Cherry Red Records Guys & Dolls (Like Today)

·The Kirby Stone Four had an exuberant, “Feel-Free”
vocal style, that became known as the “Go” sound, a sophisticated
combination of imaginative jazz vocalising and humorous impressions that as the
1950s gave way to the ’60s, can be seen as a significant development in the
evolution of the American vocal group.
 
·They appeared regularly on the Ed Sullivan Show. This
association secured them a contract with Columbia and realised their 1958 hit
single Baubles, Bangles and Beads (from the musical Kismet). The accompanying
album reached the US Top 20.
 
·Guys And Dolls (Like Today) was a highly original view of the
Abe Burrows / Jo Swerling / Frank Loesser masterpiece, an adaptation presented
as the first in a series called Broadway for Listening, a show for the ear
alone, a show that would carry enough of a story line in the music and lyrics
as to make visual aids unnecessary. Kirby Stone, and his frequent collaborator,
Dick Hyman, achieved their aim by using new arrangements and writing additional
lyrics to almost every song to help the ear to “see,” and employing
group vocals instead of solos by principal singers.
 
·Our edition combines Guys & Dolls (Like Today) with the
group’s Playboy Club album of the previous year and Raven, their ‘real gone’
interpretation of the Edgar Allan Poe poem of the same name which features
group member Larry Foster and Peggy Powers who supplies the voice of The Raven,
returning all of these recordings to the catalogue for the first time since
their original releases.
 
TRACK LISTING
 
FRANK LOESSER’S BROADWAY HIT GUYS & DOLLS
(LIKE TODAY)
1.
LIBRETTO-TURE
2.
FUGUE FOR TINHORNS
3.
ADELAIDE’S LAMENT
4.
A BUSHEL AND A PECK
5.
ADELAIDE
6.
SIT DOWN, YOU’RE ROCKIN’ THE BOAT
7.
IF I WERE A BELL
8.
TAKE BACK YOUR MINK
9.
SUE ME
10. LUCK BE A LADY
11. I’VE NEVER BEEN
IN LOVE BEFORE
12. MORE I CANNOT
WISH YOU
13. GUYS AND DOLLS
 
LAUGH ALONG WITH THE KIRBY STONE FOUR AT THE
PLAYBOY CLUB
14. EVERYTHING’S
COMING UP?
15. LAZY RIVER
IMPRESSIONS (LAZY RIVER)
16. BRITISH ROCK ‘N
ROLL (ST. LOUIS BLUES)
17. ZING WENT THE
STRINGS OF MY HEART
18. SHOW STOPPER
(BIRTH OF THE BLUES)
19. IT’S A REALLY
BIG SHOW
20. IN THE GOOD OLD
SUMMERTIME
 
THE KIRBY STONE FOUR WITH PEGGY POWERS
21. RAVEN