Marilyn Horne - Be Anything from Marilyn Horne: Opera Arias & Lieder (1995, Arkadia).

I feel so lucky to have found this disc (I got it in a trade of 20th Century classical discs with a friend) because it includes this rare cut of renowned mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne taking part in what was seems to have been a booming business during the early 1950's—using unknown singers to cover the popular hits of the day for a quick buck. The 1952 Santa Barbara recording is a version of the popular tune originally sung by Champ Butler, Eddy Howard, Peggy Lee & Gordon Jenkins, and Helen O'Connell. It later went on to be Connie Francis's last Top 40 hit.

Here one can hear the raw (but extremely functionally healthy) material that Horne would use to provide the musical tracks for Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones and a bit later, to give life to some of the most difficult contralto, mezzo, and soprano repertoire from every period of music, Handel to Berg. Notice that she never sounds operatic. It's still pop music, but the voice always stays free, open, and absolutely easy. Musical theater gals, if you must belt, here's how you do it: manage your damn-ass vocal registers and make the vowels clear and plain.

Be a beggar, be a thief.
Be my sunshine or my grief.
Be anything but, darlin', be mine.

Be a wise man, be a fool.
Treat me tender or be cruel.
Be anything but, darling, be mine.

Climb to the top of the ladder.
Be master of all you survey.
Fail and it still doesn't matter.
If you love me, everything is OK.

Be the angel of my prayers.
Be the Devil, who cares?
Be anything but, darling, be mine

Be the angel of my prayers.
Be the Devil, who cares?
Be anything but, darling, be mine.