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8.1207855 8.1207856
1. Overture 3:31OrchestraColumbia 4556-M, mx CO 41180-1
2. Dites-Moi 1:23Barbara Luna
3. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 1:42Mary MartinBoth Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41184-1
4. Twin Soliloquies (Wonder How It Feels) 2:24Mary Martin & Ezio Pinza Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41189-1
5. Some Enchanted Evening 2:59Ezio Pinza Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41190-1
6. Bloody Mary 2:14Men’s Chorus Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41183-1
7. There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame 3:33Men’s Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41181-1
8. Bali Ha’i 3:24Juanita Hall Columbia 4562-M, mx CO 41188-1
9. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair 3:25Mary Martin & Girls’ ChorusColumbia 4562-M, mx CO 41185-1
10. A Wonderful Guy 3:30Mary Martin & Girls’ Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41186-1
11. Younger Than Springtime 3:24William Tabbert Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41182-1
12. Happy Talk 3:30Juanita Hall Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41191-1
13. Honey Bun 2:00Mary Martin
14. Carefully Taught 1:16William Tabbert Both Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41187-1
15. This Nearly Was Mine 3:26Ezio Pinza Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41192-1
16. Finale 2:58Mary Martin, Barbara Luna, Ezio Pinza Columbia 4556-M, mx CO 41193-1
21. Bali Ha’i 3:15Ezio Pinza with Orchestra conducted by Lehman EngelColumbia 4588-M, mx CO 41489Recorded 10 October 1949
22. The Loneliness of Evening 3:21Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45813Recorded 8 June 1951
23. My Girl Back Home 2:59Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45812Recorded 8 June 1951
24. South Pacific Medley (Some Enchanted Evening—A Wonderful Guy—Bali Ha’i—Younger Than Springtime) 6:35Eadie & Rack, Piano DuetDecca 24707, mx W 75069-1, 75070-1Recorded 14 July 1949
17. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 2:32Sandra Deel RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1635
18. Some Enchanted Evening 2:54Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0002, mx D9-VB-1636
19. There Is Nothing Like A Dame 2:53The Guild Choristers RCA Victor 31-0003, mx D9-VB-1637
20. This Nearly Was Mine 3:27Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1642
Original Cast with Orchestra conducted by Salvatore Dell’IsolaRecorded 18-19 April 1949 and issued in Columbia set MM-850
Al Goodman's Orchestra, with the Broadway show’s understudies and the Guild ChoristersRecorded 14 June 1949 and included in RCA Victor set BN-3
All selections recorded in New YorkTransfers & Production by David Lennick • Digital Restoration by Graham Newton
Producer’s NoteThough it was one of the best-selling OriginalCast albums of all time, responsible more thanany other single album for converting recordbuyers to the new ‘LP’ format in 1949, SouthPacific has had a checkered sonic history.Originally recorded on 16-inch lacquer discs, aswas the custom through the 1940s, the castrecordings were also captured on the newlydeveloped magnetic tape. Various issues overthe years have been taken from both sources,often with attempts to ‘modernize’ the sound byadding reverb or fake stereo. Early LP pressingssuffer from distortion and diminished highfrequencies, later ones have extra reverb andpoor balance, and CD issues have suffered fromfaulty edits or defective tape sources andvarying speeds. Two generations of recordcollectors have never heard the original soundrecorded in 1949. However, the 78 masters
were derived directly from the lacquers, and in1950, the cast album appeared briefly on 45s,which also appear to be from the originallacquers and not an intermediate tape master.A clean 45 RPM set was used for this Naxostransfer. The Al Goodman recordings wereissued on RCA’s budget ‘Bluebird Series’, butoddly enough were pressed on vinyl. Vinylsources were also used for the extra selectionsby Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, the latter a 7-inch 33RPM single disc. Worth noting are thevariations in some of these recordings: an entireextra set of lines in Dickinson Eastham’sperformance of This Nearly Was Mine (whichPinza also sang, but on a broadcast, not on hisColumbia recording) and different lyrics in theGuild Choristers’ version of There Is NothingLike a Dame.
-- David Lennick
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 2
8.1207852 8.1207853 8.1207854
It’s all about historical perspective.Nowadays, when we think of South Pacific,
we tend to view it simply as one more hitmusical from the golden team of Rodgers &Hammerstein: a heartwarming show full ofglorious songs.
But to the opening night audience, it wasmuch, much more than that.
When the curtain rose on 7 April 1949, noteven four full years had passed since the end ofthe Second World War. A musical drama set inthe Pacific theatre, filled with soldiers loving,fighting and dying, was bound to have anemotional resonance that we can only guess attoday.
