My Fair Lady and Show Boat alternate audio tracks (1 Viewer)

[marknyc]

Just came across this old post from Eric Paddon:

There were also a couple of interesting alternate audio arrangments on the "Complete Show Boat" and Fox "My Fair Lady" LDs. On the boxed set version of the 1951 "Show Boat", Ava Gardner's unused vocals were on the analog tracks, as were Audrey Hepburn's on the "My Fair Lady" analog tracks. This gave the viewer the option to watch the entire film with their vocals instead of the standard dubbed ones, rather than have to experience them as a supplement only.

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Is this true? I've worked with Ava's tracks, and they would not fit without significant work (that is, you can't just plug them in). Did the MFL laser include more of Audrey's voice than "Loverly" and "Show Me"?

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

[Greg_M]

They're great disc, you can watch both films without the dubbing (Though not all of Audrey's voice has been replaced.) This is a great "Option" as I prefer to watch the these films with the original actress voices. The films are much better for it (and there is little different with Ava, (Audrey is the better voice on "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" but the rest of the score could be remixed with both voices as Audrey needs some help with the high and sustained notes.)

 

[marknyc]

Thanks. I checked online reviews and it appears that only "Loverly" and "Show Me" use Audrey's voice, and only "Can't Help Lovin' That Man" uses Ava's voice.

Is that correct?

I've put up homemade versions here:

Lost Vocals - Fun with film and audio!

Mark

 

[Matt Hough]

Ava recorded "Bill," but I haven't listened to the laserdisc in many years, so I've forgotten if that's on the analog track as well.

 

[Greg_M]

Ava's vocals are in the film "That's Entertainment Part 3" for "Can't help loving that Man" (I believe the supplments contain the entire song (at least they did on the Laserdisc

Sorry guys, I have a bunch of "lost" vocals - but they are in storage "somewhere" in New York and I'm currently living in Los Angeles

 

[marknyc]

TE III included only one chorus of Ava singing - very frustrating!

But when I attempted to replace her vocal myself, I found out why - the track doesn't really fit. I had to do a lot of video/audio stretching, etc. to make it work. That's why I'm surprised they were able to include it as an alternate audio track. Perhaps it's not the track included on the OST album (which was recorded by Ava whie listening to Lena Horne's playback track on headphones).

Greg, do you have other lost vocals that are not on my youtube page? Just curious to know what else exists.

YouTube - LostVocals3

I also have a second channel:

YouTube - LostVocals4

Does anyone have an isolated score for "My Fair Lady"? Would love to give Audrey a better backing in my clip of her.

 

[MatthewA]

I would kill to have isolated scores for more movie musicals. It irritates me when they don't include them when they are known to exist. It also irritates me that we don't see more expanded-score/complete-song reissues on CD (for post-1960 stuff, apparently you have to make a deal with the American Federation of Musicians making it cost-prohibitive).

But I doubt there's a music track remaining for My Fair Lady. CBS wasn't good at saving stuff when they regained the rights from WB. Robert Harris said in the documentary the Music & Effects track is gone, and that they could not the original 6-track composite mix.

 

[ahollis]

Anybody hear any word on the proposed Showboat collection? I would love to replace the laserdics with a good DVD of all three versions.

 

[Thomas T]

The current West Side Story DVD special features includes a segment of Natalie Wood singing I Feel Pretty before she was dubbed by Marni Nixon.

 

[marknyc]

Yes, I have three clips with Natalie's voice up at my youtube page - take a look and tell me what you think!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I for one want to hear Paul Robeson sing Ol' Man River. He may have been the greatest bass voice of the US in the last century.

The lyrics in many of the songs have progressively been the target of "politically correct" revisions. :frowning:

 

[marknyc]

And thankfully he was not dubbed.