Episode 472. Ben Bagley Revisited: Lies Come True
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A year ago I published an episode entitled “Gay Eccentrics,” which featured a number of the most delightfully peculiar personalities sprinkled across queer music history. The third of those characters, theatrical and record producer Ben Bagley, reappears on today’s episode. This time I feature selections from his record albums featuring two more gay eccenctrics, Lorenz Hart and Cole Porter! Bagley’s recordings uncovered and/or resuscitated trunk songs and other material by some of the most important Broadway composers and lyricists sung by a fascinating hodge-podge of some of the most prominent singers and actors of the era. In this episode alone we hear Tony Perkins, Gloria Swanson, Blossom Dearie, Charlotte Rae, Bobby Short, Sandy Stewart, Carmen Alvarez, Dorothy Loudon, Karen Morrow, David Allyn, Dolores Gray, Johnny Desmond, Ann Hampton Calloway, and Danny Meehan. These recordings were inevitably against all odds, seemingly tossed together, and on a shoestring budget, but the results were almost always surprisingly polished (and if not polished, at least fascinating!) One of the most notorious aspects of these releases was Bagley’s outrageously campy (and sometimes simply outrageous) liner notes, from which I quote extensively. I also read a 1974 profile of Bagley in which he espouses his ongoing credo of stretching the truth in order to make seemingly impossible dreams come true.
RECORDINGS HEARD IN THIS EPISODE
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: From Another World (Higher and Higher). Bobby Short, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris [ca. 1969]
Cole Porter: Ours (Red, Hot and Blue). Blossom Dearie, Arthur Siegel, musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal [1990]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: I’m Talking to My Pal (cut from Pal Joey). Anthony Perkins, Arthur Siegel, musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal [1977]
Cole Porter: Pick Me Up and Lay Me Down (Stardust). Dolores Gray, musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal [1990]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: Nothing But You (Higher and Higher). Ann Hampton Callaway, Arthur Siegel, Faun Stacy, Matt “Chips” Patuto [1990]
Frank Loesser: They’re Either Too Young or Too Old (Thank Your Lucky Stars). Gloria Swanson, Dick Hyman, arrangement and piano [1974]
Cole Porter: Give Him the Oo-La-La (DuBarry Was a Lady). Elmarie Wendel, musical arrangements by Skip Redwine, vocal arrangements by Bud McCreery [1965]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: How Was I To Know? (She’s My Baby) / Why Do You Suppose? (Heads Up!). Charlotte Rae, Dorothy Loudon, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris
Cole Porter: Kate the Great (cut from Anything Goes). Karen Morrow, Musical direction by Judd Woldin, Vocal arrangements by Bud McCreary [1964]
Cole Porter: I Know It’s Not Meant for Me (cut from Rosalie). Karen Morrow, Charles Rydell, Musical direction by Judd Woldin, Vocal arrangements by Bud McCreary [1964]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: Everybody Loves You (I’d Rather Be Right). Charlotte Rae, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris
Cole Porter: Let’s Talk about Love (Let’s Face It). Dolores Gray, musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal [1990]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: Morning Is Midnight (cut from Lido Lady and She’s My Baby). Dorothy Loudon, Danny Meehan, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris [1964]
Cole Porter: You’re a Bad Influence on Me (Red, Hot and Blue). David Allyn, arrangements and musical direction by Norman Paris
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: I’m Afraid (Higher and Higher). Sandy Stewart, Arthur Siegel, Faun Stacy, Matt “Chips” Patuto [1990]
Cole Porter: I Could Kick Myself (cut from Les Girls). Carmen Alvarez, Blossom Dearie, Musical direction by Judd Woldin, Vocal arrangements by Bud McCreary
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: Are You My Love? (The Dancing Pirate). Johnny Desmond, musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal [1977]
Cole Porter: I’m Unlucky at Gambling (Fifty Million Frenchmen). Dolores Gray and The Men [John Sioman, Ken Parks, Richard Casper, Peter Marinos], musical direction and arrangements by Dennis Deal
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: A Lady Must Live (America’s Sweetheart). Bibi Osterwald, Blossom Dearie, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris
Cole Porter: Pills (Wake Up and Dream). Edward Earle and Chorus, Musical direction by Judd Woldin, Vocal arrangements by Bud McCreary [1972]
Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart: I Still Believe in You (Chee-Chee) / Singing a Love Song (Simple Simon). Charlotte Rae, Danny Meehan, musical direction and arrangements by Norman Paris