The London Studio Recordings 1957-1964

The "Judy Garland - London Studio Recordings, 1957-1964" CD set arrived and I knew I had to clear my schedule for a few hours.  Listening to Judy is never a background project for me!  So this Sunday afternoon I put away my latest book proposal and turned on the stereo.  I knew this would be an emotional afternoon, as certain songs bring an immediate smile to my face while others bring on the tears. 

As I listened to the London Studio Recordings, memories and thoughts flooded my mind:

My first thoughts were…what a complete collaboration there was between Judy and the orchestra.  Of course she had been recording since she was a teenager and it was part of her life.  Whatever troubles there were in Judy’s personal life at the time, it didn't matter when she was in the recording studio.  It never encroached upon her recording sessions.  There she could be natural and not bother with dressing up, because it was just her and the musicians.  She was at home, loving her craft.


I choked up right away as I heard the first track, “It's So Lovely To Be Back Again in London.”  I was at the opening of Judy's Dominion Theatre engagement on October 16, 1957, when she sang this song.  And I still have the small LP which Judy gave to the opening night audience members.

costume Judy wore for this opening song. 

Love the solo sax behind her during the soaring “…can’t go on” phrase in “Stormy Weather”.

“You Go To My Head” and immediately a smile comes on my face – such a playful song.

Judy sang this at the London Palladium 1960

“Rock-a-Bye” takes me back to Judy's engagement at the London Palladium in 1951.

Judy at London Palladium on opening night 1951

“It’s a Great Day for the Irish” and she is nineteen years old again!

The magnificent “I Happen to Like New York” – more tears.  I was in the studio when she recorded it; so glad she is resting there.

“Do It Again” – I remember the completely still theater and one small spotlight on Judy’s face as she performed this song at her Palladium show in 1960.

“Come Rain or Come Shine” – I remember thinking at the Dominion 1957 that this was the most exciting thing I had ever seen on stage.  She wore a feathered tomato red-colored dress, while the bongo drummer sat at Judy's feet.  He never left her side as they both gave each other encouraging and inspiring looks throughout the performance.  Then the orchestra soared behind them till the song reached its climatic finish.

“The Man That Got Away" – One of the best versions of this song.  Love the solo sax that comes in behind her.  If I could only have one song with me on a desert island, I would choose to have every version of this song.

“You'll Never Walk Alone” – When I first heard this song years ago (Judy recorded it the first time in NY in 1945, just after her marriage to Vincente Minnelli), I felt then it was nearly operatic.  She wanted so much to do a Broadway show.

“Chicago” and “San Francisco” – Happy songs and memories of Judy skipping around the stage.

Her voice was so strong and in its finest shape in 1960.  It's a shame the future tours were so demanding and pity she didn’t keep some of the money she earned.  Instead, her earnings went into other people’s pockets.

“Hello Bluebird” – We were at the London Palladium all day, cast as extras in the audience, while they filmed the concert scenes for her movie, "I Could Go On Singing."  I remember listening to the playback of this song over and over again as we sat in the theater, with Judy coming out now and then to film her sequences.  Oh!  Happy Day!  1962

"Blue Bird" British fan club members in Dress Circle

“(I’ll go my way) By Myself” – Very emotional, as she was in the last stages of her marriage to Sid Luft. 

“I Could Go On Singing” – Lorna Smith and I were invited to attend this recording session at the EMI studio in the summer of 1962.  We were standing at the side when Judy arrived escorted by Dirk Bogarde and she seemed surprised to see so many people – approximately 80 sitting on bleachers!  She quickly sent them off for some refreshments, perhaps to relax them.  (Thanks to Frank Labrador for putting me in contact with David Price for the  photographs from this evening.)    
Judy wore a black dress and very high-heeled shoes, which quickly came off when she turned and began to sing (with her back to us).  These recordings, which were made when I was actually present in the studio, are very emotional for me.

Judy at EMI studios getting ready to sing.  Lorna Smith and I were in the group somewhere? 

Judy recording "I Could go on Singing" for movie of that name

Judy with her children + Lorna Smith over on the right edge.

In 1964, Judy was not supposed to have sung for a long period after being ill in Hong Kong earlier that year.  But she came back to London, went to a benefit and they encouraged her to sing – and off she went again!  Four joyful “Maggie May” songs were recorded in August 1964, during the 6 months she lived in England.

Judy with Lionel Bart in 1964

“Lucky Day” – She sang this song so often in concerts, usually at the beginning of the show.  Brings back good memories.

“Stormy Weather” – Love the solo horn and sax “singing” around Judy’s voice.  This is perhaps the most beautiful of all the London Studio recordings. 

Love “Please Say “Ah” – So nice to hear something new.

Those moments when I was in Judy’s presence at a recording studio or at concert seem to me as if they only happened a few months ago.  They are so clear in my mind.  As I mentioned above, Lorna Smith (my friend and then current president of Judy Garland's fan club) and I were very lucky to have witnessed one of her recording sessions at the EMI Studios on August 3, 1960.  Many years after this recording session, Lorna Smith asked Judy about her beautiful and sensitive rendition of “Why Was I Born?” she recorded that day and Judy giggled, "I expect they lost it!”  Thank goodness they didn’t lose it…or any of the other songs she recorded at the EMI Studios.  Now we all can enjoy them.

Judy Garland recording the London Sessions at EMI 1960

I thought I should share my memories of being with Judy one evening at the Abbey Road studios in 1960, particularly as the recordings are being re-issued.  The following is an extract from material I have written many times before and will be in the book, when it ever materializes!!    

