I feel like crying in happiness that someone is reacting to this incredible man's voice and presence. He's my favorite male singer of all time.

@seagrapegrove727

11 ай бұрын

You must be "up there" in years like me. I could listen to him all day. What in incredible voice he had. He made it see so easy.

@seagrape54

10 ай бұрын

Mine, too. I'm almost 80 years old. I remember that movie. I still get goosebumps listening to him sing.

@user-sv2mr1td6v

9 ай бұрын

One of the best singers of all time .

@user-kf8wb2cq4f

8 ай бұрын

Gordon's voice is Exceptional.

@waterlily6543

7 ай бұрын

You said it better thanks

Ken, Thank you, thank you, for appreciating the incredible voice he had! I was blessed to call him my Dad. ❤️ Amanda MacRae Daley

@seagrapegrove727

7 ай бұрын

Oh, Amanda, I've been so hoping one of his children would finally show up on this thread--and here you are.

@heather4155

5 ай бұрын

How wonderful to have him as your father .I'd be watching this film everyday,my all time favourite musical ❤️

@vccomputing

3 ай бұрын

Hi Amanda!

@francinefernandes2007

Ай бұрын

Love his voice. The Desert Song, On Moonlight Bay two of my favourite movies. R.I.P Mr Gordon Macrae. Thank you for blessing our ears with your voice ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

@taniaj09

Ай бұрын

Hi Amanda! I hope it brings happiness to you when I say I love your father's voice so much to the point I honestly can't stand to hear anyone else sing the songs from Carousel. Nobody else comes close to doing those melodies justice, there is something so special and unmatched about the way Mr McRae sings them. Like they were written for him despite being created many years before he sung them. Carousel the film is one of my favourite musicals and I watch it often, it's such a beautiful yet sadly often misunderstood story.

If you want to hear more of Gordon MacRae at his finest, pull up "Oklahoma!" (1955) and watch it--twice. He is incredible. The movie opens with him singing, "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning"--gives me goosebumps to hear that incredible voice. It's absolute perfection. This movie is sooooo well made, too. Chickens and turkeys pecking food from the ground, cows being herded in the background, window curtains blowing in the breeze, real period furniture and other furnishings. The photography for "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" is stunning. Costumes are colorful and gorgeous. Dancing is superb. When they sing "Oklahoma" I get more goosebumps. And BTW in the opening scene between Curly and Aunt Eller, that's REAL BUTTER she is cleaning off the paddles of her butter churn.

I love Gordon Macrae’s voice and delivery of this song. Another great song he sings from that movie is “My Boy Bill”. Such a voice....wow!

As far as I can find out, Gordon Macrae never had any formal voice lessons--it was all just INBORN in him. What a gift he was blessed with!!

He had the whole package--Voice, handsome and good actor!

I am 87 years old and Gordon Macrae was--and still is--one of my all-time favorite singers!! He was one of the all-time greats and IMHO far outstrips any of the singers of today--who are mere performers and entertainers, not real SINGERS.

@donnablankenhorn5905

10 ай бұрын

We are the same age and I "discovered" Gordon MacRae when I was 12 and saw many of his movies 3 to 5 times. The first movie was "Look for the Silver Lining".

@seagrapegrove727

8 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure I also saw all of his movies when I was younger, @@donnablankenhorn5905 but I don't remember most of them--"Oklahoma" being the exception as I have watched that movie 4-5 times over the years. I never get tired of Gordon MacRae. and I am so glad his music legacy is preserved for any and all to enjoy.

@user-sv2mr1td6v

7 ай бұрын

Fell in love with his voice at 12 years old. First heard him on the radio program , the Railroad Hour. A fan from then on. He was the Best !!! Remarkable voice!!!

@marya.pierce5236

7 ай бұрын

Today’s best is Johnny Mathis. But I’ve always loved Gordon MacRae, and if he was here today, I would have a mad crush on him! 🩷

@TheSusu125

4 ай бұрын

He had such an amazing voice. Effortlessly.flawless!

In Oklahoma when Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae sing People Will Say Were in Love -it's like how can two human be that gorgeous looking AND so gorgeous sounding!??

