New York, NY (Top40 Charts) This week's album entry in the Top40-Charts comes from the Sepia label (Love that name!) which just released a collection of recordings by iconic singing funny lady, Rose Marie. With Rose Marie SINGS, all of us rainbow children are able to track not only the career of a fine vocalist but also the era known as "Big Band" and RoseM's contributions to the ballrooms of yore. With tracks dating back as early as 1938 (when the lady was a lass of 15) and as late as 1966, listeners can get a real feel for that era where the dance band had
America jumping and jiving before, during, and after the Second World War, and into its waning, post-Rock & Roll years. Add it all up and you have a phenomenally long recording career, along with every other aspect of show business that RoseM took part in. Born Rose Marie Mazetta in New York City in 1923, Baby Rose Marie attained fame just 4 years later, when an experimental Vitaphone musical short featuring the precocious tot singing a number played on the bill with the legendary
Radio City premiere of the first talkie THE JAZZ SINGER. Spending her adolescent years in what was left of Vaudeville, Rose Marie knew nothing but show business and the great catalogs of the best composers of the golden age. She sang them all as a child and continued to sing them as a teen and adult with band leaders like Frank DeVol, Carl Stevens, Hal Hastings, Dick Maltby (Father of Broadway's Richard Maltby), Les Brown, and Earle Hagen of Dick Van Dyke Theme Song fame. With a performing career beginning at age 4 in 1927 and coming to a close only with her death, Rose Marie knew nothing but show business for 90 years. She was a success, she was famous, and she made her living doing nothing else than doing what she loved, and never wanted to stop doing, as was made clear with her final bow, the wonderful Jason Wise 2017 Documentary of her life WAIT FOR YOUR LAUGH.
Now to just a few highlights of this collection of recordings, and why they should be a part of your collections, my angels. Kicking it off is one of Lady Rose's signature songs, MY MAMA SAYS NO, NO. Recorded with Dick Maltby's orchestra in 1946, this is Rosie in her early 20s singing with the power of a "belting broad" twice her age. This is a prime example of what Rose Marie did best. She sang with dance bands in dance halls and made you want to dance. Two very interesting cuts on the album credit Rose Marie herself as the songwriter. OH MARIA, from 1946 and recorded with Earle Hagen's Orchestra, is a number where Rosie's voice is at its prettiest, with a nice use of her youthful upper range. Many people more strongly identify with the rougher growl of her later years, so hearing this production from her is a wonderful surprise. Also, this one just hops to the beat and is a prime example of a 40's Big Band Era tune. Then there is CHEAP TOMATOES from 1947 - a novelty tune by Rose Marie where she harkens to her roots and utilizes her Italian accent, just for fun. Recorded with Van Alexander's Sextet, this is a "Bouncy Bambino" number with Italian lyrics peppered in here and there, and with a second half that leaves the Italiano style behind and bops, big band style, to the end - Clever.
Two interesting additions are songs from everybody's fave Broadway show GYPSY. Her recordings of SOME PEOPLE and SMALL WORLD were made as her audition to be the singing voice for Rosalind Russell's Mama Rose in the film. For the former, it just doesn't pop in a way that fits either the character or what we know Rosie, herself, can do. With the latter though, the ballad lands much better in her plaintive tones, and she captures the feel of this tune so very well. Finally, there is Top40-Charts' pick for the best of the album, MY BLUE HEAVEN. From 1951, this is a Walter Donaldson &
George Whiting song that was part of the lady's act for decades, and this particular recording includes her beloved late husband,
Bobby Guy, playing trumpet. This is a pretty song in a gorgeous part of RoseM's voice with lilting notes adding nice textural touches. Then it bounces into a big band dance tempo where she, again, belts it to the wall all the way to the end, and one can really hear Rosie playing her voice like a musical instrument.
This year marks Rose Marie's 100th birthday. She left us just 6 short years ago, but for 90 out of the last 100 years she made her way, she made her living, she made us laugh, and she made us dance, and that, my angels, ain't hay, as they say. Some of you readers who stopped to check out these writings today may have no knowledge of who Rose Marie was, but we are living in an era of retro-fascination, and with credits like THE Dick Van Dyke SHOW and the songs in this library, you could not find a better retro baby than Baby Rose Marie - a lady who did it all and sang it all. For those of us for whom she represents more than kitsch, this album is an essential, not only for her fans but for those who love good music from one of its most danceable eras. Enjoy Rose Marie SINGS because Top40-Charts gives this one...
