Doris Day Is Always With a Smile and a Song

Sony Masterworks through the Turner Classic Movies imprint has issued a double CD reissue of recordings by Doris Day, With a Smile and a Song. It is a collection of 30 songs which Ms. Day played a role in selecting the 30 songs (for about 90 minutes of music). Turner Classic Movies has issued separately a collection of Doris Day Movies.David Foil provides an appreciation, and notes how she started off as a singer in the bands and her lovely and adorable voice certainly had great appeal.

At the same time as her notable film career, Doris Day also enjoyed a recording career surveyed on this generally backed by lush orchestral accompaniments with occasional vocal choirs. So on this sampling of mostly sentimental ballads and love songs we hear the Paul Weston Orchestra, Percy Faith, Frank Duvol, the Norman Luboff Choir, and Mort Garson with a couple sessions have more intimate backing by the Andre Previn.

Some of the songs include On Moonlight Bay, It Had To Be You, I’ll See You In My Dreams, By the Light of the Silvery Moon, Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera), Pillow Talk, Little Boy Blue, But Beautiful, Our Love Is Here to Stay, Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread, and the title track. These certainly are attractive, often dreamy and romantic performances, and wonderfully restored here.

As a matter of personal taste, the performances (including the arrangements) are a bit too sweet for my taste to listen to in more than a few selections at a time. My tastes go perhaps to jazzier and more interpretative vocal stylings like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and the like. This is not to dismiss superb performances here like Secret Love, or some lightweight material (Pillow Talk) that is the musical equivalent of cotton candy. And the selections with Andre Previn (“including Fools Rush In) provide a more intimate setting for her. It is certainly valuable to have this available and if this style of music appeals to you, then I have little doubt that you will warmly enjoy this compilation of Doris Day’s recordings.

I received a review copy from a publicist. Here is Doris Day singing Que Sera, Sera.