@seagrapegrove727

7 ай бұрын

Shirley Jones was 19 when she made "Oklahoma" and she said she had the biggest crush on Gordon McaRae. From the way he looks and smiles at her all throughout the movie, it appears he was a bit smitten with her, too. :-D

I totally agree with your comments on Gordon MacRae. He had power, excellent phrasing, clear word pronunciation, very skilled in his dynamics, and he was faithful to the script. Richard Rodgers didn't like singers deviating from what he had written.

Another tidbit: I worked with John Raitt as his leading lady in MAN OF LA MANCHA many years ago, and he was still singing the Carousel SOLILOQUY (which he originated!) as his encore at age 65! His voice was still lush and exquisite, and he was a lovely man. The reason he didn’t do film is because he had a “bad eye” which didn’t photograph well. Good friends with Gordon McCrae and Howard Keel, who also sang in this style. But he was Richard Rodgers’ favorite. RIP to all these glorious singers!

@mauricioduron3193

3 ай бұрын

True indeed. Yet John Raitt did take 'The Pajama Game' ("Hey There") to the screen, with Doris Day.

@gemini730lory8

2 ай бұрын

Love Gordon MacRae ,John Raitt.Also love Nelson Eddy who was a generation behind them.💙🙏

No one has mentioned Nelson Eddy .Beautiful strong classically trained baritone.He had amazing breath control.He could sing manly marching songs,but also tender ballads and duets with Jeanette MacDonald.In his radio broadcasts and concerts he sang a variety of music- opera,operetta,musical theatre,popular music,folk music. Love Gordon MacRae,John Raitt.Also love romantic ballad singers- Perry Como,Nat King Cole,Johnny Mathis.💙🙏

I'm almost 80 years old. I remember that movie. I still get goosebumps listening to him sing.

Carousel has always been my favorite movie, and I always thought Gordon MacRae had the most wonderful voice ❤

@Shadow_Banned_Conservative

3 ай бұрын

My introduction was as a kid in the 1970s, before VCRs were common place in homes. I didn't see the movie until later when it came on TV one night, but the sound track played in my home growing up pretty regularly, on an old reel-to-reel tape deck. My favorite part of the movie was end, when he showed up to give his daughter the star and to finally tell Julie that he loved her.

@claire-janehawkins5883

Ай бұрын

My favourite film was Desert Song, my mum and i loved watching it when I was in my teens , im 60 now and still love his voice, so talented.

A very sincere THANK YOU for posting this . Now at 80 years old , I have too much time on my hands so I am reviewing all the music that I have enjoyed over these years. I don't understand why I never realized what an incredible talent Gordon Macrae was at the time I first heard him. I was a music student which makes this all the more puzzling. I won't echo your fine comments , they are exactly what I feel . What a gift this fine singer was to all of us. Again , thank you for this post. I do wonder if my children and grandchildren will ever have the good fortune to hear and experience someone as remarkable as Gordon Macrae.

So glad I found you Ken. I have adored Gordon MacRae for years, nearly all my life and adore this and his rich voice. He is incredible and in the Soliloquy especially. They just don’t sing like this now. Shirley wonderful too. Great to have this analysis which is so true. Sinatra good actor but glad he didn’t get this role. It was, for me, Gordon’s role. Many thanks from across The Pond❤️🙏🇬🇧

@vintagebrew1057

9 ай бұрын

Yes, Gordon will never be topped in this role. Beautiful voice❤

Gordon does an incredibly beautiful job of singing the gorgeous song. Cheryl Wagner

I’m 72, but followed musicals at a young age. I’ve not found a voice yet that compares to Gordon Macrea.

Thank you. Macrae was wonderful, and has been so forgotten. He was so talented, and so aware of his roles. We all should have been in love with him and killed ourselves at the end of each of his two big film presentations. Really. He deserved all of us to adore him!!!!!

@tiggywinkle20

10 ай бұрын

I haven’t forgotten Gordon. Watch this and his singing regularly. Wonderful favourite singer.🇬🇧

Thank goodness Gordon MacRae was available to play Billy Bigelow when Frank Sinatra dropped out during filming of Carousel in New England. I’ve heard Sinatra’s version of “If I Loved You” which I find so weak and unconvincing. I love Shirley Jones & Gordon MacRae as the perfect love-interest pair in both “Carousel” and “Oklahoma”, as they had true chemistry!

