Marlene & Pat O’Day – With Every Breath I Take + When Your Lover Has Gone

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

I Think of You, With Every Breath I Take
Marlene (1933-2018) was the stage name of the 21-year-old big band singer who, in 1955, married trombonist, composer and arranger Billy Ver Planck. Coincidentally, it was also the year of her first recording session for the Savoy label. The title song of her debut album was 'I Think of You with Every Breath I Take,' and it was proudly described by the label as “A new listening thrill!” Marlene was of the kind of singer who rejected pop material and familiar standards to concentrate on little heard and nearly forgotten songs of quality. Accompanied by an all-star jazz group, she demonstrated a clear, in-tune voice, good feeling for the lyrics, and a certain freshness of sound—not to mention a musician’s sense of phrasing. Still, as the demand for jazz vocalists declined in the 1960s, Marlene slowly moved away from the scene and, for years, devoted herself mainly to singing in thousands of commercial jingles. After succeeding in that field for over a decade, she decided to return to her jazz roots under the direction of husband Billy, acting and recording this time as Marlene Ver Plank, and establishing herself as a performer in her own right.

When Your Lover Has Gone
Pat O’Day, wasn’t quite 21 when she made her first record back in 1953—a single including the song A Dear John Letter which didn’t do half bad, half a million copies to be precise. Pat never lacked for work after that, and winning the national TV contest Chance of a Lifetime, garnered her a daily disc jockey show with former Benny Goodman vocalist Ray Dorey on Boston’s leading independent station. Though a quiet, remarkably ingenious girl, Pat had showmanship, and on stage she projected an outgoing, exultant performer’s personality, not unlike her models, Doris Day, Margaret Whiting, and Nat Cole. 'When Your Lover Has Gone' was her only LP, and it saw the light in 1956. In it, Pat’s sweet-voice shifts effortlessly from late-night torch ballads to up-tempo tunes over the satisfying arrangements of Jack Zimmermann. As for the choice of well-known standards, Pat thought that “any song that has a basic appeal is a good song. If a song’s too complex, people will shy away from it,” and whether you agree with her reasoning or not, one thing is for sure: you will enjoy her riveting performance.

Track Listing:
Marlene: 1. I Think Of You with Every Breath I Take - 3:20   2. Accent on Youth - 4:36   3. Snuggled on Your Shoulder - 3:52   4. Some Other Time - 4:21   5. If I Love Again - 3:36   6. We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together - 3:05   7. Deep in a Dream - 6:02   8. Two Cigarettes in the Dark - 5:08   9. Without a Word of Warning - 3:25   10. You Leave Me Breathless - 3:48   Pat O’Day: 11. When Your Lover Has Gone - 2:50   12. Miss You - 2:32   13. I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan - 2:38   14. Music Maestro Please - 2:48   15. What Can I Say After I Say I’m Sorry - 2:48   16. Bill - 3:10   17. My Sweetie Went Away - 2:05   18. All Alone - 2:49   19. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home - 2:01   20. How Are Things In Glocca Morra - 2:48   21. Lover Come Back To Me - 3:39   22. All By Myself In The Morning - 2:49

Sources:
Tracks #1-10, from “Marlene –With Every Breath I Take” (Savoy MG-12058)
Tracks #11-22, from “Pat O’Day –When Your Lover Has Gone” (Golden Crest CR 3009)

Personnel:

Personnel on "With Every Breath I Take":
Marlene, vocals; Joe Wilder, trumpet; Herbie Mann, flute; Hank Jones, piano; Wendell Marshall, bass; Kenny Clarke, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, November 29, 1955

Personnel on "When Your Lover Has Gone":
Pat O'Day, vocals, with Orchestra Arranged and Conducted by Jack Zimmermann
Recorded in New York City, 1957