Originally Posted by
kenneth
I think the only performer who comes even close is Connie Francis. She recorded 2 or 3 C&W LPs [[at least one of which was with Hank Williams, Jr., I believe), and one Folk album. She recorded many LPs of "ethnic" material: German Favorites, Irish Favorites, Spanish or Latin American Favorites, Jewish Favorites, 2 at least of Italian, not to mention her actual recordings in foreign languages. She devoted an LP to Bacharach/David and another to a songwriter not nearly as well known, Les Reed. I'm not sure she did an entire Broadway or Show Tunes album, but she recorded many standards on her regular LPs. I think even "Who's Sorry Now" was a song that was from the 30s even, as I recall. She almost went the Disney route with a Children's LP, which I've never heard in its entirety, but I admit that what I have heard sounds pretty awful.
But all the other concept LPs that I've mentioned, in my opinion, were quite good. Of course, you'd have to like her to begin with, which I always have. But her take on folk songs such as "Aura Lee" and her renditions of "Yiddishe Mama" and the Irish songs such as "Mother Macree" [[which is kind of like the Irish "Yiddishe Mama") are very good also.
She could definitely go over the top, so it's either really great or too much for each listener!
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