It really moves me that there are people out there recognising the power and value of these recordings and keeping them to share with the like-minded. I think it's a wonderful community we have and I find the depth of shared passion and love really incredible.
TO: Zamedy The audience is laughing when Rose says "Hello Everybody--my name's Rose; what's yours?" because Rose is imitating Louise's own introduction to her strip number. And she is also imitating all of Louise's former partner June's opening words to all of her stage numbers through the years. The repetition makes it funny. I don't know the answer to your other question.
This is truly a wonderful recording. I like the slower "And everything's coming up Rose.." It works for Merman, although, I also love the hyper speed version that Angela Lansbury used.
To answer the previous poster's question about why the audience laughs after she shouts "Hello, everybody. My name's Rose! What's yours?" is because, I believe, she gave a little bump and grind action to the audience. Listen to the orchestra hit that comes right after that line and you'll get the idea. From what I've gathered, Merman was one of the bawdiest Rose's and really went for broke in this number, playing up the more vulgar elements (bump, grind, shimmy...)
Two other full musical "live" recordings which exist are Mary Martin and the London cast in SOUTH PACIFIC from the Drury Lane, May 1952; and Barbara Harris and John Cullum and the Broadway cast in ON A CLEAR DAY, recorded live from the stage of the Mark Hellinger.
Ha! You can hear coughing at the beginning before she starts to sing. Constant coughing has been one thing that irritates me about the theatergoing experience.
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
"I have a copy that was just "remastered" and sounds incredible."
I'm the guy who did the recent remastering. I used the SoundForge noise reduction filter, which samples a section of silence and then removes only that noise from the entire recording. So, no highs are lost. I also did a little EQ to improve the bass, and re-tracked it. I put some clips up:
