Album

The Early Years At RKO

Fred Astaire

2013 · Stage & Screen

Start your shelf →Open in app
The Early Years At RKO by Fred Astaire

The Early Years At RKO is a Pop album by Fred Astaire, originally released in 2013. On Gatefold: 2 pressings tracked.

About

Fans of the Great American Songbook often cite Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald as the genre's top dog. Yet this Fred Astaire collection culled from his classic '30s films with Ginger Rogers is a vivid reminder that the genre was nothing without this dancer-singer-actor. Featuring some of the first performances of compositions by the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and Jerome Kern (who all loved to write for Astaire), this set presents early versions of “Night and Day,” “Top Hat, White Tie and Tails," and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” While Astaire didn’t have the singular sense of swing of Sinatra or Bing Crosby, this is pop music at its best from a bygone era backed by the notable orchestras of Ray Noble or Johnny Green. Fans will also get a bit of that patented Astaire humor—the end of the album includes two takes on the Berlin novelty “The Yam” with Rogers doing vocals on the last version. Astaire reportedly hated his own singing voice, but this is truly a gift for the rest of us.

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.

Start your shelf to read the full take →

Open this record in GatefoldThe full album page. Every pressing and its live price unlocks with Mosh Pit.→

Tracklist

  1. 1Music Makes Me2:27
  2. 2Flying Down to Rio2:46
  3. 3Night and Day (From "The Gay Divorce")3:25
  4. 4No Strings2:33
  5. 5Isn't This a Lovely Day?3:15
  6. 6Top Hat, White Tie and Tails2:40
  7. 7Cheek to Cheek3:17
  8. 8The Piccolino3:17
  9. 9We Saw the Sea2:21
  10. 10Let Yourself Go2:36
  11. 11I'd Rather Lead a Band2:30
  12. 12I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket2:48
  13. 13Let's Face the Music and Dance2:27
  14. 14Pick Yourself Up2:57
  15. 15The Way You Look Tonight3:10
  16. 16A Fine Romance2:54
  17. 17Bojangles of Harlem3:05
  18. 18Never Gonna Dance3:11
  19. 19A Fine Romance (Alternate Take)3:08
  20. 20Waltz In Swing Time (Alternate Take)2:33
  21. 2.1(I've Got) Beginner's Luck2:51
  22. 2.2Slap That Bass2:54
  23. 2.3They All Laughed2:47
  24. 2.4Let's Call the Whole Thing Off3:13
  25. 2.5They Can't Take That Away from Me3:01
  26. 2.6Shall We Dance2:31
  27. 2.7I Can't Be Bothered Now2:24
  28. 2.8Things Are Looking Up3:09
  29. 2.9A Foggy Day2:53
  30. 2.10Nice Work If You Can Get It2:40
  31. 2.11I Used to Be Color Blind3:04
  32. 2.12The Yam2:43
  33. 2.13Change Partners3:05
  34. 2.14They Can't Take That Away from Me (Alternate Take)3:03
  35. 2.15The Yam Steps (As Explained by Fred Astaire)2:50
  36. 2.16The Yam2:21
  37. 2.17I Used to Be Color Blind3:27

Sound DNA

  • Pop
  • Traditional Pop
  • velvety
  • playful
  • theatrical

Credits

The people behind it.

Production & Engineering

  • Didier C. DeutschCOMPILATION PRODUCER
  • Scott FarthingEXECUTIVE-PRODUCER
  • Tim SturgesCOMPILATION PRODUCER

Songwriting

2 pressings tracked on Gatefold

View this release on Discogs →

Start your shelf.

Track your pressings of The Early Years At RKO, get the Clerk's take, and see what the record is worth — free.

Start your shelf →

Free forever. Works with 10 records or 10,000.