PAL JOEY's great score!!

[buddharich]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 3:03pm

Listening to different cast recordings of Pal Joey the past few days; it is such a great score, every single song a winner! So my two questions: which is your personal favorite song from the score? And which is your favorite recording??

I'm going to pick an unusual song: "Happy Hunting Horn"! It's so jaunty!! And I pick a mix of two recordings: The Harold Lang-Vivienne Segal recording (but their songs only) and the 1952 revival recording, for Helen Gallagher and Elaine Stritch's numbers!

Looking forward to the revival in December!! (: (can Martha Plimpton sing?)

[Scripps2]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 4:18pm

I like Sian Phillips' husky rendition of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered on the 1980(?) London cast, and also the hilariously bad chorus doing Flower Garden of my Heart.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 4:51pm

Pal Joey is one of my top ten favorite musicals. There's not a lemon in it and, whenever I'm in the mood to hear one particular song, I'm hooked for the duration of the recording. I'd hate to choose a favorite recording, but I guess I'd say the old Columbia with Vivienne Segal and Harold Lang. It's not note-complete (no Garden of My Heart). About the only recording I would NOT recommend is the soundtrack of the movie, which totally diluted the story and discarded much of the great material. But Stritch is great on the revival recording, the London with Sean Phillips is quite good, the Encores! with Peter Gallagher is fine too. I am SO excited to see this great show again.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 5:51pm

As good as the movie is, it would have been better using the score from the show

I would loved to have seen Gene Kelly in the role.

[jewishboy]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 5:58pm

It is, pratically every song is well written and just a joy to listen to. Considering when it was originally produced, well, some are extremely well written (mainly the songs for Vera). My favorite song would have to be "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," but I am also partial to "Zip," "You Mustn't Kick it Around" and of course, "I Could Write a Book." Also, thanks to the Encores! recording, the cut song for Joey, "I'm Talking To My Pal," was included and I think it comes in a close second to "Bewitched..." Favorite recording is very difficult. Encores! has Patti LuPone as Vera (I think she's the best, except for Vivienne Segal in the Reprise of "Bewitched..."), but my favorite Joey is Harold Lang by far. BUT, nobody can sing Gladys and Melba like Helen Gallagher and Elaine Stritch respectfully (1952 Revival). So, if I had to listen to only one, I would probably go with the "Original" recording with Lang and Segal. I'm pretty excited for the revival.

buddharich, I really hope Plimpton can sing very well because I'm holding her up to the bar that was placed very high by Helen Gallagher (Tony winning high).

Updated On: 10/15/08 at 05:58 PM

Posted: 10/15/08 at 6:03pm

I think that "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" is one of (if not the) greatest songs in American History. I've heard it sung sweetly by an ingenue, vamped by a woman of a "certain age", swung by Sinatra- I think works every time. And what a great lyric!

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 6:25pm

My favorite is the 1995 Encores! cast recording with Peter Gallagher and Patti LuPone! I love Patti's "Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered" and the inclusion of "I'm Talkin' to My Pal". Bebe Neuwirth's "Zip" is also a highlight, but very similar to her Lola in Damn Yankees.

[TulitaPepsi]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 6:40pm

PAL JOEY is a gem, and rather underrated. I would have loved to have heard Kelly sing "I'm Talking to my Pal".

Roxy, the tragedy is that Harry Cohn, the king of Columbia, bought PAL JOEY right after Kelly & Rita Hayworth made a hit in COVER GIRL. Not only would Kelly be re-creating the Broadway role that made him a star, but Cohn had provisionally cast Viviene Segal as Vera.

Cohn wanted to borrow Kelly from MGM again for it (and Kelly pleaded with L.B. Mayer to let him do it) but for whatever reason (I'm assuming because Cohn wouldn't loan Rita to MGM) the deal fell apart.

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:14pm

Fascinating background on why Gene Kelly wasn't cast in the movie version. Thanks for the info, TulitaPepsi. I always wondered why Kelly didn't reprise his role. I'm not a big Gene Kelly fan, but this role was one I would have loved to see his portrayal of.

I'm really looking forward to this revival because I love the score!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:15pm

Not a big Gene kelly fan?

[sondheimgeek]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:19pm

I do have to say that the 1952 Broadway Revival Cast Recording of 'Pal Joey' is my favorite. I enjoy each and every of the performers performances greatly.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 7:39pm

For a second there, I thought the thread meant: "PalJoey" = BWW member "great score" = a VERY eventful evening. : ) from RC in Austin, Texas

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 10:36pm

I've waited my whole life to hear a Joey sing "I'm Talking to My Pal" in a production of Pal Joey.

Updated On: 10/16/08 at 10:36 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 1:17am

"And worship the trousers that cling to him"
That song and the reprise are monologues
worthy of any great score.
So dirty, yet pithy.
I am excited about this revival
but I fear that the chorus at the Nightclub will be 2 women and 2 men.
I hope they pull this off.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 10:06am

I agree Curtain. And I hope they use more than a synthesizer, drums and guitar. Joey is a "big" show that deserves the full treatment. I remember with horror what the Roundabout did to Follies several years back and am praying that some "concept" doesn't cloud the basic joys of the show. I would have opted for a commerical revival, but realize that that's a tall order these days. So I am thankful for what we'll get and pray to the theatrical gods that Roundabout doesn't f_____k it up.

Updated On: 10/16/08 at 10:06 AM