The Perfect Follies Recording?

Given the fact I'm buying tickets this weekend for the upcoming Encores! production of Follies starring Victoria Clark, I'm on such a Follies high. I recently read some old threats on different opinions about the best Follies recording. I have the four major recordings of the show that I know of (Original Cast, Concert Recording, London Cast, and Papermill production) as well as different Sondheim albums with songs from the show, so since I'm so excited about Follies I decided to make a "perfect" Follies album combining different renditions of the songs from the show. I was wondering what some people thought should be included on this "perfect" recording.
Some of my picks so far are:
"Don't Look At Me"-Donna McKechnie, Laurence Guittard (Papermill)
"Rain on the Roof"-Betty Comden, Adolph Green (Concert)
"Ah, Paree"-Liliane Montevecchi (Concert)
"Who's That Woman?"-Phyllis Newman (Concert)
"Buddy's Blues"-Larry Blyden with Donna McKechnie and Chita Rivera (1973 Sondheim Evening)
"It Wasn't Meant to Happen"-Craig Lucas (Marry Me A Little)
"I'm Still Here" and "Broadway Baby" are hard choices...

Updated On: 9/8/06 at 02:57 AM

As much as I wish the originsl had been a two disc set so we could have heard the full score performed by the first cast, my favourite overall is the Papermill. The London recording goes a little too bizarre sometimes, and the concert version... well, it plays like a concert version. But the Papermill has a very unique flavour to itself, and having something that has the full versions of the Bolero d'Amour and the entire Follies sequence intact makes it all the better.

As much as I hated the production, it still would have been nice to have the Roundabout. That way, I could listen and see what *should* have been on that stage. :)

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"I'm Still Here" was defined by Nancy Walker in the "Scrabble" album.

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Nancy Walker's version IS terrific. A little fast, though, but it lets the orchestra swing, which I like.

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She can't beat De Carlo, but Elaine Stritch's version is brilliant.

"Losing My Mind" probably does belong to Collins, but due to recording technology, it is stunning (and my favorite) on the 1998 Recording.

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I know DeenaJones, I was reading over my original post and realized my mistake, I just confused them because Alexis Smith played Phyllis in the original production. Will edit now.

Donna Murphy does a great job up until the end when she hits a really flat note, but everyone forgives her for it, cause its donna and we love her!

I think the best losing my mind I have ever heard, although it is not recorded, was sung by Maria Friedman at her cabaret. It was so powerful and you could see the tears in the corner of her eye.

Too Many Mornings...George Hearn does such an amazing job with it!

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The video of the concert did a hatchet job on I'm Still Here

If only the original had been 2 discs and if Papermill had been videotaped

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I've never heard a perfect recording of the show...the OBC recording - while greatly flawed - is the best I've heard.

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Nothing can beat Yvonne De Carlo's "I'm Still Here"

A masterpeice

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I like Cook's "In Buddy's Eyes" except for when she sings the very last line which happens to be "in Buddy's eyes." I like McKechnie's version, her performance was so criticized by most people but I enjoyed it when I saw her.
Dorothy Collins' "Don't Look At Me" is so on-spot, but I like that the Papermill version has the dialogue before Ben joins her in the song.
I dislike Burnett's "I'm Still Here," it lacks the humor Stritch so well adds to it. Although Walker's rendition is probably the best.
"Broadway Baby" is a hard choice because Kaye Ballard's rendition is the only one that has the montage at the end, but I prefer Elaine Stritch to Ballard.
Does anyone have a favorite "Live, Laugh, and Love"? (I despise the fact they massacred it in the Original Cast because John McCartin makes a great job with what he was given).

How about Dolores Gray singing "I'm Still Here"? I saw the London production with Gray and she gave a wonderful rendition of the song. Gray has been loved by London audiences for decades since she did a lot of famous American Musicals in London.Incidentally she looked great, too.
David Healey, who played Buddy in the London production, once told me that the London production was going to come to NYC but that Frank Rich's negative review of this 1987 FOLLIES scared off the producers and the move never took place. It had a long run in London, though. It was a thrilling show as far as I'm concerned.

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I missed seeing Dolores Grey, but saw her replacement, the amazing Eartha Kitt. WOW.