1. Heart You Break (May Be Your Own) 2. Why (Are There Things We Can't Explain) 3. Why Don't They Leave Us Alone 4. Give Me Your Word 5. Flyin' High 6. In Paree 7. Take Me Away 8. Let's Go Steady 9. Take Care 10. Ronde 11. Midnight Blues 12. Two Diffrent Worlds - Jane Morgan, 13. From the First Hello, To the Last Goodbye 14. Come Home, Come Home, Come Home 15. Around the World 16. It's Not for Me to Say 17. It's Been a Long Long Time - Jane Morgan, 18. I'm New at the Game of Romance - Jane Morgan, 19. Fascination 20. Affair to Remember 21. It's Not for Me to Say 22. Around the World 23. My Heart Reminds Me 24. River Seine 25. Speak Low 26. Two Different Worlds 27. Yours Is My Heart Alone
Disc 2
1. I've Got Bells on My Heart 2. Only One Love 3. I May Never Pass This Way Again 4. Catch a Falling Star 5. Where the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day 6. My Man 7. Makin' Love 8. Once More, My Love, Once More - Jane Morgan, 9. Beyond the Blue Horizon 10. Arrivederci Roma 11. Anna 12. Who's Sorry Now 13. Speak to Me of Love 14. Enchanted Island - Jane Morgan, 15. By My Little Baby Bumble Bee 16. Day the Rains Came 17. Everybody Loves a Lover 18. Come Closer to Me 19. Baubles Bangles and Beads 20. Maybe You'll Be There 21. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams 22. Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu) 23. Almost in Your Arms [Love Theme from Houseboat] 24. Bambino [French Version of 'Guaglione] 25. Far Away 26. It's All in the Game 27. Jour ou La Pluie Viendra 28. If Only I Could Live My Life Again 29. To Love and Be Loved
just some of the best from a much admired singer with a dazzling, unforgettable voice Submitted on: 2009-08-02
Jane Morgan fans will be thrilled with this two CD release of fifty-six terrific songs, all getting the royal treatment by Jane! We get twenty-three of her singles recorded at Kapp Records; and there are also terrific numbers from three of Jane's record albums entitled Fascination; Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and The Day The Rains Came. Jane had a voice that was as clear as a bell and every song on these two CDs proves it. She delved deep to bring out all the subtle nuances of the lyrics to each song; and her adoring fans still love her for it. This quality of the sound on these two CDs is excellent and I like the artwork, too.
The first CD starts with Jane outdoing even herself on "The Heart You Break (May Be Your Own)." Jane never sounded better and those backup singers add to the arrangement--not that Jane ever really needed backup at all, but they do sound pretty good anyway. "Why (Are There Things We Can't Explain)" gets a most sensitive treatment from Jane Morgan; she sings this with all her heart and soul. "Flyin' High" has a spirited arrangement; Jane sings this with panache and the string works wonders for this tune as well. "In Paree" is yet another gem; Jane sings this wonderfully--this music is all THAT good. Great!
"Take Me Away" has music that fits in perfectly with Jane's vocals; those backup singers sound good--and how's about that percussion? "Let's Go Steady" charms me with its natural beauty; and listen for Jane's sublime recording of "Midnight Blues." "Two Different Worlds" has an elegant piano arrangement; and "From the First Hello, To the Last Goodbye" has Jane singing this to perfection--and beyond! "It's Not for Me to Say" lets us hear Jane perform this classic ballad beautifully; and "It's Been a Long, Long Time" sparkles like silver and gold in Jane's capable hands. "Fascination" was a song Jane loved to sing; and it's one of her best, too!
"An Affair to Remember" is very easy on the ear; and we get another version of Jane doing "It's Not for Me to Say" that is every bit as gorgeous as the other one is. "My Heart Reminds Me" is heavenly; Jane performs this with panache and that's grand.
