The Ultimate Lanza CD Set of English-Language Recordings

[Derek McGovern]

Norma wrote on another thread that, "I have seen lists of members' favourite opera and Neopolitan recordings.What about favourite popular songs?"

Good question, Norma -- and one that deserves its own thread, I feel. 

So: if you were compiling a CD of Lanza's greatest English-language recordings, what would you include on it? The options are a single-CD compilation (say, 22 tracks) and/or a double-CD set (44 tracks). Feel free to consult our handy English-language songs discography as you mull over your choices...                                                                                                     

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

A P.S. to the above: Mike's marvellous Mellow Mario Montage of memorable English-language recordings can be heard on the second page of our English-language Discography. Highly recommended!

[Derek McGovern]

Well, since no one's taken the bait, I'll jump in myself. 

These are the recordings that I would put on the ultimate English-language single CD if I were compiling it for SonyBMG. That means excluding four of my favourite non-SonyBMG Lanza recordings -- the MGM All the Things You Are, Because from The Great Caruso soundtrack, Deep in My Heart, Dear with Ann Blyth from The Student Prince soundtrack, and The Lord's Prayer from Because You're Mine -- since copyright restrictions would rule them out of contention. 

In no particular order:

1/   Be My Love (RCA, 1950) (I guess it has to be included! I've never really warmed to the song, but millions have -- and Lanza is undeniably in fine form here)

2/   Because You're Mine (RCA, 1952)

3/   Serenade from The Student Prince (1952)

4/   I'll Walk with God (1952)

5/   Beloved (1953)

6/   Drink! Drink! Drink! (1952)

7/   Some Day (1951)

8/   If I Loved You (1952)

9/   The Song Angels Sing (RCA, 1952)

10/ The Lord's Prayer (RCA, 1951)

11/ Begin the Beguine (1952)

12/ Without a Song (1951)

13/ Only a Rose (1956)

14/ Yours is My Heart Alone (1956)

15/ Romance (1952)

16/ My Romance (1951) -- Original LP version, not the alternate version released on two BMG CDs

17/ Arrivederci, Roma (in English) (RCA, 1957)

18/ A Kiss (1952)

19/ I'll Be Seeing You (1952)

20/ Song of India (1953)

21/ Golden Days (1952)

22/ One Alone (RCA, 1959)

My two-CD set would feature (in addition to the above):

23/ Love Me Tonight (1959) -- yes, flawed and all!

24/ Where or When (1952)

25/ I'll See You Again (1952)

26/ Never Till Now (1957)

27/ The Moon Was Yellow (1952)

28/ Yesterdays (1952)

29/ Guardian Angels (RCA, 1951)

30/ The Donkey Serenade (RCA, 1956)

31/ You and the Night and the Music (1951)

32/ If (1951)

33/ Will You Remember? (1956)

34/ Wonder Why (1951)

35/ You Do Something to Me (1952)

36/ Love is the Sweetest Thing (1952)

37/ The Thrill is Gone (1951)

38/ All the Things You Are (RCA, 1956)

39/ And Here You Are (1952)

40/ Besame Mucho (1952)

41/ Beautiful Love (1952)

42/ Sylvia (1951)

43/ One Night of Love (1951) - High A flat-ending version (from 'B' side of the RCA album The Student Prince & Other Great Musical Comedies)

44/ Thoughts Will Come to Me (1959)

Cheers

Derek

[Barnabas Nemeth]

And, instead of Arrivederci I'd include the None But the Lonely Heart 

Barnabas

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 8:35 AM, Barnabas Nemeth <barnaba...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, sorry but I'd omit the Be My Love, at the same time I'd include the Trees, Because, And Here You Are, Ciribiribin and some Christmas Songs.

 

Barnabas

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Barnabas: Thanks for your feedback.

I thought about including the 1951 RCA Silent Night -- or, better still, the superior unreleased Coke version -- but then I decided that Christmas Carols would be a little out of place here. Besides, I don't regard any of the other traditional carols as examples of great Lanza singing. "O Holy Night" I'd be comfortable including on a two-disc set, though.

I did include And Here You Are! (See my two-disc choices.) But in my opinion, Trees -- although endearing -- is just a little too unpolished for a representative set like this. (Sorry -- I know you love it.) As for Because, the only version I truly love is the one featured in The Great Caruso; I'm not particularly keen on the RCA version (and I don't like the Coke and recently released 1950 RCA renditions at all).

Actually, there's a thread on the four Lanza versions of Because here.

As for Ciribiribin, Mario sings it well, but I find the song irritating! Of course, these things are subjective, and I can easily imagine some members feeling the same way about The Donkey Serenade (which I did include), just to give one example.

Cheers
Derek

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 3:35 PM, Barnabas Nemeth <barnaba...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, sorry but I'd omit the Be My Love, at the same time I'd include the Trees, Because, And Here You Are, Ciribiribin and some Christmas Songs.

 

Barnabas

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 7:54 AM, Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Derek McGovern]

Barnabas Nemeth wrote:

And, instead of Arrivederci I'd include the None But the Lonely Heart 

Hi again (our posts crossed): Sorry, but I'd fight tooth and nail not to include None But the Lonely Heart! I love the song (though it really needs to be sung in the original Russian), but not Mario's version, which is just too overwrought and uncontrolled for me.

It seems we're destined not to agree on many of our English choices :)

Cheers
Derek

[Barnabas Nemeth]

How about the Trees and None But the Lonely Heart?

 

Barnabas

[Barnabas Nemeth]

The Hvorostovsky's version is too deep, I'd prefer Lanza's version, it's more touching for me.

Barnabas

[Barnabas Nemeth]

OK. In the meantime I find all your answers. I agree, Christmas songs are different categories. Otherwise, I don't prefer the Coke version of Silent Night rather the studio one. Well, we are also different though your judgement and taste is mostly accepted, except ....