By contrast, fourteen years passed from theend of the Vietnam War in 1975 to its depictionin Miss Saigon (1989). And if any musicals havebeen written about Operation Desert Storm orthe recent conflict in Iraq, we’ve yet to see them.
Consequently, when you listen to thisoriginal cast recording, the experience will beintensified by heeding what’s between the linesand behind the songs.
Nellie’s cheerful A Cockeyed Optimist, forexample, with its answer to the nay-sayers whoinsist “that we’re done and we might as well bedead” takes on new resonance when youposition it in a world where the first nuclear
bombs are about to be detonated.Some Enchanted Evening isn’t just a
passionate love song. It’s about two peoplesurrounded by death who are hoping a personalrelationship could make sense of the insanityaround them.
And a ballad with the heart-rendingsimplicity of Younger Than Springtimeacquires added pathos when you realize that thesolider who sweetly sings it is soon to die incombat.
The magic of the original South Pacific isthat it didn’t have to overplay the war card,because everyone in the audience rememberedwhat had happened all too well.
But for us to appreciate the depth of itsachievement now, it helps to put ourselves backin that 1949 mindset as much as possible.
It also makes sense for us to realize justwhere South Pacific sat in the timeline of theconsiderable careers of Rodgers andHammerstein.
Each of them had already enjoyed successwith other partners before they came togetherto write Oklahoma! in 1943.
Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) was theelder of the two. As the grandson of famedproducer and theatre owner OscarHammerstein, he came naturally to the business
and had written his first Broadway musical,Always You, before his 25th birthday.
Through the years, Hammerstein wrote withan assortment of collaborators, most notablySigmund Romberg, Rudolph Friml and JeromeKern. Although his prolific output included thebook and lyrics for hits like Rose Marie andShow Boat, he also had more than his share offlops. In fact, when Rodgers approached himabout a partnership, he hadn’t had a trulysuccessful show in over a decade.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) had his firstBroadway credit for Poor Little Ritz Girl in 1920,shortly after his 18th birthday. His lyricist on theproject was Lorenz Hart, with whom he wouldwrite two dozen other shows over the next 22years. During that time, they created an enviablecatalogue of popular songs (“Where Or When”,“My Funny Valentine”,“Johnny One Note”) and awide assortment of hits, including The BoysFrom Syracuse and Pal Joey.
But by 1942 Hart’s alcoholic instability hadbrought an end to their partnership and Rodgersturned to Hammerstein.
In one of the miracle “second marriage”stories of modern show-business, the two newpartners proved even more successful in thislater pairing than they had been before.
Oklahoma! set a new standard by which hitshows would be measured and achieved acomplex integration of music, dance and dramathat would form a template for most seriousmusicals of the future.
Although not as great a commercial success,their 1945 show, Carousel, was an even more
profound achievement. Next up was Allegro(1947), an experimental parable on the dangersof success that didn’t really work on any level.Consequently, when they set out to create theshow that would become South Pacific, Rodgersand Hammerstein felt increased pressure tocome up with a smash hit.
That feeling was intensified by thecompetition around them. Irving Berlin’s AnnieGet your Gun, Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate andLerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon had proven thatRodgers and Hammerstein weren’t the onlyfigures in the landscape.
Director Joshua Logan was the one who firstread James Michener’s Tales From The SouthPacific and decided it would make a finemusical. Rodgers and Hammerstein agreed andsigned him on as director.
Hammerstein, however, lacked any militaryexperience, and found writing the bookproblematic. He brought in Logan, a veteran, ashis collaborator and the billing and royaltynegotiations among the trio that followed wereto prove highly unpleasant.
During rehearsals, numerous changes weremade to the score.
Two ballads (Loneliness of Evening andMy Girl Back Home) were cut from the show,but appear here as bonus tracks from a 1951recording that the original Nellie Forbush, MaryMartin, made with Percy Faith. (Martin sings thelatter as “His Girl Back Home”.)
Both songs were to reappear in the 1958film version: “My Girl Back Home”as a solo forJohn Kerr and the lyrics to “Loneliness Of
Evening”were incorporated as a poem in a lovescene between Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.
Other changes included a solo for Ezio Pinzacalled “Now Is The Time”being dropped in favorof the haunting This Nearly Was Mine.
