This was one of the first Broadway shows to exhibit any racial sensibility, as a Congressman is magically turned into an African American and must live under his own Jim Crow laws. It also was remarkable for its large number of hit tunes, songs that were seized upon by just about every living pop and jazz singer–“How Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, “Old Devil Moon”, “Look to the Rainbow”, and “When I’m Not Near the Girl I Love”. The male quartet number, “The Begat”, is one of the more clever and comical descriptions of the origin and development of the human race–and it also is notable for its use as crucial plot development device.
Sony’s new re-issue of the 1947 recording, made three months after the show’s opening with members of the original cast, is something of a miracle. Going back to nearly pristine acetate “safety” recordings, the producers have been able to come up with sound that is nothing less than amazing. On hearing this CD, it is hard to believe that these sessions were recorded without the benefit of editable tape and before the advent of the long-playing record. Since the high end is no longer simply lopped off to eliminate hiss, marvelous details emerge: harp glissandos in “If This Isn’t Love”; struck cymbal in the Overture; and sparkly little brass interjections in quite a few numbers. The voices, including those of the remarkable Ella Logan and David Wayne, emerge with new clarity.
Several tracks on this CD have never been released before: the dance music that extends “Look to the Rainbow”, and an alternate take of “That Great Come-and-Get-It Day”. Bonus tracks feature lyricist “Yip” Harburg in 1973 (the same Harburg who with Harold Arlen had won an Academy Award in 1939 for “Over the Rainbow”) singing some of his songs and discussing, quite humorously, the role of the lyricist. The notes are exceptionally thorough, detailing the composition of the show, discussing the never-before-released material in detail, describing the original recording process onto shellac 78s, and listing all the previous issues, complete with catalog numbers. The booklet also reproduces the original album covers as well as an advertisement that lets us know that in 1947 a good orchestra seat could have been obtained for $9.60, a balcony perch for as little as $2.40! [6/27/2000]
