There are so many good versions of this song. I gather this was 1987, when she played in Follies at age 63. What a powerful voice. There's less of the nyah, hah, hah, now who has the last laugh, and more of a feeling of steady perseverance in her rendition. It's great to have so many versions preserved to be enjoyed for decades to come.
I saw Dolores in a preview in the original production and boy! She was stunning. Still the best rendition of this song we waited at the stage door to meet her together with the rest of the coast and she was such a generous and friendly person. She made sure she spoke to everyone. A truly wonderful lady. Michael Lilley.
I saw this production of Follies in London over 30 years ago now. It was superb. The entire cast was stellar, the play and production were brilliant, yet Dolores Gray still stopped the show with this number. She had real authority, total command of the stage and the audience. Despite the poignancy, she played her character with no self pity, no regrets,. I wish, with hindsight, I had gone to see more of the 20th century greats, you don't realise when you are young that time will fly by and one day you will wake up and they will all be gone.
THIS! I saw the '87 production too, with my mother (now sadly gone). Dolores Gray absolutely stopped the show as you say. A wonderful experience and a marvellous memory.
You bet chum Red Ryder. If I remember correctly I had just gotten out of the army back in 1953. I had never seen a musical and treated myself and saw Carnival in Flanders. She had it all.
Magnificent performance. Saw her in London and time stood still. As good as Yvonne and perhaps better. A truly great revival and one of my fondest memories of London musicals.
She has a rich tone quality in her voice which means she has to approach the song less cynically than some, but she is every bit the ex glamorous star. Wonderful Dolores Gray.
Hank Austin not to diminish any work she did to preserve her voice but aging has a lot to do with how well you choose your parents and what happens to you that you have no control over.
@@zbuglady Age obviously can influence so much. However, there are lots of avoidable things to avoid too. Having a healthy sustainable technique will reduce injuries and premature deterioration. Yes, Father time can fuck you up, however, age isn't as big as you think. Look at all the singers who looked after themselves from Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, Gladys Kight and so many more
Here's the rule when it comes to vocal types and aging: sopranos age the fastest vocally, and tend to have the shortest vocal career. Mezzos have a slightly longer career...and then contraltos--which Ms Gray was clearly throughout her career--can sing well into their 80's with no problems.
Oh, I remember Gray so well in the original London production of Follies! It was so exciting to see a genuine Broadway / MGM star live - and in such an incredible production. The designs by the late Maria Bjornson were stunning.
I saw this production when I was visiting London but Eartha Kitt had replaced Dolores by then.....I still have the program, somewhere and the sweatshirt.
A joy never to be forgotten. And she grew, and grew, and grew...a showstopper. A wall of woman, voice and life. Knocked back in seats. Film can't communicate it. LIVE is live. Had to be there. I was. Love to Dolly Delores. RIP.
I saw the show in London in 1987. Dolores Gray was fabulous as was Diana Rigg. It was a splendid production. I have seen it 2 other times unfortunately not then original Broadway production. Got the OBC album to that when it first came out and stayed up all night listening to it over and over. I was so knocked out. In my opinion it is Sondheim's masterpiece and considering his other shows that is saying something. This song is so superb. I have about 10 different versions of it. I only wish they had released the soundtrack to Postcards From the Edge with Shirley Maclaine's version. Probably my all time favourite song!!!
We loved the London production so much that we went twice for Dolores, and later a third time for Eartha. With the passing of Diana Rigg last year, I fear that the only lead from the 1987 West End production who is still living is Julia McKenzie. Hard to believe it's so long ago. Even harder to believe that I'm 70.
All petty critics will be boiled in oil through eternity. All who sang this with passion were amazing because they lived that song. I adore Ms Gray's performance as I do all of them. Live the life and sing the song. God bless 'em all!
I got to see Carol Burnett perform this in the concert that sparked this West End revival. One of my top 3 Sondheim musicals. Gray is wonderful here. Abe Burrows and Bert Lahr would be proud 😊
Sorry y Yvonne de Carlo from the Original Broadway show which this was picked for her to sing Nails it with all the Emotions and Voice She Lives this Song ,My opinion
Fabulous performance from a fabulous musical. Sadly I didn't see Dolores perform this on the London stage, but I did see Eartha Kitt in London in the same role ... (she was fabulous also)
Guys, Ann Miller was 80, when she recorded this song. For an 80 year old, she fucking ROCKED that song like no one's business. Not to detract from Dolores, here, but at least Annie was on tempo.