But the most troubled song slot proved tobe the one that finally yielded Younger ThanSpringtime. Logan kept rejecting everythingRodgers and Hammerstein came up withincluding a now-lost number called “My Friend”and another selection,“Suddenly Happy”, whosemusic resurfaced as “Getting To Know You” inThe King And I.
But when the show finally opened in NewYork, it was greeted by a unanimous chorus ofcritical acclaim, including “a show of rareenchantment”, “an utterly captivating work oftheatrical art”and “an occasion worthcelebrating”.
It went on to run 1925 performances and towin a then-record 10 Tony Awards as well as thePulitzer Prize for Drama.
Part of the show’s success can be heard inthe way that a wide assortment of musical stylesblend together to form a greater whole. Martin’sstyle is pure musical theatre and Pinza possessesa voice of operatic richness, while WilliamTabbert’s soaring tones combine the two. Andthen, there’s the ethnic appeal of Juanita Hall’s
unique sound to add the exotic element.Besides the two bonus Mary Martin
selections, this recording also features Pinza’srecording of Bali Ha’i, which he recorded as asingle six months after the show opened.
There are also four tracks from a 1949 RCAVictor recording which featured Al Goodmanand his Orchestra,The Guild Choristers and –most interestingly – the Broadway show’s twounderstudies.
Dickinson Eastham stood by for Pinza andSondra Deel did the same for Martin. On thisrecording, they get a chance to have their placein the sun.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s a medleyof songs from the score recorded on the Deccalabel on 14 July 1949 by the twin piano duo ofEadie Griffith and H. Rack Godwin, popularlyknown as “Eadie and Rack”.
These are just a few of the numerous “spin-offs” that a hit show like South Pacific couldgenerate in its heyday. And they all stand astribute to a score of melodic richness and lyricaldepth that continues to resonate today.
On its own, South Pacific still provides anenchanted evening. Taken with a healthy doseof historical hindsight, it can dazzle us evenfurther.
– Richard Ouzounian
South PacificMusic by Richard Rodgers • Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein IIOriginal Broadway Cast and Bonus Recordings, 1949-1951
Over 50 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, NostalgiaAccessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
NAXOS RADIOwww.naxosradio.com
Cover art: Based on original photo from Corbis Images
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 1
8.1207852 8.1207853 8.1207854
It’s all about historical perspective.Nowadays, when we think of South Pacific,
we tend to view it simply as one more hitmusical from the golden team of Rodgers &Hammerstein: a heartwarming show full ofglorious songs.
But to the opening night audience, it wasmuch, much more than that.
When the curtain rose on 7 April 1949, noteven four full years had passed since the end ofthe Second World War. A musical drama set inthe Pacific theatre, filled with soldiers loving,fighting and dying, was bound to have anemotional resonance that we can only guess attoday.
By contrast, fourteen years passed from theend of the Vietnam War in 1975 to its depictionin Miss Saigon (1989). And if any musicals havebeen written about Operation Desert Storm orthe recent conflict in Iraq, we’ve yet to see them.
Consequently, when you listen to thisoriginal cast recording, the experience will beintensified by heeding what’s between the linesand behind the songs.
Nellie’s cheerful A Cockeyed Optimist, forexample, with its answer to the nay-sayers whoinsist “that we’re done and we might as well bedead” takes on new resonance when youposition it in a world where the first nuclear
bombs are about to be detonated.Some Enchanted Evening isn’t just a
passionate love song. It’s about two peoplesurrounded by death who are hoping a personalrelationship could make sense of the insanityaround them.
And a ballad with the heart-rendingsimplicity of Younger Than Springtimeacquires added pathos when you realize that thesolider who sweetly sings it is soon to die incombat.
The magic of the original South Pacific isthat it didn’t have to overplay the war card,because everyone in the audience rememberedwhat had happened all too well.
But for us to appreciate the depth of itsachievement now, it helps to put ourselves backin that 1949 mindset as much as possible.
It also makes sense for us to realize justwhere South Pacific sat in the timeline of theconsiderable careers of Rodgers andHammerstein.
Each of them had already enjoyed successwith other partners before they came togetherto write Oklahoma! in 1943.
Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) was theelder of the two. As the grandson of famedproducer and theatre owner OscarHammerstein, he came naturally to the business
and had written his first Broadway musical,Always You, before his 25th birthday.
