The Best of Julie Andrews: Thoroughly Modern Julie
| The Best of Julie Andrews: Thoroughly Modern Julie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 25 March 1996[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1956–1967[2] | |||
| Genre | Show tune, pop | |||
| Label | Rhino | |||
| Julie Andrews chronology | ||||
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The Best of Julie Andrews: Thoroughly Modern Julie is a compilation album by English singer and actress Julie Andrews, released by Rhino Records in 1996.[3] The collection features 19 tracks spanning Andrews' career from 1956 to 1967, sourced from Broadway cast recordings, film soundtracks, and solo studio albums.[4] During this period, the artist was signed to four different record labels: RCA Victor, Columbia, Decca and Buena Vista. Due to licensing restrictions, the album excludes material from her later works, including Victor/Victoria, which was released by MGM Records.[5] The album's subtitle references Andrew's 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie, directed by George Roy Hill.
The Best of Julie Andrews primarily draws from Andrews' work in musical theater and film adaptations, omitting her later stage performances and non-soundtrack recordings. The selection emphasizes her collaborations with composers like Lerner and Loewe (My Fair Lady, Camelot) and the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins). The tracklist includes songs from Andrews' most well-known roles, such as "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady, "The Sound of Music" and "My Favorite Things" from the 1965 film The Sound of Music, and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins. Lesser-known selections include "We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring" from Perchance to Dream (recorded for her Julie Andrews Sings album) and "Big D", a duet with Carol Burnett from a 1962 television special titled Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall.[6][5]
The album was remastered by Rhino Records, known for its reissues of vintage recordings. The CD release included liner notes with background information on the tracks, as well as archival photographs. Critics noted the absence of post-1967 material but acknowledged the compilation's focus on Andrews' peak commercial period.[1]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[7] |
| Los Angeles Times |   [8] |
| San Francisco Chronicle | [9] |
| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Favorable[10] |
Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times rated the album two and a half stars out of five and wrote that while devoted fans would appreciate the collection, some songs lost their charm outside their original theatrical context. He wrote that "it's more engaging to hear 'I Could Have Danced All Night' alongside 'Rain in Spain' than 'We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring'". He also pointed out the absence of later hits due to licensing issues.[8] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution celebrated Andrews' "glassy, crystalline-voiced" performances, calling the album "Julie frozen in time." According to the critic, highlights included her "puckish sense of humor" and effortless high notes, making it "one of the sweetest sounds we've ever heard".[10]
Steven McDonald of AllMusic called the album a "typically excellent mastering job from Rhino" but lamented the lack of post-1967 material. Still, he acknowledged that "for the average Julie Andrews fan, there's nothing here to disagree with, and a lot to be delighted about." He rated the album five out of five stars.[5] Entertainment Weekly gave the album a "B", describing Andrews as "a traditionalist in a world of calculated emotionalism".[7] The San Francisco Chronicle awarded it five stars, praising its timing as Andrews dazzled Broadway in Victor/Victoria. The reviewer called the compilation "simply supercalifragilisticexpialidocious".[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Could Have Danced All Night" | Lerner, Loewe | My Fair Lady | 3:31 |
| 2. | "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" | Lerner, Loewe | My Fair Lady | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Show Me" | Lerner, Loewe | My Fair Lady | 2:13 |
| 4. | "O the Days of the Kerry Dancing" | Molloy, Hugo Frey | The Lass with the Delicate Air | 3:55 |
| 5. | "Falling in Love with Love" | Hart, Rodgers | Julie Andrews Sings | 2:23 |
| 6. | "We'll Gather Lilacs in the Spring" | Novello | Julie Andrews Sings | 2:53 |
| 7. | "Matelot" | Coward | Julie Andrews Sings | 3:47 |
| 8. | "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood" | Lerner, Loewe | Camelot | 3:02 |
| 9. | "What Do the Simple Folk Do" | Lerner, Loewe | Camelot | 5:02 |
| 10. | "I Loved You Once in Silence" | Lerner, Loewe | Camelot | 3:07 |
| 11. | "This Is New" | Gershwin, Weill | Broadway's Fair Julie | 2:33 |
| 12. | "If Love Were All" | Coward | Broadway's Fair Julie | 2:19 |
| 13. | "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" | Forrest, Wright | Broadway's Fair Julie | 2:27 |
| 14. | "Big D" | Loesser | Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall | 4:01 |
| 15. | "Feed the Birds" | Sherman, Sherman | Mary Poppins | 3:52 |
| 16. | "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" | Sherman, Sherman | Mary Poppins | 2:03 |
| 17. | "Prelude/The Sound of Music" | Hammerstein, Rodgers | The Sound of Music | 3:31 |
| 18. | "My Favorite Things" | Hammerstein, Rodgers | The Sound of Music | 2:20 |
| 19. | "Prelude/Thoroughly Modern Millie" | Cahn, Van Heusen | Thoroughly Modern Millie | 2:46 |
Personnel
[edit]Adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]
- Compilation: David Weiner
- Project Supervision: James Austin
- Creative Consultants: Ken Bloom, Tony Natelli, Will Friedwald
- Project Assistance: Ted Myers
- Discographical Annotation: Gary Peterson
- Licensing: Mark Pinkus, Steve Poltorak
- Remastering: Chris Clarke & Dan Hersch/DigiPrep
- Art Direction: Monster X
- Design: Julie Vlasak
- Inside Photos: Michael Ochs Archives
References
[edit]- ^ a b "The Best of Julie Andrews, Julie Andrews - Shop Online for Music in New Zealand". Fishpond.co.nz. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ "CDs in brief: Broadway music -- Thoroughly Modern Julie: The Best of Julie Andrews by Julie Andrews". American Theater. 13 (5): 58. May 1966. ISSN 8750-3255. 220580850. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ Hischak 2008, p. 773
- ^ "Happy as pigs in a mudhole". Star-News. 129 (154): 2D. 11 April 1996. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d McDonald, Steven. "The Best of Julie Andrews: Thoroughly Modern Julie". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 10 June 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ Kaufman, Joanne (6 May 1996). "The Best of Julie Andrews: Thoroughly Modern Julie". People. Vol. 45, no. 18. New York: Dotdash Meredith. p. 29. ISSN 0093-7673.
- ^ a b "Thoroughly Modern Julie: The Best of Julie Andrews". Entertainment Weekly (29 March 1996). p.65.
- ^ a b Hilburn, Robert (26 April 1996). "Julie Andrews, "The Best of Julie Andrews," Rhino. (** 1/2)". Los Angeles Times: 18. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ a b Roca, Octavio (12 May 1996). "'Mack' Cast Album Explains All the Hoopla". San Francisco Chronicle: 49. 303411920. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
- ^ a b Hamilton, Doug; Abram, Malcolm X; Janich, Kathy; Bob Townsend, or the Journal-Constitution; Dollar, Steve; Paula Crouch Thrasher. 4/4/96 The Latest in Music, Videos and Books.... The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 4 April 1996:D.08. 293126783.
- ^ Julie Andrews (1996). Thoroughly Modern Julie: The Best Of Julie Andrews (liner notes). Rhino Records, Sony Music Special Products. R2 72281, A 26680.
Bibliography
[edit]- Hischak, Thomas S. (2008). The Oxford Companion to the American Musical. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-533533-0.