably pushing 70) and they still sounded great. This package contains some of the essential Mills Brothers hits. Check out Opus One if you've never heard it. Backed by a large orchestra it really swings. Paper Doll is also a great work as well. The problem with this package (as with almost any "greatest hits" package) is you don't get to see enough of the versitality that they were known for. Also you don't get the early stuff, when they were known to provide their own instument sounds using nothing more than their voices. Overall a good addition to any collection, just don't stop looking for more. There is way too much great Mills Brothers songs still out there.

    4 out of 5 stars Great Sound, But Geared For The Mills Bros' "Pop" Fans.......1998-07-29

    These original version, remastered tracks sound absolutely wonderful! Nice and clean. But this CD seems to be a collection of their best-sounding masters from the 1940's-1950's "pop-hit" Mills Brothers. A good number of the tunes are not their "best" in my opinion, but rather the best-sounding. Still worth the money to hear "Till Then", "You Always Hurt The One You Love", and "Paper Doll" with click-free pristine audio. A good disc, but really for the "pop" fans of the Mills Bros. After 5+ decades, The Mills Bros are still as entertaining as ever.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
    • Kingston Trio--Best of the Decca Years
    • Back In The Daze #3
    		 The Best of the Decca Years
    The Kingston Trio
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
    RevivalRevival | Folk | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B000007OJB
    Release Date: 1998-06-02

    Tracks:

    1. Stay Awhile
    2. Long Time Blues
    3. Love's Been Good To Me
    4. Poverty Hill
    5. My Ramblin' Boy
    6. Three Song
    7. Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound
    8. Rusting In The Rain
    9. They Are Gone
    10. Lei Pakalana
    11. Children Of The Morning
    12. Hit And Run
    13. Less Of Me
    14. Lock All The Windows
    15. Gonna Go Down The River
    16. I'm Going Home

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Kingston Trio--Best of the Decca Years.......2001-08-06

    The audio quality of this CD is not as good as the LP titled, "Nick, John and Bob" produced in 1962. There are four songs in this CD that were on the 1962 LP. The audio quality of the CD suffers from ,the same degradation of sound that affects many CD's today, all due to the A/D conversion of the original analog source material--high frequency distortion and siblances, and a noticeable loss of "presence." The high frequencies are not natural sounding and inferior to the sound of the 1962 LP. Grant Lyddon

    4 out of 5 stars Back In The Daze #3.......2000-02-15

    While trying to stay afloat during the Vietnam Era, the Trio's commercial appeal began to wane, succeeded by the enthusiastic charm of the British Invasion, the redefined folk of Bob Dylan, even being out-gunned on their home turf by the high-flying sounds of Psychedelia. However, they had a secret weapon to keep them intact, one that would continue to earn them the respect of guitarists and record collectors for decades to come, by way of a formidable songwriter, John Stewart.By the time the Decca recordings were cut, Stewart was carrying the group. It was a strange reversal of fortune, as Stewart had been in awe of the founding members, and when first joining the Trio, kept decidedly in the background.But the times, and Decca, demanded progress, and fortunately, Stewart was a budding prodigy.The "Decca Years" amply chronicles the era, from Sunset Strip through Sergeant Pepper, and while not reaching the heights of earlier glories, functions as a worthy companion to the "Capitol Collector's Series" CD.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The World's Greatest Entertainer
    • Al Jolson - A required taste.
    • Al Jolson - A required taste.
    • MISTER JOLSON WITH DECCA
    • "TERRIFIC"
    		 The Best of the Decca Years
    Al Jolson
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    NostalgiaNostalgia | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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    ASIN: B000002OJC
    Release Date: 1992-06-30

    Tracks:

    1. Swanee
    2. Sonny Boy
    3. California, Here I Come
    4. You Made Me Love You
    5. Anniversary Song
    6. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)
    7. Carolina In The Morning
    8. My Mammy
    9. Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
    10. When You Were Sweet Sixteen
    11. About A Quarter To Nine
    12. Toot, Toot, Tootsie
    13. Avalon
    14. Ma Blushin' Rosie
    15. April Showers
    16. Alexander's Ragtime Band

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars The World's Greatest Entertainer.......2006-08-30

    Al Jolson was a wonderful entertainer; his absolute devotion to his craft made him improve with each performance. He was quite well known for several songs which are included here, some of which he had a hand in writing. His famous Swanee, Sonny Boy, My Mammy, California Here I Come, and You Made Me Love You are only a few of his signature songs, each sung with heartfelt love. Whether Jolson was singing the chipper and optimistic lyrics to Carolina in the Morning or April Showers or the traditional Anniversary Song, his voice's richness brought the words to life.

