The only Broadway starring role the great Ethel Merman was allowed to re-create on the screen was Sally Adams in Fox's 1953 film of "Call Me Madam", which was a perfect showcase for Merman's bigger than life talent. This was especially fortuitous since Merman did not perform the role on the official RCA Victor Broadway Cast Album due to her exclusive contract with Decca Records. Instead RCA recorded the original cast with Dinah Shore replacing Merman and Merman recorded a re orchestrated studio album of songs from the show on Decca, neither of which was ideal. The 10 inch Decca Records LP & 45 EP sound track album from the film is the only cast recording of "Call Me Madam" featuring Merman but it went out of print very quickly due to the demise of the 10 inch and 45 EP formats in favour of the 12 inch LP for show albums in the late 1950s. Besides Merman, the film has the advantage of Academy Award Winner George Sanders as her leading man, displaying a splendid singing voice he seldom used in films and wonderful support from Donald O'Connor (fresh off of "Singin' in the Rain") and Vera-Ellen (whose singing voice was dubbed expertly by Carole Richards). The film also benefited from superior Academy Award winning arrangements & conducting by Alfred Newman, who was also music director on Merman's earlier film appearance at Fox, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", plus superb vocal & choral work by Ken Darby. Even though a few songs were deleted from the film score I believe the sound track is the best recording of "Call Me Madam" ever. Newman's incredible symphonic orchestration of "The Ocarina" dance music played by the Fox Studio Orchestra with a virtuosity that has to be heard to be believed, is positively thrilling. Merman's poignant vocal of "The Best Thing for You" displays a rare subtlety, I remastered this slightly expanded sound track album from a private tape of the song recording sessions which included a small amount of music that didn't make it on the sound track LP (probably due to the 30 minute playing time) and the rest from the music & effects master. It makes for a wonderful listen. Enclosed is a link to both FLAC & mp3 files so you can decide for yourself.

Call Me Madam Expanded Sound Track Album
THIS FILE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD DUE TO 20TH. CENTURY-FOX BAN ON THIS SITE

1. OVERTURE [Orchestra]
2. THE WASHINGTON SQUARE-DANCE [Chorus]
3. THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTES' ON THE BALL [Ethel Merman]
4. CAN YOU USE ANY MONEY TODAY? [Ethel Merman]
5. MARRYING FOR LOVE [George Sanders]
6. IT'S A LOVELY DAY TODAY [Donald O'Connor & Carole Richards]
7. INTERNATIONAL RAG [Ethel Merman]
8. (I Wonder Why) YOU'RE JUST IN LOVE [Donald O'Connor & Ethel Merman]
9. (Dance to the Music of) THE OCARINA [Carole Richards & Chorus]
10. WHAT CHANCE HAVE I WITH LOVE? [Donald O'Connor]
11. THE BEST THING FOR YOU [Ethel Merman & George Sanders]
12. SOMETHING TO DANCE ABOUT [Donald O'Connor & Carole Richards]
13. MRS. SALLY ADAMS [Chorus]
14. FINALE [George Sanders, Ethel Merman, Donald O'Connor, Carol Richards & Chorus]

20th. Century-Fox Orchestra & Chorus Conducted by ALFRED NEWMAN
Choral Director - KEN DARBY

Thanks, steviefromalaska! I have liked your other restorations, so I am checking this out based on your taste and recommendation.

Thank you very much for your efforts on this project. :)

Another gem - thank you!

Alfred Newman won an Academy Award in the best scoring of a musical category in 1953.

Nice!

Thank you, stevie! And much gratitude for the front cover. :)

Take care.

thanks a lot

Alfred Newman won an Academy Award in the best scoring of a musical category in 1953.

Yes, Newman won this award two years in a row: for 1952's With A Song in My Heart and for 1953's Call Me Madam. Prior to the 1980s this Award was given for either an Original Song Score or the Adaptation or Treatment of a Musical from another source (usually Broadway). Newman adapted Irving Berlin's song score for Call Me Madam with new original arrangements for an orchestra over twice the size of the one used in its stage productions and turned over these sketches to his orchestrators to fill in the player parts while Ken Darby worked with the singers and provided the choral arrangements. Irving Berlin was one of America's greatest song writers but what we hear in musical films like Call Me Madam, especially in the hands of a genius like Alfred Newman, a great composer himself, is the work of some very talented arrangers, orchestrators, vocal directors & conductors who flesh out songs of composers like Irving Berlin to what only can be described as pure musical magic.

Thanks for sharing! And thanks for taking the time to write up introductions to each soundtrack; they're all very interesting to read. :)

Thanks a lot!

Thank you for another great upload!!!

Muchas gracias.

Thanks. I love Ethel Merman.

This is a sumptuous soundtrack, thank you Stevie.

I enjoyed very much the complete recording of "Something's to Dance About", too bad the music of "it's a Lovely Day Today" danced by Vera-Ellen and Donald O' Connor is not included in the recording sessions.

Thank you a thousand times, I love this soundtrack !

turner6

Thanks very much Stevie

Thank you!

Many thanks for the share.
You learn something new every day, so just to hear the famous George Sanders sing will be a revelation.
Again many thanks for this gem.

Thank you share!

Thanks a lot!

Thank you, I was looking for this! :D

I love this film and I even love the stage musical. But my inner love is the more than vital appearance of George Sanders in a musical. He appeared (in a quartet) in what was perhaps the multi-magnificent Noel Coward's most personal musical. Bitter Sweet. What did he sing with pretty shocking reviews and applause? "We All Wear a Green Carnation". And his singing here is as great as any musical stars... and perhaps even more moving. Thank you again and again and again!

Great ! Thank you !

Thank you.

Thanks a lot!!!

thank you Steve