RCA Records
1990
Rarities
About This Album
This invaluable compilation collects all the recordings made by Fred Astaire, his sister and stage partner Adele Astaire, and his movie partner Ginger Rogers for RCA Victor Records, mostly in the '30s. Although the Astaires had been recording their stage songs in England since 1923, it took them until 1931 to get into an American recording studio, and they did then only because bandleader Leo Reisman was interested in recording numbers from the Broadway revue The Band Wagon, in which they were appearing, and he invited them to perform as guest vocalists. With Fred, Reisman cut "I Love Louisa," "New Sun In The Sky" (heard here in the previously unreleased second take), and "White Heat," while both Astaires performed on "Hoops." Also, in an experimental process, the band and the singers recorded two medleys of songs from the show, each running about ten minutes, for release on a ten-inch 33-1/3 r.p.m. record. "I Love Louisa" and "New Sun In The Sky" became Top Ten hits. By 1932, Adele had retired and Fred was appearing by himself in Gay Divorce. Reisman again brought him in to record songs from the show, cutting "Night And Day" and "I've Got You On My Mind.
Track List

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