1. Who's That Knocking?
2. I'm Making Believe
3. My Blackbirds are Bluebirds Now
4. Don't Be Like That
5. If I Had a Talking Picture of You
6. You're a Heavenly Thing
7. The Right Kind of Man
8. Fit as a Fiddle
9. It All Depends on You
10. Tiptoe Through the Tulips
11. It's the Talk of the Town
12. Them There Eyes
13. Under the Moon
14. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
15. What I Wouldn't Do for that Man
16. One Sweet Letter from You
17. Lovable and Sweet
18. You Wouldn't Fool Me
Debbie Arthurs - Vocals, percussion
Thomas "Spats" Langham - Guitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals
Martin Litton - Piano
Mike Piggott - Violin
Malcolm Sked - Double bass, sousaphone
Trevor Whiting - Clarinet, sax
Andy Woon - Cornet
Having heard Debbie Arthurs playing the drums, I was looking forward to this album. When I heard her in person, she seemed to have caught the authentic spirit of the 1920s, with a drum style that made use of such old-fashioned devices as temple blocks, cowbell and woodblock.
Certainly this album takes us back to an earlier era. Although most of the songs date from the late twenties and early thirties, some are later (I'm Making Believe comes from the 1944 film Sweet and Low-Down). As well as some old favourites there are also several rare songs, such as The Right Kind of Man and Lovable and Sweet.
Debbie sings on the album and her voice is certainly lovable and sweet, with an innocent little-girl quality that could charm the birds out of the trees. Yet, truth to tell, Debbie is not a great vocalist, as her voice tends to wander off-key. This is particularly noticeable in songs like Fit as a Fiddle, which most people will know from Singin' in the Rain.
The album focuses on Debbie's vocals and we hear hardly anything of her drumming, which is very low in the mix and only springs into life briefly - for instance, in a drum solo on Yes Sir, That's My Baby. So the instrumental appeal is mainly down to such musicians as clarinettist Trevor Whiting and pianist Martin Litton (who also did the inventive arrangements). Martin is particularly good as the sole accompanist for Debbie in It All Depends on You. (with echoes of Fats Waller-style piano). "Spats" Langham also does a good job accompanying Debbie on the title-track. But mostly the musicians are given only a small amount of space compared to the vocals.
Debbie Arthurs' obvious feeling for the music of a bygone age makes this a sincerely-felt album. And the repertoire reminds us how many songs from those times have fallen into disuse. I just wish that the CD had concentrated less on Debbie's vocals and more on the combined talents of the musicians.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Lake LACD 288