Miss Miller was not 80 when she played the role - and beautifully. I saw her at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the summer of 1998. She was 74/75. Great interpretation - much different than most. More uptempo & "Hey - that's life!" Worked perfectly for her. One of the few times I have seen a performer truly stop the show.
This is the only version of this song where the singer can finish the last stanza without screeching - leave it to Dolores Gray to pull this off; she is pitch perfect. She should have been a much bigger star, but she is stellar…
"I lived through Shirley Temple" looks towards the royal box - couldn't help if she knew that was the cruel nickname given to Her Majesty The Queen by her uncle Duke of Windsor lol i know she wouldn't have, but still, bet the Queen sat a little straighter then lol
Ian Smith Don't get me wrong, I love Dolores but it is almost like she doesn't here the orchestra's beat but she is on key. Listen to Yvonne De Carlo and you will see what I mean.
The conductor is not following her lead. She keeps trying to slow him down, but he just keeps his own tempo. It's almost as if they didn't rehearse this.
Ms Paige is just dandy. She's unique in the role, more hysterical than I needed, but she wakes things up a bit. Ms. Gray - some pipes, I have to say. Not a jot of self-pity (one assumes this is how she played the role on stage). I did keep wanting to jump up there and push her along, but that's some voice.
We saw this several times in London, twice with Dolores, once with Eartha. Both were amazing, but l saw the pre-Broadway tryouts in Boston, for my 20th birthday present, and can't forget Yvonne de Carlo's vocally less bombastic but emotionally moving take. The only version I have ever really detested is Carol Burnett's mugging, exaggerated reading in the 85 concert version.
Dolores sort of turned her back on America and made England her turf where she was a perennial favorite. Better to be queen of England than another on a roster of aging stars in the U.S.
Sorry, saw the original on Broadway in 1971. A composer knows who he is writing for when they write a song like this out of town (Boston) in this case for Yvonne DeCarlo. Maybe not the strongest voice, but her interpretation of the piece has never been exceeded by any singer. My opinion.
+Joseph Cozza No apology necessary. A great score will stand up to all kinds of interpretations by other performers. Otherwise it would shrivel and die after the initial run. Look at how many amazing productions there have been of Follies since 1971. Eartha Kitt followed Gray in the London run and she was terrific - totally different but marvellous all the same. Look at how magnificently Elaine Paige performed the song in the recent revival - not to mention Elaine Stritch who made it entirely her own before she died.
Thinking about it you are correct. While I still favor the original, all of the productions that this show has seen, have produced so many interpretations of this song and all very unique. It's just a great song and we've been lucky to have so many talented singers perform it over the past 45 years!
Totally agree. Theatre is alive. It changes and evolves and transforms. Of course, anyone (and everyone really) can have a fav version. But this version is glorious. I love Yvonne DeCarlo's version. I saw Elaine Page. Her version was so different. Quiet and haunting. Theatre is endless interpretation!
I’d say DeCarlo had a very rich strong voice. Sondheim himself said he knew he could write a big rangy song when they needed a new song for her spot because she had the chops to pull it off. Gray is terrific too.
Does anybody know- what production she played Carlotta? I saw her in the London production in the late eighties, but I cannot find what BWay production. . .
@tightlygagged i can't speak about Paige's performance on Broadway. I did see her in Piaf and Sunset Boulevard however and she was extraordinary. The Piaf performance was, quite simply, the most powerful one woman tour de force I've ever seen. I saw both Gray and Kitt in Follies in the West End and they were both good in their own very unique ways. But from what I've seen (on CZcams) of Paige in Follies I think she does a good job (although I would have preferred her as Sally).
Miller? Well, yes, she wasn't exactly a singer, even though she thought she was. According to Hugh Martin, she actually had a beautiful voice when she sang softly, but refused to do so.
