Varese-Sarabande Release of
Two Long-Sought-After "Albums"

by Ben Model


For the last 40 or 50 years, every single one of the thousands and thousands of Ernie Kovacs fans has wanted to get their hands on recordings of the music Kovacs used and made famous on his TV shows from 1951-1961. The records themselves were obscure and hard to find, and even a diligent record-bin addict was hard put to turn up any of these oddball specialty numbers Kovacs adopted and loved like stray dogs. Now, thanks to the hard work of Edie Adams, Kovacs' widow, Josh Mills, her son, and Irwin Chusid, that champion of undeservedly unknown music of the '50s and '60s, Kovacs' favorite tunes are available on the new Varese-Sarabande release: "The Ernie Kovacs Record Collection".


Beautifully remastered original recordings of the most familiar Kovacs music are the feature attraction of the CD: "Song of the Nairobi Trio," "Mack the Knife" (in German), and not one but two versions of "Oriental Blues," Ernie's theme song. Also in the line-up are offbeat Dr. Demento-ish cuts by the likes of Ferrante & Teicher, Leona Anderson and Yma Sumac, as well as classical pieces by Shostakovich and Prokofiev.

The graphic design, expertly crafted by comic art wunderkind Chris Ware, is another stand-out feature of the "album." The track listing is laid out like a 1960s TV Guide page, and the CD itself resembles an old 1890's zoetrope, with a ring of eight consecutive line drawings of Ernie contorting his face. (Put it on a turntable and blink real fast, and you'll see what I mean.)

It is to the credit of Chusid, and particularly of Edie Adams -- who not only was there but was the one who introduced Kovacs to the classical music Kovacs used frequently on his shows -- whose love, dedication and perseverance (Mack the Knife almost didn't make it onto the CD) make this a must-have item. The music on the CD may appear to be an oddball mix of eclectic music, both classical and pop, but that was Ernie Kovacs' taste. Chusid puts it succinctly in his liner notes, saying that Kovacs tended to gravitate toward music "that had fallen between the cracks." The beauty of including such a variety of cuts instead of going for ones that a general audience might be more familiar with is that it gives the listener a chance to get inside Kovacs' head, and listen to music that was a major part of -- as the CD's title suggests -- "The Ernie Kovacs Record Collection"
 
 

Varese-Sarabande has piggy-backed the release of the Kovacs CD with the (re-)release of Edie Adams' first album, "The Charming Miss Edie Adams," released originally on the RKO label in 1959.

Edie Adams' pop-crooning Juilliard-trained voice is as refreshing today as it must have been to regular viewers of Ernie Kovacs' TV shows throughout the 1950's, where she got her first exposure, leading to her landing the ingenue role in "Wonderful Town." While the CD has that flat, mono sound of an old LP (the liner notes do not say whether or not the original master tapes were used), Edie's renditions of standards like "There May Be a Love" and the Rodgers & Hart tune "Why Can't I", as well as specialty numbers like "Sailor Man" and "He Don't Wanna Be Kissed " are a treat for the ears, and the CD's end leaves you aching for more.

The CD's graphic design is a little on the bland side, however. Most CD store workers probably don't know who Edie Adams is, and the CD's dark, blue-and-green artwork will not jump out at you from the shelves...so, look hard.

The CD is sure to grab its audience, both old and new, and ideally will create the demand for the re-release of Edie's other -- perhaps less "straight" -- albums, like "Behind Those Swingin' Doors" (Decca) and the hilarious "Music to Listen to Records By" (MGM). The availability of recordings of the charming Miss Adams on CD will hopefully restore her popularity and her place in the pantheon of 1950's girl singers like Rosemary Clooney or Margaret Whiting whose careers are currently enjoying a deserved second wind.