Thanks for doing this review and analysis….Gordon is my favorite, and this is the outstanding song from Carousel. Have been listening to him since I was a kid, and am now 77. 😅

I LOVE this. I'd love to see you look at some more of the great voices from the golden age of musicals.

Yes, those were the days 👍

Surely, one of the most gifted male vocalists of our time and I never grow weary of hearing his music. I am and always will be in total awe of his talent.

He was my heartthrob when i was young, so good looking and beautiful voice x

@donnablankenhorn5905

7 ай бұрын

Mine, too!! Had pictures on wall and saw movies 5 times!

I would trade a lot to sing like he did. What a voice and career

You are right! I grew up listening to this genre. My dad played it so many times I thought I had it memorized. Gordon and Alfred Drake. Richard Kiley was another one. I grew up on this stuff. Opera, too! Yes, I played my rock in the 70's, but I had a steady diet of his music, too. I am 62 years old and this stuff just melts my heart and brings back memories of my father.

GOOSEBUMPS!!

Thank you so much for your expertise, I was a very young man in the early 1960s and my mother was a retired opera singer growing up in Providence Rhode Island we didn’t have a lot to listen to but she took me to all the performances that she could and she taught me how to appreciate beautiful vocal styles people with great ranging richness and great technique, Gordon MacRae was always one of her favorites and always will be mine, my question is call today has that power and range in fullness as he did in the 1950s is there anyone today who has that style of singing that I might be able to access, thank you so much Tommy PRIMAVERA, PS you have a beautiful speaking voice of your own👍

I love him. Have you looked at Oklahoma's "People Will Say We're in Love?"" Also, fantastc!

Absolutely marvelous

Love Gordon McCrea

This is a fantastic analysis of Gordon McRae’s superb singing. Thank you for discussing his ability to make the line continue even when the sound stops, among his many other talents. Yes, I subscribed.

I wish people still did sing like this. There won't be another Gordon McRae, but this style. With modern miking, in revivals onstage the voice sounds a bit different than it used to.

Would love more analyses of old musicals!

This brings back memories! I used to fall asleep when little to Gordon McCrae and Kenneth McKellar on the stereo. My Dad used to emulate him

To me Gordon McCrea is the best male singer I have ever heard, his voice is just perfect, he hasn't had the praise he richly deserves

Thus is such an incredibly beautiful song. I’ve known all the words since I was a teenager and never wanted to hear anyone else sing it. The words express a sentiment that we all recognize. This song put words to the music and the music in our hearts. That is what Gordon MacRae’s voice can do.

I saw Gorden macrea in Oklahoma on the giant cinerama screen in 1966. It brings back memories of my childhood in the 60s. The opening song in the movie Oh what a beautiful morning was unforgettable.

He had a great voice. Powerful.

UPDATE -THANK YOU KEN ! I should like to express my sincere thanks to Ken for this post in recognition of Gordon Macrae who was truly a unique talent . Beyond the skill he had as a singer , he was and we were blessed to be able to enjoy his incredible voice. It is beyond my ability to fully express my appreciation for this truly great vocalist . Today I had a long ride with my 20 year old son . I needed to have some tests done and am not able to drive for a couple of weeks. While we were in the car , I had my son play some Gordon Macrae songs . I wanted to see what effect this incredible talent would have on the younger generation. He really enjoyed and appreciated how special Gordon was.

Would love to read biography of Gordon Macrae, how he started… family influences, where did he first start out singing,etc. 9:58

Tis true… There has never been another Gordon MacRae. He was something very special ❤

You might want to make an appendix to this video. He reprise at the end is exquisite. Changes one word and resolves at least the Julie-Billy love arc.

Ive been a fan since my childhood. Love him so much. I have an autographed album of his spiritual album.

Always Love your reactions! I played Billy in our High School play

It’s called talent. He was born with it, that’s why we all watch in awe. BTW, R&H did not allow variations from their score.