Funny how she sings very off the beat except the refrain; I was hoping she didn't modulate it down as on the cast recording, but maybe her top notes weren't there. Still very expressive, and loose.
She is in fantastic voice here, but the phrasing is perfectly awful. It seems like she can't hear the orchestra. Too bad, because she was a wonderful performer.
I love Dolores as much as the next gay man but, good lord, her back-phrasing is atrocious! However, I do not think this is her fault. The tempo on the cast recording is roughly 102bpm. This one is around 116bpm. I'm assuming that the conductor was told to pick up the tempo for television purpose and in doing so poor Dolores was left in the dust.
@TonyDale I just saw the 2011 revival yesterday. Elaine Paige was the weakest in an otherwise flawless production. She lost the irony of the song because of her phrasing.
She can still sing but her timing is way off sorry. The orchestra doesn't know what to do - wait for her to catch up or just leave her to it. It's a bit sad really.
There are so many good versions of this song. I gather this was 1987, when she played in Follies at age 63. What a powerful voice. There's less of the nyah, hah, hah, now who has the last laugh, and more of a feeling of steady perseverance in her rendition. It's great to have so many versions preserved to be enjoyed for decades to come.
This version, her performing is fabulous! ❤️ I always loved Dolores Gray! And her makeup and hair style is perfect mid fifties. Great!
I saw Dolores in a preview in the original production and boy! She was stunning. Still the best rendition of this song we waited at the stage door to meet her together with the rest of the coast and she was such a generous and friendly person. She made sure she spoke to everyone. A truly wonderful lady. Michael Lilley.
I was dancing with her at the follies party, I was 23 at that time
She conveys the story of this song beautifully. You just know she relates to every line!
I saw this production of Follies in London over 30 years ago now. It was superb. The entire cast was stellar, the play and production were brilliant, yet Dolores Gray still stopped the show with this number. She had real authority, total command of the stage and the audience. Despite the poignancy, she played her character with no self pity, no regrets,. I wish, with hindsight, I had gone to see more of the 20th century greats, you don't realise when you are young that time will fly by and one day you will wake up and they will all be gone.
THIS! I saw the '87 production too, with my mother (now sadly gone). Dolores Gray absolutely stopped the show as you say. A wonderful experience and a marvellous memory.
I've heard a hundred versions of this and Dolores Grey is the best !
You bet chum Red Ryder. If I remember correctly I had just gotten out of the army back in 1953. I had never seen a musical and treated myself and saw Carnival in Flanders. She had it all.
try Karen Morrow's version. It is so powerful.
I recall seeing Gray in Follies in London. She was absolutely wonderful.
Me too - beyond compare!!!
I saw her in Follies in London at the Shaftsbury Theatre - with Diana Rigg.Spectacular visuals in that production!
Magnificent performance. Saw her in London and time stood still. As good as Yvonne and perhaps better. A truly great revival and one of my fondest memories of London musicals.
her voice is so comfortable to listen to- it's so secure
And it was just as great in the actual show! I remember it well. 31 years...where did they go...
I have to hear this every morning to get through the day!
She has a rich tone quality in her voice which means she has to approach the song less cynically than some, but she is every bit the ex glamorous star. Wonderful Dolores Gray.
LOVE her voice!!! a lot of older women let their voices go to shit, not her! Still powerful and with a beautiful tone!
Hank Austin not to diminish any work she did to preserve her voice but aging has a lot to do with how well you choose your parents and what happens to you that you have no control over.
@@zbuglady Age obviously can influence so much. However, there are lots of avoidable things to avoid too. Having a healthy sustainable technique will reduce injuries and premature deterioration. Yes, Father time can fuck you up, however, age isn't as big as you think. Look at all the singers who looked after themselves from Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, Gladys Kight and so many more
Here's the rule when it comes to vocal types and aging: sopranos age the fastest vocally, and tend to have the shortest vocal career. Mezzos have a slightly longer career...and then contraltos--which Ms Gray was clearly throughout her career--can sing well into their 80's with no problems.
This is a really good version, and I am a Follies snob.
Still a glamorous and gifted singer! Love Delores Gray!
Dolores Gray has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard!
Oh, I remember Gray so well in the original London production of Follies! It was so exciting to see a genuine Broadway / MGM star live - and in such an incredible production. The designs by the late Maria Bjornson were stunning.
I saw this production when I was visiting London but Eartha Kitt had replaced Dolores by then.....I still have the program, somewhere and the sweatshirt.
Ditto! She was magnificent.
I had the delight of seeing both Delores and Eartha! Each distinct and wonderful.
A joy never to be forgotten. And she grew, and grew, and grew...a showstopper. A wall of woman, voice and life. Knocked back in seats. Film can't communicate it. LIVE is live. Had to be there. I was. Love to Dolly Delores. RIP.
This is how to sell a song -- with passion!
it is nice to hear a real singer do this.
Wow the power of her voice blows me away! Thanks for posting!
Wow! Fantastic performance. Thanks for posting!
I saw the show in London in 1987. Dolores Gray was fabulous as was Diana Rigg. It was a splendid production. I have seen it 2 other times unfortunately not then original Broadway production. Got the OBC album to that when it first came out and stayed up all night listening to it over and over. I was so knocked out. In my opinion it is Sondheim's masterpiece and considering his other shows that is saying something. This song is so superb. I have about 10 different versions of it. I only wish they had released the soundtrack to Postcards From the Edge with Shirley Maclaine's version. Probably my all time favourite song!!!
We loved the London production so much that we went twice for Dolores, and later a third time for Eartha. With the passing of Diana Rigg last year, I fear that the only lead from the 1987 West End production who is still living is Julia McKenzie. Hard to believe it's so long ago. Even harder to believe that I'm 70.
4:39 - 4:41 might have to be 1 of my ringtones ! The way she stated "I'm still here!" Revelatory!
🎹 Fabulous rendition.
Hadn't heard it till now.
What a terrific voice.
Her pitch, rich alto voice was well equipped to sing without tsking actors shortcuts. Delores Gray had the chops@
All petty critics will be boiled in oil through eternity. All who sang this with passion were amazing because they lived that song. I adore Ms Gray's performance as I do all of them. Live the life and sing the song. God bless 'em all!
I lived that song and sang it as well.
The best version.
The very, very best version is this - Dolores Grey !!!
DG had a strong voice. Loved her version of Im Here.
I got to see Carol Burnett perform this in the concert that sparked this West End revival. One of my top 3 Sondheim musicals. Gray is wonderful here. Abe Burrows and Bert Lahr would be proud 😊
A star singing a star song!
Just Fabulous
Xxxxx
Sorry y
Yvonne de Carlo from the Original Broadway show which this was picked for her to sing Nails it with all the Emotions and Voice She Lives this Song ,My opinion
Judy would have KILLED with this! That would've been awesome!
There's a version of Jim Bailey singing it...gives a glimpse of what might have been. ;)
Yes she would have
Fabulous performance from a fabulous musical. Sadly I didn't see Dolores perform this on the London stage, but I did see Eartha Kitt in London in the same role ... (she was fabulous also)
What a gorgeous voice!
I love her voice. Amazing woman.
I don’t think I’ve heard anyone else add a “Ha!” after “anything else is a laugh”. Fabulous. And does she ever sell it.
A M A Z I N G WOMAN.............
Guys, Ann Miller was 80, when she recorded this song. For an 80 year old, she fucking ROCKED that song like no one's business. Not to detract from Dolores, here, but at least Annie was on tempo.
Kayla Sturm agree 100%, i think she was 75, but wow she never went out of fashion, she was always the best of the best.
On tempo?? Grey is perfect here!
Miss Miller was not 80 when she played the role - and beautifully. I saw her at the Paper Mill Playhouse in the summer of 1998. She was 74/75. Great interpretation - much different than most. More uptempo & "Hey - that's life!" Worked perfectly for her. One of the few times I have seen a performer truly stop the show.
I love this and her voice is excellent! I would love to hear Liza Minnelli do this!
Fantastic!
@BigglesWatch Actually, the reverse is true. Dolores Gray originated the role in the London production. Eartha Kitt succeeded Gray in the role.