    This particular CD is of interest because of the clarity of the recordings. It was done later in his life when technology had improved drastically compared to the tinny sounds of his recordings from the 1920s. For this reason, it is a must have, despite lacking some of Jolson's great performances like Let Me Sing and I'm Happy and Sittin' on Top of the World.

    5 out of 5 stars Al Jolson - A required taste........2001-12-19

    I am 28, and was recently introduced to Al Jolson by an elderly friend of mine, who told me that this was the real popular music when he was MY age.... I love it. I have a broad taste for music, And Al Jolson's talent leaves nothing to be desired. This man's vocal talent and his sheer LOVE of singing can be heard in every delicious note. If I could wish for one persons vocal skill, I would pray to sing like Al.

    5 out of 5 stars Al Jolson - A required taste........2001-12-19

    I am 28, and was recently introduced to Al Jolson by an elderly friend of mine, who told me that this was the real popular music when he was MY age.... I love it. I have a broad taste for music, And Al Jolson's talent leaves nothing to be desired. This man's vocal talent and his sheer LOVE of singing can be heard in every delicious note. If I could wish for one persons vocal skill, I would pray to sing like Al.

    4 out of 5 stars MISTER JOLSON WITH DECCA.......2001-08-09

    For many people,AL JOLSON is the man who first sang in the movies in THE JAZZ SINGER.While this is the truth,mister JOLSON is also one of the man who helped shape AMERICAN culture.In those days,success in showbusiness only came with hardwork and this pioneer figure spend years entertaining people who adored him.This collection is a good look back at his later years.At that time,AL rerecorded many of his most famous songs,and we are now fortunate to hear them in this cd.

    5 out of 5 stars "TERRIFIC".......2000-12-14

    This CD is terrific! Al Jolson was one of the best entertainers and singers ever. The great feeling he puts into all of his recordings cannot be matched by many. His version of Anniversary Song is unequaled.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Bait and switch
    • Sixties pop-folk, only ten years earlier!
    • Best of the Decca Years
    • Excellent compilation of the Weavers' mainstream hits
    • Original recordings that shook the world in thet earlly 50's
    		 The Best of the Decca Years
    The Weavers
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Folk | Styles | Music
    Traditional FolkTraditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
    RevivalRevival | Folk | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Best of the Vanguard Years
    2. The Weavers - Greatest Hits
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    4. Best of the Crew Cuts
    5. The Weavers at Carnegie Hall

    ASIN: B000002P1S
    Release Date: 1996-10-22

    Tracks:

    1. On Top Of Old Smokey
    2. Hard, Ain't It Hard
    3. Goodnight Irene
    4. Around The Corner (Beneath The Berry Tree)
    5. Old Paint (Ride Around, Little Doggies)
    6. (The Wreck Of The) John B
    7. The Roving Kind
    8. Tzena, Tzena
    9. Wimoweh (Mbube)
    10. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
    11. So Long (It's Been Good To Know You Yuh)
    12. The Midnight Special
    13. Rock Island Line
    14. Sylvie (Bring Me Li'l' Water, Silvy
    15. Lonesome Traveler
    16. When The Saints Go Marching In

    Amazon.com

    The Weavers--comprised of Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert--were the most important group of the folk revival. They helped invent hootenany culture, and charged it with a political urgency. They sang everything: Maoist anthems, civil rights hymns, even children's songs like "If I Had a Hammer." The Decca recordings are historic but not always indicative of the Weavers art. "Tzena, Tzena" and "Goodnight Irene" are given more production than suited the quartet's ethos, even if those songs would help change America forever. --Roy Francis Kasten

    Customer Reviews:

    1 out of 5 stars Bait and switch.......2002-07-12

    Think of this album as The Weavers meet Mitch Miller and Lawrence Welk. I love The Weavers as a folk group.This recording,complete with its chorus,violins and big band backup is to folk music what Brittany Spears is to Joan Baez.