Barnabas

[leeann]

This is too much fun to pass up! It seemed as if the first thing to do was to decide what NOT to include, or where to draw lines, as Derek did with provenance. I decided not to include The Lord’s Prayer, an Ave Maria,  Guardian Angels—well, you get the drift. And no Christmas carols. And the Student Prince seems to be its own category—especially given the overwhelming effect of Mike’s work. However, omitting Serenade which to me is one of the ultimate triumphs and showcases of the Lanza voice, intelligence, and interpretive genius—well, that seemed wrong.  So Serenade is on my list—but essentially The Student Prince remains a stand-alone. Here, then is an attempt anyway—at least among the songs I’ve heard.

While many of these songs are well-known (Cole Porter's, for example), so many are quite unique-- e.g., The Song Angels Sing,  and Lanza lifts them out of the unknown and makes them classics. 

In no particular order. And by no means definitive.

 1. Serenade

 2. Without a Song (I love what Tony wrote about this in another thread: "I've often thought that it is, in a way, a kind of credo or, perhaps better put, a full admission of the soul for Mario.  Each and every word speaks to what music was to this magnificently blessed and complex man.  "...I'll get along, as long as a song is strong in my soul.")

 3. Long Ago and Far Away

 4. I’ll See You Again

 5. Begin the Beguine (what an amazing feat of phrasing and rhythmic diversification. It's just spellbinding)

 6. Some Day

 7. All the Things You Are

 8. The Song Angels Sing

 9.The Thrill is Gone 

10. Love Me Tonight (I know his voice isn't perhaps it's best, here, but to me, this is all about delivery, right down to the little raspy note toward the end)

11. Tell Me Tonight

12. The Trembling of a Leaf

13. Never Till Now

15. Because

16. Only a Rose

17. Because You’re Mine

18. You and the Night and the Music

19. One Night of Love

20. My Romance

And one I suspect might be a particular eyebrow-raiser:  Earthbound 

Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: How did I forget Long Ago and Far Away?! That would definitely make it onto my two-CD set, and possibly The Trembling of a Leaf as well. 

I can see I'm going to have to tweak my list...

Your choice of Earthbound didn't make me fall out of my chair :) Although I'm not a great fan of the song, I can't deny it's beautifully sung by our lad. "I thought happiness missed me," etc on the reprise is quintessential Lanza!

Cheers

Derek

[JOE]

Eliminate Donkey Serenade and Ciribirbin ( sp?) from the list but definetly INCLUDE None but The Lonely Heart.... and then  I am on board with all the above selections. Wow, when you think about Mario's work this way it really underscores just how great and how Versatile  a performer he was

I am somewhat surprised that Derek does not want to include None But The Lonely Heart since I think Mario was at the top of his game as re: vocal expresion on that     !But then my tastes can sometimes be strange e.g. I am probably the only one on the forum who enjoys Mario's " Temptation! " ( a song never mentioned on here because I guess people just don't like it)

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Joe

Well, I may be in the minority about Mario's version of None But the Lonely Heart, but to my ears it's a long way from representing him at his best. I really feel that he's not in good voice here: his top notes are unusually strained (e.g. "Oh what a distance DREAR...", "ALONE and parted far..."). He's pushing, he's off-key, and the voice is simply not resonating the way it should be. (Listen, for example, to "I see" on the line "Heaven's boundless arch I see." ) Even Mario's celebrated diction lets him down at times. And instead of moving me with his emotional expression, I actually find him a bit hammy here!

Sorry, Joe, but this is one of those rare instances where we'll have to disagree.

Cheers

Derek

[Lou]

Hi Derek: Lanza recorded an English-language version of Ciribiribin? I don't see it in his English-language songs discography.

I go with most of your choices for your two-CD set, but if it were all up to me, I'd include the following (in no particular order):
1/ Ah, Moon of My Delight
2/ Wanting You
3/ Night and Day
4/ If You Are But a Dream
5/ Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life
6/ The Rosary (The popularity of this sentimental art song in the early 20th century surprises me, considering that the analogy in the lyrics is, I believe, comprehensible only to      Catholics. IMO, Lanza's version beats McCormack's and Tauber's by a mile.)
7/ Tell Me Tonight
8/ Nocturne
9/ The Night Is Young, and You're So Beautiful

To make room for them, I'd bump off Only a Rose (I can't relate to the lyrics.), My Romance (so-so lyrics), Guardian Angels, And Here You Are, Besame Mucho (If only Lanza had sung this in the original, more passionate Spanish version!), A Kiss, and All the Things You Are (The shimmering MGM outtake has spoiled all other versions for me.).

Cheers,
Lou

[norma]

Hi Derek

I would also include on your list ` Behold`-any comments?

 

                                                                                                    Norma   

[Derek McGovern]

Lou wrote:

Hi Derek: Lanza recorded an English-language version of Ciribiribin? I don't see it in his English-language songs discography. 

Hi Lou: No, Lanza didn't record an English-language version of Ciribiribin, and I don't know why it didn't occur to me to point this out to Barnabas when he suggested it for this CD set. (I guess I was focusing on my dislike of the song rather than the language it was sung in!)

Well spotted.   

I like all of your choices, though I'm not sure that the rather wayward (but exciting) Wanting You should be on a disc of greatest English-language renditions. It's a little rough around the edges :) And, of course, Ah Moon of My Delights wouldn't be able to go on a SonyBMG set.

Can you explain the analogy in The Rosary that is comprehensible only to Catholics?

Thanks for sharing your selections with us.

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: Behold has a spectacular ending (a brilliant high B-flat), and is very seductively sung by Lanza. While I'm not a great fan of the song itself, I'd be comfortable with it being on, say, a two-CD set of English songs. 

What do others think of it?

Cheers

Derek

[Michael McAdam]

Behold is okay but not really a grabber IMHO.

