Starring Sammy Davis Jr.

Last updated
Starring Sammy Davis Jr.
Starringsammy.jpg
Studio album by
Sammy Davis Jr.
ReleasedJanuary 1955
Recorded1954
Genre Vocal
Length37:02
Label Decca
Sammy Davis Jr. chronology
Starring Sammy Davis Jr.
(1955)		 Just for Lovers
(1955)

Starring Sammy Davis Jr. is the debut studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded in 1954.

Contents

Five of the songs on Starring Sammy Davis Jr. had been previously released as singles ("Hey There," "And This Is My Beloved," "Because of You," "Glad to Be Unhappy," and "Birth of the Blues"), one of which, "Hey There" had reached the Top 20. [1]

Davis was involved in a serious car accident on November 19, 1954, that resulted in the loss of his left eye. He was still wearing an eye patch on the cover of this, his debut LP, released months later. [1]

The album became Davis' first and only number one album on the Billboard 200, making him the first African American solo artist and singer to accomplish this. Previous number-one by other African American recording acts were part of groups, including Nat King Cole's King Cole Trio, The Ink Spots and bandleader Benny Goodman.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]

The AllMusic review by William Ruhlmann awarded the album three and a half stars and said that the final track "The Birth of the Blues", "succeeded in giving the listener a sense of what Davis was like in live performance". [2]

Track listing

  1. "The Lonesome Road" (Gene Austin, Nathaniel Shilkret) - 2:10
  2. "Hey There" (Richard Adler, Jerry Ross) - 2:48
  3. "And This Is My Beloved" (Robert C. Wright, George Forrest) - 2:52
  4. "September Song" (Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill) - 2:51
  5. "Because of You" (Arthur Hammerstein, Dudley Wilkinson) - 5:28
  6. "Easy to Love" (Cole Porter) - 2:24
  7. "Glad to Be Unhappy" (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers) - 3:05
  8. "Stan' Up an' Fight" (Georges Bizet, Hammerstein) - 4:09
  9. "My Funny Valentine" (Hart, Rodgers) - 3:07
  10. "Spoken For" (Mickey Rooney) - 2:56
  11. "The Birth of the Blues" (Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Ray Henderson) - 5:14

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>My Romance</i> (Carly Simon album) 1990 studio album by Carly Simon

My Romance is the 14th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Arista Records, on March 13, 1990.

<i>The Man I Love</i> (album) 1957 studio album by Peggy Lee

The Man I Love is an album by jazz singer Peggy Lee with an orchestra arranged by Nelson Riddle and conducted by Frank Sinatra. This was Lee's first album after returning to Capitol.

<i>Sinatra 57 in Concert</i> 1999 live album by Frank Sinatra

Sinatra '57 in Concert is a 1999 live album by the American singer Frank Sinatra. It is a complete recording of a concert performed at the Seattle Civic Auditorium on June 9, 1957. Arranger Nelson Riddle conducted the 26-piece orchestra at the event.

<i>As Long as She Needs Me</i> (album) 1961 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

As Long as She Needs Me is a 1961 album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Marty Paich and Morty Stevens.

<i>Thats All!</i> 1967 live album by Sammy Davis Jr.

That's All! is a 1967 live album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded at the Sands Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.

"Glad to Be Unhappy" is a popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was introduced in their 1936 musical On Your Toes, sung by Doris Carson and David Morris, although it was not popular at the time, as there was only one recording of the song. In the 1937 London production, it was sung by Gina Malo and Eddie Pola. The song was performed in the 1954 Broadway revival by Kay Coulter and Joshua Shelley.

<i>Sammy Davis Jr. Belts the Best of Broadway</i> 1962 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr. Belts the Best of Broadway is a 1962 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Marty Paich.

<i>Sarah Vaughan Sings Broadway: Great Songs from Hit Shows</i> 1958 studio album by Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Vaughan Sings Broadway: Great Songs from Hit Shows is a 1958 studio album by Sarah Vaughan.

<i>The Complete Bud Powell on Verve</i> 1994 compilation album by Bud Powell

The Complete Bud Powell on Verve is a five-disc box set, released on September 27, 1994, by Verve Records, containing all of jazz pianist Bud Powell's recordings as leader for producer Norman Granz.

<i>Its All Over but the Swingin</i> 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

It's All Over but the Swingin is a 1957 album by Sammy Davis Jr., arranged by Jack Pleis and Morty Stevens.

<i>Boy Meets Girl</i> (Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae album) 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., Carmen McRae

Boy Meets Girl is a 1957 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr. and Carmen McRae.

<i>Live at Bourbon St.</i> 1995 live album by Lenny Breau

Live at Bourbon St. is a live album by guitarist Lenny Breau and bassist Dave Young that was released in 1995. It was nominated for a 1997 Juno Award in the category of Best Mainstream Jazz Album.

<i>Yesterdays Love Songs/Todays Blues</i> 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson

Yesterday's Love Songs/Today's Blues is a 1963 studio album by Nancy Wilson, arranged by Gerald Wilson. It was her highest charting album, entering the Billboard Top 200 on January 25, 1964, and ultimately reaching No. 4. It remained on the chart for 42 weeks. The 1991 CD edition featured a different cover image and added five bonus tracks drawn from other sessions with Gerald Wilson.

<i>Sinatra Saga</i> 1994 live album by Frank Sinatra

Sinatra Saga is a live album by Frank Sinatra, containing 2 discs of him performing live on stage from the 1950s to the 1980s.

<i>Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein</i> 1958 studio album by Andy Williams

Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein is the second studio album by American pop singer Andy Williams and was orchestrated and conducted by Alvy West. It was released in February 1958 by Cadence Records and focuses upon songs composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

<i>Portrait Edition</i> (Jo Stafford album) 1994 compilation album by Jo Stafford

Portrait Edition is a three disc box set compilation album released by Sony Entertainment and featuring songs recorded by American singer Jo Stafford. The album was released by Sony on August 30, 1994.

<i>Live & Swingin: The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection</i> 2003 compilation album by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr.

Live & Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection is a 2003 album compiling songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.

<i>Sammy Davis Jr. at Town Hall</i> 1959 live album by Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr. at Town Hall is a 1959 live album by Sammy Davis Jr., recorded at The Town Hall in Manhattan.

<i>The Sammy Davis Jr. All-Star Spectacular</i> 1962 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr.

The Sammy Davis Jr. All-Star Spectacular is a 1962 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr. arranged by Morty Stevens. The first half of the album features Davis' impersonations of popular entertainers and celebrities.

<i>S Marvelous</i> 1957 studio album by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra

'S Marvelous is an album by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra. It was released in mono in 1957 on the Columbia label and in stereo in 1958.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Starring Sammy Davis Jr". Allmusic . Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  2. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. "Starring Sammy Davis, Jr". Allmusic . Retrieved February 8, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.