Search - Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest :: Complete Duets

"Lifting the spirits and gladdening the heart."

Mary Whipple | New England | 05/31/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Between January, 1944, and June, 1946, Helen Forrest and Dick Haymes recorded eighteen duets, ten of which made Billboard's Top Ten list, and all of which are on this CD. Helen was the #1 female vocalist at the time, having sung with Artie Shaw and Harry James. Dick had had four huge hits in late 1943 and had begun a successful film career. With romantic songs that lifted the spirits of war-weary soldiers and their families, Haymes and Forrest, with these duets, signaled the end of the big band era and the beginning of independent singers, popular in their own right, instead of being adjuncts to a band. After 1946 and the end of the war, both Forrest and Haymes continued their careers, solo.



Helen Forrest has the lead voice. Mellow and romantic, her voice is also exceptionally clear, strong, and confident. She never misses a note, hits every note exactly on time, and keeps the timing of the band uppermost in her mind. Haymes is a wonderful contrast to Helen. He's a crooner reminiscent of Bing Crosby, and he often slides his way up or down to his notes. Interpretative and often deliberately off-tempo, he and Helen do not sing duets in the traditional sense. On nearly every song, one singer begins, the second one answers, and the two of them trade solo lines, often singing together and harmonizing for only 5 - 10 words at the end of the song. Haymes's ability to express meaning and Helen's musical precision blend perfectly in these "duets."



"Long Ago and Far Away," one of their biggest songs, is probably the best song on the album, while "Tomorrow is Forever," "In Love in Vain," "Why Does It Get So Late So Early," and "Something Old, Something New," are among the songs seldom heard these days. "Till We Meet Again," a song which singing groups often feature for its rich harmonic potential, is a surprise here, since it is sung as two separate solos, with the singers coming together only in the final five or so words. Helen Forrest's talent and vocal strength are at their peak here, and Haymes stays on key throughout, creating an album that lovers of music from the forties will treasure. Mary Whipple

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