Here is the pre-recording track for the "Comes Once in a Lifetime" performance from episode nine of "The Judy Garland Show," filmed on October 4, 1963. The footage from the final episode has been synced up to the recording.
Written for the 1961 musical Subways Are for Sleeping, "Comes Once in a Lifetime" features music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
Though featuring primarily live vocals from Garland and her guests, for many numbers that featured a large ensemble, major choreography, and / or large set-piece changes, a pre-recorded track was used. (A tradition of television, this technique was also used for events such as the Tony Awards up until the 80s and continues to this day.)
Restored by The Judy Garland Experience founder Buzz Stephens, this track comes from a damaged reel-to-reel recording donated to the group by Steve Sanders. The tape was given to Sanders by Garland''s hairdresser Orval Paine, who Garland gave the tape to after the show ended. (She kept the tape, and a small player, in her dressing room so she could practice her lipsync.)
For this video, this recording was sourced from The Judy Room, a Judy Garland fansite. For more information on Garland, along with news any other rare recordings (both exclusive and from various other fan groups), visit thejudyroom.com
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