Those familiar with Vol. 2 of Quintessential Lanza will notice that 99% of the tracks appearing there are on display in this thread. We all have such good taste!

Lou and Lee Ann have mentioned a couple that are near to my heart also and...very astutely put, Lee Ann, The Student Prince really is a stand-alone for Lanza isn't it? (with or without my machinations/manipulations).

 

How about the Macadamedia version of Roses of Picardy with modified ending: http://www.4shared.com/audio/7w2mLds1/Roses_of_Picardy_endMod.html

Does anyone here like this enuff to include on a CD set like this? (I was haunted by the song when I first heard it at a15 yrs of age and still am......at 39 ;-)) 

Wanting You? Yes, I love it too but the "goosed" ending wrecks it for me. Maybe I'll try to fix that and ship it up to 4Shared if do-able.

M.

[Anita]

How true Mike!  I have had difficulty compiling my cd list and when I listened to your Mellow Mario Montage I wanted to include most of the songs on that.

Here's my list and I bet if I had to compile it again some of the songs would be different!!!

They didn't believe me.
All the things you are.
Serenade (from the Student Prince, I don't particularly like the other one.)
Deep in my heart (from the movie)
Danny boy.
Roses of Picardy
Golden days
Lord's prayer (from BYM)
Ave Maria (from Serenade)
Guardian angels
Ah sweet mystery of life
Song of India
Begin the beguine
I'll walk with God
Do you wonder?
A kiss
None but the lonely heart
One Alone
Siboney
The song angels sing
This is a night to remember

This list is in no particular order.  I don't know if anyone else is like me but I find that on some days I like certain songs better than I do at other times.  Strange???

[leeann]

MIKE, where WAS my head? :-)

It is good to have a song that has meaning that lasts over the years.

I'll add Roses of Picardy as a bonus track, how's that. Thank you for the 4shared. I'd also remove Trembling of a Leaf from my original group and add Wonder Why and One Alone. Clearly this would be a flexible playlist!  Best, Lee Ann

[Lou]

Derek wrote:

       Can you explain the analogy in The Rosary that is comprehensible only to Catholics?

Hi Derek:

In Catholicism, the word “rosary” can refer to one of two things: either the string of beads used to count out prayers, or the prayers themselves. There are 59 beads (plus a cross at the end) and each bead is assigned a specific prayer. As the prayers are recited, the fingers keep count by moving in a slow rhythm over the beads. While the lips and fingers are thus engaged, the mind meditates on the principal events in the life of Jesus and that of Mary, his mother. Although the vast majority of rosary beads are made of wood, glass, or plastic, there are some that are made of precious materials such as pearls.

The Rosary compares the lover’s retrospection to praying the rosary. In my opinion, non-Catholics will not readily “get” the analogy because they are not familiar with praying the rosary. Here’s my own take on the meaning of the song in light of my Catholic background:

The hours I spent with thee, dear heart

Are as a string of pearls to me;

I count them over, every one apart,

My rosary, my rosary!

(With the quiet rhythm and lingering pace of one who prays the rosary, the lover savors his remembrance of precious moments with his loved one.)

Each hour a pearl, each pearl a prayer

To still a heart in absence wrung:

I tell each bead unto the end,

And there a cross is hung!

(The recitation of the rosary has a calming, mantra-like effect on the pray-er. Similarly, the lover’s tender reminiscences give him some relief from his anguish over the absence of his beloved, but at the end, the painful reality of his irrevocable loss confronts him.)

O memories that bless and burn!

O barren gain and bitter loss!

I kiss each bead and strive at last to learn

To kiss the cross, sweetheart, to kiss the cross…

(Just as the pray-er of the rosary meditates on the principal events in the life of Jesus, the lover revisits and dwells on the critical experiences [love gained and love lost?] in his relationship with his beloved.  Strengthened and consoled by his cathartic, faith-filled retrospection, he finally resolves to accept and offer up his suffering.)

If you find this “religious mumbo jumbo” off-putting, remember you asked for it. :-}

Cheers,

Lou

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou,

Many thanks for going to all that trouble! I'd always found the lyrics here a bit obscure, and now you've clarified everything for me. Well done!

It is a beautiful rendition. A curious choice for the Coke Shows, perhaps (since it mainly speaks to Catholics), but I'm pleased Mario recorded it. 

Actually, I hadn't realized until now how old the song was: it was written in 1898. Like Lanza, its composer, Ethelbert Nevin (what a name!) died at 38.

Thanks again,

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Anita: I like most of your choices, with the main exception being None But the Lonely Heart (surprise, surprise). But what's Ave Maria doing on an English set? :) The Serenade recording is beautiful, though, especially the version recorded for the film, which differs from the LP and CD rendition on the opening lines (Ave Maria/Gratia plena).

Seeing Ah Sweet Mystery of Life on your list inspired me to dig it out tonight. I hadn't heard it in quite a while. It's a gutsy piece of singing, all right! The tempo is ridiculously fast, with all subtlety consequently out the window, but  that ending is quite a thrill. "....for it is *love* alone that rules for aye!!!!" Irresistible. Did you know that the recording was used on a Mercedes-Benz TV commercial in the US during the late 1990s?

To answer your question, no, I don't think it's "strange" at all to like some songs more on certain occasions. I have to be in the mood for certain arias and songs. But that's one of the great things about Lanza's legacy: there's a recording for every occasion. 

