Search - Dolores Gray :: Spotlight on Dolores Gray

Glorious Dolores!

07/11/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh, that voice. Forget the sound quality of these ancient recordings (although they're much better than most CDs culled from old 78 records) and focus on one of the most magnificant voices in 20th century popdom. It's sad that Dolores Gray is relatively forgotten by all but the most diehard fans of Broadway or movie musicals. She has one of the most distinctive instruments imaginable and an interpretive style that dares any singer to attempt a song once she's done it. Yes, she can belt them out like Merman but, unlike Merman, when Gray reigns in the power for gentle ballads like "There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby" her exquisite phrasing and perfect pitch astonish all the more. This collection of songs from (mostly) the early fifties is a good example of Gray's versatility as a singer, and if the material varies in quality (with some selections typifying the cornball novelties that passed for "pop" in the early 50s), Gray reigns supreme throughout. One hopes that more of her catalog, especially the LP "Warm Brandy" from the mid-fifties, sees the light of CD day because this one-of-a-kind chanteuse (who sadly died last June at the age of 78) deserves to be rediscovered in a big way. Until that happens, check out the films "Kismet", "It's Always Fair Weather", and "Designing Woman" (with their accompanying soundtrack recordings). There never was a singer like this singer."

The genius of Dolores Gray is finally brought into the light

Byron Kolln | the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood | 06/04/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dolores Gray is still probably one of the most underrated Broadway performers of the 50s and 60s, largely because she often wasn't given the credit (and roles) she deserved then.This recording, from the new UK-based label Sepia, gives us 25 tracks of prime Dolores, with a few cuts from her Broadway shows as well as a few songs that entered the hit parades of the day.Collectors will delight in hearing most of this material, remastered from the original 78's, which includes rarities like "Shrimp Boats", "Did Anyone Call", "Say You'll Wait for Me", "I Don't Care", "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes", "Music! Music! Music!", and "Quicksilver". There are also some choice cuts from her 1951 Broadway show TWO ON THE AISLE (full cast-album from Decca Broadway), including "There Never Was a Baby Like My Baby" and her show-stopping "How Will He Know?".I thoroughly recommend this fantastic CD, which is a must-own for all Broadway fans. A legacy and testament to one of the most consummate performers to grace the Broadway stage."