Doris! Singer, actress, activist and all-round beam of sunshine.
I still miss her, but then she was gone for most of us long before her death. Why? Because when Doris retired from showbiz in the 1980s, that was it, she was retired (save a few brief public appearances). Yet she never entirely vanished, did she? Her music was, and is, delightfully present. And lucky for us, she recorded so much of it.
There's always something new and wonderful to discover with Doris, like this 4-CD set - the first 2 above, the second 2 below - which is near-to-bursting with pre-1958 jazz and chart-topping hits, most of them recorded well before she conquered Hollywood in the late 1940s.
What makes Doris such a legendary singer? Two things: unmatched technical skill and complete sincerity. One without the other and we wouldn't be talking about her. She wasn't, strictly speaking, a song stylist - she wasn't out to wow you with artifice, though that has its own pleasures - but instead, went straight for a tune's purest emotional essence. That was her gift, I think. She didn't fake anything.
It's rare that I come across a compilation CD that doesn't include at least one stinker. Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit - or "omgizzle!" as the kids say - I found one. Get this line-up. You ready? Miss Dakota Staton...
And Miss Julie London...
Plus Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, and, yes, even Doris Day. Not a stinker in the bunch. Curiously, there's not a single track by Marilyn Monroe, even though she adorns the CD cover - as a stand in for the 1950's? 'Cause she's purty? - but no matter. It's all perfectly curated by real humans. Take that Spotify doohickey-algorithms!
Remember the telephone? You could slam it decisively when ending a call ("Why, I never!" cried Miss Penny Percival, then slammed the receiver to the cradle); you could drag it from the hallway to your bedroom for privacy if your cord was long enough; or, if you were like
But wait, what does Gloria Grahame have to do with Gloria Wood? Nothing. You can chalk up my photo error to all those tater chips I had at lunch - and thank Eddie in the comments for pointing it out.
In the meantime, Gloria Wood, the singer, only put out one LP, but you've heard her even if you don't know her. She earned renown mostly through her voice work for Looney Tunes, Merrie Melodies, Hanna-Barbara and more - basically, any cartoon that played throughout your childhood - plus scads of commercials, too, her most notable stint being the voice of Tinker Bell for Peter Pan Peanut Butter.
A warmhearted collection of of mellow tunes, "Wood By The Fire" - a Wonderful Wood Cheerful Exclusive! - features Gloria's smooth, uncomplicated vocals, which seem to whisk you away to a land of Calgon baths and Jean Nate perfume. How can you resist?
And how can you resist more from Julie Wilson, cabaret star extraordinaire?
In 1957, Julie recorded "My Old Flame" - a Wondrous Wilson Cheerful Exclusive just for you! - and it may come as a surprise if you only know her as the high-style priestess of cabarets. There's not a smidge of camp here, just intimate, gorgeously performed renditions of bluesy torch songs. Every track is love gone wrong. And it's ravishing.
The Secret Song File has a soft spot for a certain never-quite-virginal-material-girl (*cough*so very obvi*) whose new album is equal parts fabulous, head-turning and loopy - sometimes in the same track. In other words, like a day in the life of The Secret Song File.
I'm all for this newly revived Vadge, even if I cannot with that dopey grill and that awful (alleged) butt implant. But really, what other pop star her age, male or female, is still experimenting and still putting out new music that doesn't rely on nostalgia? If The Secret Song File ever turns 60 (which is highly unlikely) (her limit is 39, thankyouverymuch), she'd like to think that she'd still be trying to push the envelope, no matter how loopy the outcome.
Or as Carol Burnett once said, "I want to be Ruth Gordon when I grow up."
Share a few Werther's candies in the comments if'n you like!
