I Wish I Were in Love Again (Richard Rodgers Medley)
Glad to Be Unhappy
I Cain't Say No
I Could Write a Book
A Wonderful Guy
One of the great underrecorded voices in Broadway history, Susan Johnson is best known for singing "Big D" in the original cast of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella as well as a handful of mostly forgotten shows such as... more » 1958's Oh Captain. Harbinger's 2002 Legendary Performers release helps to right that wrong by capturing the singer in a series of 1960s TV studio performances in sound quality that varies from a bit cavernous to very good, especially considering the vintage of the recordings. The 26 songs from Irving Berlin, Loesser, Cole Porter, Johnny Burke (Donnybrook!), and Richard Rodgers (with both Hart and Hammerstein) are mostly in abridged form, often clocking in under two minutes each. But they're still enough to show that Johnson could stand up to the Mermans ("I Got the Sun in the Morning") and Martins ("A Wonderful Guy") of her day. Still not convinced? Try the ballads "Somebody, Somewhere" and Burke's "He Makes Me Feel I'm Lovely," or Donnybrook!'s comic duet "I Wouldn't Bet One Penny" and see what you--and other Broadway fans--have been missing all these years. --David Horiuchi« less
One of the great underrecorded voices in Broadway history, Susan Johnson is best known for singing "Big D" in the original cast of Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella as well as a handful of mostly forgotten shows such as 1958's Oh Captain. Harbinger's 2002 Legendary Performers release helps to right that wrong by capturing the singer in a series of 1960s TV studio performances in sound quality that varies from a bit cavernous to very good, especially considering the vintage of the recordings. The 26 songs from Irving Berlin, Loesser, Cole Porter, Johnny Burke (Donnybrook!), and Richard Rodgers (with both Hart and Hammerstein) are mostly in abridged form, often clocking in under two minutes each. But they're still enough to show that Johnson could stand up to the Mermans ("I Got the Sun in the Morning") and Martins ("A Wonderful Guy") of her day. Still not convinced? Try the ballads "Somebody, Somewhere" and Burke's "He Makes Me Feel I'm Lovely," or Donnybrook!'s comic duet "I Wouldn't Bet One Penny" and see what you--and other Broadway fans--have been missing all these years. --David Horiuchi
CD Reviews
They just don't sing like this on Broadway anymore...
David | New York, NY United States | 06/13/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Terrific, terrific sound- Susan Johnson has a crisp, clear, beautifully rich voice that so many of us wish could be heard on Broadway or anywhere more often nowadays...Where are they??
She's one of the greatest of her kind-
A compilation of her songs from the musicals she's done (some were hits, some were not) on one CD would be wonderful, too! (hint hint)"
Beautiful B'way Belter!
Allen Bardin | Columbia, SC United States | 05/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A great star in rare TV performances. This is amazing stuff that hasn't been heard since first aired. A great show-biz belter, who is convincing in ballad performances, unlike Merman. Primo."
MY HEART IS SO FULL OF SUE
lunatique | Cedarburg, WI United States | 08/29/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't tell you how gratified I am to have this recording. To my mind, Susan Johnson is the greatest singer of all time. An effortless belter with a warmth and vulnerability that COMMUNICATES -- both the intention of the songwriter and the pure joy of singing. If I make it to heaven, the angels had better all sound like Susan Johnson.Buy this CD now, dammit!"
Susan Johnson: A great Broadway singer
Bill | Seattle, Washington United States | 03/18/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a fan of truly great Broadway singing from the mid-century, buy this CD. The sound is variable (these are live TV performances) and some of the songs are too short (they are in medley format), but in the end all that matters is the opportunity to hear this exciting singer whose generosity of spirit fills every phrase."