Other than alternates, the only missing tracks are the four from her last Columbia session on January 5, 1953: "Linger Awhile," "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year," "Blues Serenade" and "Ooh What-cha Doin' To Me." For the Columbia tracks, I would really recommend the various official Columbia releases, though. It's a shame (and a mystery) that Columbia hasn't issued a complete collection, but almost all of those tracks are available in very good-sounding remasters: The Divine Sarah Vaughan (The Columbia Years 1949-1953) [1988] Linger Awhile [1988, Japan] After Hours With Sarah Vaughan [1990] 16 Most Requested Songs [1993] The Essence of Sarah Vaughan [1993] Sarah Vaughan In Hi-Fi [1996] The Great Sarah Vaughan [2001] The latter is part of a two-fer that also includes the Linger Awhile album, but in awful sounding echo-ey fake stereo. Similarly, another collection, Favorites [1992], has that same fake stereo treatment. Some of those tracks are available on other compilations, but "Fool's Paradise," "Whippa-Whippa-Woo," "Ave Maria," "A City Called Heaven," "Time To Go" and "Corner To Corner" are unavailable on other Columbia releases (as far as I can tell). For those, I had pretty good results ripping the tracks, importing into a sound editing program (I use Audacity), deleting the left channel, and changing the right channel to mono. Or you could just go with the versions on Chronological Classics. Finally, "Out o' Breath" is a track I have only been able to find on Chronological Classics. "Give Me a Song With a Beautiful Melody" is also on Chronological Classics as well as a Columbia vinyl compilation called Linger Awhile [1979] which is not the same as the CD of the same name. I have not been able to find that track on a Columbia CD. Again, hope that helps.
Though I had the Columbia tracks on vinyl, I decided to complement the 5CDs of Chronological Classics with "Essence" CD and "16 Requested Songs" CD to get the remaining 4 Columbia tracks from Jan. 1953 on CD. It is too bad that Classics label did not somehow squeeze the last 4 Columbia tracks on their series. The 3CD complete Columbia grey-market import edition (sound quality?) tricks you by adding 10 tracks from the pre-Columbia Years at the end, making you think there may be 10 rare Columbia tracks. No, there are not. Sarah did not record for over a year after Jan. 1953. I wonder what was going on? Maybe legal hassles getting over to Mercury? Maybe personal matters? She was in her absolute prime, so the lack of recordings, when many would have recorded at least 12-20 songs at that time, is unfortunate. I have the Chant du Monde 4CDs. It is also unfortunate that that series did not continue.
True, although you can hear her in a few live recordings from 1953 -- a sublime guest vocal on "Embraceable You" with Dizzy Gillespie in Paris, and some radio broadcasts from Birdland.
can anyone list examples of Sarah that have never made it to CD, whether official or unofficial? I may have them, but cannot focus....
If you're asking about songs that were commercially released on vinyl but not on CD, I think there are only a few: "My Kinda Love" alternate take "The Awakening" and "Fan My Brow" from the Murder, Inc. soundtrack "Sun Dance" from the Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice soundtrack There are other "orphans" that have at some point been released on CD (officially and otherwise) but may be out of print, hard to find and/or part of expensive box sets: "No Smokes Blues" alternate take "Who Listens To Radio?" promo by Stan Freberg "What's Good For Me (Che Vale Per Me)" Italian single from the Sanremo Music Festival "The Time For Love Is Anytime" from the Cactus Flower soundtrack "Lost Weekend" from Godley & Creme's Consequences "Lena & Lennie" from The Big Band Vol. 2 by Count Basie & Milt Jackson Sharky's Machine soundtrack (2 songs) "Blue" with Barry Manilow from 2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe South Pacific with the London Symphony Orchestra (2 songs) Carols of Christmas Hallmark album (3 songs) Back on the Block by Quincy Jones (3 songs) And there are many radio, television, soundtrack and live performances that only turn up on obscure vinyl albums, CDs and/or videos (not to mention online). I'm sure I've missed things, but hope that helps.
I recently picked up this 10 inch LP. I had the music of course. I like the early 10 inch LPs. Recorded in late 1954
Just got the album ‘No Count Sarah’ on cd (EmArcy) and note that it is the Stereo version. Is there a cd that has the Mono version on it? I have the Compact Jazz disc compilation (Mercury) which is also mastered by Dennis Drake and the track Cheek to Cheek on it sounds much fuller and warmer to me than on the stereo cd of No Count Sarah. So I’m wondering if this is down to it being in mono. Any ideas anyone?