Cheers

Derek

[Joseph Fagan]

Derek, this question is a little off tangent to your comment on being in the mood for certain songs/arias of Mario. I ALSO am that way but here is what I really want to ask of others: Do you have a certain way, mode to listen to Mario?. I do not , cannot listen "passively" to him for full enjoyment e.g while doing something else like reading, etc. For me, I must lay back ( usually with eyes closed) and CONCENTRATE on his voice and lyrics. He is the only singer that demands this of me. His voice THEN actually transports me to another dream-like world. While I will listen to him while driving ( if I am alone), I cannot ever listen to him as background music ( elevator music as my son says)

. For other singers,  or for instrumental music.... I can listen as background listening, but it seems that Mario requires My undivided attention. I am curious if anyone else feels this way?  Thanks, Joe

[leeann]

Dear Lou, that was a beautiful explanation--Catholic or not. Thank you. Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Joe: Well, I guess that any devoted admirer of a singer will say that their artist demands their undivided attention when listening to him/her. But what I've noticed with Lanza is that even those who don't especially care for his singing acknowledge that he commands complete attention. He simply can't be relegated to background music. That's what comes of being a force of nature :)

I don't particularly like using headphones, but living in an apartment with virtually no soundproofing between the floors means that I can't really play old Mario at a decent volume through my speakers. (I've had complaints in the past!) And, yes, like you, I tend to listen with my eyes closed.

Cheers

Derek 

[Anita]

Ooops!   Ave Maria - English???  Not thinking.  I guess I like that Ave Maria so much that I would include it in any cd selection I made up. 

 Yes, I had heard that "Ah, Sweet Mystery..." had been used in an ad.  I wonder if that exposure of his voice led anyone to find out who was singing and becoming an admirer (fan)?

What puzzles me is why there are quite a number of songs that he (in my opinion) spoils by singing the endings in an "ugly" way?  eg:  Behold, Rose Marie, Fools Rush In, Oh Nights of Splendour, Marechiare just to name a few.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Anita: I agree that there are quite a few Lanza recordings that feature poor endings. Funnily enough, though, the examples you gave aren't among the ones I'd single out. 

I've always thought the spectacular ending to Behold was the best thing about that recording -- and even more so on Rose Marie, which is otherwise cursed with a goofy arrangement. The climactic note is both instances is a high B-flat. That breath control on "Rose Marie"!  Fools Rush In features an insane ending ("When we met/I felt my LIFE begin/so open up your heart and let/this fool rush in!"), but like the crazy octave leap at the end of Wanting You ("All I ADORE!"), I find it thrilling -- even with that croaky "All". In both cases, I guess, the listener is either going to love or hate the ending. (My mother hates both, while my father always laughs at their outrageousness. But who else could even attempt such feats?) Actually, it's the beginning of Fools Rush In that I have problems with, as Lanza is uncharacteristically flat here. It's a bit low for him.

I don't have a problem with the ending on the RCA recording of Marechiare, but I don't like the Albert Hall rendition (running fast, incidentally, on this YouTube offering) at all. It's rough as old boots -- the ending is ugly -- and it was easily Mario's worst piece of singing of the evening. As for Oh Nights of Splendor, well, to be honest, the ending is the least of its problems! Lanza's intonation is off from the very beginning, and he sounds out of sorts and under-rehearsed.

The endings that I find disappointing on otherwise beautiful pieces of singing include the English version of Arrivederci Roma, Roses of Picardy, and Love Me Tonight. I also feel that retakes (just of the endings) would have been a good idea on And Here You Are (shaky high B), Come Prima, L'Alba Separa dalla Luce l'Ombra, Addio alla Madre (RCA recording -- very sharp) and O Holy Night (ditto). These are just examples off the top of my head, and I'm sure I can come up with plenty more. 

I guess this simply proves that Lanza wasn't always a perfectionist :) 

Cheers

Derek  

[Tony Partington]

Okay, here's my paltry offering to this experiment:

 

1. Be My Love (Derek has spoken well of why it should be , and must be included in a Lanza Enlisish-Language disc)

2. Tell Me Tonight (Probably my favorite Coke recording Mario ever did, bare none.  It's perfection!)

3. Sylvia (No one, to my ear, can - or has - sung this incredibly lovely song as beautifully as Mario has.  His phrasing and dynamics are astounding and the range of colors we hear in is voice in this recording is sheer beauty.  Also, to pick up a point made in an earlier thread comparing Lanza's vocal "style" with that of  James Melton, I believe it was Mike who said Melton's vocal approach was stuffy and rather unromantic.  Well, here too we have a great old standard that Mario brings nothing but musical respect to and yet, in his fantastically magical way, he is able to breathe romance and life into that other singers, at least for me, are completely unable to do.  As a bit of an example of what I'm talking about, here's a link to tenor Allan Jones' versoin of "Sylvia."  Have a listen and compare it to Mario's and then you be the judge.)  http://dc130.4shared.com/download/WOG3xofJ/Allan_Jones_-_Sylvia.mp3?dsid=2p9mw.fe72459557a567308b9d9ba71f7a5750

4. And This Is My Beloved (I realise there will be many out ther who will wonder what in the world I'm thinking including this recording in this all English compilation. I must confess this has been a favorite of mine for years, ever since I got the LP THE BEST OF MARIO LANZA.  Yes, it's from the notorious LANZA ON BROADWAY recording sessions, but it is, in my opinion, probably the only salvagable recording from those sessions.  His singing, for the most part, is very good and well focused.  I remember too, as a young man, hearing Mario take the high B-flat at the end and it just blew my mind.  No one else sings "And This Is My Beloved" the way Lanza does nor, I daresay coould anyone.  From the same album, and some would argue is also acceptable is "On The Street Where You Live Is."  Sorry folks,  it's dreadful.  In fact, I'll go so far as to say "On The Street Where You Live" is simply NOT a Lanza song.  My heart is very close to MY FAIR LADY as my father stage managed the original production for almost six years on Broadway and I feel a special closeness to "On The Street Where You Live" since I've had the great good fortune to sing it many times in concert and in two world premiere musicals.  An interesting side note to this song: The actor/singer who played Freddie in the original production of MY FAIR LADY was John Michael King whose father was Dennis King the great English actor/singer who created the role of the Vagabond King.  I grew up with Michael King's version of "On The Street Where You Live" and for me, no one sings it better.)

5. When You're In Love (Beautiful song, beautifully sung. Lanza's phrasing and intonation are glorious in this affirmation to love.  Listen to the way he negotiates the passaigio. He makes some choices a strict voice teacher might frown on bu oh what it does to one's heart to hear these lines sung this way.  I'm thinking particularly of the line: "And then each day will be like spring."  Even the second time he sings it, after the key change and he's up higher, listen to how he sings the word "SPRING!"  It's open, just like his heart.  I know full well that technically Lanza should have covered on that note.  But would it have been as exciting?  Would you have felt in as completely and heard Lanza the way you heard Lanza if he had done it "technically perfect."?)

6. They Didn't Believe Me (One of the recordings that totally captivated me when I first came to know Mario and his glorious voice.  I remember thinking, how could someone with a voice so powerful be able to, at the same time, sing so gently and without affect?  Once again, an amazing example of the beauty and breadth of the Lanza voice.)

7. Thine Alone (The 1956 recording from the album A CAVALCADE OF SHOW TUNES.  This song moved me so very much the first time I heard it decades ago, and it continues to have the same effect upon me today.  I think the end is simply glorious.)

8. All The ThingsYou Are (BYM outtake.  Certainly enough has been said about this fantastic recording but I still marvel at the beauty of the voice, the loveliness of the vocal line nad how he negotiates, seemingly effortlessly, through the passagio.  It is simply a gem.

9. Because You're Mine (Royal Albert Hall Concert performance - with Mario's intro of Victor Hauchhauser.  I just love this song and I love the way Mario sings it in this perfromance.  RCA included this in the LP THE BEST OF MARIO LANZA and for years I never knew where the recording actually came from.  I've always loved this recording and Mario is certainly in great voice with those B-flats!)

10. Serenade (From the MGM soundtrack of THE STUDENT PRINCE.  Nothing more need be said I think.)

 

The second half of English Language CD to follow.  As I am writing from work and I'll have to add it piecemeal.

 

Ciao ~ Tony

[Michael McAdam]

Well, Tony: I'm impressed by your choices and the way you've defended each one. I enthusiastically agree with all except And This Is My Beloved. I agree it's well sung but to my ear Mario still sounds a little bleary.

By the way, have you heard the 'blooper' version of When You're In Love? After he blows the line, the orchestra stops and he exclaims, "oh, s - - t!" I immediately spliced in from where he sings the line correctly (with a snippet of applause added) to the end of the song. Sounds good. This is on my upcoming  Macadamedia CD "Coca-Cola presents 'The Mario Lanza Show' ~ Outtakes, Retakes & Great Takes" . Coming soon from my house to yours (Ha! don't say it, Armando ;-))

 

I must tell you Tony that I think it's fantastic to have an American singer posting here. The  anecdotes from your younger years are fascinating as is the insight you bring to your descriptions of Mario's songs. Bravo, mate!

M..

[Michael McAdam]

A P.S to the above: There is an account floating around somewhere of Frankie Laine (the song's lyricist and erstwhile singer) dropping into the recording studio while Mario recorded one of his take's of When You're In Love and being reduced to tears by Lanza's rendition of his song.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: I'd like to second Mike's praise of your post. It's always fascinating to know why someone admires a particular recording, and I really appreciate the effort you've made here.

Have to agree with Mike, though, about And This is My Beloved. It's just not the great Lanza I know and love. Mario's a bit bleary, as Mike pointed out, and (unusually for him) his rhythm even falters at one point ("Music....mystery"). It's just OK to me. But I'm starting to think that Mike and I might be in the minority here! Come to think of it, I remember having a spirited discussion at one of the NZ Mario Lanza Society get-togethers in the early 1980s with a very musical fellow who was usually quite critical of Lanza -- but absolutely loved this recording.  

The most positive thing I can say about it is that it's the best of the twelve Lanza on Broadway tracks, so at least we agree on that, my friend :)

I like most of your other choices, Tony, though I have reservations about Thine Alone and When You're in Love. Does anyone else agree with me that the latter was performed in too high a key? I love the outtake blooper that Mike mentioned, though :) 

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: I don't know about "being reduced to tears," but according to Terry Robinson, both Laine and his co-writer Carl Fischer were present when Mario recorded it. Laine apparently rushed out and embraced Lanza straight afterwards, telling him, "I never heard anything like it in my life."  

[Tony Partington]

Thanks fellas for your kind words.  Listen though, you guys can't hold out on me like that.  Not when it's one of my favorite songs!!!  Come on, send me a copy or the link to the outtake blooper of "When You're In Love" I'm dying to hear it!!!  PLEASE!

 

My additional ten or twelve selections for my English-Language Lanza CD shall follow post haste.

 

Ciao ~ Tony

[Thelma]

Thank you, Tony, for your analysis of those English language songs by
Mario Lanza . I believe you are able to describe them as well as
anyone ever has. I like them all also.

On May 17, 5:56 pm, Tony Partington <tonyparting...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Okay, here's my paltry offering to this experiment:
>
> 1. Be My Love (Derek has spoken well of why it should be , and must be
> included in a Lanza Enlisish-Language disc)
> 2. Tell Me Tonight (Probably my favorite Coke recording Mario ever did, bare
> none.  It's perfection!)
> 3. Sylvia (No one, to my ear, can - or has - sung this incredibly lovely
> song as beautifully as Mario has.  His phrasing and dynamics are astounding
> and the range of colors we hear in is voice in this recording is sheer
> beauty.  Also, to pick up a point made in an earlier thread comparing
> Lanza's vocal "style" with that of  James Melton, I believe it was Mike who
> said Melton's vocal approach was stuffy and rather unromantic.  Well, here
> too we have a great old standard that Mario brings nothing but musical
> respect to and yet, in his fantastically magical way, he is able to breathe
> romance and life into that other singers, at least for me, are completely
> unable to do.  As a bit of an example of what I'm talking about, here's a
> link to tenor Allan Jones' versoin of "Sylvia."  Have a listen and compare

> it to Mario's and then you be the judge.)  http://dc130.4shared.com/download/WOG3xofJ/Allan_Jones_-_Sylvia.mp3?d...

[Thelma]

I would add "Because" and "I Love Thee" to Mario's very good English
language songs, and "The Lord's Prayer."

> > Ciao ~ Tony- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Armando]

Below are the songs that I would like to see on an all -English selections Lanza CD or CDs.

I don’t intend to go into a detailed analysis of the songs- many are particular favourites and a few, like For You Alone, Because, If, and Night and Day songs that I both dearly love and have sung.

However, I will say this much. Regardless of the overblown arrangement I simply cannot go past For You Alone. Lanza is in spectacular voice, with perfect placement and a torrent of golden notes pouring forth that is simply overwhelming.

Because is a song that I simply adore and never fails to move me.

 Tony, Mike and Derek: You were discussing And This is My Beloved. From memory, Mario starts off well but gets lost at about the halfway point. The singing is laboured and he is not helped by the second rate conducting. However, it’s one of the lesser evils of the disastrous Broadway album.

 There are quite a few  CC songs that are in ridiculously high keys. When You’re in Love is one of them, but it’s pretty exciting, nevertheless. I don’t like Thine Alone- he sounds strained, tired.

 

Here is the list:

 

For you Alone

Because

Because you’re mine 1952 or 58

Without a Song

Some Day -1951

Begin the Beguine

Night and Day 

You do something to me

If I loved You

The Night is Young

Roses of Picardy

A Kiss

Serenade -Student Prince –1952

Golden Days 1952

Summertime in Heidelberg -1952

I’ll walk with God

Drink, Drink, Drink-1952

Beloved -1953

Song of India

The Song Angels Sing

The Lord’s Prayer RCA -1951

Only a Rose –1956

All the Things you are –1956

They Didn’t Believe me

Arrivederci Roma – (in English)

Bayou Lullaby

I’ll be seeing you

I’ll see you again

Romance

My Romance

Tell Me Tonight

Behold

The Trembling of a Leaf 

The World is mine tonight

Your eyes have told me so

If

One Night of Love

Baeutiful love

The Moon was yellow

The Thrill is gone

A night to remember

Earthbound

Never Till Now

Where or When

Sylvia

Wonder Why

And here you are

The thrill is gone

Love is the Sweetest thing

Yesterdays

Will You Remember

Yours is My Heart Alone 1956

Earthbound

Donkey Serenade 1956

Thoughts Will Come to Me

One Alone 1959

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: I simply have to put you out of your misery:

http://www.4shared.com/audio/8D_M3klL/When_Youre_in_Love__outtake_.html

Cheers

Derek

P.S. It's just as well Mario fluffed this version, as the very beginning is definitely superior on the retake.

[Tony Partington]

Hi Armando:  Wonderful list and so diverse.  I must ask you though, why did you decide on the 1956 "All The Things You Are"?  To be quite honest with you, I was torn in deciding but the BYM outtake won out.  I would very much like to know your thinking on this one.

 

Ciao ~ Tony

 

PS: Interesting isn't it how we each of us hear songs our own special way?  I'm thinking particularly of "And This Is My Beloved."  I guess these sort of things  make the world go round.

[Tony Partington]

Oh Derek! MANY, MANY thanks for the blooper.  It is indeed funny!!!  I agree with you too, wholeheartedly, the second take was a very wise.  The opening in the second take is much, much stronger.

 

Again pal, thanks so very much!

 

Ciao ~ Tony

[Armando]

Hi Tony,

You asked, “Why did you decide on the 1956 "All The Things You Are"?

The answer is only because the earlier BYM outtake belongs to MGM and due to (ridiculous) copyright restrictions cannot be used by BMG.

The 1951 is a superlative reading of this beautiful song, which Kern named as his favourite composition, but in its absence the 1956 is a pretty good substitute.

I guess I should have included Be My Love, which is not a bad song and is well sung, but I am simply sick to death of it.

I should also have included My Destiny. I am particularly fond of this song but apart from me and Lanza, who named it as his favourite song on the Peter Lind Hayes Interview, ( before someone decided to doctor the tape and substitute it with Voce e Notte) I don’t know of anyone else who is keen on it.

 Of course, a lot of it is subjective but, as you say, its what makes the world go around!

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Armando: I'm also very fond of the 1956 All the Things You Are, and had included it on my list as well. It's a more operatic rendition than the gloriously romantic and nuanced MGM outtake, but Lanza's passionate approach works. Unlike the MGM version, it's not perfect, but it's certainly a very fine piece of singing. Perhaps we should start a separate thread on Lanza's three (complete) versions of this song?

I've always known that For You Alone was one of your favourite Lanza recordings. I agree that it's quite a feat of vocal display; it's just that I've never been able to get into the song itself. But of course you've sung it many times -- and I think that does make a huge difference in one's appreciation of certain songs. Incidentally, how would you rate the Coke version in comparison?     

What fool decided to tamper with history and substitute My Destiny with "Voce 'e Notte" at the end of Peter Lind Hayes' broadcast of Lanza's final interview?! Absolute madness. (For those who haven't heard it, Peter Lind Hayes interviewed a rather tipsy Mario in the Villa Badoglio in September 1959, and ended the programme with a record that Lanza had singled out and played that evening -- his favourite of all his recordings.)  

Actually, I have a soft spot for My Destiny. Overall, I prefer the film take -- beautifully reproduced here -- but the commercial version does contain the more exciting ending. Hearing the latter when I'm in the mood for histrionics and sheer gutsy power can be quite exhilarating :) We have a discussion thread on the two versions if anyone's interested (or would like to comment further).

