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DINAH SHORE
From The Columbia Vaults (Collectables)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
By the time of Dinah Shore's death at age 77 in 1994, you would have needed a hand truck to lug her resume around. She'd started as a big band singer before World War Two, made the nearly impossible leap to solo artist at war's end, worked in movies, recorded for several labels, been a pioneer of early television and, when they thought she was out of gas, pioneered the modern daytime TV talk show in the early 70s. While her talents were undeniable, a lot of her success was probably due to the fact that the only thing fake about Dinah Shore was her name. Frances Rose Shore was a sweet, kind, gentle southern girl that you immediately wanted to befriend, and that made her an inscrutable icon of the entertainment world for fifty-some years.
This extremely satisfying collection is culled from material recorded for Columbia Records, where Shore jumped to from RCA just after the war. Collectables doesn't skimp, giving us 25 songs clocking in at 76 minutes, and unlike most comp labels, they also provide sufficient liner notes to leave us with a basic idea of her story. A few of the tracks have some studio chatter at the beginning, giving us a chance to hear Dinah interacting with people, and hey, it turns out it wasn't an act. What a sweetie. (Personal note: Burt Reynolds is a lucky so and so. He's had relationships with Sally, Lonnie AND Dinah. Rat bastard.)
I see nothing in the liners to explain why the sound quality is so high, so I can't pass that information on. Sorry. I can tell you that it sounds very nice, though. The track list speaks for itself, for the most part, but there are some duets to report, including "The Stanley Steamer" with The Modernaires, "The Shoe Is On The Other Foot" with George Morgan, "S'wonderful" with Buddy Clark, "Baby Don't Be Mad At Me" with The Four Hits, and a strange yet cool duet with Doris Day on "It's Better To Conceal Than Reveal" in which they affect Hispanic accents. Wouldn't fly today, but hey, it was the 40s.
I can't find a weak spot here. And before you assume I'd say these things about any Dinah Shore collection, let me assure you I've been disappointed with more than a few of them. This one is loaded with her personality, sounds fantastic and doesn't end just as you're getting into it. Very well done.
Track List:
Come Rain or Come Shine * When a Woman Loves a Man * Who'll Buy My Violets? * (What Can I Say) After I Say I'm Sorry * Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man * Baby, Don't Be Mad at Me * I've Got You Under My Skin * St. Louis Blues * The Egg and I * When Am I Gonna Kiss You Good Morning? * Do a Little Business on the Side * (I've Been Do Wrong, for So Long-But) I'm So Right Tonight * The Stanley Steamer * The Lonesome Road * At the Candlelight Cafe * My Curly Headed Baby * Daddy-O (I'm Gonna Teach You Some Blues) * Horray for Love * 'S Wonderful * Better Luck Next Time * Younger Than Springtime * It's Better to Conceal the Reveal * The Shoe It on the Other Foot Now * I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You) * It's Easy to Remember
© 2001 - DJ Johnson