[steffen]

i think she is the female counterpart to frank sinatra.
usually ella fitzgerald gets the honor of beeing called that, but i think ella belongs more to the jazz field.

judy garland instead is showbiz: movie songs, radio broadcasts, theatre songs, broadway, american songbook etc.
can you imagine she was the biggest star around in 1961, with a live(!) album at No.1 of the billboard charts, and in the top 100 for years? with her major contract for a prime time tv variety series in 1963/64. and her many concert appearances.

"live at carnegie hall" is still among the top votes for live albums, and certainly the best in this field of show tunes.

i always wish frank sinatra had done a similar concert around 1963. with all of his major albums out on reprise and his classic catalogue already cemented, he should have performed a two-act show at carnegie, with a full orchestra. built of his capitol swingers, his own saloon songs, and jewels from reprise (like "ol man river", "come rain or come shine", and some basie), that would have been THE definite statement.

my favourite judy song is "never will i marry", also live from a 1962 concert.
and i am waiting to get her DVD set "the judy garland show", certainly some of the best tv ever produced.

i am still learning about her.

steffen

[steffen]

..amazing performance, on film:
in the 1962 movie, "i could go on singing", she performs a song with piano only, standing in a single spotlight. the song is "it never was you", sweet and sad, and the camera take is fluently, slowly approaching judy, and ending with a close up of her cute face.

I saw Judy at the New York Palace..I can't remember the year..Maybe you both can enlighten me on that..I can render a guess of early 1950's..I think it was billed as her comeback..Am I right on that? Well, anyway it was a fantastic show..I saw her again at Carnegie Hall. I have the album which was recorded live on April 20, 1961...



Irene

I have a cassette of songs from the CBS tv series The Judy Garland Show.

When she's singing "You Go to My Head" Judy forgets some of the lyrics.

She sings, "You go to my head with a smile that...I always forget these words."

Then she gives a little laugh, picks up the song on the next verse, and goes right on singing.

On with the show! The mistake didn't rattle Judy at all.

Also on the cassette is "Ol' Man River". According to the liner notes "Garland promised a tv critic she would perform it on the show even though a woman had never sung the number from Showboat before. CBS wanted her to stick to The Trolley Song."

Don't get me started!!! I'm in love with Judy Garland! She's my hero and my goal! I got started on her from my obsession with "The Wizard of Oz"...She was so beautiful and so talented, she deserved better than the life that she ended up with.

mel b

[steffen]

rene,

i have a cd of judy at the palace, closing night february 24, 1952.
it is part of a double disc called "judy duets" in commemoration of her 75 birthday(1997). the duets disc is made of some of her tv show appearances.
so i guess you were in the audience in 1952

in 1967 judy had another comeback at the palace.
the album hasn't been re-released for decades! (it wasn't on capitol, though).

carnegie hall was recorded sunday, april 23, 1961, at 8:30 pm
(that info is given on the original album jacket and CD cover).
did you see her at that particular date, or at another carnegie hall concert?

steffen

Hi Steffen, I have that same album of Judy at Carniegie Hall..I don't recall if I was at the concert on that particular date. Do you know if she appeared again at Caniegie Hall? As far as her Palace dates, I knew it had to be in the 1950's..Thanks for giving me the exact date...I guess i was in the audience in 1952. Do you remember what was the year she had gained weight? That is the time that i saw her again.. Thank your for replying to me with all the information on Judy.


Irene

[steffen]

rene,
i think judy appeared at carnegie hall for a second concert in march 1961 [EDIT: that's may. the first concert was in april] . check out the judy garland database for exact concert dates and infos.

i guess judy had gained weight during the late 50s, and got thinner during the early sixties. in the late 60s her weight changed again... but i don't know exactly (man, sounds like a health journal

you certainly are lucky to have witnessed her on stage!

steffen

I absolutely adore Judy Garland I was a Judy fan before Frank I cant even recall why, when, or how I became one it seems as if I always have been. She was an incredible actress, singer and entertainer I have read so much about her life done so many reports on her that its sometimes hard to talk about her sad and rather short life. I could go on and on about her but as I have to leave in a few minutes Ill save that for a later date. Instead I shall post a poem (not a very good one) that I wrote in junior high to go along with one of my reports

Judy Garland

Full of song, hope and laughter,
Happiness was all she was after.
But, she never found that place,
Trying merely added scars to her face.
Then at last it seemed she succeded,
In reality she was cheated.
For she died one dark cold, night,
I just dont think that was right.
Though she wasn't very young,
Her life had barely just begun.

