Rubens Girl

Rubens Girl

Track Listings

1. Wistful Mourning

2. You Don't Know What You're Missing

3. One Last Look

4. I'm In A Forever Mood

5. In The Shadows

6. Rubens Girl

7. If I Come To My Senses

8. Don't Die Billy

9. Anyhow

10. Ain't Got Nothin' Blues

11. Song For Paul

Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
"I've always loved pop music," says Marilynn Manfra, not the least bit apologetically. "I grew up listening to The Monkees and The Cowsills, then graduated to The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Barry Manilow. One of the biggest compliments I get is when people tell me that my writing reminds them of Carole King." In the past few years, Marilynn has earned the respect of the songwriting community in the Northeast, as one of the area's up and coming solo artists. She has been praised for her haunting "Dear Santa," a Christmas song written from a homeless child's point of view, and the hopeful "Day One" which is being used as the theme song for The Discovery Program, a local drug rehabilitation program. In addition, she was chosen to represent the best of Rhode Island songwriters at the Kerrville Folk Festival this past summer.

On her award-winning debut album Rubens Girl, Marilynn shows her versatility as a singer, songwriter, arranger, and producer. "I never quite know what to answer when I'm asked what kind of music I write. My style is pretty wide ranging, but my songs always have an element of pop in them. I'm not happy with a song unless it has a good melody and intelligent lyrics. Oh, and harmony," she says with a smile. "Lots of harmony."

Besides her solo work, Marilynn has performed with a number of bands, including a stint with 1986 WBRU Rock Hunt winners The Dames, and Vocal Point, a five voice a cappella group which she formed in 1992. She also has worked extensively as a backup singer, both on stage and in the studio, as well as doing demo and jingle work.

"This is all I've ever wanted to do," states Marilynn emphatically. "I make music because it makes me feel alive. I feed on the emotion of a song. And there's nothing in the world like when someone comes up to me and says that a song of mine has made them cry or has made them think. That's what being a songwriter is all about."

Product Description
In her debut album Rubens Girl, Marilynn Manfra blends folk, rock, country, and blues with her distinctive pop sensibility to produce catchy, hook driven songs that you'll find yourself humming days later. Rubens Girl, which recently won the Best Female Singer/Songwriter Album award from the music industry organization Just Plain Folks, is a collection of songs that speaks from the heart on subjects ranging from love and loss to motherhood, and speaks to issues such as weight prejudice and dealing with a loved one's addiction. From the aching "One Last Look" to the uplifting title cut "Rubens Girl," from the contemplative "Wistful Mourning," to the feel-good "I'm In A Forever Mood," Marilynn takes you with her on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, her captivating voice luring you with its sultriness through songs of romance, begging you down to the depths of its despair, and then soaring back to heights of exhilaration again. A true vocal chameleon, Marilynn can make you feel the colors of a song like you never have before. This collection of songs will make you feel and make you think... the sign of true art.

Tracks:

The Belle Of Brittany
The Arcadians
Our Miss Gibbs
Madame Sherry
Naughty Marietta
The Spring Maid
The Balkan Princess - The Light Opera Company, London
The Pink Lady
The Quaker Girl
The Count Of Luxembourg
Oh! Oh! Delphine
The Lady Of The Slipper
The Man With Three Wives
The Sunshine Girls
The Purple Road
When Dreams Come True
The Doll Girl
Adele

Tracks:

Lieber Augustin
Sweethearts
The Marriage Market
Oh, I Say!
The Little Cafe
The Madcap Duchess
High Jinks
Iole
The Girl On The Film
The Queen Of The Movies
Sari
The Laughing Husband
The Midnight Girl
The Beauty Shop
Ziegfeld Follies Of 1914
The Passing Show Of 1914
The Girl From Utah
Miss Daisy

Customer Reviews:

BROADWAY: The formative years.......2004-09-30

An essential collection for libraries and archives. Many of these shows have never been recorded in any other format but these light opera company medleys of "vocal gems." These antique 78-RPM discs are the predecessors of today's original cast recordings.

The years covered in this set show how European style operettas wer slowly giving way to a more jazz-oriented American musical comedy style. Victor Herbert, Jerome Kern, and Sigmund Romberg (among others) were setting the stage for the modern American musical.

Listeners should be aware that all the recordings in this set date from the "acoustic" period of recording and have limited range. The metal horns that collected the sound and cut it into wax discs were not ideal for soloists and worked best with brass and percussion. The shellac surfaces of the pressed records had a hissing sound and the steel needles often distorted the music. The few pressings that have survived in playable condition are gathered here, but be aware these are recordings nearly 100 years old!

Those I haven't daunted are in for a treat, for once you get past the antique sound you discover a wealth or musical material and a glimpse into a Broadway very different from what it would eventually become.

Average customer rating:

Great CD...

Rubens Girl
Marilynn Manfra
Manufacturer: Mal Diva Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000059MXJ
Release Date: 2000-06-01

Tracks:

Wistful Mourning
You Don't Know What You're Missing
One Last Look
I'm In A Forever Mood
In The Shadows
Rubens Girl
If I Come To My Senses
Don't Die Billy
Anyhow
Ain't Got Nothin' Blues
Song For Paul

Album Description

In her debut album Rubens Girl, Marilynn Manfra blends folk, rock, country, and blues with her distinctive pop sensibility to produce catchy, hook driven songs that you'll find yourself humming days later. Rubens Girl, which recently won the Best Female Singer/Songwriter Album award from the music industry organization Just Plain Folks, is a collection of songs that speaks from the heart on subjects ranging from love and loss to motherhood, and speaks to issues such as weight prejudice and dealing with a loved one's addiction. From the aching "One Last Look" to the uplifting title cut "Rubens Girl," from the contemplative "Wistful Mourning," to the feel-good "I'm In A Forever Mood," Marilynn takes you with her on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, her captivating voice luring you with its sultriness through songs of romance, begging you down to the depths of its despair, and then soaring back to heights of exhilaration again. A true vocal chameleon, Marilynn can make you feel the colors of a song like you never have before. This collection of songs will make you feel and make you think... the sign of true art.

Customer Reviews:

Great CD..........2001-02-25

This is a great CD, very uplifting. I suggest everyone buys it!