Pearl Bailey's Version of the Hello, Dolly! Title Song...

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 1:18pm

Is it not just perfection?

I think it's my favorite rendition of the song. She adds so much flavor to the song, she adds some riffs here and there, nothing over the top. It's just wonderful.

Who else loves Pearl's version of Hello, Dolly's title song?

I think I prefer to Channing's also wonderful version!
Updated On: 6/29/06 at 01:18 PM

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 1:42pm

I was so fortunate to see Pearl Bailey in HELLO, DOLLY! in a 1975 revival in Los Angeles, and yes, the title number was perfection.

But I remember a rather carping letter to the editor of the Los Angeles Times from a theatergoer who was unimpressed with Miss Bailey. The letter writer complained that DOLLY got lost in what had become 'The Pearl Bailey Show'. Apparently, the letter writer did not approve of Pearl's asides to the audience and felt the show suffered because of it. I'm pleased to report that the rest of the audience did not feel the same way. To steal a line from one critic, who, in reviewing the 1967 production, wrote of Miss Bailey 'The audience would've elected her governor if she'd only have named the state'.

[once a month]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:15pm

I'll never forget...living above my dad's Eagle bar and grill in Walden (New York). He purchased a new contraption for the entertainment of all the other alcoholics at his place. It predated MTV...but it was a juke box that played the tunes, and had a TV screen that showed the artist. I will never forget Pearl Bailey doing Hello Dolly....or Louis Armstrong either! It was such a terrible place for a ten year old to live...but Pearl and Armstrong brough magic to this boys life!

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:25pm

The night I saw Pearl on Broadway in HELLO DOLLY after the Curtain Call she took off her shoes (which was one of her trademarks) and introduced Bob Hope in the audience and they did a half hour of schtick and songs.
It was Really Terrific!
And yes She brings her own very special flavor to the Title Song.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:29pm

The only thing I know of Pearl's performance is what's left on the Ed Sullivan DVD, the Carol and Pearl in Concert DVD, and on the recording.

I think she's brilliant - a true and sincere one of a kind performer.

Sure, everything I have seen or heard her do from DOLLY has a sort of "Pearl Bailey as Dolly as Pearl Baily" self-importance to it, but I just don't care. I can not get enough of her.

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:43pm

im re-reading pearl bailey's autobiogrpahy THE RAW PEARL & ive been thinking of scanning a chapter to post here on the board....i'll do it, if anyones interested...

[philcrosby]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:48pm

I would love that n69n.

I also love Mary Martin's own personal take on the role. Merman was thrilling to her, but the role suited her less well. How sad that all the other Broadway Dollys - Ginger Rogers, Betty Grable, Martha Raye and Phyllis Diller - or the tour Dollys - Eve Arden, Yvonne deCarlo -- never were recorded.

[Jon]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:50pm

The highlight for me from the Peral Bailey caast recoding is her delivery of the following lines:

"And on those cold and lonely nights, Horace...

You can snuggle up to yo' ole' cash register...

It may be a little lumpy, but it RINGS!!!"

[lvpblues]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 2:59pm

There is so much to enjoy in Bailey's recording of Dolly, particularly the title song and So Long Dearie. Having seen a lot of old television clips with her, particularly the special she did with Carol Channing, it makes me wish I had been alive to see her in her prime.

I also enjoy the OLC with Mary Martin, even those bizarre "Ole's" she warbles in the title song.

~Kev

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 3:01pm

I wasn't aware that there was an official recording of Mary Martin doing it. I checked on Amazon and came up empty...where might I find it?

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 3:41pm

I'm wondering the same thing, Munk!

I want to hear Martin in the role. Where can we find the recording?

[NYC4Life]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 3:53pm

I am in love with her version of the song! I cant help but smile when i hear it. she brings me so much joy!

[jimnysf]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 4:37pm

"I wasn't aware that there was an official recording of Mary Martin doing it. I checked on Amazon and came up empty...where might I find it?"




It's out of print but it was the Original London Cast Recording and it was only on vinyl. However, the recent deluxe CD of the Channing version has her versions of "I Put My Hand In" and "So Long Dearie" as bonus tracks.

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/5876463/a/Hello+Dolly!.htm


http://www.castalbumdb.com/rec.cfm?RNumber=490

[WestVillage]

Posted: 6/29/06 at 4:58pm

I absolutely adored Pearl in Dolly ... what a fun event. I didn't see her original run, but saw her revival at the Minskoff. In addition to her doing "The Pearl Bailey Show" after the curtain call for about 1/2 hour, the highlight of the performance was after the Hello, Dolly number, the audience went wild, and Pearlie Mae looked out at the audience, and said "You enjoyed that, didn't you? So did I. Let's do it again! But I'm taking my shoes off this time." So she took off her shoes, climbed the red Harmonia Gardens staircase and did the whole number a second time. The audience was ecstatic!

Posted: 6/29/06 at 10:49pm

I also saw Ms. Bailey in the Minskoff revival and she was brilliant. Such a unique talent. And she also performed the "Dolly" number twice at the Sunday matinee I attended! I don't remember if she took her shoes off.

When I was walking downstairs in my building one day, someone actually threw away the Mary Martin recording! There it was,lying in a stairwell - I immediately retrieved it from the trash! Now that's a bargain! Mary M. is delightful on it.

[sondheimboy2]

Posted: 6/30/06 at 1:06am

A few years back, a friend of mine lent me a video tape of various Broadway numbers from the Ed Sullivan show and one of them was the entire "Before the Parade Passes By" with Pearl Bailey with the monologue to Horace in it.

And she was so moving, talking about the dried leaf that fell out of her Bible and realizing that she was like that leaf and wanting to rejoin life, that I just and to watch that number several times and be wowed by her performance of that monologue. I never realized what a marvelous actress she was.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/30/06 at 1:51am

I saw Pearl do DOLLY! about 7 or 8 times. She was brilliant--especially with her ad-libs and asides. There was one night she dropped character and told a man in the audience to put down his binoculars. She said, "I don't mind when they use those cute little opera glasses, but this guy's got World War II field glasses! I know what you're lookin' for honey. Wrinkles. Well, Pearlie Mae don't have any!" Then she went on with the show.

Sorry to tell you folks, most of THE RAW PEARL is fiction.

Updated On: 6/30/06 at 01:51 AM