Sarah Vaughan - The Complete Sarah Vaughan On Mercury Vol. 1 & 2 (1986) FLAC

Sarah Vaughan recorded extensively for Mercury/EmArcy during the 1950s and 1960s. Through much of that time, Vaughan's operatic voice was matched against overripe orchestrations or arrangements more suitable to a pop icon than one of the most versatile instruments in history.

Sarah Vaughan's years on Mercury (and its subsidiary EmArcy) feature inspired jazz performances, commercial recordings with string orchestras, and big-band sides that fall in between jazz and middle-of-the-road pop music. All of her recordings for Mercury are on four impressive box sets that add up to 23 CDs. The first set (six CDs) is the best overall of the four for it has a full set with her trio, the famous session with trumpeter Clifford Brown, a date with the Ernie Wilkins orchestra (featuring altoist Cannonball Adderley), and a variety of orchestral sides. As with all of these sets, there are many previously unissued performances included too. More selective fans may want to get some of Sassy's individual packages instead (particularly the Clifford Brown date), but completists and true Sarah Vaughan fanatics will consider these four perfectly done sets to be essential.

This five-CD box set, the second of four volumes that reissue all of Sarah Vaughan's recordings for Mercury and EmArcy (plus many previously unissued performances) contains her exploration of Gershwin songs, 13 vocal duets with her close friend Billy Eckstine and just five jazz numbers with her trio; all of the other selections feature Vaughan backed by large studio orchestras, usually led by Hal Mooney. Most of the material is a bit commercial (certainly the arrangements tend to be) but Sarah Vaughan generally uplifts the songs and overcomes her surroundings. Still, listeners strictly interested in her jazz performances are advised to get some of her single CD collections instead.

Tracklist
Disc 1
1. I Still Believe In You
2. My Funny Valentine
3. My One And Only Love
4. Come Along With Me
5. Imagination
6. It's Easy To Remember
7. And This Is My Beloved
8. Easy Come, Easy Go Lover
9. Lover Man
10. Shulie A Bop
11. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
12. Body And Soul
13. They Can't Take That Away From Me
14. Prelude To A Kiss
15. You Hit The Spot
16. If I Knew Then What I Know Now

Disc 2
1. Old Love
2. Old Devil Moon
3. Exactly Like You
4. Saturday
5. Idle Gossip
6. Make Yourself Comfortable
7. Oh Yeah
8. I'm In The Mood For Love
10. Let's Put Out The Lights
11. Waltzing Down The Aisle
12. It's Magic
13. Honey
14. How Important Can It Be
15. The Touch Of Your Lips
16. 'S Wonderful
17. Tenderly

Disc 3
1. September Song
2. Lullaby Of Birdland (Alternate Take)
3. Lullaby Of Birdland
4. I'm Glad There Is You
5. You're Not The Kind
6. Jim
7. He's My Guy
8. April In Paris
9. It's Crazy
10. Embraceable You

Disc 4
1. Whatever Lola Wants
2. Slowly With Feeling
3. Experience Unnecessary
4. Fabulous Character
5. Johnny, Be Smart
6. Hey Naughty Papa
7. The Other Woman
8. Never (Alternate Take)
9. Never
10. C'est La Vie (Alternate Take)
11. C'est la Vie
12. Paradise
13. Time On My Hands (Alternate Take)
14. Time On My Hands
15. Gimme A Little Kiss
16. Mr. Wonderful
17. You Ought To Have A Wife
18. Sometimes I'm Happy (Alternate Take)
19. Sometimes I'm Happy (Alternate Take)
20. Sometimes I'm Happy (Alternate Take)
21. Sometimes I'm Happy

Disc 5
1. I'll Never Smile Again (Alternate Take)
2. I'll Never Smile Again (Alternate Take)
3. I'll Never Smile Again
4. Don't Be On The Outside (Alternate Take)
5. Don't Be On The Outside
6. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
7. An Occasional Man
8. Soon
9. Cherokee
10. Maybe
11. Why Can't I
12. How High The Moon
13. Over The Rainbow (Alternate Take)
14. Over The Rainbow
15. Oh My (Alternate Take)
16. Oh My (Alternate Take)
17. Oh My

Disc 6
1. The Boy Next Door
2. Shake Down The Stars
3. I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over
4. Lush Life
5. A Sinner Kissed An Angel
6. Old Folks
7. The House I Live In
8. I'm The Girl
9. Hot And Cold Runnin' Tears
10. The Edge Of The Sea
11. I've Got Some Crying To Do
12. That's Not The Kind Of Love I Want
13. My Romance
14. Lonely Woman
15. Only You Can Say
16. I Loved Him
17. It Happened Again
18. I Wanna Play House

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Disc 1
1. You're Everything
2. Autumn In New York
3. My Darling, My Darling
4. Little Girl Blue
5. Bewitched
6. Dancing In The Dark
8. All The Things You Are
9. It Never Entered My Mind
10. Homework
11. They Say It's Wonderful
12. The Touch Of Your Hand
13. My Heart Stood Still
14. Let's Take An Old Fashioned Walk
15. My Ship
16. A Tree In The Park
17. A Ship Without A Sail
18. He's Only Wonderful

Disc 2
1. But Not For Me
2. Poor Butterfly
3. Love Is A Random Thing
4. If I Loved You
5. September Song
6. Lost In The Stars
7. If This Isn't Love (Alternate Take)
8. It's Delovely
9. It's Love
10. Lucky In Love
11. It's Got To Be Love
12. Comes Love
13. The Bashful Matador
14. Leave It To Love
15. Don't Let Me Love You (Alternate Take)
16. The Second Time (Alternate Take)
17. April Give Me One More Day
18. I've Got A New Heartache
19. Don't Look At Me That Way
20. The Banana Boat Song

Disc 3
1. Words Can't Describe
2. Pennies From Heaven
3. All Of Me
4. I Cried For You
5. Linger Awhile (Alternate Take)
6. Someone To Watch Over Me
7. A Foggy Day
8. Bidin' My Time
9. He Loves And She Loves
10. Love Walked In
11. Looking For A Boy
12. I've Got A Crush On You
13. Isn't It A Pity
14. Do It Again
15. How Long Has This Been Going On?
16. Arn't You Kinda Glad We Did
17. The Man I Love

Disc 4
1. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
2. They All Laughed
3. Lorelei
4. I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
5. Summertime
6. Things Are Looking Up
7. I Won't Say I Will
8. Of Thee I Sing (Alternate Take)
9. Of Thee I Sing
10. My One And Only
11. Isn't It A Lovely Day
12. Easter Parade
13. Now It Can Be Told

Disc 5
1. Alexander's Ragtime Band
2. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
3. You're Just In Love
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. Cheek To Cheek
6. Remember
7. Always
8. Passing Strangers
9. The Door Is Open
10. You'll Find Me There
11. Please Mr. Brown (Alternate Take)
12. Please Mr. Brown
13. Band Of Angels
14. Slow Down
15. Good Night Kiss (Alternate Take)
16. No Limit