Important stuff? No, but fascinating nonetheless.Īs for the music, well, Rodgers and Hart's breezy music and lyrics were made for Ella's musical sensibilities. The original has "Finally, in 1956, she changed her record affiliation." That became "Finally, Ella joined Verve in 1956." Chunks of interesting annotation in the original gave way on the later version to mentions of later Ella "songbook" projects that had yet to be produced when this record, the second in the "songbook" series after "The Cole Porter Song Book, was first issued. Simon's dismissal of Bop, replacing it with ""Ella asked for and got her own way for just one spare "take." It turned out to be her hit recording of "Lady Be Good." "Hey Bob A re Bop" and such were the anthems, but Ella managed to put all of that nonsense in its proper perspective when "Lady was released." It turned out to be her hit recording of 'Lady Be Good.' Bop was a big thing with musicians that year and there was an epidemic of scat singing that identified itself superficially with the new music. The original notes have "Ella asked for and got her own way for just one spare piece of acetate. In other words someone decided to go from the passive to the active tense, and to go from the formal "William Simon" to the more friendly "Bill Simon."There are other passive to active tense changes but more interesting are some of the other revisions.įor instance, while the original annotation refers to those responsible for her lack of visibility after her initial success with "A Tisket A Tasket" with ".but much of the blame lies with the people who were responsible for her recordings prior to 1956," the second pressing's notes has "But much of the blame must be placed in the preponderance of bad, desperately "commercial songs." No more finger pointing at "those people." The second press notes also used by ORG read "It was a long journey." The original annotation begins "It has been a long journey from "A Tisket A Tasket". The notes are similar but not identical and the differences are fascinating. Instead, the back cover's first two of three columns are notes written by "WILLIAM SIMON Music Critic. The original's do not include the Richard Rodgers' introduction. So why did Verve go from the full cover portrait of the smiling Ella to a smaller, partial cover photo of Ella looking away from the camera, almost like a High School portrait? Was it a racial matter? Was the original cover "too forward" for mid-'50s American sensibilities? Who knows?Įqually intriguing is a comparison of the liner notes. The graphics on the cover are frillier and appear more "old fashioned." The record inside has the original pre-MGM Verve label.Ĭlearly, this, not the cover and label ORG used for the reissue, is the true original cover. It's a full cover portrait of a smiling, inviting Ella looking directly into the camera lens, wearing the same dress as in the other photo, obviously taken at the same session. The other copy features a stereo cover with a different cover. The record inside features the second "T" Verve label after it had been bought by MGM. from "The Rodgers and Hart Songbook," an Ella appreciation from a "Bill Simon," and a note about the arrangements from producer Norman Granz. That is, there is an introduction by Richard Rodgers about his late lyricist Larry Hart reproduced with permission from Simon and Shuster, Inc. It features the same artwork and annotation as this new ORG double 45. One is a stereo copy in a mono jacket to which has been affixed a "STEREOPHONIC" sticker. One of the fascinating aspects of collecting records, particularly if you're willing to haunt Goodwills and hit garage sales, are the variations you often find of the same record.įor instance, I picked up at garage sales two stereo copies of Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook Volume I.
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