June 4th – Julie Andrews – Nobody Told Me

There are very few recordings of this one. It comes from the musical No Strings for which Richard Rodgers wrote words as well as music. The score also features The Sweetest Sounds.

Coleman Hawkins’ and Billy May made instrumental versions during the 60s mini-mania for ‘jazz versions’ of Broadway scores. Hawkins’ version is on YouTube well worth a listen but it won’t allow you appreciate Mr Rodgers lyric-writing abilities.

Of the vocal versions I know, Chis Connor’s is way too cool for the material and Ethel Ennis’ poppy take doesn’t make the most of the melody. It would have been perfect for a young Johnny Mathis but he seems to have passed it by.  Julie Andrews rediscovered it in 1996 and her sincerity (and all those lush strings) suit the song’s shamelessly romantic tone to a T.

 

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