Search - Lena Horne :: Lena Horne Sings: The M-G-M Singles

Hip-oSelect.com, under its Verve Select imprint, proudly announces the release of Lena Horne Sings: The M-G-M Singles Collection, a 16-track set that is just what the title claims: the first-ever retrospective of Ms. Horne's classic, classy singles on M-G-M Records, including her chart single "'Deed I Do," with most tracks on CD for the first time. James Gavin, author of the acclaimed biography Stormy Weather: The Life Of Lena Horne, co-produced the set and wrote its liner notes. (Stormy Weather is out in paperback April 2010.) Lena Horne may best be known for stunning star turns and cameos in several films of the 1940s, including Stormy Weather, Cabin In The Sky, Ziegfeld Follies and more, as well as her triumphant one-woman show on Broadway in the 1980s. She was a beauty, a captivating singer, a unique figure in popular culture who paved the way for a new black image in Hollywood. In the late 1940s, when M-G-M Records established its record label, Ms. Horne was one of its first artists to record. "Earlier on, people had expected her to sing the blues; instead she leaned toward Porter, Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hart," writes Gavin. "She handled their complexities with grace and phrased intelligently; her diction was like crystal. A tart edge gave her voice some of its character." Lena Horne Sings includes every Horne single issued on M-G-M, as well as even rarer recordings for the label issued only on international singles and EPs, such as "Something To Live For," "Pass Me By" and "A Foggy Day." Each track is conducted either by Lennie Hayton, the M-G-M Studios' musical director, or Luther Henderson, a protégé of Duke Ellington. In addition to Mr. Gavin's terrific liner notes, the collection includes detailed track annotations. The nostalgic cover for Lena Horne Sings is based on the original design of a 45 RPM singles box set, while the booklet re-creates images from other rare releases, including a 12-inch LP issued on M-G-M's Lion subsidiary. Rare photos from the era add to the exceptional quality of this collection. The masters have also been significantly restored and remastered for the first time, making a young Lena Horne sound as beautiful as she looked