Through the years, Hammerstein wrote withan assortment of collaborators, most notablySigmund Romberg, Rudolph Friml and JeromeKern. Although his prolific output included thebook and lyrics for hits like Rose Marie andShow Boat, he also had more than his share offlops. In fact, when Rodgers approached himabout a partnership, he hadn’t had a trulysuccessful show in over a decade.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) had his firstBroadway credit for Poor Little Ritz Girl in 1920,shortly after his 18th birthday. His lyricist on theproject was Lorenz Hart, with whom he wouldwrite two dozen other shows over the next 22years. During that time, they created an enviablecatalogue of popular songs (“Where Or When”,“My Funny Valentine”,“Johnny One Note”) and awide assortment of hits, including The BoysFrom Syracuse and Pal Joey.
But by 1942 Hart’s alcoholic instability hadbrought an end to their partnership and Rodgersturned to Hammerstein.
In one of the miracle “second marriage”stories of modern show-business, the two newpartners proved even more successful in thislater pairing than they had been before.
Oklahoma! set a new standard by which hitshows would be measured and achieved acomplex integration of music, dance and dramathat would form a template for most seriousmusicals of the future.
Although not as great a commercial success,their 1945 show, Carousel, was an even more
profound achievement. Next up was Allegro(1947), an experimental parable on the dangersof success that didn’t really work on any level.Consequently, when they set out to create theshow that would become South Pacific, Rodgersand Hammerstein felt increased pressure tocome up with a smash hit.
That feeling was intensified by thecompetition around them. Irving Berlin’s AnnieGet your Gun, Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate andLerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon had proven thatRodgers and Hammerstein weren’t the onlyfigures in the landscape.
Director Joshua Logan was the one who firstread James Michener’s Tales From The SouthPacific and decided it would make a finemusical. Rodgers and Hammerstein agreed andsigned him on as director.
Hammerstein, however, lacked any militaryexperience, and found writing the bookproblematic. He brought in Logan, a veteran, ashis collaborator and the billing and royaltynegotiations among the trio that followed wereto prove highly unpleasant.
During rehearsals, numerous changes weremade to the score.
Two ballads (Loneliness of Evening andMy Girl Back Home) were cut from the show,but appear here as bonus tracks from a 1951recording that the original Nellie Forbush, MaryMartin, made with Percy Faith. (Martin sings thelatter as “His Girl Back Home”.)
Both songs were to reappear in the 1958film version: “My Girl Back Home”as a solo forJohn Kerr and the lyrics to “Loneliness Of
Evening”were incorporated as a poem in a lovescene between Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.
Other changes included a solo for Ezio Pinzacalled “Now Is The Time”being dropped in favorof the haunting This Nearly Was Mine.
But the most troubled song slot proved tobe the one that finally yielded Younger ThanSpringtime. Logan kept rejecting everythingRodgers and Hammerstein came up withincluding a now-lost number called “My Friend”and another selection,“Suddenly Happy”, whosemusic resurfaced as “Getting To Know You” inThe King And I.
But when the show finally opened in NewYork, it was greeted by a unanimous chorus ofcritical acclaim, including “a show of rareenchantment”, “an utterly captivating work oftheatrical art”and “an occasion worthcelebrating”.
It went on to run 1925 performances and towin a then-record 10 Tony Awards as well as thePulitzer Prize for Drama.
Part of the show’s success can be heard inthe way that a wide assortment of musical stylesblend together to form a greater whole. Martin’sstyle is pure musical theatre and Pinza possessesa voice of operatic richness, while WilliamTabbert’s soaring tones combine the two. Andthen, there’s the ethnic appeal of Juanita Hall’s
unique sound to add the exotic element.Besides the two bonus Mary Martin
selections, this recording also features Pinza’srecording of Bali Ha’i, which he recorded as asingle six months after the show opened.
There are also four tracks from a 1949 RCAVictor recording which featured Al Goodmanand his Orchestra,The Guild Choristers and –most interestingly – the Broadway show’s twounderstudies.
Dickinson Eastham stood by for Pinza andSondra Deel did the same for Martin. On thisrecording, they get a chance to have their placein the sun.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s a medleyof songs from the score recorded on the Deccalabel on 14 July 1949 by the twin piano duo ofEadie Griffith and H. Rack Godwin, popularlyknown as “Eadie and Rack”.
These are just a few of the numerous “spin-offs” that a hit show like South Pacific couldgenerate in its heyday. And they all stand astribute to a score of melodic richness and lyricaldepth that continues to resonate today.
On its own, South Pacific still provides anenchanted evening. Taken with a healthy doseof historical hindsight, it can dazzle us evenfurther.