This is the only version of this song where the singer can finish the last stanza without screeching - leave it to Dolores Gray to pull this off; she is pitch perfect. She should have been a much bigger star, but she is stellar…
Everyone else modulates up for the final A section, Miss Grey modulates down and sings much lower final notes than anyone ever has .
Terrific!
Powerful performer!
Phenomenal!! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
all these know it alls.. I love this! best!
Perhaps the best version of this song.
Dolores you're incredible x. 🎉
thank u darling !!!!!! ur the best.
Very Good!
Powerful version from a powerful woman
Story of my life.
"I lived through Shirley Temple" looks towards the royal box - couldn't help if she knew that was the cruel nickname given to Her Majesty The Queen by her uncle Duke of Windsor lol i know she wouldn't have, but still, bet the Queen sat a little straighter then lol
I am amazed :'D
Best version easy.
@jemb2000. You are absolutely correct, my apologies. I saw the original London cast and the take overs. Gray was far better in my opinion.
She is consistently off a beat.
I think her phrasing is wonderful.
Ian Smith
Don't get me wrong, I love Dolores but it is almost like she doesn't here the orchestra's beat but she is on key. Listen to Yvonne De Carlo and you will see what I mean.
I have heard Yvonne De Carlo, I still think Dolores has wonderful phrasing and I think it is entirely intentional.
Not to my ears. One of the best versions of this. Better than Dame Stritch, even.
+robert roberson Totally disagree. She does a marvellous job.
❤️❤️❤️❤️
The conductor is not following her lead. She keeps trying to slow him down, but he just keeps his own tempo. It's almost as if they didn't rehearse this.
My guess is that since it appeared to be a televised event, they weren’t allowed to slow the pace to her preference
CORRECT
Gray would have been the next Elmer Merman is musicals hadn't lost their popularity with the general public.
dude.. who the fuck is "Elmer" Merman? LOL!!!!
lol
Elmer Fudd and Ethel Mermans son maybe? 😂
Ms Paige is just dandy. She's unique in the role, more hysterical than I needed, but she wakes things up a bit.
Ms. Gray - some pipes, I have to say. Not a jot of self-pity (one assumes this is how she played the role on stage). I did keep wanting to jump up there and push her along, but that's some voice.
Fantastic...what year was this?
We saw this several times in London, twice with Dolores, once with Eartha. Both were amazing, but l saw the pre-Broadway tryouts in Boston, for my 20th birthday present, and can't forget Yvonne de Carlo's vocally less bombastic but emotionally moving take. The only version I have ever really detested is Carol Burnett's mugging, exaggerated reading in the 85 concert version.
She seems to be singing to a music track heard by her alone.
Dolores sort of turned her back on America and made England her turf where she was a perennial favorite. Better to be queen of England than another on a roster of aging stars in the U.S.
"original tempo" -- that's based on.....? checking with Steve? the score markings? :)
@jjweho Dolores Gray never played Carlotta on Broadway.
Sorry, saw the original on Broadway in 1971. A composer knows who he is writing for when they write a song like this out of town (Boston) in this case for Yvonne DeCarlo. Maybe not the strongest voice, but her interpretation of the piece has never been exceeded by any singer. My opinion.
+Joseph Cozza you're right.
+Joseph Cozza No apology necessary. A great score will stand up to all kinds of interpretations by other performers. Otherwise it would shrivel and die after the initial run. Look at how many amazing productions there have been of Follies since 1971. Eartha Kitt followed Gray in the London run and she was terrific - totally different but marvellous all the same. Look at how magnificently Elaine Paige performed the song in the recent revival - not to mention Elaine Stritch who made it entirely her own before she died.
Thinking about it you are correct. While I still favor the original, all of the productions that this show has seen, have produced so many interpretations of this song and all very unique. It's just a great song and we've been lucky to have so many talented singers perform it over the past 45 years!
Totally agree. Theatre is alive. It changes and evolves and transforms. Of course, anyone (and everyone really) can have a fav version. But this version is glorious. I love Yvonne DeCarlo's version. I saw Elaine Page. Her version was so different. Quiet and haunting. Theatre is endless interpretation!
