Ladies Sing

I'm not sure that it was necessary to include as many as four songs by my favorite lady of the era, Doris Day, but they are good ones. Three of them are famous, while My dreams are getting better all the time - every bit as good as the others - was an American number one hit.

Three of Peggy Lee's big hits of the forties are also included, my favorite among them being Its a good day. Also represented by three songs each are Billie Holiday, Kitty Kallen, Helen Forrest, Anita O'Day and Jo Stafford. Just two songs each for June Christy, Marjorie Hughes, Martha Tilton, Helen Ward, Patti Page, Margaret Whiting, the Andrews sisters and Dinah Shore. Some of the singers represented by just one song are obscure, but it is surprising that Judy Garland, Ivie Anderson, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Vera Lynn only get one song each.

My particular favorite tracks here include Loch Lomond (Martha Tilton - a very under-rated singer), A tree in the meadow (my favorite Margaret Whiting song), I had the craziest dream (Helen Forrest) and Powder your face with sunshine (Evelyn Knight - a lady with a bubbly personality who always sang happy songs and deserved more success than she had) - but there are so many great songs here. And, most importantly, there's no rubbish.

A compilation like this will never completely satisfy anybody. For example, some will wonder why Margaret Whiting's signature song, Moonlight in Vermont, was omitted. Nevertheless, this is as good an introduction to the great ladies of the forties as you are likely to find. After hearing this a few times, you may decide to collect their individual compilations. That could be an expensive exercise, but the ladies will be well worth the money.

Track listing

1 Sentimental journey - Doris Day
2 My dreams are getting better all the time - Doris Day
3 It's magic - Doris Day
4 Bewitched - Doris Day
5 Trolley song - Judy Garland
6 Shoo fly pie and apple pan dowdy - June Christy
7 Willow weep for me - June Christy
8 Rumour are flying - Marjorie Hughes
9 Oh what it seemed to be - Marjorie Hughes
10 It's a good day - Peggy Lee
11 Manana (is soon enough for me) - Peggy Lee
12 Golden earrings - Peggy Lee
13 Loch Lomond - Martha Tilton
14 And the angels sing - Martha Tilton
15 You turned the tables on me - Helen Ward
16 Goody goody - Helen Ward
17 All my love - Patti Page
18 Tennessee waltz - Patti Page
19 Two sleepy people - Ginny Simms and Harry Babbitt
20 Any old time - Billie Holiday
21 Man I love - Billie Holiday
22 Travellin' light - Billie Holiday
23 My ideal - Margaret Whiting
24 Tree in a meadow - Margaret Whiting
25 I got it bad and that ain't good - Ivie Anderson
26 I can't give you anything but love - Rose Murphy
27 It's been a long long time - Kitty Kallen
28 I'll buy that dream - Kitty Kallen
29 Waitin' for the train to come in - Kitty Kallen
30 I had the craziest dream - Helen Forrest
31 I don't want to walk without you - Helen Forrest
32 Time waits for no one - Helen Forrest
33 I wanna be loved - Andrews sisters
34 I can dream can't I - Andrews sisters
35 All of me - Helen O'Connell
36 Into each life some rain must fall - Ella Fitzgerald an the Ink spots
37 A Sunday kind of love - Fran Warren
38 Blues in the night - Dinah Shore
39 You'd be so nice to come home to - Dinah Shore
40 Opus one - Anita O'Day
41 Boogie blues - Anita O'Day
42 And her tears flowed like wine - Anita O'Day
43 Yes indeed - Jo Stafford and Sy Oliver
44 It could happen to you - Jo Stafford and Sy Oliver
45 Shrimp boats - Jo Stafford and Sy Oliver
46 Stormy weather - Lena Horne
47 How high the moon - Les Paul and Mary Ford
48 When the lights go on again - Vera Lynn
49 At last - Connie Haines
50 Powder your face with sunshine - Evelyn Knight
51 Hurry on down - Nellie Lutcher