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Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO

Label: Sony

Cat No: 88883792812

Barcode: 0888837928120

Format: CD

Number of Discs: 2

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 18th November 2013

This product has now been deleted. Information is for reference only.

Artists

Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers

Conductors

Leo Reisman
Ray Noble
Johnny Green
Hal Borne

Artists

Fred Astaire
Ginger Rogers

Conductors

Leo Reisman
Ray Noble
Johnny Green
Hal Borne

About

Sony Masterworks presents 'Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO', a new 2 CD set with 37 tracks that showcases Fred Astaire’s vocal performances from his films of the 1930s by the legendary RKO movie studios.

As a dancer, singer and actor, Astaire was in a class by himself – and class is definitely the operative word where Astaire is concerned. In those early RKO movies – Top Hat, Swing Time, Shall We Dance – Astaire not only danced but sang, introducing now classic songs by composers such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, and George and Ira Gershwin.

'The Early Years at RKO' compiles together more than 30 musical numbers he performed in those movies, in bright studio recordings with backing from the orchestras led by Leo Reisman, Ray Noble and Johnny Green.

The collection includes liner notes by “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook”, Michael Feinstein, as well as rare alternate takes, and two bonus performances by his most famous partner, Ginger Rogers.

Like the star it celebrates, 'The Early Years at RKO' is in a class by itself.

Contents:
CD 1
1. Music Makes Me
2. Flying Down to Rio
3. Night and Day (From "The Gay Divorce")
4. No Strings
5. Isn't This a Lovely Day
6. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails
7. Cheek to Cheek
8. The Piccolino
9. We Saw the Sea
10. Let Yourself Go
11. I'd Rather Lead a Band
12. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
13. Let's Face the Music and Dance
14. Pick Yourself Up
15. The Way You Look Tonight
16. A Fine Romance
17. Bojangles of Harlem
18. Never Gonna Dance
19. A Fine Romance (Alternate Take)
20. Waltz in Swing Time (Alternate Take)

CD 2
1. (I've Got) Beginner's Luck
2. Slap That Bass
3. They All Laughed
4. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
5. They Can't Take That Away from Me
6. Shall We Dance
7. I Can't Be Bothered Now
8. Things Are Looking Up
9. A Foggy Day
10. Nice Work If You Can Get It
11. I Used to Be Color Blind
12. The Yam
13. Change Partners
14. They Can't Take That Away from Me (Alternate Take)
15. The Yam Steps (As explained by Fred Astaire)
16. The Yam (with Ginger Rogers)
17. I Used to Be Color Blind (with Ginger Rogers)