– Richard Ouzounian
South PacificMusic by Richard Rodgers • Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein IIOriginal Broadway Cast and Bonus Recordings, 1949-1951
Over 50 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, NostalgiaAccessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
NAXOS RADIOwww.naxosradio.com
Cover art: Based on original photo from Corbis Images
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 1
8.1207852 8.1207853 8.1207854
It’s all about historical perspective.Nowadays, when we think of South Pacific,
we tend to view it simply as one more hitmusical from the golden team of Rodgers &Hammerstein: a heartwarming show full ofglorious songs.
But to the opening night audience, it wasmuch, much more than that.
When the curtain rose on 7 April 1949, noteven four full years had passed since the end ofthe Second World War. A musical drama set inthe Pacific theatre, filled with soldiers loving,fighting and dying, was bound to have anemotional resonance that we can only guess attoday.
By contrast, fourteen years passed from theend of the Vietnam War in 1975 to its depictionin Miss Saigon (1989). And if any musicals havebeen written about Operation Desert Storm orthe recent conflict in Iraq, we’ve yet to see them.
Consequently, when you listen to thisoriginal cast recording, the experience will beintensified by heeding what’s between the linesand behind the songs.
Nellie’s cheerful A Cockeyed Optimist, forexample, with its answer to the nay-sayers whoinsist “that we’re done and we might as well bedead” takes on new resonance when youposition it in a world where the first nuclear
bombs are about to be detonated.Some Enchanted Evening isn’t just a
passionate love song. It’s about two peoplesurrounded by death who are hoping a personalrelationship could make sense of the insanityaround them.
And a ballad with the heart-rendingsimplicity of Younger Than Springtimeacquires added pathos when you realize that thesolider who sweetly sings it is soon to die incombat.
The magic of the original South Pacific isthat it didn’t have to overplay the war card,because everyone in the audience rememberedwhat had happened all too well.
But for us to appreciate the depth of itsachievement now, it helps to put ourselves backin that 1949 mindset as much as possible.
It also makes sense for us to realize justwhere South Pacific sat in the timeline of theconsiderable careers of Rodgers andHammerstein.
Each of them had already enjoyed successwith other partners before they came togetherto write Oklahoma! in 1943.
Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) was theelder of the two. As the grandson of famedproducer and theatre owner OscarHammerstein, he came naturally to the business
and had written his first Broadway musical,Always You, before his 25th birthday.
Through the years, Hammerstein wrote withan assortment of collaborators, most notablySigmund Romberg, Rudolph Friml and JeromeKern. Although his prolific output included thebook and lyrics for hits like Rose Marie andShow Boat, he also had more than his share offlops. In fact, when Rodgers approached himabout a partnership, he hadn’t had a trulysuccessful show in over a decade.
Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) had his firstBroadway credit for Poor Little Ritz Girl in 1920,shortly after his 18th birthday. His lyricist on theproject was Lorenz Hart, with whom he wouldwrite two dozen other shows over the next 22years. During that time, they created an enviablecatalogue of popular songs (“Where Or When”,“My Funny Valentine”,“Johnny One Note”) and awide assortment of hits, including The BoysFrom Syracuse and Pal Joey.
But by 1942 Hart’s alcoholic instability hadbrought an end to their partnership and Rodgersturned to Hammerstein.
In one of the miracle “second marriage”stories of modern show-business, the two newpartners proved even more successful in thislater pairing than they had been before.
Oklahoma! set a new standard by which hitshows would be measured and achieved acomplex integration of music, dance and dramathat would form a template for most seriousmusicals of the future.
Although not as great a commercial success,their 1945 show, Carousel, was an even more
profound achievement. Next up was Allegro(1947), an experimental parable on the dangersof success that didn’t really work on any level.Consequently, when they set out to create theshow that would become South Pacific, Rodgersand Hammerstein felt increased pressure tocome up with a smash hit.
That feeling was intensified by thecompetition around them. Irving Berlin’s AnnieGet your Gun, Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate andLerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon had proven thatRodgers and Hammerstein weren’t the onlyfigures in the landscape.
Director Joshua Logan was the one who firstread James Michener’s Tales From The SouthPacific and decided it would make a finemusical. Rodgers and Hammerstein agreed andsigned him on as director.
Hammerstein, however, lacked any militaryexperience, and found writing the bookproblematic. He brought in Logan, a veteran, ashis collaborator and the billing and royaltynegotiations among the trio that followed wereto prove highly unpleasant.
During rehearsals, numerous changes weremade to the score.