Cheers

Derek

[Armando]

Hi Derek: I prefer the earlier For You Alone. The radio one is a little wilder with a more open sound typical of the CC performances but, overall, not too bad at all.

I’m not sure who tampered with the Peter Lind Hayes tape, although I have at least one good theory- could it be the original person who changed the pitch on the 1959 Student Prince?:-)

 A thread on two of  All The Things You Are should suffice-the CC is substandard.  

[Tony Partington]

Great posts!  Armando, you've made me realize something and that is, I perhaps have chosen the first half of my English-Language Recording without taking certain limitations into mind.  I included the BYM version of "All The Things You Are" but as Armando has pointed out, this is not a legit RCA recording.  So, with that in mind, I'll substitute the CAVALCADE OF SHOW TUNES version of this wonderful Jerome Kern song.

 

In all events, to finish off the disc, here are the rest of my selections:

 

11. I Love Thee (From FOR THE FIRST TIME soundtrack.  I think this is, by far, the finest recording of this semi-classical piece of all the recordings of the work Lanza did of it.)

12. For You Alone (The earlier recording, as Armando indicated, would be my choice as well.  I love this song and I think it suits Mario's voice so beautifully.)

13. Romance (1952.  From CAMEO KIRBY.  Derek started a thread about this lovely song and it is, to my mind, a winner indeed.  Mario just sounds wonderful on it.)

14. Love My Tonight (From the VAGABOND KING recording 1959.  A captivating performance.  Certainly not Lanza at his vocal best but his heart and soul are connected to the music and he is painting a glorious picture of a passioante and fleeting romantic scene.)

15. The Donkey Serenade (The 1956 recording.  It is so far superior to the Coke Show version it's not even worth discussing.  This is such a wonderfully infectious song and Mario sings it just right.  Every time I play it and the intro starts, my wife lightly laughs and that just tickles me.  First, because I love the sound of her laugh and second, I know we're in store for a fun time musically.)

15. Guardian Angels (Original recording with Harpo Marx on harp.  This has got to be one of the loveliest songs ever written (of its genre) and certainly Mario knew exactly what he was doing vocally when he recorded it.  The beautiful phrasing coupled with the very subtle and sweet vocalism make this a true American classic - and one that is a collaboration between two very gifted artists that are, without doubt, an unlikely pairing.)

16. I'll Be Seeing You (The big heart string tugger.  What a beautiful song and how beautifully sung by Mario.  I believe it was Derek who, in a post some time ago, said that the high note at the end seems not at all an intrusion and oh how I do so agree with that.  Here again, Mario knew what he was doing and had no intention of over-singing this American classic.  His phrasing and dynamics are marvelous to observe and as I write this I cannot help but realise that one of the small but very moving parts of the song, for me, is right at the end after Mario's sung, "I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new!  I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you."  It's the :".... I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you."  That last line just moves me so very much.  The way he sings it and the way it clearly moves him.  It's so interesting to imagine the images and feelings Mario may have had when he sang certain arias, canzones and songs.  I guess we'll never really know.  What we do know though are the images and feelings his glorious voice, coupled with these songs, bring about for us and that is part of the amazing magic that continues to live on with Mario.)

17. A Kiss (What a romantic and life affirming song.  ".. It all depends on whom you kiss."  Amen.)

18. With A Song In My Heart (Sorry gang, I just love it.  Yes it's in too high a key and all the rest, but it just brings back so many fond memories of first hearing Mario and just being flabbergasted by his tremendous voice.  Full out!  No holds barred!  I guess, at times, I just like that.)

19. Some Day (1951.  An amazing recording.  In so many ways it seems Mario was born to sing this type of music; his passion and natural affinity coupled with the near perfect diction and an innate sense of the composer's musical intention.  He was at home in this idiom and while it was no where near the test that opera was, it still presented its challenges and he had the voice for it.  You know, there are times I think of Mario as a sort of vocal Lon Chaney: "Man of a Thousand Voices" for it certainly seemed he had that many.)

20. The Trembling Of A Leaf (I've commented on this song before.  I just love it and I love Mario's phrasing, his dynamics and the sheer beauty of his voice on this recording.  It's not well known and perhaps thatis onething that appeals to me about Mario; the fact that he recorded and performed lesser known works quite often and this I think was good for his career, good for up and coming composers and lyricists and good for all of us as music lovers.  Ultimately we were able to hear songs which, had it not been for Mario, might never have seen the light of day and, even more importantly, become part of the rich and precious treasure that is the recorded legacy of Mario Lanza, tenor.)

 

Ciao ~ Tony

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: Nice list and very interesting commentary. I Love Thee (1958 version) is a beautiful, if overlooked, recording. There's a thread about it here, incidentally, along with links to other (more erratic!) Lanza versions as well. 

Ah, With a Song in My Heart! I know we discussed this recording a while back on the "Guilty Pleasures" thread, but I'll just add that I'm in the rare position of agreeing with Derek Mannering here. The enthusiasm is certainly there, but Mario is simply straining too much for my liking. It frustrates me, as I love the song and am convinced that Lanza had a great rendition in him. You're in good company, though, as Mike McAdam and Lou and -- apparently -- even Jose' Carreras share your enthusiasm for this recording. 

As for the other renditions on your list, virtually all of them are among my favourite Lanza recordings of English songs. Good point about Lanza singing things off the beaten track; in fact, I rather think he went out of his way at times to sing lesser-known songs -- not only on the Coke Shows, but on the Mario! and Caruso Favorites albums as well. He didn't just stick to the warhorses. And, yes, I couldn't agree more about Lanza's singing of The Trembling of a Leaf. It's too bad Armando never got to discuss this recording when he met its composer, John Green, but I'd be willing to bet that Green loved what Mario did with this unusual (and even slightly awkward) song. Green certainly admired Lanza's handling of another of his compositions, Never Till Now. Muriella, by the way, wrote some lovely things about "The Trembling of a leaf" on this thread.   

