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| | A Touch of Music in the Night | | | Music Artist : | | Michael Crawford | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Atlantic / Wea | | Release Date : | | 1993-09-28 | | Store Price : | | $8.96 | | Artistopia's Price: $8.96 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. Power of Love
2. With Your Hand upon My Heart - Michael Crawford, Patti LaBelle
3. If You Could See Me Now
4. Stormy Weather
5. It Goes Like It Goes
6. She Used to Be Mine
7. Music of the Night - Michael Crawford, Barbra Streisand
8. Serenade in Blue
9. Speak Low
10. Since You Stayed Here
11. One of My Best Friends
12. Papa, Can You Hear Me?/A Piece of Sky
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Michael Crawford lover
Submitted on: 2009-04-22 |
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| The CD arrived in near perfect condition. The case was slightly cracked, but did not effect the CD. It arrived as described within a week of my order. Very satisfied customer. |
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 ..."The Whispers in the Morning..."
Submitted on: 2007-12-27 |
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So begins the breathy rendition of the first song of Michael Crawford's 1993 release--a remake of the mid-1980s original version of "The Power of Love" by the late Laura Branigan. Crawford's sensuous delivery and the accompaniment of bagpipes paint a vivid picture. His vibrato goes right through a listener, and I am often in any position but a standing one when I play this number.
"With Your Hand Upon My Heart" was the single he released with Patti LaBelle. It is the stirring saga of a long-married couple.
Following this duet is "If You Could See Me Now". I felt he droned on a bit on this one, but it was appropriately mournful and well-expressed.
Next, he tries his hand at the Lena Horne classic, "Stormy Weather" with lighter orchestration, and a deletion of a stanza that results in it being more casual and less dramatic and emotional than Horne's.
"It Goes Like It Goes", from the film, "Norma Rae" finds the well-spoken Englishman trying to sound like someone from Rural America. It is light and amusing.
"She Used to be Mine" is a tribute to Crawford's ex-wife, Gabrielle Lewis. Sometimes it strikes me as a bit too revealing.
Then there is the intended centerpiece of this album, a duet of his signature tune, "Music of the Night" with his "Hello, Dolly!" co-star, Barbra Striesand. Admittedly, I alternate between feeling that they blend well together , and that the choir practice each had in their formative years rendered them well-prepared for this moment, and feeling that Barbra sometimes rides and dominates Michael like a bossy kid sister.
"Serenade in Blue" is the Glenn Miller hit from the year Michael was born . The overdoubling technique on this one is superb, and as is the case with "Stormy Weather", his delivery is light and sunny, compared in this case to Ray Eberle's plaintive vocal of 1942.
"Speak Low", originally from "One Touch of Venus" is a skillfully done Big Band Era number to which one could easliy tango. I've often wondered if Dick Haymes' version in the film inspired this version.
"Since You Stayed Here", is another wistful one in which Crawford aptly expresses genuine sadness behind a cheerful facade, and he loans particularly sharp articulation to the next sad number, "One of my Best Friends".
"Papa, Can You Hear Me?/A Piece of Sky" from Striesand's 1983 film, "Yentl" is the finale for which Crawford saves all his divine fire. It is a journey from darkness to light, perhaps intermingled with Crawford's own personal history as a lad whose biological father was unknown to him. But it ends on a triumphant note, and I can almost hear the thunderous applause from those in the studio as he wound this one up.
As always, a commendable effort from one of Britain's most beloved entertainers! |
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I REMEMBER...
Submitted on: 2007-05-07 |
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| ... seeing Michael Crawford appear on The David Letterman Show promoting this recording... at this point, I'd never heard of MC before, but was truly impressed by his flawless rendition of "Speak Low", so much so that I went out and bought the CD the next day... it was a refreshing change from Letterman's usual roster of hipper-than-thou "musical" noise-makers. A lot of great tunes on this disc, although I can live without the duets (Patti Labelle and Barbra Streisand are both just too shrill for these ears). |
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Michael charms and enriches with his divine spell
Submitted on: 2006-04-10 |
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| His voice, as you all know, is memorable as the Phantom in the musical version of Phantom of the Opera. He has the talent, the seduction, and the rapture that would capture every women's heart and mind. He has proven to make the Phantom more lifelike in color had he existed from the book to which he was brought out with Mr. Crawford's incredible magic. Michael's tragic past life which was understanding, with the death of his mother and the influence of his art that has upon him. Michael will always be remembered, not for his role in the musicals, but he will be remembered for his pure artistry to which grew from him and radiates itself from the superhuman energy that emits within him. His other musical numbers and his other roles to which he had performed with great proefficiency and experience resulting from his inner humor and grace which is quite unusual compared with other singers, and with such sensitivity, not show by other talented singers or musical artists. Crawford is as genuine as the part he was chosen for. He will continue to amaze us and suprise us with his incredible, breathtaking performances, and not just in the Phantom of the Opera. |
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Chills...
Submitted on: 2006-01-21 |
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| I love this album - esp. Power of Love. The "sound of my heart beating...feeling I cant go on" bit gives me chills. |
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