Morgana King (5)

MORGANA KING - GEMINI CHANGES (1967)

I Have Loved Me A Man
This Is My Song
The Look Of Love
A Time For Love
Watch What Happens
Sunny
Walk On By
What's Wrong With Me
Once I Loved
Softly Say Goodbye
I'd Stay With You
On The South Side Of Chicago

by Eugene Chadbourne

The album title might be a tip-off that this record is going to be a bit hokey-dopey, but when Morgana King asks "What's Wrong With Me?," the obvious answer is going to be: "You've changed arrangers!" She is matched with Don Costa for this 1967 album, following two albums in which Torrie Zito had created and conducted arrangements. It is not an example of trading up, although there are examples of better work than this by Costa. The album is about as subtle as an aircraft carrier, and sometimes things really are outright ludicrous. "Softly Say Goodbye," for example, is not a song that needs a big band and string section playing loud enough to be heard on the other side of a bay, unless someone is creating a satire. There is nothing satirical about King, however. She is downright serious and emotive on every number, which combines with the old-school arrangements for a sort of Vera Lynn effect. Nothing wrong with that, but it will be a letdown for listeners who enjoyed the exotic, groovy, and swinging vibe of earlier King Reprise albums. Bossa, samba, and the related world of Burt Bacharach come off best here, although once again the clever touches of Zito are sorely missed. "The Look of Love" pays the cost of Costa's hammy conducting, but "Walk on By" is just right. "Sunny" is an unexpected delight, maybe because Costa must have realized he couldn't out-schlock the hit single by Bobby Hebb. Instead, King is given a chance to use her ultra-relaxed and in-control phrasing to give the song a whole new feel. Some listeners may not even get past the first song, however, a monstrosity entitled "I Have Loved Me a Man." This is a good example of a song that gives off the scent of the wretched from its title alone. After ignoring the singer's cozy feel for swing for the entire album, "On the South Side of Chicago" comes off as a strained finale; Costa should have thought of this sooner, although it would have been a lot better if he hadn't shown up at all.

MORGANA KING - WILD IS LOVE (1966)

Shared by Flyingfinger. Thanks so much for this gem.

1. Anything Goes    
2. Nobody Else But Me    
3. I Thought Of You Last Night      
4. You Are A Story    
5. Don't Explain    
6. Bee-Bom    
7. You Fascinate Me So    
8. The Moment Of Truth    
9. The Shadow Of Your Smile
10. The Best Is Yet To Come    
11. Wild Is Love

The title hints at exotica and there's some of that here in the layered arrangements of Torrie Zito, who worked with this fine vocalist on several albums. But Wild Is Love is really one of Morgana King's swingier albums; the uncredited musicians, bless them whoever they are, know how to walk a bassline, lightly brush over a snare drum, or honk the line. King's vocals are also less-flamboyantly nonsensical, although there are still a couple of moments where one would have to be a relative of hers not to wince in the high register. For the most part she really concentrates on a lush sound and swinging timing, establishing her mastery of the latter with the soul-defining opener, a cover of "Anything Goes" that will wipe the memory clean of all other versions, especially the horrid ones. "The Shadow of Your Smile," likewise, is interpreted in a manner simultaneously graceful and perfect. Zito often can be credited with little touches that set the arrangement up perfectly; in "Don't Explain," the way the tempo seems to be slowing down and speeding up like summer canyon winds, and in "You Fascinate Me," turnarounds in which an instrument or an entire section will perform casual acrobatics. It was pretty much standard practice in the '60s to back a singer up with a lavish production, complete with full orchestra. That went even for the vocalists who would have been better-served by a small combo. King was an adept enough performer to handle either situation, and this Reprise offering includes the best examples of her in spectacular, technicolor accompaniment mode. ~ Eugene Chadbourne

MORGANA KING - A TASTE OF HONEY (1964)

1. A Taste of Honey
2. Fascinating Rhythm
3. Prelude To A Kiss
4. Easy Living
5. All Blues
6. Bluesette
7. Easy To Love
8. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
9. Lady Is A Tramp
10. Try To Remember
11. Meditation (Meditacao)
12. I'll Follow You
13. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
14. Insensatez (bonus track)
15. Dindi (bonus track)
16. The Look of Love (bonus track)
17. Walk on By (bonus track)
18. A Song for You
(bonus track)
19. If You Should Leave Me
(bonus track)
20. More Than You Know (bonus track)

MORGANA KING - WITH A TASTE OF HONEY (1964)

1. A Taste of Honey
2. Fascinating Rhythm
3. Prelude To A Kiss
4. Easy Living
5. All Blues
6. Bluesette
7. Easy To Love
8. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
9. Lady Is A Tramp
10. Try To Remember
11. Meditation (Meditacao)
12. I'll Follow You
13. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
14. Insensatez (bonus track)
15. Dindi (bonus track)
16. The Look of Love (bonus track)
17. Walk on By (bonus track)
18. A Song for You
(bonus track)
19. If You Should Leave Me
(bonus track)
20. More Than You Know (bonus track)

MORGANA KING - IT'S A QUIET THING (1965)

1. It's A Quiet Thing
2. Dindi
3. Unless Landscape
4. Gone With The Wind
5. Little Girl Blue
6. Mountain High Valley Low
7. How Insensitive
8. Here's That Rainy Day
9. Deep Song
10. If You Should Leave Me (E So Domani)

A vocalist whose work unfortunately fell out of favor and went out of print for decades, Morgana King establishes such a brilliant presence on this album's opening and title track that in some ways it is impossible for her to live up to it throughout the program of ten titles. Blessed with incredible range, she operates in a vast dynamic range made possible not only by her technique, but by the sophisticated and classy, indeed outright lush arrangements by Torrie Zito.