The Complete London Sessions (1999)

About this title: This British three-CD set breaks down into two distinct parts: Fred Astaire's first recordings and his last. The first disc brings together 19 recordings made for the British labels HMV and Columbia between 1923 and 1933. These are recordings made when Astaire was appearing in stage shows in London, and on eight of them he duets with his sister and dancing partner Adele. Several of the shows had scores written by the Gershwin brothers, and on five tracks George Gershwin provides the piano accompaniment. In "The Half of It, Dearie Blues," he even tap-dances. "How's that, George?" he asks. ... read more

Tracks:

1. The Whichness of the Whatness [Daly]
2. Oh Gee, Oh Gosh [Daly]
3. Hang on to Me [Gershwin/Gershwin]
4. Fascinating Rhythm [Gershwin/Gershwin]
5. The Half of It, Dearie, Blues [Gershwin/Gershwin]
6. I'd Rather Charleston [Carter/Gershwin]
7. Swiss Miss [Gershwin/Gershwin]
8. Funny Face [Gershwin/Gershwin]
9. The Babbit and the Bromide
10. High Hat [Gershwin/Gershwin]
11. My One and Only [Gershwin/Gershwin]
12. Not My Girl [Astaire]
13. Louisiana [Johnson/Razaf/Schaf]
14. Puttin' on the Ritz [Berlin]
15. Crazy Feet [Conrad]
16. After You, Who? [Porter]
17. Night and Day [Porter]
18. Flying Down to Rio [Eliscu/Kahn/Youmans]
19. Music Makes Me [Eliscu/Kahn/Youmans]
20. Top Hat, White Tie and Tails [Berlin]
21. A Fine Romance [Kern/Fields]
22. You Worry Me
23. A Foggy Day [Gershwin/Gershwin]
24. City of the Angels
25. My Eyes Adored You
26. Dance in the Old Fashioned Way
27. Isn't This a Lovely Day? [Berlin]
28. I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown [Astaire/Mercer]
29. The Wailing on the Willow
30. It's Easy to Remember [Hart/Rodgers]
31. Not My Girl [Astaire]
32. I Love Everybody But You
33. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) [Arlen/Mercer]
34. That Face [Spence/Bergman]
35. Something's Gotta Give [Mercer]
36. I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man [Mercer/Warren]
37. Night and Day [Porter]
38. They All Laughed [Gershwin/Gershwin]
39. Cheek to Cheek [Berlin]
40. Life Is Beautiful
41. They Can't Take That Away from Me [Gershwin/Gershwin]
42. Attitude Dancing
43. Wonderful Baby
44. Session Sound Bites, Pt. 1
45. A Couple of Song and Dance Men [Berlin]
46. Top Billing [Barnes/Moore]
47. Roxie [Ebb/Kander]
48. Spring, Spring, Spring [DePaul/Mercer]
49. How Lucky Can You Get [Ebb/Kander]
50. Mr. Keyboard Man [Barnes/Joplin/Moore]
51. In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening [Carmichael/Mercer]
52. I've a Shooting Box in Scotland [Porter/Riggs]
53. Sing [Raposo]
54. Pick Yourself Up [Kern/Fields]
55. Top Billing (Reprise)
56. Session Sound Bites, Pt. 2
57. That's Entertainment! [Dietz/Schwartz]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.