MG C-1001/4: The Astaire Story

	Label Type :	custom blue “Astaire” label
	Matrix Number :	MG C-1001 SIDE-A	B-9570 #1-A    RL 31683    CLEF 1047
		MG C-1001 SIDE-B	B-9571 #1-B    RL 31128    CLEF 1040
		MG C-1002 SIDE-A	B-9572 #2-A    RL 31129 X    CLEF 1041 RC1
		MG C-1002 SIDE-B	B-9573 #2-B    RL 31130 X 2    CLEF 1042 RC1
		MG C-1003 SIDE-A	#3A B-9591    RL 31131 X    CLEF 1043 RC1
		MG C-1003 SIDE-B	#3B B-9592    RL 31132 X    CLEF 1044 RC
		MG C-1004 SIDE-A	RL 31133    CLEF 1045
		MG C-1004 SIDE-B	RL 31134 X    CLEF 1046 RC

Fred Astaire himself signs his name along with the limited number (491st copy out of 1384)

A colour drawing of Astaire at the session by David Stone Martin (who signs with a pencil here as “DSM”)

Six B&W drawings of Astaire at the session by David Stone Martin

Comments

Mar. 6, 2007: replaced with a complete set (numbered 491 out of 1384) in far better condition.
My previous copy (numbered 1158) lacked DSM B&W portrait prints, and the album suffered water damage on last few pages.

A gorgeous cloth-bound album, attached with fine booklet containing many photographs at the recording session. one colour / six B&W prints (of Astaire at the session) by David Stone Martin.

Blue-coloured vinyls.

These LPs were also sold separately as MG C-1001 #1, MG C-1002 #2, MG C-1003 #3 and MG C-1004 #4.

Inside The Groove

An awesome 4LP album, featuring one of the greatest entertainers of the world.

Personal Impression (and brief notes)

Mr. Fred Astaire, a too famous personality, was not merely a dancer - he was also a great singer, tap dancer, and an awesome entertainer ever. This gorgeous limited edition 4LP box, produced by Norman Granz, captures full of Fred Astaire's marvelous talent in every way. Backing musicians, carefully chosen from JATP members, also plays so awesome.

It might be a scarce occasion for Mr. Astaire to have a recording session which was backed by a small combo - in the pre-WW2 period Astaire sang so many “standard” tunes on stages, in movies, or on wax, being backed by a gorgeous orchestra.

And here on this album, Mr. Astaire did not try to make himself sing like a Jazz singer, but this album also proves that he has a special voice even when he sing in a Jazz format. Most of the tracks are so-called “standards”, which Mr. Astaire had ever sang hundreds of times. On some tracks, he presents tap-dancing along with singing.

What words else should I add for this great album?

Strictly Personal Rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album)

10000 (or even more) out of 10

Track Listing

Personnel

Fred Astaire (vo, tap) with:
Charlie Shavers (tp), Flip Phillips (ts),
Barney Kessel (g), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Alvin Stoller (ds).
Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA, December 1952.

Mixing and engineering by Lowell Frank, of Radio Recorders.
Photographs by Gjon Mili and Paul Nodler.
Cover and Portfolio of Drawing by David Stone Martin.
Album printed by Berkshire Press.
Binding by Fisher Bookbinding.
Entire production supervised by Norman Granz.

related information

• FredAstaire.Net
• The Astaire Story
• Mr. Funny Face (in Japanese)

Jackets

Front

Some Inside The Cloth-bound Cover (there are some more pages) ...

Labels

MG C-1001 Side A	MG C-1001 Side B

MG C-1002 Side A	MG C-1002 Side B

MG C-1003 Side A	MG C-1003 Side B

MG C-1004 Side A	MG C-1004 Side B