I just listened to 3 or 4 other singers sing this song and he is by far the best. Wonderful voice. The Soliloquy is perfection. So glad Frank Sinatra didn't do the role as planned. This was my first musical when I was a kid. This scene - with her singing first - actually changed musical theater.

II became acquainted because of my mother, who went to HS with him. He was wonderful and underrated. Still listen to him.

Thank you for this. I am singing this at a pageant in Atlantic City coming the fall and it made me cry. Thank you for showcasing this musical and this song

When I was 2 I was in love with Gordon and I told my family I was going to marry him. Carousel and west side story are the top of the top! Great songs, great emotion, great voices.

It's a shame that you didn't start the video at the very beginning of the scene, where Shirley Jones sang her part of the duet amazingly. This was Richard and Oscar's favourite musical that they wrote together, and I find it hauntingly beautiful. I understand that Frank Sinatra was originally offered the roll but he turned it down when he found out that they would have to shoot all the scenes twice. Apparently they wanted two separate cinematic film versions, and Frank only liked to do one take. Unfortunately today we rarely get to hear such lovely music and singing.

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure Frank Sinatra did start some filming. The two separate film versions were Todd-AO (of which Oklahoma was the first example), and CinemaScope, which had different formats and different takes for every shot.

This reminds me of Harve Presnell singing They call the Wind Maria from my childhood. Imagine our surprise seeing Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin in a musical!

IMO, Joshua Henry's version (with Jessie Mueller) comes closer than anyone to Gordon Macrae.

when music up lifted you!!!!!

Not as fan of Carousel but loved him in Oklahoma.

I also love Alfie Bow.Classically trained tenor sings opera,musical theatre,popular music.💙🙏

He was just wonderful. It’s sad that alcoholism interfered with his career and his voice. Howard Keele is another lovely vocalist in the musical genre from that era that I can think of.

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

I was going to mention Howard Keele also. Robert Goulet was good for bombastic parts like his role in Camelot, but he really could not express sensitivity in his singing as far as I'm concerned. Elvis Presley also shared that view and would shoot the television whenever Goulet came on.

Brian Stokes Mitchel is the closest I've heard of current singers that is able to come close to touching Gordon Macrae.

@JH-ki2iq

10 ай бұрын

I was just thinking the same…..

"And I always say two heads are. better than one to figure it out" was sung by Marni Nixon. According to studio logs, she was called in to sing "If I Loved You" for Shirley Jones in the movie version of Carousel, released in February 1956, although she later professed to have no memory of having done so, and Jones, unlike many of the actresses for whom she worked as a vocal stand-in, had an excellent singing ... (allMusic)

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

When Frank Sinatra pulled out of the film, Gordon MaRae recorded all of his songs with Alfred Newman and the Fox orchestra before going to the location in Maine. One line in Gordon's section called for Julie to sing, but Shirley Jones was already in Maine, so Marni Nixon sang that one line as a temp track--"And I always say two heads are better than one to figure it out"--but Shirley never did redub the line. Most of the film was shot on location before the weather turned bad, but Soliloquoy was shot on Zuma beach in California. So Marni Dixon did not sing whole song for Shirley Jones. I also believe in a forum about 10 years ago someone stated that a different singer dubbed that line--I can't find the original comment or remember who it was--but that may be why Marni had no recollection of that.

Another singer and voice coach here. I absolutely agree with your praise of Gordon McRae. He is impeccable. But while you’re looking for current singers who sing with that old-school technique, I would urge you to listen to the phenomenal Nathan Gunn sing this with Kelli O’Hara. He sings opera, musical, concert, and recital repertoire beautifully. And while you’re there, listen to his C’est Moi from Camelot. He is also THE MAN!

@chuckatinha

4 ай бұрын

Totally agree about Nathan Gunn. Thank you for mentioning him. And Kelli O"Hara.

@mauricioduron3193

3 ай бұрын

To differ, respectfully. For legitimacy, perhaps a gentler delivery of the song by Gunn and O'Hara is called for. They are highly accomplished vocally and abundantly schooled. Yet the rendition comes across cerebral, as if penned by Stephen Sondheim, not so much melodic but rather mechanical, her breathing technique here less than flawless.

