Liza! Liza!
Encyclopedia
Liza! Liza! is the title of Liza Minnelli
's debut studio solo album
, released in September 1964 by Capitol Records
. It contained her interpretations of twelve pop standards.
It was recorded in June 1964 at Capitol Records' New York studio at 151 West 46th Street.
in 1963 (a year after recording this album she will win her first Tony Award
for her performance in the Broadway
musical Flora the Red Menace
).
The publicity surrounding her abilities led to television appearances and a single on the Cadence Records
label.
This single, "You Are For Loving", a song she performed on the show, reportedly sold half a million copies. On the strength of this, Capitol signed the singer and slowly began issuing several singles targeted to Minnelli's own age group and later committed to a whole album.
These singles were recorded over the summer of 1963 in New York and by reviewing this output it is clear the artistry displayed by Minnelli was not that of a regular teenager.
For the creation of her debut album, she turned to her friend and classmate Marvin Hamlisch
, who could help her in choosing the tunes. At the time he was working in the Broadway
production of Funny Girl.
It is noteworthy that two of the songs featured on the album, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "The Travelin' Life", were cut by Minnelli with Hamlisch on piano 2 years earlier as a gift to her mother.
Another one of the tracks featured here, "If I Were In Your Shoes", was written by the young writers Fred Ebb
and John Kander
, who had yet to make a big impact on the stage. It was the start of a decade-long collaboration during which the trio delivered several unforgettable hits.
Peter Matz
, who was also working with Barbra Streisand
at the time and would keep on collaborating with Minnelli up until his death, was mainly responsible for the rich and lush orchestral treatment given to the whole project.
chart at number 115. It remained debuted there November 21, 1964 and remained in it for 8 weeks. Over a period of 3 years it reportedly sold over half a million copies.
It received several glowing reviews including "An auspicious debut...fine new talent" wrote Cashbox, while Record World
said "Impressive...beguiling...beautiful...beautifully varied...major singing talent". Billboard stated "Simply great...a gas...clarity of tone, genuine feeling, emotion...truly great".
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
's debut studio solo album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, released in September 1964 by Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. It contained her interpretations of twelve pop standards.
It was recorded in June 1964 at Capitol Records' New York studio at 151 West 46th Street.
Album information
When Liza Minnelli recorded the songs in this album she was just a teenager. At just seventeen she had starred in the Off Broadway revival of Best Foot ForwardBest Foot Forward (musical)
Best Foot Forward is a 1941 Broadway musical by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, with book by John Cecil Holm. Produced by George Abbott, the production opened on 1 October 1941 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre where it was staged for 326 performances....
in 1963 (a year after recording this album she will win her first Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for her performance in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical Flora the Red Menace
Flora the Red Menace
Flora the Red Menace is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Robert Russell, music by John Kander, and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The musical starred Liza Minnelli in the title role in her Broadway debut, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical...
).
The publicity surrounding her abilities led to television appearances and a single on the Cadence Records
Cadence Records
Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952...
label.
This single, "You Are For Loving", a song she performed on the show, reportedly sold half a million copies. On the strength of this, Capitol signed the singer and slowly began issuing several singles targeted to Minnelli's own age group and later committed to a whole album.
These singles were recorded over the summer of 1963 in New York and by reviewing this output it is clear the artistry displayed by Minnelli was not that of a regular teenager.
For the creation of her debut album, she turned to her friend and classmate Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
, who could help her in choosing the tunes. At the time he was working in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Funny Girl.
It is noteworthy that two of the songs featured on the album, "It's Just A Matter Of Time" and "The Travelin' Life", were cut by Minnelli with Hamlisch on piano 2 years earlier as a gift to her mother.
Another one of the tracks featured here, "If I Were In Your Shoes", was written by the young writers Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera....
and John Kander
John Kander
John Harold Kander is the American composer of a number of musicals as part of the songwriting team of Kander and Ebb.-Life and career:Kander was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Bernice and Harold S. Kander...
, who had yet to make a big impact on the stage. It was the start of a decade-long collaboration during which the trio delivered several unforgettable hits.
Peter Matz
Peter Matz
Peter Matz was an award winning American musician, composer, arranger and conductor. His musical career in film, theater, television and studio recording spanned fifty years, and he worked with a number of prominent artists, including Marlene Dietrich, Noël Coward and Barbra Streisand...
, who was also working with Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
at the time and would keep on collaborating with Minnelli up until his death, was mainly responsible for the rich and lush orchestral treatment given to the whole project.
Reception
Liza! Liza! peaked on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart at number 115. It remained debuted there November 21, 1964 and remained in it for 8 weeks. Over a period of 3 years it reportedly sold over half a million copies.
It received several glowing reviews including "An auspicious debut...fine new talent" wrote Cashbox, while Record World
Record World
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both...
said "Impressive...beguiling...beautiful...beautifully varied...major singing talent". Billboard stated "Simply great...a gas...clarity of tone, genuine feeling, emotion...truly great".
Side one
- "It's Just a Matter of Time" (Richard Everitt, Laurence Stith)
- "If I Were In Your Shoes" (John Kander, Freb Ebb)
- "Meantime" (Stillman, Allen)
- "Try to Remember" (Harvey SchmidtHarvey SchmidtHarvey Lester Schmidt is an American composer for musical theatre. He is best known for composing the music for the longest running musical in history, The Fantasticks, which ran off-Broadway from 1960 - 2002.-Biography:...
, Tom JonesTom Jones (writer)Tom Jones is a lyricist of musical theatre. His best known work is The Fantasticks, which ran off-Broadway from 1960 until 2002, and the hit song from the same, Try to Remember. Other songs from "The Fantasticks" include "Soon It's Gonna Rain", "Much More" and "I Can See It"...
) - "I'm All I've Got" (Schafer, Graham)
- "Maybe Soon" (Everitt, Stith)
Side two
- "Maybe This TimeCabaret (film)Cabaret is a 1972 musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, under the ominous presence of the growing National Socialist Party....
" (Kander, Ebb) - "Don't Ever Leave Me" (Jerome KernJerome KernJerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
, Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
) - "The Travelin' Life" (Liebling, Marvin Hamlisch)
- "Together (Wherever We Go)Together (Wherever We Go)"Together " is a song, now considered a standard, with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, written for the musical play Gypsy in 1959.-Recorded versions:*Tammy Blanchard*The Four Lads...
" (Stephen SondheimStephen SondheimStephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
, Jule StyneJule StyneJule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
) - "Blue MoonBlue Moon (song)"Blue Moon"'s first crossover recording to rock and roll came from Elvis Presley in 1956. His cover version of the song was included on his self-titled debut album Elvis Presley....
" (Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Lorenz HartLorenz HartLorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
) - "I Knew Him When" (Harold ArlenHarold ArlenHarold Arlen was an American composer of popular music, having written over 500 songs, a number of which have become known the world over. In addition to composing the songs for The Wizard of Oz, including the classic 1938 song, "Over the Rainbow,” Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the...
, Harburg, Gershwin)
Charts
| Chart 1964 | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
115 |