I don't have either of those stand-alone CDs. For her Mercury recordings, I mostly make my own versions of the albums from the tracks in the Complete Mercury sets. When I have compared those sets to some of the stand-alone CD reissues the mixes have been very different, and I have tended to prefer the Complete Mercury versions. The only mono reissue that comes to mind at the moment, is the Gershwin double album, but that doesn't mean that other tracks haven't been issued on compilations, like the one you mention. For whatever that's worth
I once had all of the Sarah Vaughan Mercury boxes on Japanese Vinyl, but shortly afterward (around release time) bought the CD boxes and got rid of the vinyl boxes. I wish I had kept them! It is too bad that Mercury did not produce more straight ahead jazz LPs by Sarah. I enjoy the pop records, but the jazz records were generally better.
These four 7 inch EPs, covering the Clifford Brown LP, make a very nice presentation. Photos are from the session itself.
Each has a nice back cover (not in same order as above) Yes, the EPs had only one song per side, as the songs were longer than typical singles with the jazz soloists given space.
I just realized that the EP series did not include the 9th song: You're Not the Kind (on LP and CD). About the CDs: I would just get the one that will arrive the soonest. Some CD editions include an alternate take of Lullabye of Birdland.
I got the early “made in Germany by Polygram’ pressing here: Sarah Vaughan – Sarah Vaughan (CD) sounds really good.
"Miss Perfect Pitch" as she was called. I've several of her albums. She came into a lot of criticism in the musical press, accused of going "pop" for making "Broken-hearted Melody." I thought that sort of criticm was pathetic. It's the "B side" of this of a 45 in one of my two vinyl jukeboxes. They sang well together. What made me sad, from what I read at the time, he refused to visit her when she was dying.
I've a few Sarah albums that I have enjoyed over the years... Sarah Vaughan – How Long Has This Been Going On? Label: JVC – JVCXR-0038-2, Pablo Records – 2310-821 Series: XRCD – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: US Released: 2005 Sarah Vaughan – Crazy And Mixed Up Label: JVC – JVCXR-0204-2 Series: XRCD2 – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: US Released: 1992 Sarah Vaughan – A Time In My Life Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – MFCD 855 Series: Original Master Recording – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: US Released: 1987 Sarah Vaughan, The Count Basie Orchestra – Send In The Clowns Label: Pablo Records – VICJ-60246 Series: XRCD – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered, Cardboard Booklet Country: Japan Released: 1998 Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown – Sarah Vaughan With Clifford Brown Label: EmArcy – 814 641-2 Series: PolyGram Jazz Vocal Classics – Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: Europe Released: 1990 I guess the first four would be considered from late period Sarah being from 1971-1982 with only the last title a classic period Sarah from 1955 originally...
Tall order, Paul: no idea if there is a monophonic CD version out there. What we do know is that, for CDs, companies tend to go for stereo over mono -- such being the expectation of mainstream customers. The best chance would be for a Public Domain CD company to have released the album in mono. Looking at these two options I am noticing that the respective No Count album pics do not feature the stereo banner on the top of the front covers. Of course, with PD releases, that should not be taken as an assurance that the contents will be mono. But, if anybody here has either of those two sets, and can tell whether they’re hearing is mono or stereo, we are all ears. It’s been so long since I’ve looked into those Mercury sets that my mind could very well be making this up, but my recollection is that they indeed have their share of alternates (not identified as such, and thus substituting for the master takes released on the original albums).
that’s funny I did the same search for PD releases to see if any were mono. No way of knowing really from the front cover. My EmArcy cd front cover doesn’t say Stereo on it either but just written in capitals under the barcode on the back. I could contact Avid and see what they say. I’ve had responses from them before via email.
I bet that the German pressing sounds very good indeed. Then there is the audiophile LP recently released by Acoustic Sounds, which is receiving a lot of praise. However, my assumption would be that the definitive CD version is the one that I happen to have:
I was fortunate to be at a recording session that Miss Vaughan did in NYC in the mid 70's. She recorded a corporate jingle for Exxon. It was written and produced by Bob Dorough (nice guy). She never heard the tune before and nailed it on the first take! They did a couple more just to make it look good, but that voice was amazing. There were some heavy duty jazz cats backing her up as well. Most impressive.
Got a reply back already from Avid. The ‘No Count Sarah’ on there ‘four classic albums’ set is the Stereo version, not mono,
