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