EARLY POLLY BERGEN SIDES CONTAIN ESSENTIAL CHARM
A. POLLOCK | PLYMOUTH, DEVON United Kingdom | 09/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mainly recalled as sophisticated singer, actress and business woman, it may surprise followers of Polly Bergen's career that prior to recording a series of notable albums featuring ballads and torch songs during the late 50's and early 60's for Columbia, she kicked up her heels around 1950 with a few atypically diverse sides. Everybody has to start somewhere and with girl singers two-a-penny, it made good sense for Polly to jump in with effervescent songs intended to attract commercial appeal. A couple of hillbilly tunes HONKY TONKIN' and MOUNT'N BOYS HAVE FUN WITH MOUNT'N GIRLS (what else for a gal who hailed from Tennessee?) were initial embryonic sides when she was known as Polly Burgin and although they may have failed to make impact on the Hit Parade they do reveal her personable vocal style and now sound great fun. A subsequent change of name to Bergen and a run of novelty kitsch numbers like the movie-featured OH THEM DUDES (from the Astaire/Betty Hutton film LET'S DANCE) and TONDA WANDA HOY (from AT WAR WITH THE ARMY in which she appeared with Martin & Lewis) also make ideally optimistic sides, joined by I PUT MY HEAD IN THE LION'S MOUTH, LET'S MAKE LOVE and APPLE ON A PEAR TREE which did no harm either and were typically par for the course material allocated songbirds of the period. However, supper-club appearances in 1955 lead to Polly's first album LITTLE GIRL BLUE with the included ten tracks allowing her to dig deep into the lyrical meanings of SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, I THOUGHT OF YOU LAST NIGHT and AUTUMN LEAVES amongst other prime examples which lead to her later reputation as ballad Queen supreme. Also included are great covers of THE WAYWARD WIND, TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT and HOW LITTLE WE KNOW with the latter a hit for Sinatra.
Sepia (UK) is a record label dedicated to uncovering and releasing nostalgic and esoteric material and this compilation lives up to the usual high standards with great sound, informative notes and colorful graphics. Personally, I would rate this Polly Bergen release as an essential purchase for lovers of female singers of the 50's as well as those dedicated to the vocal work of this celebrated personality.
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Track Listings (26) - Disc #1