@karenmassaro2591

3 күн бұрын

I agree! I was in the audience for the semi-staged production of Carousel with Nathan Gunn and Kelli O’Hara. He was just phenomenal!

John Rait, too.

Enjoyed this very much, Gordon McRae is one of my favorites. Would like for you to listen to John Gary, my absolute favorite

@seagrape54

7 ай бұрын

I had never heard of John Gary before so I listened to some of his songs on KZread and read his Wikipedia page. He had an extraordinary range--3 1/2 octaves--and could sing tenor as well as baritone. He was really talented--a great voice and gone too soon.

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

@@seagrape54 I discovered John Gary in the mid 1980s I believe. Aside from his vocal range he was known for his breath control and ability to sing long phrases on one breath. The song once upon a Time, he ascends in the melody instead of going down like the original, to make use of his range.

You missed the beginning of this scene where Shirley Jones sings. INCREDIBLE voice at age 22. She was the only singer who had an exclusive contract with Rogers and Hammerstein. The only actress singer who had that type of contract and one of the Few actresses of that era who actually was NOT DUBBED. Did you know FRANK SINATRA was supposed to be in the movie. He actually recorded the soundtrack and walked Off the movie due to some issue with his wife. Sinatra version Smells Bad in my opinion.🤪 Gordon MacRae ending was so sad. He passed away with Mouth & Jaw cancer.

Ken, have you ever heard John Gary? Wonderful singer from the 60s. Even had his own tv show.

Harve Presnell is my favorite

QUERY: does the song suit a tenor as well as it does a baritone?

Goulet is great, but Gordon is head and shoulders above him. Easily the greatest voice in the history of the popular musical, male or female. Godlike.

This song is very similar to the Sound of Music at least in phrasing and structuring.

I used to sing this at school in front of my classmates as they would ask me to sing

Yes he's a natural at it. He was born with it. Not bad on the eyes either... hubba hubba❤😅

Here is Gordon singing 'If I Loved You' LIVE in 1960 backed terribly in my opinion by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Later in life Gordon got a debilitating stroke which destroyed his beautiful voice. He kept on singing as long as he could and then passed into the midst of days. kzread.info/dash/bejne/h2uYqJWhgcyah6w.htmlsi=yxEUXR_59kOwVSgu

Ok you really need to check out Robert Goulet doing this. Now that’s a Voice!!

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

Goulet tried, but he doesn't have the sensitivity to sing this type of music.

Dear Ken Lavigne, I love your videos especially this one you made about Gordon MacRae who was also fantastic as Curly McLain with Shirley Jones as Laurey, in the movie 'Oklahoma'.. But keep this in mind; Mr. MacRae was lip syncing to a prerecorded track he had made in the studio. He had the luxury of perfecting his vocal. I've heard him sing the SOLILOQUY live and he was fantastic as well. But as great as he was, there was one baritone that was better ( in my opinion of course) and that was John Raitt father of singer Bonnie Raitt. I am really surprised you never did a video on him? John Raitt was the original Billy Bigelow in the Broadway play along with Jan Clayton who played Julie Jordan. As a little trivia for other old timers like me, Jan Clayton also stared in the first Lassie TV show called 'Jeff's Collie' where she played Jeff's mother Ellen Miller. In any case, I have found two LIVE performances on KZread with John Raitt. They are both from 1952. The first is an unbelievable find. Both Jan Clayton and John Raitt singing 'If I Loved You' LIVE! and unlike Gordon MacRae's version in the movie where they edited out part of the song, John Raitt sings it the way it was written. The second find is John Raitt in his prime singing the 'Soliloquy' from Carousel LIVE and he hits a high Bb at the end instead of the F. I will post both KZread links as comments and hopefully you will watch them as I'm sure as a singer you will enjoy greatness. And I hope it will inspire you to do a video on John Raitt ❤ Here is the KZread link to a LIVE performance of 'If I Loved You ' by John Raitt and Jan Clayton kzread.info/dash/bejne/dI2Gs6qGlJTKnpM.htmlsi=xhO_xo0MQJG-D0wd

@lennon1252

4 ай бұрын

'IF I LOVED YOU' LIVE John Raitt & Jan Clayton kzread.info/dash/bejne/dI2Gs6qGlJTKnpM.htmlsi=xhO_xo0MQJG-D0wd

