Remember when “diva” was a mantle of honor bestowed on only the finest singers, the grandest dames of song, rather than just the latest streetcorner chanteuse? During the early 1950s, the big bands were winding down and rock ’n’ roll was revving up. Meantime, many former “girl singers” stepped off the bandstand and into the spotlight as soloists, and the great age of the diva began. Names like “Patti Page,” “Teresa Brewer,” or “Dinah Shore” evoked not just a popular song or an alluring look, but a voice – fascinating, unique, and timeless. For those talented women, “diva” was more than a mere marketing tool, it was a well-earned title.

For their debut release, Hit Parade Records presents Fabulous Fifties Divas Sing Their Hard To Find Hits, a delightful, distaff tour through those wonderful years. This nicely-priced disc collects a slew of hits from the finest female singers of the decade. Songs like Georgia Gibb’s brassy, sassy “Tra La La” or Jaye P. Morgan’s swooning “That’s All I Want from You” were among the biggest hits of the ’50s, but they’ve become quite hard-to-find. Now, those gems and over twenty more are collected on one CD – digitally remastered for the highest quality sound.

Fabulous Fifties Divas has something for everybody, from Mary Ford’s whimsical “Mocking Bird Hill” (cut with her hubby, guitar legend Les Paul) to Gogi Grant’s inspirational “Suddenly There’s A Valley” to Sarah Vaughan’s yearning, playful “Make Yourself Comfortable.” Even more, alongside big names like Rosemary Clooney, Teresa Brewer, and Patti Page, Fabulous Fifties Divas includes nearly-forgotten stars like Denise Lor, Jane Turzy, and Dorothy Collins. Nearly forgotten, that is, until now!

Hit Parade Records is a new Canadian label dedicated to finding, restoring, and preserving lost treasures like these, and they employ many of the same creative folks who lovingly compile those great Eric CDs – including Greg Adams, whose detailed liner notes will fascinate you for nearly as long as the 60-plus minutes of music contained on Fabulous Fifties Divas! And, don’t miss Hit Parade’s manly companion album Fabulous Fifties Crooners.

– ALL TRACKS MONO / ORIGINAL 45 RPM SINGLE VERSIONS –
– DIGITALLY REMASTERED FOR HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND –