My Funny Valentine by Jo Ann Greer

Jeff

I don't see Greer's version of My Funny Valentine on the original soundtrack, only the Trudy Erwin version where she dubs for Kim Novak.

Do you know where/when Greer's version was first released?

Sebastian

According to several sources, the performance appeared on a Colpix album called Voices, Soundtracks and Themes (or, alternatively, Soundtracks, Voices and Themes). I have not found any release information about this album; it's referenced only in secondary sources so far as I can tell. The earliest (and only) source I've found for the Greer performance is the referenced submission.

See,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colpix_Records

Stoloff also utilized Greer's talents for two projects on the newly formed Colpix Records label, having her record "My Funny Valentine" (he supposedly had never liked the version done by another singer for Kim Novak in Pal Joey), and Hayworth's signature song "Put the Blame on Mame" for the album Voices, Soundtracks and Themes From Great Movies (Greer's name was once more left off both the label and the jacket).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Ann_Greer

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0339456/bio

Thanks Jeff. By "the referenced submission", do you mean the 1957 Pal Joey soundtrack? That's the one that I looked at and couldn't find Greer's performance listed.

Sorry:

The "Rita Hayworth" release that the clip is from is dated 2004, and is here:

https://www.discogs.com/Rita-Hayworth-Rita-Hayworth/release/10191946

However, the same performance is on a 1992 release (per discogs):

https://www.discogs.com/Rita-Hayworth-Rita-Hayworth/release/10854432

My choice of clip was arbitrary. There are lots.

There's also a 1994 Les Brown release crediting Greer with the vocal on a live performance of "Valentine," reportedly recorded in 1959. (I was unaware of this performance before now). It starts at about 25:45 of this clip of the entire album:

https://www.discogs.com/Les-Brown-And-His-Band-Of-Renown-Live-At-Elitch-Gardens-…

Thanks for the extra info. I guess we have two options:

1. Go for the 1992 Hayworth compilation as the first release, with a recording date of 1957. This assumes that Jo Ann Greer did record a version for the film, Pal Joey, but it was cut or not used. Not hugely credible, though, plus the wikipedia source you provided suggests she recorded it after the film.

2. Do more research to try and track down this mysterious Colpix release.

Without this, it will be hard to get this to the right standard to enter into the database.

I'll mark this as "need info" in case another editor can also help us out too.

I don't think the Greer version appeared in the film. That was Trudy (Trudi) Erwin. So any releases that are actually soundtracks from the film are not Greer.

I also interpret the various sources to mean that the Greer recording post-dates the film.

If I find out any more about the reported Colpix release I'll let you know. But as of now, the 1992 release is the earliest I've found. (The performance does appear on a later Greer compilation: https://www.discogs.com/Jo-Ann-Greer-Hollywoods-Secret-Singing-Star/release/4582…

Last updated by JeffC on 2018-01-04 18:54:50 UTC - Show original message

Thanks Jeff. I've contacted Jasmine Records who released the 2012 Greer retrospective to see if they have any more information.

Can you think of anyone else we could ask? Or know anyone who might know?

I don't have bright ideas for finding this out. (I was unsuccessful looking on the internet and in my personal library of books about music. The latter is more directed towards music than label/release information, so the fact that I haven't found anything useful in there should not be taken as evidence that there isn't some more information published somewhere.)

Okay let's see whether Jasmine Records reply with some useful info

Jeff

Another user, poparchives, has very helpfully tracked down the Colpix album CP503 that may have contained the Jo Ann Greer recording.

Could this be the same recording that is then re-issued on some of the later compilations that we've been discussing?

Sebastian

Yes, I think so. That's what the various references imply , and the only other Greer recording of "Valentine" I know of is the one with Les Brown.

Which is the Les Brown version?

Sorry just spotted your earlier reference!

Okay, got there in the end