Judy by the Numbers: "When You're Smiling"
Wednesday, August 17, 2016 at 9:00AM 
I know, I know. I'm cheating again. Last week I presented you a picture with no singing, and this time I present you singing with no picture! However, the difficulty of a short series devoted entirely to musical numbers from TV & film is that it ignores the vast breadth of a performer's capability. Last week was devoted to Judy Garland's acting ability, a talent overshadowed by her incredible musical gift. This week is about Judy Garland the performer, an entertainer who captivated audiences live and via vinyl. This week, I have just one question:
When is the first time you heard Judy At Carnegie Hall?
The Album: Judy at Carnegie Hall (Capitol Records, 1961)
The Songwriters: Larry Shay, Mark Fisher and Joe Goodwin
The Cast: Judy Garland, Mort Lindsay and the orchestra
The Story: When it was released in November 1961, Judy At Carnegie Hall went gold. Not only was it Judy's highest-selling record, it also won her 4 Grammy awards the next year, including Best Concert Album. In the ensuing decades, it would inspire copycats, homages, and new generations of fans.
If you have an opportunity today, I encourage you to listen to the full album. It's a mix of new songs and classics. For Judy fans, it definitely lives up to the hype of "the greatest night in showbiz history." On a stage stripped bare of sets or ornate costumes, Judy sang a full set of two dozen songs in peak form. But it's more than form or technique or Judy's sparkling voice. It's the emotional power of her performance. Judy doesn't speak a lot between numbers - though the anecdotes she does share are amazing - but she communicates her gratefulness, sadness and joy through each song. An album with such emotional range is a good companion no matter what your mood.
Reader Comments (5)
It is an amazing document of a legendary night. The crowd's excitement is palpable just listening to the overture and from the accounts I've read from those who attended the feeling that something special was about to happen was intense. And then of course Judy took the stage and held those people in the palm of her hand completely. The near hysteria when she finally says goodbye because she and the band have run out of songs to sing is nearly manic.
I'm guessing about when I first heard the album but I'd say it was in my early teen years. I've always been a fan of female singers in general with Judy being near the top, along with Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, Linda Ronstadt and Streisand, so when I started buying records I tried to start with the essentials and this was either the first or second Garland album in my collection. That of course was long ago replaced with the remastered CD.
In late 1985 or early 1986, I was 22 years old and first saw A Star is Born (the "restored" version) for the first time and then heard this album for the first time. It was as if my life had just started. Why had I never know this Judy Garland before? The more I hear this performance the more awed I am at her talent.
Bought this record last year and it's been spinning in my house ever since!
I have had this album forever .... Have downloaded it,also. Play it constantly
The album was actually released in July of 1961, not November. By November, the album had already been number one for several weeks, if not months.