TCM & Sony Masterworks Celebrate FRED ASTAIRE w/ 2-CD Set

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:

CD 1
1 Music Makes Me
2 Flying Down To Rio
3 Night And Day (From "The Gay Divorce")
4 No Strings
5 Isn't This A Lovely Day
6 Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
7 Cheek To Cheek
8 The Piccolino
9 We Saw The Sea
10 Let Yourself Go
11 I'd Rather Lead A Band
12 I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
13 Let's Face The Music And Dance
14 Pick Yourself Up
15 The Way You Look Tonight
16 A Fine Romance
17 Bojangles Of Harlem
18 Never Gonna Dance
19 A Fine Romance (Alternate Take) [Bonus Track]
20 Waltz In Swing Time (Alternate Take)[Bonus Track]

CD 2
1 (I've Got) Beginners Luck
2 Slap That Bass
3 They All Laughed
4 Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
5 They Can't Take That Away From Me
6 Shall We Dance
7 I Can't Be Bothered Now
8 Things Are Looking Up
9 A Foggy Day
10 Nice Work If You Can Get It
11 I Used To Be Color Blind
12 The Yam
13 Change Partners
14 They Can't Take That Away From Me (Alternate Take) [Bonus Track]
15 The Yam Step (As explained by Fred Astaire) [Bonus Track]
16 The Yam (Ginger Rogers) [Bonus Track]
17 I Used To Be Color Blind (Ginger Rogers) [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)