Composers: Paul Lincke; Con Conrad; Cy Coben; Bart Howard; Danny Barker ; Dick Manning; Morty Nevins; Don George; Eddy Arnold; Edward Heyman; Eliot Daniel; Jack Barnett; Albert Gamse; Felix Bernard; Serge Hovey; Hector Marchese; Frankie Laine; Fred Fisher; Scotty MacGregor; Nick Clooney; Gerald Marks; Hal Blair; Henry Glover; Hy Heath; Seymour Brown; Irving Berlin; Irving Mills; Joel Cowan; Jimmy MacDonald; Harry McCarthy; Jack Lawrence ; Dwight Latham; Lynn Murray; James Cavanaugh; Jack Jordan; Jerry Livingston; Joe Marsala; John Benson Brooks; John Klenner; Johnny Mercer; Jos Ferrer ; Josef Myrow; Al Hoffman; Leigh Harline; Leon Carr; Lester Lee; Lonnie Glosson; Alex Kramer; Lucky Millinder; Richard Miles ; Alton Delmore; Milton Drake; Moe Jaffe; Nat King Cole; Percy Faith; Ray Gilbert; Robert Allen ; Robert MacGimsey; Ross Bagdasarian; Saxie Dowell; Arthur Freed; Sidney Lippman; Sidney Clare; Sol Marcus; Stuart Hamblen; Sylvia Dee; Tennessee Ernie Ford; Terry Gilkyson; Tom Glazer; Vic McAlpin; Walter Gross ; William Engvick; Richard Adler ; Harold Arlen; Benny Davis; Hal David; Vernon Duke; Sammy Fain; Mack Gordon; Oscar Hammerstein II; E.Y. "Yip" Harburg; Lorenz Hart; Sammy Kaye; Jimmy Kennedy; Hans Lang; Francis Lemarque; Oscar Levant ; Frank Loesser; Ogden Nash ; Bob Hilliard; Bob Merrill ; Bonnie Lake; Bruno Coquatrix ; Buddy Kaye; Hoagy Carmichael; Carl Butler; Carl Fischer; Carolyn Leigh.
Personnel: Rosemary Clooney (vocals); Betty Clooney, Gene Autry, Guy Mitchell, Jimmy Boyd , Marlene Dietrich (vocals); George Morgan, Matty Golizio, Johnny Bond, Al Caiola, Mundell Lowe (guitar); Leo Kruczek, George Kast, Samuel Carmell, Harry Azen, Erno Neufeld, Murray Kellner, A. Cores, M. Gusikoff, Henry Nosco, Sam Middleman, Milton Lomask, David Frisina, Israel Baker, Harry Katzman, Harry Bluestone (violin); Louis Kievman, Cecil Figelski, Richard Dickler, Sidney Brecher, Leon Frengut (viola); Cy Bernard (cello, maracas); Bernard Greenhouse , Armand Karpoff (cello); John Fulton (flute, saxophone); Eddy Manson (harmonica); Charles Magnante (accordion); Jules Jacob, Russell Banzer, Eddie Brown, Emmett Callen, Al Freistadt, Art Drelinger, Gene Cipriano, Martin Harris, Emanuel Gershman, Bernard Kaufman, Jimmy Abato, Harry Klee, Harold Feldman (saxophone); Bob Anderson (tenor saxophone); Jack Agee (baritone saxophone); Conrad Gozzo , James Maxwell, Eddie Ehlert, Dominick Buono, Robert Funk, J. Milozzo, Ziggy Elman, Mickey Mangano, Budd Johnson (trumpet); Fred Klein, John Barrows, James Buffington, Ray Alonge (French horn); Abe Lincoln, John d'Agostino, George Arus, Larry Alpeter, Harold Diner, Al Godlis, Eddie Kusby, Ray Conniff, Will Bradley (trombone); Stan Freeman (piano, harpsichord); Marvin H. Hughes, George Forbes, Ken Lane, Bernie Leighton, Les Burness (piano); Eddie Forrest, Jack Mills, Jimmy Crawford , Nick Fatool, Phil Kraus , Johnny Blowers (drums).
Liner Note Author: Rosemary Clooney.
Recording information: Castle Studio At Tulane Hotel; Nashville, TN (03/1945-05/1946); Columbia Recording Studio; New York City, NY; Columbia (03/1945-05/1946); Conway Hall; Red Lion Square; London - WCI; UK (03/1945-05/1946); Herzog Studio; 811 Race St; Cincinnati, OH; CBS Studio; (03/1945-05/1946); Paramount Studio; 5555 Melrose Ave; Hollywood, CA (03/1945-05/1946); Radio Records; 7000 Santa Monica Blvd; Hollywood, CA (03/1945-05/1946); WLW Radio Station;Cincinnati, OH (03/1945-05/1946); WPVA Radio Station (Catholic Hr); Chester, PA (03/1945-05/1946).
Director: Sid Feller.
Illustrators: Colin Escott; R.A. Andreas; Brian Henson; Drew Blackburn; Michael Feinstein; Rosemary Clooney.
Photographers: Colin Escott; R.A. Andreas; Brian Henson; Drew Blackburn; Michael Feinstein; Rosemary Clooney.
Arranger: Ray Conniff.
The first of three Bear Family sets of Clooney's complete recordings is uneven stylistically, although a big percentage of it is first-rate. The problem is that Clooney's career from 1947-54 at Columbia Records was divided between sultry, jazz-based big band and popular music, and light novelty tunes of the kind that drove Sinatra away from the label. A big part of this set is built principally around those novelty songs, which Clooney was forced to record. Additionally, due to its chronological sequencing, it opens up with the most dubious of Clooney's novelty numbers, the Tony Pastor & The Clooney Sisters (Rosemary and Betty) pre-Columbia recordings. Pastor was more of a novelty performer than a serious vocalist, so their recordings together, which comprise most of the first disc, are something of an acquired taste. Those songs are followed by her introduction to Columbia Records; there are some hauntingly beautiful numbers interspersed between too many novelty tunes (with Pastor playing too large a part in much of it). Disc Two closes out the Clooney Sisters' career and the Tony Pastor sides -- even the lesser of these numbers is worthwhile, as they display a robust big-band pop sound that was rapidly disappearing. Once Clooney's own solo singing career starts, the level of interest picks up considerably -- her undiluted voice shows a simmering talent coming to a boil right in front of one's ears. Disc Three is weighted down with some less-than-impressive duets teaming Clooney with Guy Mitchell, but is also sparked by her early career masterpieces, "The Lady Is a Tramp" and "I'll Be Around." Then there is "Come On-A My House," which outsold everything Clooney had ever done before. Disc Four is highlighted by the complete Rosemary Clooney-Marlene Dietrich sessions, which were about as perfect a team-up in terms of wryly humorous vibes as you could possibly imagine. Clooney's duets with George Morgan are more satisfying and purposeful than her team-up with Guy Mitchell. Disc Five begins on an upswing, but for every song where she shows some depth and a swinging, hot, jazz-influenced style, there are those weird-ass novelty songs that bust up the quality of her output. Disc Six is the most consistently strong part of the set, sparked by gorgeous renditions of songs Clooney was always meant to record. Disc Seven is devoted entirely to songs that Clooney cut for five movies; it has the same strengths and fewer weaknesses than her career during that period of 1952-54. In all, this is a good job done with some music that, especially in the middle discs, was less than enduring, and makes a great prelude to the next box, where Clooney's career really took off. ~ Bruce Eder
