Every October, around Columbus Day, I get the urge to watch two films: Doctor Dolittle and Half a Sixpence, both of which were released in 1967. Some people consider the 1960s a musical revival decade and others consider it the worst decade in musical history.... personally, I think the 1960s had some good productions and this is definitely one of them. You can read our full review of the film here, for this post we will just be sharing what stands out with this score.
For one thing, you cannot go wrong with any production conducted by Irwin Kostal. This brilliant arranger/conductor is most famous for his work on Mary Poppins (1964) but he also did a splendid job adapting the Sherman Brothers music in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Charlotte's Web (1971).
For Half a Sixpence, Kostal had some fantastic music by David Heneker to work with and Tommy Steele, with his unmistakable Cockney accent, performed all of the numbers with his usual lovable zeal. The tunes are all befitting an English turn-of-the-century setting and definitely lean towards the music hall sound.
Highlights of this album include the titular "Half a Sixpence" with its beautiful instrumental interlude, "She's Too Far Above Me," the lilting "If the Rain's Gotta Fall" performed by Steele (as Artie) and the chorus, and "This is My World." Artie's gal Ann was played by Julia Foster but her singing voice was dubbed by Marti Webb who had played the role in the original 1963 London production. Marti's lovely soprano voice can be heard best in the reprise of "Half a Sixpence" at the end of the album.
Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube.
Track Listing
Side One:
"Overture"
"All in the Cause of Economy"
"Money to Burn"
"I Don't Believe a Word"
"I'm Not Talking to You"
Side Two:
"If the Rain's Gotta Fall"
"Lady Botting's Boating Regatta Cup Racing Song (The Race)"
"Roses of Success"
"Entr'Acte, Flash, Bang Wallop"
"I Know What I Am"
"This is My World"
Top Music Picks: Half a Sixpence, She's Too Far Above Me, If the Rain's Gonna Fall, This is My World
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