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Obscure girl singers

friendofsheila

By + friendofsheila
in Comedy & Tragedy

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friendofsheila Grand Master

+ friendofsheila

Posted
Posted

Arranger Billy May said girl singers are all a pain in the a**.

 

But I like 'em anyway, especially the obscure ones. I'm discovering some from the 50's and 60's who do standards. And I'm getting their mono re-issues (Toni Harper is my latest find, next to be purchased).

 

http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/lady_lonely_&_night_mood_2_lps_on_1_cd-cd-5532.html

 

Samples: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Lonely-Night-Mood-Harper/dp/B008JEQEAE/ref=sr_1_1_twi_mus_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446162995&sr=8-1&keywords=toni+harper+lonely+lady

 

And Ethel Ennis:

http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/sings_lullabies_for_losers_+_change_of_scenery_+_have_you_forgotten_3_lps_on_2_cds_+_bonus_tracks-cd-5694.html

 

Samples: http://www.amazon.com/Lullabies-Losers-Change-Scenery-Forgotten/dp/B00CLRY2JU/ref=sr_1_1_twi_mus_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446162631&sr=8-1&keywords=ethel+ennis+lullabies

 

Do you have any obscure finds?

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WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted

I believe Joni James, Julie London and Kitty Kallen are obscure now. Joni James was the first pop singer to record a live album at Carnegie Hall. It is still in print, but does not have the full version of Danny Boy. She is a bland singer, but not on the complete Danny Boy.

tyro Community Regular

tyro

Posted
Posted

I don't know if she qualifies as obscure, but I like Ellem. Yes, with an M on the end. And Melody Gardot. Tyger told me about her. :)

T

bostonman Grand Master

bostonman

Posted
Posted

Julie London, of course, lives on in syndicated episodes of Emergency (playing somewhat opposite her real-life husband Bobby Troup). Though to my knowledge she never sang on the show.

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted

Kitten Kallen is still alive, and in her 90s. Joni James is 85. Joni James took a lot of time off, but performed a dozen or more concerts in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

  • 1 month later...
WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the information about Toni Harper. All of her CDs receive superb reviews. I am very impressed.

 

Peggy Lee is not an obscure girl singer. This week three of Peggy's concerts are available on Amazon. One was previously released on CD, but impossible to find. The second has never been released on CD, just LP.

 

The set all included a DVD of one of Lee's London concerts. I know very little about this third concert, but there's very little available of Lee in concert, except an Atlantic City concert, which is quite good.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Live-London-Peggy-Lee/dp/B014GF41EU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1450144547&sr=1-1&keywords=peggy+lee+live+in+london

Moondance Grand Master

Moondance

Posted
Posted

The word "obscure" is a tricky qualifier. Just the other day, in another thread, there was a question of whether people in their 20s and 30s would know Doris Day or Carol Burnett or Lucille Ball. Imagine that ... not knowing LUCY!)

 

Anyway, since Nina Simone and Peggy Lee have been mentioned, I'm going to mention Keely Smith. Not exactly obscure ... just not as famous as she ought to be considering her terrific talent.

N13 Experienced

N13

Posted
Posted

Judy Henske - look her up on Amazon. A number of records, but I don't think too many people know of or about her. Low down blues singer.

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted
Judy Henske - look her up on Amazon. A number of records, but I don't think too many people know of or about her. Low down blues singer.

 

Judy Henske appeared on the second episode of "The Judy Garland Show" during the 1963-64 season (on CBS, Sunday nights),

 

N13 Experienced

N13

Posted
Posted

I first found out about Judy Henske in one of Andrew Vachss' Burke books. Burke is a tough revenger [not a word, but it does describe the character] of abused children and Henske is his music of choice.

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted
I first found out about Judy Henske in one of Andrew Vachss' Burke books. Burke is a tough revenger [not a word, but it does describe the character] of abused children and Henske is his music of choice.

 

I remember Judy Henske well from the 1960s. She is one of my favorites as well. Judy Garland must have trying for a younger audience because her other guests that night in November 1963 were Count Basie and Mel Torme. Sadly, Garland and Henske did not sing together (I have a DVD of that show).

MrMiniver Community Regular

MrMiniver

Posted
Posted
I believe Joni James, Julie London and Kitty Kallen are obscure now. Joni James was the first pop singer to record a live album at Carnegie Hall. It is still in print, but does not have the full version of Danny Boy. She is a bland singer, but not on the complete Danny Boy.

 

None of them are obscure. To be obscure, the people participating in this thread would have to have NOT heard of them before. We've all heard of them.

WilliamM Grand Master

+ WilliamM

Posted
Posted
None of them are obscure. To be obscure, the people participating in this thread would have to have NOT heard of them before. We've all heard of them.

 

This thread is open to everyone, not just the people who have posted. I agree that people under 40 years old may know Julie London, but very few would know Kitty and/or Joni.

MrMiniver Community Regular

MrMiniver

Posted
Posted
This thread is open to everyone, not just the people who have posted. I agree that people under 40 years old may know Julie London, but very few would know Kitty and/or Joni.

 

Perhaps but that doesn't make them "obscure" IMHO. Julie London was a very well known singer.

Moondance Grand Master

Moondance

Posted
Posted
None of them are obscure. To be obscure, the people participating in this thread would have to have NOT heard of them before. We've all heard of them.

 

Well, no... I've participated in the thread and hadn't heard of some of these singers before. Thanks to friendofsheila for starting the thread and prompting us to share.

friendofsheila Grand Master

+ friendofsheila

Posted
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Posted
Well, no... I've participated in the thread and hadn't heard of some of these singers before. Thanks to friendofsheila for starting the thread and prompting us to share.

 

As the kids say: "Word!"

 

This thread is open to everyone, not just the people who have posted. I agree that people under 40 years old may know Julie London, but very few would know Kitty and/or Joni.

 

As the old folks say: "Ditto!"

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