Kiss Me, Kate - 1962 Studio Cast

cinerama wrote on March 22, 2014

Is there anyone out there who knows the background of this studio cast recording (or these studio cast recordings) of "Kiss Me Kate" with Earl Wrightson? There are two versions of it. One is on Columbia records CS-8568 with Lois Hunt (as Lilli) and Mary Mayo (as Bianca). It appears to have been released in 1962, has 12 tracks and there is no credit whatsoever given to a conductor. The other is on Harmony records (a low-priced subsidiary of Columbia records) HS-11001 with only Mary Mayo (apparently as Bianca). It appears to have been released in 1958, has 8 tracks and Glenn Osser is credited as the conductor. The songs "I Hate Men" and "I Am Ashamed That Women Are So Simple" are missing from the 1958 version (these were sung by Lois Hunt on the 1962 release). The songs "Wunderbar", "Another Op'niin', Another Show" and "We Open in Venice" are included on the 1958 version - even though they were sung with Lois Hunt on the 1962 version. The songs "Where Is the Life That Late I Led" and "I've Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua" aren't on the 1958 version and are sung by Earl Wrightson (of course) on the 1962 version.

My question is: Are these the same recordings or should these albums be listed as two distinct versions of "Kiss Me Kate"? If the Harmony version had been released AFTER the Columbia version, I would assume that (as was done then) they cut a few songs off of the original version when they created the "budget-priced" version and overlooked that fact that Lois Hunt was included in three of the tracks they included (although this is a little hard to believe). Does anyone have this Harmony version? Is Lois Hunt singing "Wunderbar" with Earl Wrightson or are there actually two different versions of this track?

If everyone is in agreement that these are indeed two different versions of "Kiss Me Kate", does anyone know who conducted the orchestra for the 1962 version?

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