Description
The plot of Grab Me A Gondola was inspired by publicity hunting actress Diana Dors appearing in a mink bikini at the Venice Film Festival and being thrown into a canal. The cameras that just happened to be there caught the scene with the Italian backdrop before she entered the water it was one of the greatest publicity shots ever of the 1950s. Grab Me A Gondola was billed as a new musical comedy and opened in late 1956. It ran for 687 performances at the Lyric theatre in London proving far more successful than many of the new crop of Broadway transfers. The star of the show was Joan Heal, a comic actress with a belting voice who was a recognised star of revue. Her co-star was Denis Quilley, a young veteran of musicals but not yet a star; this brought him that status. Other artists to go on to greater fame were Joyce Blair who played starlet Marcia and Una Stubbs one of the other starlets. Grab Me A Gondola was recorded in newly developed stereo but was only released in mono on vinyl at the time. We hear now for the first time the show in its original glorious stereo.
Our two other show selections are American imports. As the original Broadway cast recordings were available the British leads only went into the studio to record highlights of the show’s hit songs. Pal Joey opened in 1954 following a successful Broadway revival of the show that had originally been seen in 1940. This was the first London production. Carol Bruce, who had toured with the show when it closed on Broadway, played the knowing Vera. The London production ran 245 performances and the four tracks we hear were issued on two 78s.
The Broadway hit Wonderful Town opened in 1955 and ran for 207 performances with Pat Kirkwood and Shani Wallis as the two sisters Ruth and Eileen. The leads recorded the main songs from the show included here with the addition of two bonus pop recordings by Shani Wallis, the future “Nancy” in the Oscar-winning film of “Oliver!”
1. GRAB ME A GONDOLA Company 2:07
2. THAT’S MY BIOGRAPHY – Joan Heal 2:36
3. PLAIN IN LOVE – Denis Quilley & Jane Wenham 2:13
4. THE MOTOR CAR IS TREACHEROUS – Denis Quilley, Jane Wenham 2:05
5. CRAVIN’ FOR THE AVON – Joan Heal 3:10
6. BID HIM A FOND GOODBYE – Jane Wenham & Ina De La Haye 2:15
7. LONELY IN A CROWD – Guido Lorraine 2:22
8. JIMMY’S BAR – Donald Hewlett, Johnny Ladd & Company 2:06
9. MAN, NOT A MOUSE – Joan Heal & Denis Quilley 2:25
10. STAR QUALITY – Guido Lorraine, Joan Heal & Company 2:19
11. CHIANTI – Trefor Jones & Company 3:20
12. WHAT ARE THE FACTS? – Denis Quilley 2:39
13. RIG O’ THE DAY – Joan Heal & Company 2:02
14. ROCKIN’ AT THE CANNON BALL – Joyce Blair & Jay Denyer 2:16
15. WHEN I FIND THAT GIRL – Denis Quilley 2:08
PAL JOEY (Rodgers-Hart)
16. THAT TERRIFIC RAINBOW – Jean Brampton 2:32
17. WHAT IS A MAN – Carol Bruce 2:44
18. BEWITCHED – Carol Bruce 3:29
19. TAKE HIM – Carol Bruce & Sally Bazely 3:34
WONDERFUL TOWN (Bernstein-Comden-Green)
20. OHIO – Pat Kirkwood & Shani Wallis 2:51
21. ONE HUNDRED EASY WAYS – Pat Kirkwood 3:01
22. A LITTLE BIT IN LOVE – Shani Wallis 2:55
23. A QUIET GIRL – Denis Bowen 1:45
24. SWING – Pat Kirkwood 3:04
25. IT’S LOVE – Denis Bowen 1:17
26. THE WRONG NOTE RAG – Shani Wallis & Pat Kirkwood 1:53
Bonus Tracks:
27. HEART OF MY HEART – Shani Wallis 3:03
28. BELL BOTTOM BLUES – Shani Wallis 2:36
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