I’d say DeCarlo had a very rich strong voice. Sondheim himself said he knew he could write a big rangy song when they needed a new song for her spot because she had the chops to pull it off. Gray is terrific too.
Does anybody know- what production she played Carlotta?
I saw her in the London production in the late eighties, but I cannot find what BWay production. . .
She never played the role on Broadway or anywhere in the United States.
Dick Kallman would’ve approved
@tightlygagged i can't speak about Paige's performance on Broadway. I did see her in Piaf and Sunset Boulevard however and she was extraordinary. The Piaf performance was, quite simply, the most powerful one woman tour de force I've ever seen. I saw both Gray and Kitt in Follies in the West End and they were both good in their own very unique ways. But from what I've seen (on CZcams) of Paige in Follies I think she does a good job (although I would have preferred her as Sally).
I believe Judy Garland could made this transcendent. Sadly, she had died before this.
She would have rocked it!!
Search for Jim Bailey's version as Judy on youtube--it's uncanny
Much better than Miller's version mainly because Dolores Gray has a warmer persona and a better voice
is this clip from a British show?
Kismet wouldn't be a hit without her.
She played Carlotta in the London production at the Shaftesbury Theatre, she took over from Eartha Kitt who was in the original cast.
Dolores was in the original cast with Diana Rigg and Julia McKenzie. Eartha Kitt and Millicent Martin replaced Dolores and Rigg
Eartha took over from her, l saw them both.
And here's a 2020 version of this iconic song: czcams.com/video/sopvqR8ViE4/video.html
Polly Bergen was the Best with this song.
Delores is a close second.
Shirley MacLaine sung it on film she was Great.
The greatest voice to navigate this number.
Yet, she doesn't quite convince me.
I think they used to call it being "vulernable."
.
Much more powerful voice than Ann Miller, I prefer it sung this way!!
@marcosvalenca Miller thought she was a singer, but she wasn't.
Ji
She died the day I was born
Better than Ann Miller's version!
Nicely sung, but this isn't a singer's song. Ann Miller, many years her senior, has her beat.
Miller? Well, yes, she wasn't exactly a singer, even though she thought she was. According to Hugh Martin, she actually had a beautiful voice when she sang softly, but refused to do so.
DDumbrille I have tape from A&E's biography program where they shoe Ms. Miller singing "I'm Still Here" and she beats the band!
Arthur Bonetti It's on youtube, one of her last performances. It's a fitting number for her, but still, others have done it better…IMO.
I love Ann Miller. However.....I SAW her do this at Paper Mill Playhouse - not much of a voice left.
Dolores Gray and Ann Miller were both born in 1923.
Funny how she sings very off the beat except the refrain; I was hoping she didn't modulate it down as on the cast recording, but maybe her top notes weren't there. Still very expressive, and loose.
You can't back phrase Sondheim like that…. it sounds awful
I love it.
Back Phrasing- verb- When a skilled performer either moves ahead or behind the music for effect. :)
+aavauxhall I saw her do it live in the show. She was wonderful.
Oh, Lort! Not one note on the beat. Jeebus. How to kill a Sondheim classic.
I do too
not a flattering gown
wtf dat dress ?????
it's green
She is in fantastic voice here, but the phrasing is perfectly awful. It seems like she can't hear the orchestra. Too bad, because she was a wonderful performer.
I love Dolores as much as the next gay man but, good lord, her back-phrasing is atrocious! However, I do not think this is her fault. The tempo on the cast recording is roughly 102bpm. This one is around 116bpm. I'm assuming that the conductor was told to pick up the tempo for television purpose and in doing so poor Dolores was left in the dust.
@TonyDale I just saw the 2011 revival yesterday. Elaine Paige was the weakest in an otherwise flawless production. She lost the irony of the song because of her phrasing.
Not feeling this. At all. The phrasing sounds like William Shatner directed her.
Painful. Backphrasing every line. Did she ever hear of singing to the actual rhythm of the song?
She can still sing but her timing is way off sorry. The orchestra doesn't know what to do - wait for her to catch up or just leave her to it. It's a bit sad really.