Music, Sound, and Audio Technology

First Recordings of Original WWII Era Songs by Betty Blanchard & Jimmy Rogers!

(McLean) Opus One Studios announced the release of a new CD mini-album featuring three songs originally written in 1945-1946, and only now, some 60-plus years later, recorded for the first time. Betty Blanchard, then of Maplewood, New Jersey, penned the lyrics, and Jimmy Rogers composed the melodies. The new recordings feature Diane Michelle as vocalist with instrumental tracks by Richard Leiter.

These songs were re-discovered in Blanchard's papers along with complete sheet music produced by Radio City Music Academy, Music Box Melodies and Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). "We looked at the sheet music and decided that the songs merited recording to bring them to life," said Alan Salisbury, Blanchard's son, who served as executive producer for the mini-album. "There are many, many fans of 40s music who will enjoy hearing these 'new' old songs," he added.

The three tracks on the mini-album relate to events at the end of the war. A classic 40s-style romantic ballad, "You're My Atomic Bomb," reminds us that the atomic bomb quickly ended the war. "That's My G I" celebrates the subsequent return of millions of GIs to their wives and families, while "We Haven't Got a Home to Our Name" takes note of the nation-wide housing shortage that ensued. Diane Michelle delivers appropriate jazz vocal and Andrews Sisters-style renditions.

The mini-album and its separate tracks are available for purchase or download from the DigStation and CDBaby web sites, along with audio clips for previewing:

http://www.digstation.com/AlbumDetails.aspx?albumid=ALB000042810

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/BettyBlanchard

All proceeds from sales will go to support the Cadet Glee Club of the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.


Resources:

Opus One Studios: www.opusonestudios.com