Hi Mistie, The poem is well written, especially for a junior high school student..What grade did you get for the report on Judy?



Irene

[Edwin]

The original pressing of her Carnegie Hall album did not come in the foldout jacket that we see andwhich is similar to the CD. Originally, a few were released in a glossy but plain black box with the name of the album and the artist on it and that's all. Inside is a letter about the performance.

I have it and they say it's a collector's item.

Also, two of her best Capitol albums, both with Nelson Riddle, are out on one CD. Judy and Judy in Love. Highly recommended.

Ed

Hi Irene,
Thanks! I still have that report actually, I did it in 7th grade and I put it into a large 3" notebook with a picture of her on the cover, and inside it had a bio, lots of pictures, film summaries of all her movies, I made a paper doll with costumes from some of my favorite movies unfortunetly I lost the doll somewhere, plus a bunch of other facts and stuff like a copy of a poem she wrote and got published. My bio wasnt complete it was 8 pages and only up until age 6 and I ran out of time but she gave me an A anyways. Whew! sorry I didnt mean to run on like that.

Hi Mistie, You sure had a lot of information on Judy..I can't believe you only got to do up to age 6...Too bad you lost the dolls you made..It would have been nice to see...I am glad you got an A for your report..

Irene

A fellow poster mentioned Judy's great albums with Nelson Riddle (JUDY and JUDY IN LOVE) being available on one CD. This is correct; EMI does these "two-fers" with such class that I buy them without question and have yet to be disappointed. I have them from Louis Prima (1), Billy May (3), Nelson Riddle (1, with 1 upcoming; see my next post) Bobby Darin (2), Nat King Cole (4), Sarah Vaughan (1), Dean Martin (2), Vic Damone (1) Matt Monro (1) and Peggy Lee (4) and the Judy package. IMHO, EMI would do well to follow up this "happy" package of Judy's albums with Nelson to a more "melancholy" package containing her sombre mood pieces with Gordon Jenkins, the much sought after ALONE album coupled with their suite, THE LETTER.

Regards,
Giovanni

Please be advised that the good people at CCMUSIC.COM are showing March 19 release of 2 "2fers" (not EMI like the Judy/Judy In Love; but the Collectables label) for Judy:
MISS SHOWBUSINESS/ JUDY
and
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT / I COULD GO ON SINGING (soundtrack)

This still leaves the highly sought after ALONE and THE LETTER albums on Capitol (both arranged and conducted by Gordon Jenkins) unanswered for, but I wouldnt be surprised if they come out via EMI 2fer soon after these releases.

While these collections are inspired, all of these CDs have been in print before, but each album hasnt been in print via CD in about 12 years! Lucky shoppers can still find THATS ENTERTAINMENT out there in certain venues, but the others are long gone. Most recently JUDY has been coupled with JUDY IN LOVE on the aforementioned "2fer" from EMI. Enjoy!
Giovanni

Steffen,

I'm a big fan of Judy's too! The Wizard of Oz has been a fav of mine since childhood. I loved reading her bio's especially the one by Lorna Luft. It's such a tragic life she lived yet she was so full of beauty and grace in the movies and the stage!

It makes me cry to think how sad she must have been in real life yet how happy she made so many people when she performed!

ya - JUDY!

[steffen]

hi, i remember liza minnelli saying that judy garland was not that a sad and tragic person at all.
she may have had more mood changes, and ups and downs, with all that has been done to her by others.
but i think she was a very funny woman, witty and outspoken, enjoying herself and giving laughters to her children!

tragic is that she couldn't hold much of her earnings from her career. at the end she depended on others, and that is sad.
i remember reading about her joy when she did the 1963 tv series. she is supposed to have said: finally i am getting rich.
she certainly deserved it.
but she couln't hold it.

steffen

I don't think Liza seen as much sadness as Lorna.
Lorna was with her more in the tragic years. I think it's so sad
she was hooked on pills by age 16 -Wizard of Oz -and her mother just used her for the money! She was used by her husbands too!

I agree with you she's the lady "sinatra-voice" queen!

Take care!!

[Edwin]

is "The Garland Touch." I also believe there is a Capitol album of songs from her 60's TV series. They would also make excellent twofer's.
Ed

Never say it myself, but a lotta people like her. I think i couldnt get over she was in OZ. Hated that movie.