Gay Purr-ee (soundtrack)
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| Gay Purr-ee | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Soundtrack album by various artists | ||||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Recorded | November 1961 | |||
| Studio | Capitol Records Studios, Hollywood, California | |||
| Length | 33:40 | |||
| Label | Warner | |||
| Producer | Henry G. Saperstein (executive producer) | |||
| Judy Garland chronology | ||||
| ||||
Gay Purr-ee is the soundtrack album to the 1962 animated film of the same name, featuring performances by Judy Garland alongside Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Hermione Gingold and Paul Frees, with a score by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.
Released by Warner Bros. Records, the album was promoted through an extensive campaign tied to the film's release, including a large-scale commercial partnership with the Carnation Company, and was later reissued on CD in 2003 with additional demo recordings by its composers. The album received favorable reviews, being described as "attractive" and "melodic" by some outlets.
The soundtrack of the 1962 animated film Gay Purr-ee features Judy Garland in her first role dubbing an animated character, along with Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Hermione Gingold and Paul Frees, with a score by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg.[1] The two composers penned Garland's now-famous "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz.[2] The songs were recorded in at Capitol Records Studios, Hollywood, California, November 1961.[3]
To promoted the album, Warner Bros. Records arranged a tie-in with the Carnation Company, as part of a campaign coordinated with Warner Bros. Pictures and UPA following the label's acquisition of the soundtrack rights, in which the album cover of Gay Purr-ee was reproduced on 15,000,000 Friskies Cat Food packages alongside advertising for both the LP and the film. The campaign also included a four-color Life magazine advertisement, a children's coupon contest for free cinema admission, the distribution of 5,000 albums to supermarket buyers, and coordinated in-store displays promoting both the record and the Friskies product line.[1]
On November 4, 2003, Rhino Handmade, a division of the Warner Music Group, released the soundtrack on CD.[4] This released was identical to the 1962 LP version but contained 5 additional demo tracks, performed by Harold Arlen and E. Y. "Yip" Harburg.
Single
"Paris Is a Lonely Town" was released as a single together with "Little Drops of Rain". Billboard described the first song as "a lovely side" from Judy Garland, noting its "moving Garland sound against sweeping ork backing".[5] Howard Thompson in the New York Times praised the song as a "knockout" and "one of Mr. Alen's great blues members written for the screen".[6] "Little Drops of Rain" was described by the Billboard as "a pretty tune", noting that it is given "a spinnable reading".[7]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| New Record Mirror |  [9] |
Cash Box described the album as featuring "a delightful new score", noting that Judy Garland is "in perfect voice" and predicting "rapid acceptance" for the release.[10] New Record Mirror wrote that "the score is most attractive".[9] Billboard described the album as "a sure-fire package", noting that the songs are "pretty and melodic" and recall the spirit of The Wizard of Oz.[11] Harold Patton of Calgary Herald praised the soundtrack as "a captivating score that is treated with great style",[12] and it was listed by Williamson Daily News as one of the mono LPs of the week.[13] High Fidelity considered the album "an almost unbearably embarrassing venture into what I can only describe, sourly, as 'whumsey'".[14]
In a retrospective review, AllMusic described the soundtrack as "one of [Judy Garland's] most beloved [works] by enthusiasts of all ages", praising its "memorable compositions", while noting that the expanded edition features "an absolutely stunning remaster".[8]