Two ballads (Loneliness of Evening andMy Girl Back Home) were cut from the show,but appear here as bonus tracks from a 1951recording that the original Nellie Forbush, MaryMartin, made with Percy Faith. (Martin sings thelatter as “His Girl Back Home”.)
Both songs were to reappear in the 1958film version: “My Girl Back Home”as a solo forJohn Kerr and the lyrics to “Loneliness Of
Evening”were incorporated as a poem in a lovescene between Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.
Other changes included a solo for Ezio Pinzacalled “Now Is The Time”being dropped in favorof the haunting This Nearly Was Mine.
But the most troubled song slot proved tobe the one that finally yielded Younger ThanSpringtime. Logan kept rejecting everythingRodgers and Hammerstein came up withincluding a now-lost number called “My Friend”and another selection,“Suddenly Happy”, whosemusic resurfaced as “Getting To Know You” inThe King And I.
But when the show finally opened in NewYork, it was greeted by a unanimous chorus ofcritical acclaim, including “a show of rareenchantment”, “an utterly captivating work oftheatrical art”and “an occasion worthcelebrating”.
It went on to run 1925 performances and towin a then-record 10 Tony Awards as well as thePulitzer Prize for Drama.
Part of the show’s success can be heard inthe way that a wide assortment of musical stylesblend together to form a greater whole. Martin’sstyle is pure musical theatre and Pinza possessesa voice of operatic richness, while WilliamTabbert’s soaring tones combine the two. Andthen, there’s the ethnic appeal of Juanita Hall’s
unique sound to add the exotic element.Besides the two bonus Mary Martin
selections, this recording also features Pinza’srecording of Bali Ha’i, which he recorded as asingle six months after the show opened.
There are also four tracks from a 1949 RCAVictor recording which featured Al Goodmanand his Orchestra,The Guild Choristers and –most interestingly – the Broadway show’s twounderstudies.
Dickinson Eastham stood by for Pinza andSondra Deel did the same for Martin. On thisrecording, they get a chance to have their placein the sun.
Last, but certainly not least, there’s a medleyof songs from the score recorded on the Deccalabel on 14 July 1949 by the twin piano duo ofEadie Griffith and H. Rack Godwin, popularlyknown as “Eadie and Rack”.
These are just a few of the numerous “spin-offs” that a hit show like South Pacific couldgenerate in its heyday. And they all stand astribute to a score of melodic richness and lyricaldepth that continues to resonate today.
On its own, South Pacific still provides anenchanted evening. Taken with a healthy doseof historical hindsight, it can dazzle us evenfurther.
– Richard Ouzounian
South PacificMusic by Richard Rodgers • Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein IIOriginal Broadway Cast and Bonus Recordings, 1949-1951
Over 50 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, NostalgiaAccessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality
NAXOS RADIOwww.naxosradio.com
Cover art: Based on original photo from Corbis Images
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 1
8.1207855 8.1207856
1. Overture 3:31OrchestraColumbia 4556-M, mx CO 41180-1
2. Dites-Moi 1:23Barbara Luna
3. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 1:42Mary MartinBoth Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41184-1
4. Twin Soliloquies (Wonder How It Feels) 2:24Mary Martin & Ezio Pinza Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41189-1
5. Some Enchanted Evening 2:59Ezio Pinza Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41190-1
6. Bloody Mary 2:14Men’s Chorus Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41183-1
7. There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame 3:33Men’s Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41181-1
8. Bali Ha’i 3:24Juanita Hall Columbia 4562-M, mx CO 41188-1
9. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair 3:25Mary Martin & Girls’ ChorusColumbia 4562-M, mx CO 41185-1
10. A Wonderful Guy 3:30Mary Martin & Girls’ Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41186-1
11. Younger Than Springtime 3:24William Tabbert Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41182-1
12. Happy Talk 3:30Juanita Hall Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41191-1
13. Honey Bun 2:00Mary Martin
14. Carefully Taught 1:16William Tabbert Both Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41187-1
15. This Nearly Was Mine 3:26Ezio Pinza Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41192-1
16. Finale 2:58Mary Martin, Barbara Luna, Ezio Pinza Columbia 4556-M, mx CO 41193-1
