Janet Blair & Claudia Thompson – Flame Out!+ Goodbye To Love

The Best Voices Time Forgot - Collectible Albums by Top Female Vocalists
Collector’s Edition - 2 Original LPs on 1 CD - · Original Cover Art, Liner Notes

Flame Out!
Janet Blair (1921-2007) was a big-band singer who became a popular American film and television actress. The 1959 album “Flame Out!,” marked her first appearance on record since her days as vocalist with the Hal Kemp Orchestra in the 1940s. Janet’s naturally beautiful voice and great feel for the lyrics, brought new light to some of the best “heart songs” of her era. All musical scores were arranged and conducted by pianist Lou Busch, who had also been with the Kemp crew. Through the adept use of orchestral sounds, he managed to engineer a change of pace between songs. Some have a light, tonal modern jazz background in a Mancini-influenced style; others, a strikingly beautiful string sound; and still others employ the sparse feel of a “blues” piano and a lonesome trumpet blowing “out there somewhere.”

Goodbye to Love
The “voice you can’t forget” belongs to Claudia Thompson… it is haunting… misty… soul-searching. Claudia’s song styling—with the help of excellent control and breathless phrasing—weaves a spell of bittersweet love. She sings cleanly with good diction, and she’s capable of creating and sustaining a mood effectively. Her ballad singing is always warm and knowing, and she handles them with tenderness and restraint. Her talents combine smoothly with the effective accompaniment of such jazzmen as Barney Kessel, Red Mitchell and Benny Carter, who do much to enhance the album’s appeal and form an excellent frame for the singer. This is an unforgettable listening experience.

Track Listing:
Janet Blair: 1. Get Out of Town - 2:33   2. Autumn Leaves - 2:48   3. Glad to Be Unhappy - 2:37   4. They Can’t Take That Away from Me - 3:10   5. Good Morning Heartache - 3:50   6. The Gentleman Is a Dope - 2:59   7. Don’t Explain - 2:50   8. I Get Along Without You Very Well - 2:59   9. Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me - 3:12   10. Then You’ve Never Been Blue - 2:30   11. In Love in Vain - 2:50   12. Lover Man - 3:24   Claudia Thompson: 13. Some of These Days - 4:02   14. Body and Soul - 2:45   15. If I Should Lose You - 3:25   16. Stormy Weather - 3:30   17. I’m Through with Love - 2:38   18. The Morning After - 2:38   19. Goodbye - 2:40   20. Blue Prelude - 2:51   21. You Call It Madness - 3:06   22. Fan Me - 3:21   23. I Was Yours - 2:46   24. Gloomy Sunday - 3:43   25. Goodnight My Pet - 2:25 *
(*) Bonus track

Sources:
Tracks # 1-12, from the Janet Blair album "Flame Out!" (Dico 1301)
Tracks #13-24, from Claudia Thompson album "Goodbye to Love" (Edison International SDP-500)
Track #25, from the single Edison International F-408

Personnel:

Personnel on "Flame Out!":
Janet Blair, vocals
Tracks #2,3,7,8,10,11: Paul Horn, flute & alto sax; Jimmy Rowles, piano; Frank Flynn, vibes; Tommy Tedesco, guitar; Joe Mondragon, bass; Irv Cottler, drums; plus 11-piece String section.
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, May 22, 1959
Tracks #1,4,5,6,9,12: Don Fagerquist, trumpet; Paul Horn, Bud Shank, flutes; Jimmy Rowles, piano; Frank Flynn, vibes; Tommy Tedesco, guitar; Joe Mondragon, bass; Shelly Manne, drums.
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, May 25, 1959

Personnel on "Goodbye to Love":
Claudia Thompson, vocals
Tracks #13,18,20,22: Barney Kessel, guitar; Benny Carter, alto sax; Joe Howard, Harry Betts, Ed Kusby, George Roberts, trombones; Paul Smith, piano; Joe Mondragon, bass; Alvin Stoller, drums.
Tracks #15,19,25: Barney Kessel, guitar; Ted Nash, flute; Nino Rossi, cello; Arnold Ross, piano; Mike Rubin, bass; Dick Shanahan, drums.
Track #16: Barney Kessel, guitar; Ted Nash, alto sax; Mike Rubin, bass.
Tracks #14,17,21,23,24: Barney Kessel, guitar; Keith “Red” Mitchell, bass.
Recorded in Hollywood, California, January 1959