Hims - Anita Ellis

 

Piccolo Pete

Hims

Anita Ellis

Arranged and Conducted by Hal Schaefer

Epic LN 3419

1957

From the back cover: The possible ambiguity of the title finds no echo in the voice of Anita Ellis in this dazzling collection. There can be no question that when Anita tackles a song, she knows what she is singing about, and that she brings to it the considerable force of a disciplined and imaginative talent. Anita has been singing off an on for the past decade to increasing acclaim, in nightclubs, on records and in the movies; in the last-named, her voice has been dubbed in for such actresses as Rita Hayworth and Vera Ellen, and a clue to what can be found herein may be gotten from the fact that it was Anita Ellis who did the singing for Miss Hayworth in the incendiary Put The Blame On Mame sequence in "Gilda."

In her first Epic collection, Anita Ellis essayed a sort of musical biography – not her own, happily – using songs and brief narration to present a dramatic and musical portrait. Here, she sings a dozen superior songs about men, including songs by Kern, Weill and Gershwin, among other, and giving all of them, whether fast or slow, the benefit of her velvety voice and expressive interpretations. Ever since Anita has come out from behind the screen to present her talents to the public, there has been increasing awareness of her firm musicality. and this second collection promises to be even more successful than her first.

Anita was born in Montreal, and is a graduate of the Cincinnati College of Music. She also majored in psychology and music at the University of California at Los Angeles, where she was also secretary of the music clubs: she has also studied Spanish and French extensively, and this background in itself will help to explain the depth and feeling she is able to put into her songs. She has been in show business since she was four, making her first appearance in a piano recital in Montreal. Despite this early introduction to the platform, Anita remained a shy child, and when her family moved to Hollywood, her mother suggested singing lessons as a possible means of overcoming her shyness. The lessons happily had the desired effect and, moreover, brought Anita the welcome discovery of her particular talent.

When she was sixteen, Anita auditioned for a radio program call "Juvenile Revue," and was selected "Find Of The Week" on her first appearance. Several other engagements on the same show followed, and further work on the radio and in nightclubs were the natural result. Later, she became featured vocalist at Hollywood's Florentine Gardens. This in turn led to her motion picture work, and she appeared in several movies for MGM before becoming the "ghost voice" of other stars. Among the movies in which she has sung have been Gilda, Down To Earth, Shanghai Lady, The Belle Of New York and Three Little Words. In addition, she has sung on many radio programs, including the Red Skelton show for two years, a year-and-a-half with Tommy Riggs, and a full season with Jack Carson. In New York, she has sung in such supper clubs as the Blue Angel, the Bon Noir and La Vie en Rose, and has made many other appearances throughout the country.

Bill

I'm Just Wild About Harry

Jim

Good For Nothin' Joe

Piccolo Pete

Goodbye, John

Clap Hands

Danny Boy

Porgy

You Know Me, Ai

Larry

That's Him