Play It Again: Guys and Dolls' "Luck Be A Lady"

Play It Again: Guys and Dolls'

"Luck Be A Lady"

For this new series, Jeff has invited me to choose some classic Broadway show tunes and compare versions of these songs from several different cast recordings. Wherever possible, I’ll link to the songs on YouTube, where I listen to most of them myself.

This week I considered four recordings of “Luck Be a Lady” from Frank Loesser’s first big hit show, Guys & Dolls. I’ve long been a big Loesser fan, but focusing on this song brought me a new appreciation for his ability to create a character through very precise choices in melody and lyrics. The words in particular often force a staccato-like effect that helps convey Sky Masterson’s nervous tension as he places a high-stakes bet with the aim of winning the girl of his dreams. The four singers heard here take different approaches to the song, but all of them do a terrific job capturing this tension.

My overall favorite version is marked with two stars (**); one star (*) is used to indicate that a particular version stands out in terms of singing, orchestra, sound, or other miscellaneous qualities.

ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST (1950) - YouTube

Sky Masterson: Robert Alda

SINGING: Alda’s confident vocals closely follow the alternately clipped and sustained contours of the lyrics, but sound slightly stodgy compared to his successors. He does get a little looser in a few places (like the passage beginning with “a lady doesn’t wander”). The chorus sounds quite good.

ORCHESTRA: The overall texture of the orchestration doesn’t vary much over the years. It features lush chords in the introductory verse, with jaunty strings and feverish brass punctuation in the main song (using multiple instruments and playing styles for added color), ending with a final brass blast.

SOUND: About what you’d expect for the pre-stereo, early-LP era; the lead vocal is quite clear, but the orchestra is extremely soft and muffled, and the ensemble vocals are fuzzy.

MISCELLANEOUS: The four versions are pretty similar in tempo (fast) and, except for the movie soundtrack, identical in melodic and lyrical content.

MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK (1955) - YouTube

Sky Masterson: Marlon Brando

SINGING: Brando’s (undubbed!) vocals are conversational and slick, not particularly polished but very appropriate for the character and the show. He can carry a tune, although in a lower key than the other singers, and he brings a great deal of personality to it (I especially noted the shifts in tone as he sang the oft-repeated title throughout the song). The ensemble here doesn’t sing with him counterpoint, but only shouts out a few impatient comments near the end of the song.

ORCHESTRA: Similar to the original, but I think I hear some more woodwind in the mix.

SOUND: The actual soundtrack recording sounds pretty terrible, so the link above is for a clip from the movie instead. The sound is still extremely subdued, as if it’s being performed in a theater while you’re still in the lobby.

MISCELLANEOUS: This version skips the middle section (the chorus part), inserting an extended instrumental passage in its place.

BROADWAY REVIVAL CAST (1992) - YouTube

Sky Masterson: Peter Gallagher

SINGING: Gallagher’s singing is very accomplished and energetic; like Alda he favors precision over personality, but he does manage to convey character through his accent and Bogart-like vocal timbre. The ensemble is wonderful, and sounds by far the best singing with the soloist.

ORCHESTRA: The orchestra sounds rather luxurious for 1990s Broadway; the orchestration is similar to the original, but with a bit more motion and additional effects, like tremolo in the string section.

*SOUND: Very clear and well-balanced; I would prefer a little more sense of stereophonic space, but that seems to have gone out of fashion long ago on cast recordings.

*MISCELLANEOUS: This track includes a bit of atmospheric scene-setting at the beginning. 

**STUDIO CAST RECORDING (1995) - YouTube

Sky Masterson: Gregg Edelman

*SINGING: Edelman manages to convey personality while remaining note-perfect via an extremely controlled vocal style (in this respect, his singing here is reminiscent of Larry Kert in his prime). His choices to extend or pointedly cut off particular notes create character and variety, and he adds interesting touches by emphasizing certain words (like “STICK with me baby”). 

*ORCHESTRA: There’s nothing really new here, but the huge orchestra allows for extra layers to come through clearly, such as the woodwind “sighs” near the beginning of the song proper.

SOUND: Generally clear and balanced, but the orchestra sounds a little echoey.

MISCELLANEOUS: No additional observations!