Barbara Eden Miss Barbara Eden 45rpm LP (Pink Vinyl)

Real Gone Music grants the wishes of record collectors and TV fans worldwide by releasing, for the first time on vinyl since its original issue in 1967, the only album Barbara Eden ever recorded! As you can tell from the cover, she made the record at the height of her fame starring in the TV comedy I Dream of Jeannie, her huge break which came after years of appearing in such series as How to Marry a Millionaire, Burke's Law, and Route 66 and in films like 7 Faces of Dr. Lao and Flaming Star (opposite Elvis Presley). So, one could be excused from going into this album thinking that Barbara's chops were more on the acting than the musical side. But she got her start performing while singing in the church choir, and studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music long before the camera found her. She subsequently headlined on stage in Las Vegas and appeared in TV music-variety shows and specials as well. So, Miss Barbara Eden is not just a highly sought-after curio from the long career of a TV icon but an irresistible pop platter in its own right! With Bill Justis conducting and arranging, and songs by Bill Anderson and Ted Daffan among others, there's a little bit of a country tinge, but it's definitely not of the cry-in-your-beer variety as Barbara keeps things light and lissome while offering plenty of personality along with the pipes.

For our money, the stand-out track is the last one, "Bend It," which belongs (complete with sitar...it is 1967, after all!) in the bubblegum hall of fame right up there with "Yummy, Yummy, Yummy." This LP reissue comes in pink vinyl limited to 1000 copies. One more note on the LP: we're releasing it at 45 r.p.m. to ensure maximum fidelity to "the master" (wink, wink). Remastered by Mike Milchner at SonicVision...another Real Gone find!

It's not a missing masterpiece but there's something undeniably appealing about both Eden's voice - a finely shaded instrument in the vein of Connie Francis or Jeanne C. Riley - and the solid pop arrangements from Bill Justis. The song selection makes great use of both, avoiding stodgy standards in place of rarely recorded gems like Johnny Mercer's 'Dream' or the bubblegummy album closer 'Bend It.' The appeal of this reissue isn't difficult to grok either, what with its pink vinyl and 45 RPM mastering for increased fidelity.