Turner Classic Movies & Sony Masterworks Join Forces to Honor Legendary Fred Astaire

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Sony Masterworks team up to celebrate one of Hollywood's most beloved stars: Fred Astaire. The new 2-CD set from Sony Masterworks, Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO, is available November 19 and TCM names Astaire their "Star of the Month" for December.

Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO features 31 songs that showcase Astaire's vocal performances from such classic films as Top Hat, Swing Time and Shall We Dance. In these and other films, Astaire introduced songs by the greatest "American Songbook" composers, including Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and George and Ira Gershwin. The songs on the 2-CD set have long since become standards and include "Night And Day," "Cheek To Cheek," "The Way You Look Tonight," "They All Laughed," "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It."

The Early Years at RKO comprises these and other songs performed by Astaire in RKO films, on record backed by orchestras led by the esteemed conductors Leo Reisman, Ray Noble, and Astaire's friend Johnny Green. The set also includes rare alternate takes and two solo performances by Astaire's most famous partner, Ginger Rogers. Additionally, the collection features liner notes by "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," Mr. Michael Feinstein.

"From the vantage point of today it might be hard for some to fully grasp the impact that Fred Astaire had on the world of entertainment," writes Feinstein in the album liner notes. "While there were many hugely talented song and dance men," he notes, "he is considered by many to be the most sublime popular singer and dancer of any generation. That he is still revered and remembered today is a testament to the idea that great art does not diminish, nor lose its power to captivate each succeeding generation. The tracks that appear in this compilation truly mirror his films... and are in many instances the very first recordings of a group of songs that have survived to become Great American Songbook standards."

Sony Masterworks comprises the Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait, Masterworks Broadway and Flying Buddha imprints. For email updates and information please visit www.SonyMasterworks.com.

Fred Astaire: The Early Years at RKO Track listing:
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CD 1 CD 2

1 Music Makes Me 1 (I've Got) Beginners Luck

2 Flying Down To Rio 2 Slap That Bass

3 Night And Day (From "The Gay Divorce") 3 They All Laughed

4 No Strings 4 Let's Call The Whole Thing Off

5 Isn't This A Lovely Day 5 They Can't Take That Away From Me

6 Top Hat, White Tie And Tails 6 Shall We Dance

7 Cheek To Cheek 7 I Can't Be Bothered Now

8 The Piccolino 8 Things Are Looking Up

9 We Saw The Sea 9 A Foggy Day

10 Let Yourself Go 10 Nice Work If You Can Get It

11 I'd Rather Lead A Band 11 I Used To Be Color Blind

12 I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket 12 The Yam

13 Let's Face The Music And Dance 13 Change Partners

14 Pick Yourself Up 14 They Can't Take That Away From Me (Alternate Take) [Bonus Track]

15 The Way You Look Tonight 15 The Yam Step (As explained by Fred Astaire) [Bonus Track]

16 A Fine Romance 16 The Yam (Ginger Rogers) [Bonus Track]

17 Bojangles Of Harlem 17 I Used To Be Color Blind (Ginger Rogers) [Bonus Track]

18 Never Gonna Dance

19 A Fine Romance (Alternate Take) [Bonus Track]

20 Waltz In Swing Time (Alternate Take)[Bonus Track]

TCM "Star of the Month" for
December: Fred Astaire
---------------------------

Wednesday, December 4:
----------------------

8:00 PM Flying Down to Rio
(1933)

9:45 PM Carson on TCM: Fred
Astaire (2013)

10:00 PM The Gay Divorcee
(1934)

12:00 AM Roberta (1935)

2:00 AM Follow the Fleet
(1936)

4:00 AM The Story of Vernon
and Irene Castle
(1939)

5:45 AM Second Chorus (1940)

7:15 AM The Sky's the Limit
(1943)

Wednesday, December 11
----------------------

8:00 PM You'll Never Get
Rich (1941)

9:45 PM You Were Never
Lovelier (1942)

11:30 PM The Band Wagon
(1953)

1:30 AM Silk Stockings
(1957)

3:45 AM Three Little Words
(1950)

5:30 AM The Belle of New
York (1952)

7:00 AM Yolanda and the
Thief (1945)

8:45 AM Ziegfeld Follies
(1946)

Wednesday, December 18
----------------------

8:00 PM Broadway Melody of
1940 (1940)

10:00 PM Easter Parade (1948)

12:00 AM Royal Wedding (1951)

2:00 AM A Damsel in Distress
(1937)

3:45 AM Finian's Rainbow
(1968)

Wednesday, December 25
----------------------

8:00 PM Top Hat (1935)

10:00 PM Swing Time (1936)

12:00 AM Shall We Dance
(1937)

2:00 AM Carefree (1938)

3:30 AM The Barkleys of
Broadway (1949)

SOURCE Sony Masterworks