An Evening with Julie Andrews
| An Evening with Julie Andrews | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Pop, show tune | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Julie Andrews chronology | ||||
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An Evening with Julie Andrews is a live album by Julie Andrews recorded during the English star's 1977 concert at Osaka Festival Hall in Japan.[1] The performance came at a transitional moment in Andrews' career—after her peak Hollywood years but before her later resurgence on stage. The album captures her signature blend of Broadway and film classics, though its reception and legacy remain somewhat niche.
Andrews initially hesitated to tour Japan, as revealed in a 1977 interview, but ultimately accepted a $1 million offer on the condition that her family could join her.[2][3] The concerts, held in four cities, were part of a brief return to live performance after she had scaled back work in the 1970s. Originally announced in Billboard as Julie Andrews On Tour, the record would include performances in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand, but RCA released only the Japanese performance with its present title.[4] Previously, the title was used in the special An Evening with Julie Andrews and Harry Belafonte, transmitted on 9 November 1969 by NBC.[5]
The track listing leans heavily on nostalgia, featuring staples like "Do-Re-Mi", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", alongside Stephen Sondheim's "Being Alive" and Peter Allen's "Everything Old Is New Again". The music critic from The Age noted the crowd's enthusiasm but also highlighted the album's safe, familiar approach, describing it as "musical memories of her past" rather than a reinvention. While praising Andrews' enduring vocal clarity, the review also subtly questioned whether the material pushed her artistry forward.[6]
The album was never released in the United States due to a decline in Ms. Andrew's popularity. However, copies of the album were being sold in the country for as much as $1,000 by 1994.[7] Furthermore, it was never released on compact disc (CD) anywhere in the world.[1]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Overture" | ||
| 2. | "I'll Play for You" | Jim Seals, Dash Crofts | |
| 3. | "I'm Old Fashioned" | Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer | |
| 4. | "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" | Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe | |
| 5. | "This Is My Beloved" | Wright, Forest | |
| 6. | "Being Alive" | Stephen Sondheim | |
| 7. | "Medley: a) Everything Old Is New Again / b) My Melancholy Baby / c) Bye Bye Blues / d) Everybody Loves My Baby / e) Thoroughly Modern Millie" | Peter Allen, B. Sager / George Norton, Ernie Burnett, Maybelle Watson / Fred Hamm, Dave Bennett, Bert Lown, Chauncey Gray / Palmer, Spencer Williams / Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whistling Away the Dark" | Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer | |
| 2. | "Medley: a) My Favorite Things / b) Do-Re-Mi / c) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" | Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II / R. Rodgers, O. Hammerstein II / Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman | |
| 3. | "Medley: a) Camelot / b) Show Me / c) I Could Have Danced All Night" | Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe / A. J. Lerner, F. Loewe / A. J. Lerner, F. Loewe | |
| 4. | "The Sound of Music" | Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II | |
| 5. | "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" | Peter Allen, B. Sager |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the liner notes of An Evening with Julie Andrews record.[8]
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References
[edit]- ^ a b Arntz & Wilson 1995, p. 232
- ^ Thomas, Bob (26 August 1977). "Julie heading for Japan". The Windsor Star: 16. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "The cornebread mix". Lakeland Ledger. 70 (255): 2A. 1 July 1977. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ "Andrews tour LP". Billboard. Vol. 89, no. 44. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 5 November 1977. p. 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Stirling 2008, p. 325
- ^ "Mum's the word on these albums". The Age: 16. 11 May 1978. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Scanlan, Dick (20 September 1994). "Japanease fans". The Advocate. No. 664. Here Publishing. p. 7. ISSN 0001-8996. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
- ^ Julie Andrews (1977). An Evening with Julie Andrews (liner notes). RCA Records. SX-281.
Bibliography
[edit]- Arntz, James; Wilson, Thomas S. (1995). Julie Andrews. Two Prudential Plaza, Chicago. Illinois: Contemporary Books, Inc. ISBN 0-8092-3267-7.
- Stirling, Richard (2008). Julie Andrews: An Intimate Biography. London: Piatkus Books Ltd London. ISBN 978-1-84782-162-1.