The second CD continues the hits. "I've Got Bells on My Heart" is very energetic, to say the least; and "Catch a Falling Star" has Jane singing at her usual very best--Perry Como must have loved Jane's rendition of this timeless number! "My Man" features Jane Morgan squarely front and center which is where she always belongs; and "Anna" is another tune I really like. "Who's Sorry Now" is actually rather pretty even if the lyrics aren't all that happy; and listen for Jane to do a great job on "Maybe You'll Be There." How elegant!
"Bambino" has Jane Morgan right in the spotlight; and she never falters, either! "Le Jour oł la Pluie Viendra ("The Day the Rains Came," or "The Day When the Rains Will Come")" is very passionate; Jane never lets go of a single superfluous note and I love it. The second CD ends very nicely with Jane Morgan performing "To Love and Be Loved;" and she doesn't miss a beat.
Jane Morgan was one of the best female vocalists of the twentieth century; and she deserves every bit of recognition and fame she ever got. This is wonderful for her fans and it's a terrific way to start for newcomers to Jane Morgan's phenomenal artistry.
Jane's music has plenty of fascination for her fans Submitted on: 2009-07-06
For many years, Jane Morgan's music was poorly represented on CD. Now things are changing rapidly, because ever more of Jane's music is becoming more than fifty years old, therefore no longer subject to performance copyright under current British law. There is talk of changing that law to stipulate a seventy year period instead of fifty, but meanwhile the law is being exploited to the full by some record labels who are able to supply music more than half a century old at bargain prices without compromising the quality. Fans are grateful for the opportunity to buy such great music legally, even though they may feel some guilt that the artists who recorded such wonderful music are not rewarded. Then again, if the laws are changed, the music won't be made available anyway for a further twenty years so the artists won`t benefit either way. It is in these circumstances that we are able to buy this double CD at a very tempting price.
This double CD contains tracks that were originally released on three albums, plus plenty of other tracks that were originally released as singles, whether on the A or B side. The first eighteen tracks of CD 1 and the first three tracks of CD 2 were originally released on singles. Most of these tracks went largely unheralded at the time, but Jane finally achieved a hit with Two different worlds (track 12 on CD 1) after a lot of misses. This hit featured Roger Williams on piano.
The last nine tracks of CD 1 are from Jane's original album Fascination, recorded with the Troubadors, with the title track (a song of French origin) being an American number one hit for her. (The B-side of the single apparently was a version of the same song by the Troubadors without Jane.) The other tracks include a re-recording of Two different worlds (track 26), this version being without Roger Williams.
Tracks 4-15 of CD 2 are from her album Something old something new something borrowed something blue. Tracks 16-27 of CD 2 are from her album The day the rains came, with the title track (originally a French song by Gilbert Becaud) being a British number one hit. Jane recorded the title track in its original French too, that version being the B-side of the single and also included on the album, so you'll find it here on track 27.
Track 28 of CD 2 provided Jane with a second British hit. The liner notes claim that it made the top twenty, but there were several British charts in those days and the one now regarded as definitive gives it a peak position of 27. Track 29 of CD, is from a Frank Sinatra soundtrack. Titled To love and be loved, this Sammy Cahn / Jimmy Van Heusen composition is a great way to round off the collection.
Jane Morgan, born a Christmas Day baby as Florence Currier, proved to be a fairly versatile singer, although she appears to have shown no interest in recording rock'n'roll. Jane liked to sing the great songs from the first half of the twentieth century, but she was also well capable of singing contemporary easy listening songs as shown here by her covers of Catch a falling star (Perry Como), Everybody loves a lover (Doris Day) and It's all in the game (Tommy Edwards), not forgetting those French songs. Who's sorry now (a hit for Connie Francis in the fifties) dates back to the twenties, when it was popularized by Marion Harris. I haven't heard Marion's version (it was inexplicably omitted from the only compilation of her twenties music so far released) but I've heard plenty of other versions and Jane does an excellent cover of this song.
As long as the British copyright laws remain as they are, it seems that there are likely to be further releases of Jane's music as she continued recording well into the sixties. Meanwhile, the music here contains her most commercially successful recordings and plenty of other great music.