    5 out of 5 stars Sixties pop-folk, only ten years earlier!.......2001-12-25

    Prior to purchasing this CD, I had heard one or two Weavers sides and hadn't formed any impression of the group. Now I can hear that they were remarkably ahead of their time when these sides were made (1950-1953), at least insomuch as 1960s groups like The Seekers were presenting almost exactly the same sound years later, with or without an orchestra and chorus. And the songs themselves are not out of keeping with other tunes of the early 1950s--for example, Terry Gilkyson's "Christopher Columbus," recorded by Guy Mitchell, or the novelty songs of Bob Merrill. It's true that The Weavers were rather rough-cut compared to the smooth pop sound listeners were used to hearing right after World War II. However, they were Vegas-smooth compared to quartets like The Chuck Wagon Gang, even if Pete Seeger, vocally, makes Wayne Newton sound like Placido Domingo. In a mass-mediated world, authenticity is one of the most relative of concepts.

    At any rate, these are tremendously enjoyable sides made no less enjoyable by the Lawrence Welk feel provided on several sides by arranger Gordon Jenkins, whose Basie-style introduction to "Wimoweh" is both anachronistic and quite effective. (Listen for Pete Seeger's favorite chord throughout, the dominant 11th.) The Jenkins orchestra and chorus also greatly enhance the CD's best track, "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena," one of the shortest songs ever created, and here featuring a delightful mid-arrangement round. "(The Wreck of the) John B." predates The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B." by many years and is typical of pre-"Pet Sounds" renderings of the tune. All of the tracks are exceptional, and the sound is astonishing. The Weavers may not have started pop-folk (think Burl Ives, for example), but they appear to have established its conventions for a number of years to come.

    3 out of 5 stars Best of the Decca Years.......2000-12-21

    For the Weavers lover, this is a must have. For someone wanting to discover the Weavers, the concert recordings are much better. On this album 1950s production met a small folk group and the result is very much a 50s sound. Big orchestra backing, instrumental choices that reflected the taste of the day rather than a folk approach. I prefer the Weavers as they stood on stage with their voices, their instruments, and their hearts out there for everyone to enjoy.

    5 out of 5 stars Excellent compilation of the Weavers' mainstream hits.......2000-06-06

    Most of The Weavers' albums, recorded from 1955 forward, faithfully preserve the foursome's folk-music instrumentation and repertoire. This intelligent compilation, however, revives the group's pop hits recorded by Decca from 1950 to 1953. It's easy to see why The Weavers became "America's favorite folk singers;" the performances are tops, the tunes retain their folk origins, and Gordon Jenkins's arrangements for orchestra and chorus are admirable. The monster hit "Goodnight Irene" is here, and this writer thinks the B-side, "Tzena Tzena Tzena," is even better. Other great tunes include "Wimoweh," "The Midnight Special," and "So Long," and "Hard, Ain't It Hard" has a rousing vocal by Ronnie Gilbert. If you've heard The Weavers' albums on the Vanguard label, these big-band Decca sessions will impress you.

    5 out of 5 stars Original recordings that shook the world in thet earlly 50's.......1999-01-27

    The Weavers were very good folk singers who changed their style to have mass appeal when the got the right manager & the right big band backing, They kept the mass appeal for about a year & a half. After thtat they went back to being folk singers. This record is the genuine original right stuff & has been hard to find.
    The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • The best of Judy's early years with Decca
    		 The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 1
    Judy Garland
    Manufacturer: Mca
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    Traditional Vocal PopTraditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    ClassicClassic | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    Traditional PopTraditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music
    CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | Vocal Pop | Pop | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
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    1. Changing My Tune - The Best of the Decca Years, Vol. 2

    ASIN: B000002PEC
    Release Date: 1989-12-20

    Tracks:

    1. Dear Mr. Gable/You Made Me Love You
    2. Over The Rainbow
    3. Zing! Went the Strings Of My Heart
    4. Embraceable You
    5. I'm Nobody's Baby
    6. Friendship
    7. Our Love Affair
    8. How About You?
    9. For Me And My Gal
    10. The Boy Next Door
    11. The Trolley Song
    12. Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis
    13. Yah-Tah-Tah, Yah-Tah-Tah (Talk, Talk, Talk)
    14. On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Sante Fe

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars The best of Judy's early years with Decca.......2003-10-19

    The Best of the Decca Years; Volume One holds a special place in my heart because it was the first (of many) Judy Garland CDs I bought. This collection makes for a great introduction to Judy's early career, as it contains 14 tracks she released on the Decca label between 1937 (when she was fifteen) and 1945. While her talent was obvious at the youngest of ages, you won't find any of the real show-stoppers or emotionally wringing ballads that she recorded in her later years; these are by and large fun and youthful numbers of the sort that opened up the doors of Hollywood to this girl with the voice of a grown woman. Dear Mr. Gable/You Made Me Love You, which Judy first sang for Clark Gable on his 36th birthday, found a place for Judy in Broadway Melody of 1938. A number of film roles followed, America took notice of the remarkable young singer/actress, she secured passage to the land of Oz, and the rest was history.

    Despite lying at one point on the cutting room floor, Over the Rainbow won the hearts of moviegoers, peaked at number five on the record charts, and became Judy's signature song for the rest of her career. Judy sang Zing Went the Strings of My Heart in Listen Darling, but Decca only recorded it for release after The Wizard of Oz made her a superstar. Embraceable You is a Cole Porter standard which Judy also recorded in 1939. I'm Nobody's Baby, a song Judy performed in her memorable role as Betsy Booth in Andy Hardy Meets Debutante, charted at number 3 in 1940, and she also teamed up with Johnny Mercer to record the unabashedly fun Friendship. Of course, child stars only remain children for so long, and the tender Our Love Affair from Strike Up the Band helps mark the transition of Judy the girl with the big voice to Judy the attractive young woman. How About You? from Babes in Broadway is pretty much a standard that Judy works wonders with.

    As Judy's movie career took off in the early 1940s, many a memorable Judy classic was recorded. Her duet with Gene Kelly in For Me and My Gal peaked on the charts at number three. Meet Me in St. Louis, my favorite Garland movie, provides three wonderful songs for this collection: the title song is infectiously catchy, her girl-next-door wistful version of The Boy Next Door won over many a youthful heart, and The Trolley Song became a classic that usually found its place in her concert performances of later years. After singing a number of songs with Bing Crosby on radio in the early 1940s, the pair released the song Yah-Ta-Ta, Yah-Ta-Ta (Talk, Talk, Talk) and surprised many by turning their fun give-and-take recording into a top five hit. This collection ends with Garland's most memorable song from the film The Harvey Girls: On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe; this song, with its wonderful blend of several styles and tempos, will give you plenty of energy with which to get up and set your CD player to play this CD again from the beginning.

    These 14 early Decca tracks are more than enough to satisfy any Judy Garland fan in and of themselves, but this CD also comes with impressive liner notes containing a short biography of Judy Garland (with particular emphasis on the Decca years, of course). This includes information about the recording of each of the 14 tracks collected here. While this is a great collection of early songs, though, I wouldn't really recommend this to anyone wanting to sample Judy's music for the first time, as her later concert performances are much more impressive. For the true Judy Garland fan, however, this collection of early tracks is a wish come true.
    The Best of the Decca Years
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		The Best of the Decca Years
      Woody Herman
      Manufacturer: Mca
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Swing GeneralSwing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Classic Big BandClassic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      Contemporary Big BandContemporary Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
      ASIN: B000008B81
      Release Date: 1990-10-25

      Tracks:

      1. Woodchopper's Ball
      2. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
      3. Amen
      4. Blue Flame
      5. Deep in the Heart of Texas
      6. Blues in the Night
      7. Four or Five Times
      8. Blue Prelude
      9. By-U, By-O (The Louisiana Lullaby)
      10. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet

      Music Review:

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      4. The Punch Bowl [Import]
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      6. The Vultures
      7. The Yoruba/Dahomean Collection: Orishas Across the Ocean
      8. Those Wild Corries / Kishmul's Gallery
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      10. Up Boot

      Music Review

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