Track Listing

1. Poinciana
2. Never Leave Me
3. King for a Day
4. Mine and Mine Alone
5. With Every Breath I Take
6. I Need
7. How Many Stars Have to Shine
8. Tango of Roses (Love Me)
9. You Can't Hold a Memory in Your Arms
10. Too Little Time
11. Liebchen
12. Remember Me (You Taught Me to Love)
13. All My Love Belongs to You
14. Sudden Fear
15. Always Love Me
16. If Not for You
17. Tomorrow
18. To the Birds

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #230866 in Music
• Released on: 2005-09-20
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

+1/2 -- Earliest '50s sides from '60s swinger
Most listeners will know Lawrence from his soft-swinger records of the '60s, his frequent TV work throughout the '60s and '70s, and his joined-at-the-hip relationship with singer-wife Eydie Gorme. But there's an earlier Lawrence, not yet exposed to the ring-a-ding-ding style of The Rat Pack, and beholden more to the orchestral backings and crooning styles of the '40s. This 18 track collection samples from sides that Lawrence waxed in 1952 and 1953 - starting at the age of 16 - for King Records.

Lawrence's voice is surprisingly mature (if perhaps a bit too deep, ala Jim Nabors), and the string-laden arrangements by Dewey Bergman are particularly interesting. This isn't the light 'n' breezy Lawrence who'd later play Las Vegas and top the pop charts with Goffin & King's "Go Away Little Girl." Instead, he sings amid lush productions that continue the then dominant style, rather than look forward to the swing sounds Sinatra would usher onto the charts in a few years. The only real toe-tapper is Hy Zaret and Arthur Altman's "You Can't Hold a Memory in Your Arms."

What really makes Lawrence's early works standout are Bergman's orchestrations. Though the material is standard tin-pan alley fare, Bergman brings many unusual touches to the productions, such as the latin beat of "Remember Me (You Taught Me to Love)," the string chart and backing chorus of "Mine and Mine Alone," and the tropical exotica of Lawrence's first hit, "Poinciana." In the end, the backings are more unique and compelling than the vocals, suggesting that Lawrence had yet to really find his identity as a singer. Liner notes by Joseph Lanza provide detailed background on the sessions and a quick overview of Lawrence's career. 3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2005 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

A Note From The Producer
This release gathers together for the first time the best of Steve Lawrence's early years, and gives his many fans a chance to hear these songs which have largely been unavailable for years. Includes Steve Lawrence's top 20 hit version of the Bing Crosby classic "Poinciana. Three tracks have never appeared on CD or vinyl LP.