Search - Sunny Gale :: Sings

More cloudy than sunny...

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 06/17/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This fails to deliver on its promise. At least the title does not mislead by saying "greatest hits" or "best of" implying any kind of definitive collection here. While there are twenty tracks, a number of Gale's charted songs are missing. As far as production is concerned, one would expect better sound quality as Gale recorded many of these tunes for RCA. Since there is no licensing information nor credits of any kind acknowledged, it appears that this material was not taken from any high-generation source and this is reflected in the inferior sound quality. The liner notes consist of a single page on the inside of the CD sleeve and are merely a reproduction (with word processing errors and typos evident) of commentary written at the time of her career heyday. With virtually none of this material available elsewhere, this disc offers a promise that is badly broken. However, until Gale's material can be faithfully reproduced with some professionalism, this is the only place to get any of the recordings from her substantial career."

Any Sunny Is Better Than No Sunny

Zub | 02/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sunny Gale's recording career was bigger than might be remembered. After recording the original version of "Wheel of Fortune" for a small label (a version covered by Kay Starr in a rushed 2 a.m. session for Capitol became the big hit) she was soon signed by RCA and made them a lot of money. Unfortunately, many of the biggest hits--"I Laughed At Love," "C'est La Vie," "Unsuspecting Heart"--aren't here. And there's no identifications of composers, publishers or recordings in the package. The music seems to come not from masters but vinyl and, of course, the results in that case are far from the same. That aside, it's wonderful to have these recordings. With her Edith Piaf/Kay Starr/Teresa Brewer/Eartha Kitt kind of voice and lace valentine style, Gale was always a highly attractive performer. Her musicianship on these records is consistently excellent and she's a keen and intelligent interpreter of lyrics. She always took every song she recorded very seriously and she could sing anything--ballads, rock, r & b, inspirational--to top effect. She was forever having hits stolen away from her in cover versions but she was a favorite at RCA and the other labels for which she recorded as both a talent and a person and the records are topnotch. You will really enjoy this album, and if you've never heard Sunny Gale, here's your opportunity."