          'Lorna Smith called Judy and spoke to her on Sunday, 31 July at 1:15 pm, while Judy was at the Westbury Hotel in London.  Lorna inquired how she was and chatted about her recent trip to Rome and diets; both were trying to lose weight.  Judy asked how the club members were and she thanked Lorna again for the lovely presents and flowers and for thinking of the children.  Lorna replied that Judy had given the fans lots of pleasure and this was the only way to show it.  Judy commented that it was very sweet and she appreciated it.

taken a few days before at Press Reception

          When asked about the children, Judy told Lorna that she would stay in Europe for a while and that the younger children would join her soon.  She said that Liza was in the French Alps now with six other girls, learning the language.  Judy said she would join her the Sunday after the recording sessions and go to Geneva, where Liza was for a while.  Then they would spend two or three days in Paris before returning to London.

          Lorna then asked Judy if it would be possible for us, me and her, to come to one of the sessions.  Judy replied, “Why, of course.  I’d be delighted to have you come along.  I’ll leave word at the door.”   When Lorna asked which day would be convenient, Judy replied, “Any time you like.  I’m recording Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 7:30 pm.  Any evening you come along will be alright.  Do you know where it is?  Abbey Road?  That’s right….St. John’s Wood.”  Lorna thanked her and said “It’ll be lovely to see and hear you sing again.”  Judy thanked Lorna for phoning, called her "dear" and said she looked forward to seeing her sometime next week.

          I consider this time when she was happy, well and singing at the studio to be my favorite memory.  I was terribly shy at that time and in great awe of her.  We did not take any cameras because she was working and we did not want to distract her.  The first day we were unlucky because the guards would not let us into the studio so we stood outside.  Judy waved to us from the steps, probably wondering why we were not in the studio.  Lorna called her the next day and explained.  Judy said she would make sure that we got in the next day.  As the limo drove up, Judy jumped out and dragged us into the car.  Sid had just arrived from the States.   As Sid, Lorna and I tried to keep up with her as she scurried (there is no other word for it, Judy walked fast) down the corridors, she kept turning back to us saying, "I don't know why you want to listen to this - it will be so boring.”  Judy could draw out the words and emphasize them.  We insisted we would not be bored -- we were in seventh heaven.  Judy was unfailingly polite; everyone was always introduced to everyone else; this was how she was.  Sid was charming as he always was to the fans, and he looked very handsome in a beige suit, always well dressed.

          Before the session began, the recording manager had strolled over to tell us Judy's voice was better than ever and she had made five wonderful recordings the night before.  (These would later to be on the London Recordings).  The studio people wanted to put us away from the recording area.  I suppose in case we made a noise and spoiled the recording, but Judy would not have it.  "I want the girls up here with me" she insisted and we were given two chairs about three feet away behind her.  We sat there like two very small mice, scarcely breathing.  She told us she preferred that we did not face her, as this would distract her while she sang.

          The songs she recorded that evening were, "I Happen to Like New York", "Why Was I Born?", "Swanee" and "You'll Never Walk Alone.”  She would record one song and then we would go into the sound proof room and listen to it in the playback.  At one point after one version of “I Happen to Like New York”, another guest, an English girl pop singer, made some disparaging remarks about New York.  It was along the lines that it was a dirty smelly place.  Judy stood looking down at sheet music on a table, said quietly and very firmly, “I happen to like New York!”  

Norrie Paramor

          Norrie Paramor was conducting the orchestra with about 12 people in the chorus.  She told them they had to sound like 50 -- so "sing big" or something like that.  Another time while she was doing “Swanee” and the orchestra didn't know how it went (the pauses, etc.), Judy went through it with them, encouraging them and showing them exactly how she wanted it to go; guiding and advising the chorus and orchestra on rhythm, tempo, pitch and volume.  She was always very sweet, charming, and funny; she also knew exactly what was going on at every moment.  Even when singing with intense concentration, she could pick out a fault in the orchestra or chorus.  She would sing over some of the lines for the chorus, sometimes conducting, leading, and almost willing them to perfection. "Could you sing a little louder there?" she inquired at one point to the chorus.  She grinned.  The leader suggested he stopped his note when Judy stopped. "I don't stop," smiled Judy, "I hold it through to the end." (The chorus collapsed in laughter.)

       Sid and Judy seemed to be on good terms.  He would give input to recordings and she would, good-naturedly, do it again.  At one point she turned to us when Sid was rubbing his eyes, "He is suffering from jet lag!"  Later, she would say to us "Would you like some tea?"   She was wearing flat shoes, black pants and a lovely blue shirt she had brought back from Italy.  She was not heavy, but she was at the weight which was correct for her and she looked comfortable with.  She wore lipstick and very little other make-up.  Her hair was just normally curled.  I remember at one point she was laying back in the chair, laughing with her feet on the table and I noticed she wore nylons under her pants/trousers.  I guess at that time I had not met many American women and we always wore ankle socks with sneakers and pants.  I doubt we had jeans then.  I considered her extremely elegant.

        Many years later Lorna Smith asked Judy about the recording she had made that day of "Why was I Born", commenting how beautiful it was and asked what they did with it.  Judy laughed and said, "I expect they lost it."  That is how she was -- a funny, charming, woman.   It is nice to know that these recordings have been discovered and are being re-issued.'

    

   

Taken just after recording sessions