21. Bali Ha’i 3:15Ezio Pinza with Orchestra conducted by Lehman EngelColumbia 4588-M, mx CO 41489Recorded 10 October 1949
22. The Loneliness of Evening 3:21Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45813Recorded 8 June 1951
23. My Girl Back Home 2:59Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45812Recorded 8 June 1951
24. South Pacific Medley (Some Enchanted Evening—A Wonderful Guy—Bali Ha’i—Younger Than Springtime) 6:35Eadie & Rack, Piano DuetDecca 24707, mx W 75069-1, 75070-1Recorded 14 July 1949
17. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 2:32Sandra Deel RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1635
18. Some Enchanted Evening 2:54Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0002, mx D9-VB-1636
19. There Is Nothing Like A Dame 2:53The Guild Choristers RCA Victor 31-0003, mx D9-VB-1637
20. This Nearly Was Mine 3:27Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1642
Original Cast with Orchestra conducted by Salvatore Dell’IsolaRecorded 18-19 April 1949 and issued in Columbia set MM-850
Al Goodman's Orchestra, with the Broadway show’s understudies and the Guild ChoristersRecorded 14 June 1949 and included in RCA Victor set BN-3
All selections recorded in New YorkTransfers & Production by David Lennick • Digital Restoration by Graham Newton
Producer’s NoteThough it was one of the best-selling OriginalCast albums of all time, responsible more thanany other single album for converting recordbuyers to the new ‘LP’ format in 1949, SouthPacific has had a checkered sonic history.Originally recorded on 16-inch lacquer discs, aswas the custom through the 1940s, the castrecordings were also captured on the newlydeveloped magnetic tape. Various issues overthe years have been taken from both sources,often with attempts to ‘modernize’ the sound byadding reverb or fake stereo. Early LP pressingssuffer from distortion and diminished highfrequencies, later ones have extra reverb andpoor balance, and CD issues have suffered fromfaulty edits or defective tape sources andvarying speeds. Two generations of recordcollectors have never heard the original soundrecorded in 1949. However, the 78 masters
were derived directly from the lacquers, and in1950, the cast album appeared briefly on 45s,which also appear to be from the originallacquers and not an intermediate tape master.A clean 45 RPM set was used for this Naxostransfer. The Al Goodman recordings wereissued on RCA’s budget ‘Bluebird Series’, butoddly enough were pressed on vinyl. Vinylsources were also used for the extra selectionsby Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, the latter a 7-inch 33RPM single disc. Worth noting are thevariations in some of these recordings: an entireextra set of lines in Dickinson Eastham’sperformance of This Nearly Was Mine (whichPinza also sang, but on a broadcast, not on hisColumbia recording) and different lyrics in theGuild Choristers’ version of There Is NothingLike a Dame.
-- David Lennick
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 2
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1. Overture 3:31OrchestraColumbia 4556-M, mx CO 41180-1
2. Dites-Moi 1:23Barbara Luna
3. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 1:42Mary MartinBoth Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41184-1
4. Twin Soliloquies (Wonder How It Feels) 2:24Mary Martin & Ezio Pinza Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41189-1
5. Some Enchanted Evening 2:59Ezio Pinza Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41190-1
6. Bloody Mary 2:14Men’s Chorus Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41183-1
7. There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame 3:33Men’s Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41181-1
8. Bali Ha’i 3:24Juanita Hall Columbia 4562-M, mx CO 41188-1
9. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair 3:25Mary Martin & Girls’ ChorusColumbia 4562-M, mx CO 41185-1
10. A Wonderful Guy 3:30Mary Martin & Girls’ Chorus Columbia 4561-M, mx CO 41186-1
11. Younger Than Springtime 3:24William Tabbert Columbia 4560-M, mx CO 41182-1
12. Happy Talk 3:30Juanita Hall Columbia 4559-M, mx CO 41191-1
13. Honey Bun 2:00Mary Martin
14. Carefully Taught 1:16William Tabbert Both Columbia 4558-M, mx CO 41187-1
15. This Nearly Was Mine 3:26Ezio Pinza Columbia 4557-M, mx CO 41192-1
16. Finale 2:58Mary Martin, Barbara Luna, Ezio Pinza Columbia 4556-M, mx CO 41193-1
21. Bali Ha’i 3:15Ezio Pinza with Orchestra conducted by Lehman EngelColumbia 4588-M, mx CO 41489Recorded 10 October 1949
