Search - Margaret Whiting :: The One and Only

Wonderful radio and live recordings from the fifties

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 04/18/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These tracks were all recorded in the fifties. None of them were official recordings. They were recorded live, or for radio. Some of her own hits, such as Moonlight in Vermont (two different versions), are here, but not in their original form.Elsewhere, there are wonderful covers of great songs, including No other love, St Louis blues, Gypsy in my soul, Till I waltz again with you, I believe, 'S wonderful and It had to be you. I guess that Maggie never recorded some of the songs here officially, but even if she did, finding the studio recordings may be difficult.As the record company says in the notes, the quality of the source material for these recordings is variable. They have made the most of modern technology to overcome any deficiencies, and the results make the effort well worth it, because Maggie sounds as good as ever. This is not the place to begin a collection of Maggie's music, but it is a lovely addition to any collection you already have."

What a wonderful find !!!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 02/23/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Margaret Whiting sang effortlessly--and she was quite the songbird at that! She invariably had a tremendous command of her material; and when you hear her sing on this CD you won't doubt it one bit! Margaret never sounded better; and that's grand. I also really like that this CD gives us Margaret singing with more than just one band; that shows her talent was special regardless of which band she chose to sing with. In addition, the quality of the sound on this disc is excellent and the artwork is very nicely done.



There are quite a few numbers on this album; and predictably with Margaret Whiting there's not a single disappointment in the lot. "C.O.D." showcases Margaret swinging brightly to make this number shine; and that music by Les Brown & His Orchestra really fits in perfectly with her vocals--I love that musical interlude, too! What a great big band sound! "No Other Love" gets the royal treatment; Margaret does this without ever letting go of a single superfluous note! "Today I Love Everybody" is very spirited; and I love it!



Other great tracks with Les Brown & His Orchestra include "P.S. I Love You;" the heavenly "Moonlight in Vermont" with its elegant piano arrangement and "St. Louis Blues" with fine use of the brass. Lou Busch & His Orchestra accompany Margaret Whiting on "This Can't Be Love" and "That Old Black Magic" which was written by Johnny Mercer when he was pining for Judy Garland. "Gypsy In My Soul" with even more wonderful brass work to accompany Margaret as she sings this to perfection--and beyond; the Latin themed "Till I Waltz Again With You" which also has a big band arrangement as Margaret sings beautifully; and "I'll Walk Alone."



Other gems include "I'll Walk Alone" with Margaret squarely front and center--which is quite all right by me! She handles complex tempo and key changes like the pro she always was, too. `S Wonderful" shines brighter than silver and gold in Margaret's capable hands; she really does this one up right and those horns sound so good with her singing. "There's a Great Day Coming, Mañana" is excellent with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra; and I also really like "Alone Together" with that Latin beat and Margaret belting this out to the rafters and even further--it's terrific.



"End of a Love Affair" again showcases Margaret's excellent voice and her sophisticated phrasing; she aces this as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing; but of course we know it really wasn't all that easy. Margaret's talent always carried her through.



"Today I Love Everybody" is infectiously happy and catchy at once; and listen for Margaret to out do even herself on a faultless rendition of "Moonlight in Vermont," this time with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra. "It Had To Be You" has some incredible key and tempo changes to make it very special; the CD ends strong with Margaret Whiting performing this timeless song.



Margaret Whiting's talent clearly showed her possessed a very rare type of genius I rarely hear and enjoy; and this album is terrific for her fans if they don't have these renditions of numbers which were recorded live or for radio. In addition, people who like classic pop vocals in general will not be disappointed."