Cheers

Derek

[Michael McAdam]

Hey gang: what a great thread you've got going here. Wish I wasn't flat out getting files, docs, photos and Van ready for the 1200 mile drive to Ontario. I'd love to comment...sigh!

One thing (if anyone likes guessing challenges?): What was the song, named above, that was my soprano grandmother's favourite of Lanza's? She'd get me to play this one every time I came home as she never touched my LPs while I was away. I would often hear her murmering (while moist eyed and enraptured) "ooh, Mario, you do like to belt a song out, don't you?).

Armando may know the song I'm referring to ;-))

 

Mike

[Derek McGovern]

Well, out of curiosity, I thought I'd tally up how many choices we had in common among those of us who have posted. Bear in mind, however, that the results are skewed in that most of the responses were for a single CD. No doubt we'd have a lot more recordings in common if everyone had listed their choices for a two-CD set.

In the end, just one recording received everyone's votes:

Serenade from The Student Prince (MGM, 1952)

Incredible! There were certain recordings I'd always thought would make it to any "Ultimate" list (Song of India and Begin the Beguine, for example!). Just goes to show how differently we all respond to this fascinating tenor's legacy.

Cheers

Derek

[Armando]

Hi Mike: I recall you speaking about your grandmother, but I can’t remember what her favourite Lanza song was. Surely not, With A Song in My Heart!

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Armando: My guess is that it was For You Alone that so enraptured Mike's dear old grannie. But we won't find out for a couple of weeks or so, I guess, until Mike returns from his 1200-mile trek. (He's currently being pulled to Ontario by a herd of moose.) 

Mike was certainly lucky having a Lanza-loving grandmother. My paternal grandmother hated all operatic singers -- though, funnily enough, whenever she heard Lanza being played, she asked us to "turn that Caruso off." (Mind you, she had no time for "Albert" Presley either :))

[Armando]

Hi Derek: Actually, For You Alone makes more sense. Lanza is not only in astonishing vocal form, but it’s better sung than With a Song in My Heart.   

Funny thing about grandmothers. My maternal grannie couldn’t get enough of Lanza.Like my mother, she loved everything about him- voice, looks and personality, but neither could stand “Albert” Presley.   

[leeann]

Funny thing about grandmothers, indeed. If my otherwise amazing maternal grandmother had been responsible for my musical tastes, I'd have begun and ended with Lawrence Welk. She loved the man. She did not pay attention to Albert Presley :-)

She did, however, take me to my first opera of sorts when I was a child: Madame Butterfly at Kungsholms, a Swedish restaurant in Chicago with a smorgasbord and a Little Opera Theatre. I have vague recollections that some of the characters were puppets and stronger recollections of the novelty of the food.  Best, Lee Ann

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Well, sorry but I'd omit the Be My Love, at the same time I'd include the Trees, Because, And Here You Are, Ciribiribin and some Christmas Songs.

 

Barnabas

On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 7:54 AM, Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

Well, since no one's taken the bait, I'll jump in myself. 

These are the recordings that I would put on the ultimate English-language single CD if I were compiling it for SonyBMG. That means excluding four of my favourite non-SonyBMG Lanza recordings -- the MGM All the Things You Are, Because from The Great Caruso soundtrack, Deep in My Heart, Dear with Ann Blyth from The Student Prince soundtrack, and The Lord's Prayer from Because You're Mine -- since copyright restrictions would rule them out of contention. 

In no particular order:

1/   Be My Love (RCA, 1950) (I guess it has to be included! I've never really warmed to the song, but millions have -- and Lanza is undeniably in fine form here)

2/   Because You're Mine (RCA, 1952)

3/   Serenade from The Student Prince (1952)

4/   I'll Walk with God (1952)

5/   Beloved (1953)

6/   Drink! Drink! Drink! (1952)

7/   Some Day (1951)

8/   If I Loved You (1952)

9/   The Song Angels Sing (RCA, 1952)

10/ The Lord's Prayer (RCA, 1951)

11/ Begin the Beguine (1952)

12/ Without a Song (1951)

13/ Only a Rose (1956)

14/ Yours is My Heart Alone (1956)

15/ Romance (1952)

16/ My Romance (1951) -- Original LP version, not the alternate version released on two BMG CDs

17/ Arrivederci, Roma (in English) (RCA, 1957)

18/ A Kiss (1952)

19/ I'll Be Seeing You (1952)

20/ Song of India (1953)

21/ Golden Days (1952)

22/ One Alone (RCA, 1959)

My two-CD set would feature (in addition to the above):

23/ Love Me Tonight (1959) -- yes, flawed and all!

24/ Where or When (1952)

25/ I'll See You Again (1952)

26/ Never Till Now (1957)

27/ The Moon Was Yellow (1952)

28/ Yesterdays (1952)

29/ Guardian Angels (RCA, 1951)

30/ The Donkey Serenade (RCA, 1956)

31/ You and the Night and the Music (1951)

32/ If (1951)

33/ Will You Remember? (1956)

34/ Wonder Why (1951)

35/ You Do Something to Me (1952)

36/ Love is the Sweetest Thing (1952)

37/ The Thrill is Gone (1951)

38/ All the Things You Are (RCA, 1956)

39/ And Here You Are (1952)

40/ Besame Mucho (1952)

41/ Beautiful Love (1952)

42/ Sylvia (1951)

43/ One Night of Love (1951) - High A flat-ending version (from 'B' side of the RCA album The Student Prince & Other Great Musical Comedies)

44/ Thoughts Will Come to Me (1959)

Cheers

Derek