22. The Loneliness of Evening 3:21Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45813Recorded 8 June 1951
23. My Girl Back Home 2:59Mary Martin with Percy Faith’s OrchestraColumbia 27-G, mx CO 45812Recorded 8 June 1951
24. South Pacific Medley (Some Enchanted Evening—A Wonderful Guy—Bali Ha’i—Younger Than Springtime) 6:35Eadie & Rack, Piano DuetDecca 24707, mx W 75069-1, 75070-1Recorded 14 July 1949
17. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 2:32Sandra Deel RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1635
18. Some Enchanted Evening 2:54Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0002, mx D9-VB-1636
19. There Is Nothing Like A Dame 2:53The Guild Choristers RCA Victor 31-0003, mx D9-VB-1637
20. This Nearly Was Mine 3:27Dickinson Eastham RCA Victor 31-0001, mx D9-VB-1642
Original Cast with Orchestra conducted by Salvatore Dell’IsolaRecorded 18-19 April 1949 and issued in Columbia set MM-850
Al Goodman's Orchestra, with the Broadway show’s understudies and the Guild ChoristersRecorded 14 June 1949 and included in RCA Victor set BN-3
All selections recorded in New YorkTransfers & Production by David Lennick • Digital Restoration by Graham Newton
Producer’s NoteThough it was one of the best-selling OriginalCast albums of all time, responsible more thanany other single album for converting recordbuyers to the new ‘LP’ format in 1949, SouthPacific has had a checkered sonic history.Originally recorded on 16-inch lacquer discs, aswas the custom through the 1940s, the castrecordings were also captured on the newlydeveloped magnetic tape. Various issues overthe years have been taken from both sources,often with attempts to ‘modernize’ the sound byadding reverb or fake stereo. Early LP pressingssuffer from distortion and diminished highfrequencies, later ones have extra reverb andpoor balance, and CD issues have suffered fromfaulty edits or defective tape sources andvarying speeds. Two generations of recordcollectors have never heard the original soundrecorded in 1949. However, the 78 masters
were derived directly from the lacquers, and in1950, the cast album appeared briefly on 45s,which also appear to be from the originallacquers and not an intermediate tape master.A clean 45 RPM set was used for this Naxostransfer. The Al Goodman recordings wereissued on RCA’s budget ‘Bluebird Series’, butoddly enough were pressed on vinyl. Vinylsources were also used for the extra selectionsby Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, the latter a 7-inch 33RPM single disc. Worth noting are thevariations in some of these recordings: an entireextra set of lines in Dickinson Eastham’sperformance of This Nearly Was Mine (whichPinza also sang, but on a broadcast, not on hisColumbia recording) and different lyrics in theGuild Choristers’ version of There Is NothingLike a Dame.
-- David Lennick
120785bk SouthPacific 23/7/04 9:18 PM Page 2
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Transfers and Production: David LennickDigital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton
NOTES AND FULL RECORDING DETAILS INCLUDED
www.naxos.com Made in Canadah & g 2004 Naxos Rights International Ltd. Design: Ron Hoares ADD
ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING 1949Mary Martin NELLY FORBUSH
Ezio Pinza EMILE DE BECQUE
Juanita Hall BLOODY MARY
William Tabbert LT JOE CABLE
Barbara Luna NGANA
1. Overture 3:312. Dites-moi NGANA 1:233. A Cock-Eyed Optimist NELLY 1:424. Twin Soliloquies (Wonder How It Feels)
NELLY & EMILE 2:245. Some Enchanted Evening EMILE 2:596. Bloody Mary MEN’S CHORUS 2:147. There Is Nothin’ Like A Dame MEN’S CHORUS
3:338. Bali Ha’i BLOODY MARY 3:249. I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My
Hair NELLY & GIRLS’ CHORUS 3:2510. A Wonderful Guy NELLY & GIRLS’ CHORUS 3:3011. Younger Than Springtime LT CABLE 3:2412. Happy Talk BLOODY MARY 3:3013. Honey Bun NELLY 2:0014. Carefully Taught LT CABLE 1:1615. This Nearly Was Mine EMILE 3:2616. Finale NELLY, NGANA & EMILE 2:58
BONUS RECORDINGS 1949 & 195117. A Cock-Eyed Optimist 2:34
Sandra Deel (UNDERSTUDY TO MARY MARTIN)18. Some Enchanted Evening 2:54
Dickinson Eastham (UNDERSTUDY TO EZIO PINZA)19. There Is Nothing Like A Dame 2:53
The Guild Choristers20. This Nearly Was Mine 3:27
Dickinson Eastham21. Bali Ha’i 3:15
Ezio Pinza22. The Loneliness Of Evening 3:21
Mary Martin23. My Girl Back Home 2:59
Mary Martin24. South Pacific Medley 6:35
(Some Enchanted Evening—A Wonderful Guy—Bali Ha’i—Younger Than Springtime)Eadie & Rack, piano duet
Total Time: 74:06
SOUTH PACIFICMusic by Richard RodgersLyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
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