steviefromalaska
04-15-2015, 10:19 AM
Masterworks Broadway released a 50th Anniversary Edition of the Sound Track Album from the 1963 film version of BYE BYE BIRDIE, the third time this album has been released on CD. Although it is the best sounding of the three and includes a few bonus studio tracks & one outtake, the songs are still presented in the abbreviated versions found on the LP and in all previous releases and some of the bonus material is lifted off the final mix of the film, as in the earlier expanded CD release. The excessive reverb on the original LP has been reduced but still undermines the vocals, in my opinion.
Out of frustration I have done my own remix of the sound track from pristine, more complete sources: a two track mix down of the original pre-recording music and vocal separations and music & effects mix down of the dance and background score. Actually there was only about 10 minutes of underscore in the film, highly unusual for a film at the time and most of it was transitional music between scenes. The vocals have the same presence in this version that they had in the theatrical mix. Also included is the rehearsal version of the Moscow Ballet sequence, from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Ballet. This identical track was also used in the film’s climatic scene but partially speeded up for comic effect. The comical music effects used to portray the conductor’s reaction to the speed up pill given to him was recorded separately and dubbed over the ballet music and I have recreated the effect here. BYE BYE BIRDIE is one of my favourite movies and although I agree the original stage musical and the film are two distinctly different animals, I still think the film cast does the songs with an energy & zest lacking in the Broadway cast album. And I love Johnny Green’s complex and magical orchestrations in the film. I hope you enjoy this more complete, dare I say, definitive version of the BYE BYE BIRDIE sound track as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
Lee Adams & Charles Strouse: BYE BYE BIRDIE
From the Original Sound Track Recording Sessions of the 1963 Columbia Picture
Music Supervised & Conducted by JOHNNY GREEN
MP3 (320 kbps): https://www.sendspace.com/file/twzke9
Flac file no longer available for download
TRACKS:
1. Overture: Bye Bye Birdie-Main Title (Ann-Margret, Orchestra & Chorus)
2. The Telephone Hour (Bobby Rydell & The Sweet Apple Teenagers)
3. How Lovely To Be Woman (Ann-Margret)
4. We Love You Conrad (The Sweet Apple Teenagers)
5. Honestly Sincere (Jesse Pearson)
6. Hymn for a Sunday Evening (Ann-Margret,Mary La Roche, Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell)
7. One Boy (Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell)
8. Put on a Happy Face (Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh)
9. Kids (Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell, Maureen Stapleton, Dick Van Dyke)
10. One Last Kiss - Gym Rehearsal [Original Version] (Jesse Pearson)
11. A Lot of Livin' to Do (Ann-Margret, Jesse Pearson, Bobby Rydell)
12. The Sultans' Ballet (Orchestra)
13. One Last Kiss -- Album Version (Jesse Pearson)
14. Rosie & Bye Bye Birdie - Finale (Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell, Dick Van Dyke)
BONUS TRACKS:
15. Moscow Ballet: Rose Adagio (composed by Pytor I. Tchaikovsky arr. Johnny Green) - Rehearsal Version with comical music effects (Orchestra)
16. How Lovely To Be A Woman - Studio Version (Ann-Margret)
17. Bye Bye Birdie - Studio Vocal (Ann-Margret)
18. One Last Kiss – Alternate Outtake (Jesse Pearson)
Out of frustration I have done my own remix of the sound track from pristine, more complete sources: a two track mix down of the original pre-recording music and vocal separations and music & effects mix down of the dance and background score. Actually there was only about 10 minutes of underscore in the film, highly unusual for a film at the time and most of it was transitional music between scenes. The vocals have the same presence in this version that they had in the theatrical mix. Also included is the rehearsal version of the Moscow Ballet sequence, from Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Ballet. This identical track was also used in the film’s climatic scene but partially speeded up for comic effect. The comical music effects used to portray the conductor’s reaction to the speed up pill given to him was recorded separately and dubbed over the ballet music and I have recreated the effect here. BYE BYE BIRDIE is one of my favourite movies and although I agree the original stage musical and the film are two distinctly different animals, I still think the film cast does the songs with an energy & zest lacking in the Broadway cast album. And I love Johnny Green’s complex and magical orchestrations in the film. I hope you enjoy this more complete, dare I say, definitive version of the BYE BYE BIRDIE sound track as much as I enjoyed putting it together.
Lee Adams & Charles Strouse: BYE BYE BIRDIE
From the Original Sound Track Recording Sessions of the 1963 Columbia Picture
Music Supervised & Conducted by JOHNNY GREEN
MP3 (320 kbps): https://www.sendspace.com/file/twzke9
Flac file no longer available for download
TRACKS:
1. Overture: Bye Bye Birdie-Main Title (Ann-Margret, Orchestra & Chorus)
2. The Telephone Hour (Bobby Rydell & The Sweet Apple Teenagers)
3. How Lovely To Be Woman (Ann-Margret)
4. We Love You Conrad (The Sweet Apple Teenagers)
5. Honestly Sincere (Jesse Pearson)
6. Hymn for a Sunday Evening (Ann-Margret,Mary La Roche, Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell)
7. One Boy (Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell)
8. Put on a Happy Face (Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh)
9. Kids (Paul Lynde, Bryan Russell, Maureen Stapleton, Dick Van Dyke)
10. One Last Kiss - Gym Rehearsal [Original Version] (Jesse Pearson)
11. A Lot of Livin' to Do (Ann-Margret, Jesse Pearson, Bobby Rydell)
12. The Sultans' Ballet (Orchestra)
13. One Last Kiss -- Album Version (Jesse Pearson)
14. Rosie & Bye Bye Birdie - Finale (Ann-Margret, Janet Leigh, Bobby Rydell, Dick Van Dyke)
BONUS TRACKS:
15. Moscow Ballet: Rose Adagio (composed by Pytor I. Tchaikovsky arr. Johnny Green) - Rehearsal Version with comical music effects (Orchestra)
16. How Lovely To Be A Woman - Studio Version (Ann-Margret)
17. Bye Bye Birdie - Studio Vocal (Ann-Margret)
18. One Last Kiss – Alternate Outtake (Jesse Pearson)