@lennon1252

4 ай бұрын

John Raitt in 1952 singing the 'SOLILOQUY' live! kzread.info/dash/bejne/dX93t8Ophaism7w.htmlsi=P-kmGMBLXMPRnqfF

@lennon1252

4 ай бұрын

John Raitt singing the 'Soliloquy' from Carousel LIVE in 1952 kzread.info/dash/bejne/dX93t8Ophaism7w.htmlsi=P-kmGMBLXMPRnqfF

@lennon1252

4 ай бұрын

John Raitt singing the SOLILOQUY from Carousel LIVE in 1952 kzread.info/dash/bejne/dX93t8Ophaism7w.htmlsi=P-kmGMBLXMPRnqfF

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

I think John Raitt was better in Soliloquy, particularly My little girl--in the early 1980s I listened to the vinyl LP of the Broadway cast album on a high-end stereo system at my father's house, and the climax of My Little Girl was chill inducing. Only a few singers have given me chills like that, and in different ways. I got it listening a small AC/DC Sony radio in the late 1970s when I first heard Frank Sinatra's Autumn Leaves--I got it at the end of the song. I got it from some of Jackie Evancho's singing on Dream with Me in Concert DVD, Blu-ray and/or album, when she was 11. I got it from opera soprano Sonya Yoncheva earlier in her career, and recently I regularly get chills from my current favorite singer, Jona Viray of the Philippines. With her I get it from an effect where she goes from a moderate mid-range that suddenly increases in volume and pitch with her particular tone of voice. However, getting back to Gordon MaRae I feel MacRae was better than John Raitt with the softer more sensitive parts like iI I Loved You, particularly, the reprise.

Pleaseeeee react to Leprous 😭🙏

Do check out Robert Horton in 110 in the Shade OBC album- definitely worth it (here's a playlist for the whole album kzread.info/dash/bejne/mJqL3MlposLZh9Y.html )

No one was or will a better Billy Bigelow ever! He also reprised the song at the end... kzread.info/dash/bejne/m5qnurerpLG3iqg.htmlsi=RpHnD6OQNpUpPhz9

@lennon1252

4 ай бұрын

Carousel! Probably the greatest musical of all time! 'IF I LOVED YOU' 'SOLILOQUY' 'JUNE IS BUSTING OUT ALL OVER' and 'YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE' all in the same musical! Can't be beat. Did you know Susan Luckey who played Billy Bigelow's daughter Louise was only 4 years younger than Shirley Jones. Unfortunately, Susan died of liver failure in 2012. She was 74. Shirley Jones is still alive and will be 90 March 31, 2024. Here is the ending to the movie where Billy inspires Louise and Julie and redeems himself and gets to go to heaven. kzread.info/dash/bejne/hIGkvM5yZ5iXfdI.htmlsi=ahA7riubzqg2ba10

To me, carosuel vs Oklahoma are two totally different things. One aged badly and one aged in a funny cute way. My vote is for Oklahoma. All around… perfect.

MacRae's acting style doesn't help the "hokiness". Had he been able to dig more deeply into the anger and insecurity of Billy Bigelow, I think it would have helped immensely. I'm not sure he was capable of that level of acting, but his beautiful treatment of the music more than makes up for it.

In retrospect, does anyone actually believe that Frank Sinatra could have pulled this off?

@robertberger5985

2 ай бұрын

no

To think this role should have been Frank Sinatras doesn't bear thinking about.

I don't think this movie, in any way, is "Hokey." I think Today's culture is Sad..in so many ways. And funny..sadly funny.👌

Great singing ofc but why tf aren't they on a bench?!

Always love to heard Gordon's voice. For this particular role, I feel Robert Goullet fits a bit better (Perfectly, both in character and voice)

i cannot stand this fifties-movies from the u.s. anyway, interesting at least and thank god those times are over. how about some really nice vocal performances by susanne sundfor? the true godess of norwegian singing and songwriting? when the lord the brothel live at cigalle sound of war undercover

@fredbloggs6080

4 ай бұрын

Carousel is frequently performed in revival up to this day.