Search - Polly Bergen :: Bergen Sings Morgan / Party's Over

Bergen Sings Morgan/The Party's Over; Reissued, at last!

04/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An avid fan of the movies while growing up, I first came to know Polly Bergen as an actress in many notable films of the 60s, among them "Cape Fear," "The Caretakers," "Kisses for My President," "Move Over, Darling" and a cameo in "Guide for the Married Man." After graduating high achool, I happened to come across an album she recorded in the 50s entitled "The Party's Over." Well, from the moment I heard Miss Bergen sings those note "I'm in love with a man....." I was introduced to Polly Bergen, the singer. I simply fell in love with her voice. I quickly learned that before acting, she had established a career as a singer, having recorded five albums for Columbia in the 50s and 60s, as well as singing on the original cast album of "First Impressions," a Broadway musical in which she appeared. As far as I know, she recorded one more full length LP after her contract ended with Columbia. It was an album of motion picture songs entitled "Act One, Sing Too" on the Philips label. It was the most difficult of all her LPs to acquire, but find it, I did. And well worth the search, too. Absolutely wonderful. The two albums compiled on this CD reissue were her first two for Columbia. Hopefully, the others will follow. They are the torch songs that we all love, and Miss Bergen sings them flawlessly. It's hard to pick favorites, but "The Party's Over" was the first time that I heard her sing. It's the best version of that gem that I've heard by a female vocalist. She sang "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" on the "Ed Sullivan Show" and I was fortunate to see a re-run of that episode recently on cable TV. In the early 60s, she also hosted the "Bell Telephone Hour" singing several Gershwin tunes. That show was repeated on a public televison special, and again, I was fortunate enough to see it. Since Polly Bergen only recorded six LPs before devoting herself completely to acting, her fans cherish each and every one of them. Hopefully, CD reissues (in beautifully remastered sound) of her remaining catalog are forthcoming. In the meantime, buy this one while it's still in print, and discover Polly Bergen, the singer."

GIVING THANKS FOR POLLY........

Old Legend Lover | Central Indiana | 11/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

".....On Thanksgiving Day, 2000. Seemed appropriate, as Polly Bergen was my very first Favorite Singer, and I can still remember the impact her performance in the 1957 Playhouse 90 'Helen Morgan Story' made on me, and the entire world of TV history. Hers was a remarkable performance than won her the Best Actress Emmy that year, and I immediately bought the sountrack album when it became available. One of my great regrets is that an old tape of this show has never been re-released through the years.....and if anyone out there knows where I could get a VHS copy, please write, call, or drop by the house!! Now Columbia has done a great thing by releasing this recording, as well as her follow-up 'The Party's Over' as a 'twofer'CD......I give thanks for that today too.....that great performances by great artists are being preserved. She hauntingly sings (as only she could) ballads and blues with a deep throaty dramatic voice that had no equal. Every single song is a classic, impossible to pinpoint just one. By all means, you 'younguns' who need to know what a real torch singer was/is all about.......buy this CD. As far as I'm concerned, Polly Bergen's only competition as a torch singer came from a totally different type of entertainer, but one just as talented.....the robust and rousing Roberta Sherwood, who could touch your heart with a tear in her voice just as convincingly as Bergen. Maybe on Thanksgiving 2001 I'll be able to give thanks that Decca has finally released some of the thrilling Roberta Sherwood albums on CD!"

It's a pity Polly only recorded six albums

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 08/25/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Polly was brilliant at what she did best - slow, romantic songs. From the opening bars of Don't ever leave me, you know you don't want to leave her - at least until you've played the whole CD.Many of these songs are classics from the Great American Songbook, written by such notables as Richard Rodgers, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and others.Some of the songs are famous (Smoke gets in your eyes, You'll never know, Ev'ry time we say goodbye) while others are obscure, but Polly is in excellent voice throughout. Sometimes, the backing musicians are more prominent than they need to be, but it's a minor criticism - they never get in the way of Polly's lovely voice.This is a brilliant collection by a wonderful singer who is better known as an actress. Even so, if you haven't got any of Polly's music, I recommend Polly's other twofer (All alone by the telephone / Four seasons of love) ahead of this one. It's even better !!!!"