Jane Morgan Submitted on: 2009-06-27
Ms. Morgan is still alive, a descendant of the Currier of Currier and Ives lithographs. Her father was first violin in the Boston Symphony before his early death. Jane's a classically trained singer-surely one of the most attractive voices of 50s popular music with such hits as Fascination. She ventured into a rock style in the last part of her career, which is covered in this 2 CD set, and which I care less for. The sound is reasonably good, and the set is a good value. Too bad Jane was not recorded earlier in her career.
EXCELLENT TRIBUTE TO DIVA SONGBIRD JANE MORGAN Submitted on: 2009-01-23
With a background of opera training in early childhood, work in Paris and all over Europe, initial unsuccessful recordings in London, and transition back to the USA as night-club performer, Jane Morgan's image always personified the world of sophistication in looks, manner and much of the material assigned to her.
Named after her first US hit, this welcome anthology of two dozen early singles plus album tracks (from THE DAY THE RAINS CAME/SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED,SOMETHING BLUE and selections from FASCINATION) joins a few other recent UK Jane Morgan releases. With no fewer than fifty-six tracks gathered together on two CD's, this must surely be the most comprehensive tribute to this classy singer so far available. FASCINATION, which originated in France, was the massive US hit in 1957; its source being the Gary Cooper/Audrey Hepburn film LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON which featured this well-known song as a background theme within the movie's score. However, in the UK, Jane reached the top of the Charts with THE DAY THE RAINS CAME in 1958, based on a French song written by singer/songwriter Gilbert Becaud and that Gallic version LE JOUR OU LA PLUIE VIENDRA) has also been thoughtfully included. Jane later enjoyed two further UK entries with IF ONLY I COULD LIVE MY LIFE AGAIN (1959) and the not included ROMANTICA (1960) which hopefully will make a promised Jasmine follow-up compilation.
Despite her stylish diva image and plaintive delivery of ballads, this collection reveals Jane was predominantly a singer of popular numbers with THE HEART YOU BREAK, I'V'E GOT BELLS ON MY HEART, WHY?, WHY DON'T THEY LEAVE US ALONE?, FLYIN' HIGH, LET'S GO STEADY and others showing how capable she was in letting her hair down whenever required. Jane also covered Fifties hits by others including GIVE ME YOUR WORD, AROUND THE WORLD, IT'S NOT FOR ME TO SAY, AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, IT'S ALL IN THE GAME and CATCH A FALLING STAR; the twist being these songs were recorded by male singers, so Jane's robust versions probably racked up healthy sales thanks to those who preferred a female vocal slant on those numbers which mainly appeared as album choices. However, the Continental influence remains present and IN PAREE, LA RONDE, MY MAN, ANNA, ARRIVEDERCI ROMA, VOLARE, RIVER SEINE and BAMBINO often reflect her ability to often sing the lyrics in French.
For those who prefer something from The Great American Songbook, other standout tracks include WHERE THE BLUE OF THE NIGHT MEETS THE GOLD OF THE DAY, IT'S BEEN A LONG LONG TIME, SPEAK LOW, BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON, WHO'S SORRY NOW?, BE MY LITTLE BUMBLE BEE and WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS and the minor hit TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS shared with pianist Roger Williams.
Unfortunately, recording dates are lacking but it is assumed these tracks follow a mainly chronological sequence pattern. Orchestral backing details are given together with informative background notes and excellent sound remastering so this collection is highly recommended.
EFFORTLESS SINGER WITH A PURE DISTINCTIVE VOICE Submitted on: 2009-01-20
The first 18 tracks of this 2-CD set are compiled from singles, most from the mid-fifties, but the remaining 33 are drawn from three albums, namely "Fascination", "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue", and "The Day The Rains Came". Three of the singles reappear in different versions on the first album, but they are such great numbers that I did not find this a problem. Jane has a pure distinctive voice, her singing appears effortless, and is a delight to listen to. Two tracks in particular are sublime, namely "Yours Is My Heart Alone" and "Speak To Me Of Love".
just some of the best from a much admired singer with a dazzling, unforgettable voice
Jane Morgan