Lady Sings The Blues (1972 Film)
List Price:
Our Price: $4.42
You Save: $5.56 (56%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $3.98 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Composer: Michel LegrandConductor: Gil Askey
Performer: Diana Ross
Edition: Music CD
Format: Soundtrack
CD Release Date: 1992-04-13
Music Label: Motown
Soundtracks:
- The Arrest
- Lady Sings The Blues
- Baltimore Brothel
- Billie Sneaks Into Dean & Dean's Swingin Uptown
- T'Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
- Big Ben, C.C. Rider
- All Of Me
- The Man I Love
- Them There Eyes
- Gardenias From Louis
- Cafe Manhattan
- God Bless The Child
- I Cried For You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry Over Me)
- Billie & Harry, Don't Explain
- Mean To Me
- Fine And Mellow
- What A Little Moonlight Can Do
- Louis Visits Billie On Tour, Love Theme
- Cafe Manhattan Party
- Persuasion, T'Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
- Agent's Office
- Love Is Here To Stay
- Fine And Mellow
- Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
- You've Changed
- Gimme A Pigfoot (And A Bottle Of Beer)
- Good Morning Heartache
- All Of Me
- Love Theme
- My Man (Mon Homme)
- Don't Explain
- I Cried For You (Now It's Your Turn To Cry Over Me)
- Strange Fruit
- God Bless The Child
- Closing Theme
Music reviews of Lady Sings The Blues (1972 Film)
Music Review: Ross, Askey and LeGrand in rare form
Rating: 5 Stars
I've never been partial to the movie for many reasons despite Diana Ross' stunning motion picture debut and well-deserved Oscar nomination, my main reason is the highly fictionalised account of the "love story" between Billie and Louis McKay (and the character "Piano Man", played by Richard Pryor; who was he supposed to be anyway? How about including in the script the story of the friendship between Lady and Pres, the inimitable Lester Young? The recordings on which he played tenor sax for Lady are masterpieces). Anyone who knows anything about Lady Day's life and times knows that this was not the case. Suffice it to say that Louis McKay was not a very nice person, although he was the best (and that's REALLY stretching that word) out of the three of Lady's husbands, the first being Jimmie Monroe, who may or may not have introduced Lady to heroin, and Joe Guy, Lady's second husband, though it's been widely publicized that the pair were never legally married. The schmaltzy story that eventually did come out of Hollywood in 1972 made me cringe when I saw it because I read not only Lady's own account of her life ("Lady Sings The Blues", largely ghostwritten by William Dufty) but in later years several other excellent books about her as well, the best being "Wishing On The Moon" by Donald Clarke.The critical drubbing of the movie itself aside, I must admit that the music is simply stunning; this unto itself is my only recommendation with regard to the movie at all. Gil Askey's orchestration and Michel LeGrand's arrangements are absolutely top-notch, particularly LeGrand's own "Love Theme", played in various forms throughout the entire movie and on the soundtrack itself. The song is lush and gorgeous and never fails to take my breath away, and Diana Ross' singing is arguably the best of her career. Her phrasing and diction are eerily precise and razor-sharp; she totally distances herself from her Supremes work and even erects a wall seperating her solo efforts from this entirely new style of singing. Diana never lapses into caricature while interpreting the songs of Lady Day, which a lesser singer most likely would have done because Billie's style was (and still is) so instantly recognizable and uniquely her own. Instead Diana chose to interpret Lady's songs in her own style and by doing so earned considerable critcal respect and establishing her formidable Jazz chops. Diana's versions of "Good Morning Heartache", "Lover Man", "Them There Eyes" and "The Man I Love" rival Billie's in terms of arrangement and musicianship. Personally I'd love to hear Ross, Askey and LeGrand on another project, particularly in a Jazz setting.
All in all, this is an excellent soundtrack, more than worthy of a deserving home in anyone's collection. In my opinion, by all means buy this soundtrack but avoid the movie; if you want the real scoop on Billie Holiday, read her own autobiography or "Wishing On The Moon", and of course there are Lady's own magnificent recordings as well. These items will provide a better insight to the real Billie Holiday than "Lady Sings The Blues" (the movie) ever could or will.
Description of Lady Sings The Blues (1972 Film)
35 tracks - double LP on one CD. BMG Direct club version.Blues CDs
Southern String BandsRelease date: 1997-05-07; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Lightnin Hopkins - Texas BluesRelease date: 1993-11-30; Music CD
Price in other shops:
15 Regional Mexican Music ClassicsRelease date: 1997-02-25; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
Etta James - Love's Been Rough on MeRelease date: 1997-04-29; Music CD
Best price: $8.97
Price in other shops:
Etta James - Mystery LadyRelease date: 1994-03-15; Music CD
Best price: $8.96
Price in other shops:
Taj Mahal - Dancing the BluesRelease date: 1993-09-28; Music CD
Best price: $7.99
Price in other shops:
![Moments to Remember [VHS] Image](/images/Moments-to-Remember-VHS-6304199058-X.jpg){kind=small}
Bill Gaither & Gloria - Moments to Remember [VHS]Chordant; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $3.00
Price in other shops:
![Sing Your Blues Away [VHS] Image](/images/Sing-Your-Blues-Away-VHS-630419904X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Sing Your Blues Away [VHS]Chordant Distribution; Release date: 1996-09-03; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $6.18
Price in other shops:
![Rhythm Country & Blues [VHS] Image](/images/Rhythm-Country-Blues-VHS-630303831X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Rhythm Country & Blues [VHS]Mca; Release date: 1994-03-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $99.75
Robert Cray - Smoking GunPublished: 1988; Music CD
Saturday Night FeverRelease date: 2007-07-10; Music CD
Best price: $5.27
Price in other shops:
Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday's Greatest Hits (Decca)Release date: 1995-06-06; Music CD
Best price: $4.65
Price in other shops:
Prince & the Revolution - Music from the Motion Picture "Purple Rain"PRINCE; Release date: 1990-10-25; Published: 1996-02-20; Music CD
Best price: $3.95
Price in other shops:
Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye - Diana & MarvinRelease date: 2001-01-09; Music CD
Best price: $5.37
Price in other shops:
Diana Ross - Definitive CollectionRelease date: 2006-08-29; Music CD
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
Waiting To Exhale: Original Soundtrack AlbumUnknown; Release date: 1995-11-14; Music CD
Best price: $5.43
Price in other shops:
Diana Ross - Diana RossRelease date: 2011-03-30; Music CD
Best price: $13.14
Price in other shops:
![Brokeback Mountain [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Image](/images/Brokeback-Mountain-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-B000BEZQ18-X.jpg)
Gustavo Santaolalla - Brokeback Mountain [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]Release date: 2005-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
MahoganyROSS,DIANA; Release date: 2007-05-01; DVD
Best price: $6.53
Price in other shops:
Lady Sings the BluesPARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2005-11-08; DVD
Best price: $8.25
Price in other shops: