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Hello To All Of My Fans!
I have put together this
Double CD Compilation of many recordings that I started to make from the
onset of my First Test Demo ( "ZING WENT THE STRINGS OF MY HEART") when I
was only between the ages of 13 to 14 years old, before I became Diane
Renay the Recording Artist, most notably remembered for my Hit Recording
titled "NAVY BLUE" in 1964.
You will hear recordings that
were made during my very First Professional Recording Session in 1962 that
were Never Released. These song titles are "Little Miss Lonely Heart"
(CD2), "They Lied" (CD2) and "My First Corsage" (CD2).
This session was Produced for me by Pete DeAngelis, who was the person to
obtain my First Record Contract with ATCO RECORDS.
The songs that were Released
from my very First Record Session on the ATCO RECORD LABEL, were "Little
White Lies," backed with "Falling Star," which are on CD1.
Also on CD1, are many other
songs that I recorded when I was under contract to and working with my
Most Influential, Most Memorable and Very Talented Record Producer
Bob Crewe who wrote and produced my hit recording titled "NAVY BLUE". |
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Many of the recordings that
Bob Crewe both Wrote and Produced for me that were released, (which you
might have heard or might not have heard) and are on CD1 are the following
songs.....
"The Company You Keep," "Cross
My Heart Hope To Die," "Trouble Maker," "Happy Birthday Broken Heart," and
"Words".
Also on CD1 are four other
recordings for which Bob Crewe wrote two of the songs, and also produced
all of them for me which were Never Released, and only mixed down to Demo
Records called DUBS.
The titles of those songs
are...."Live and Learn," "See How They Run", "Big City Boy", and a DUET of
Bob Crewe and I singing the standard song "Teach Me Tonight".
I found these four Demo
Records (called Dubs), when recently looking through all of my Vinyl Record
Releases, that I used to Digitally Master many of these recordings from,
because I did not have access to the original Master Tracks.
Also on CD1 are other
recordings that I recorded throughout the later part of the 1960's.
Most of these other recordings although Released, might not sound familiar
to you because they didn't receive much air play, and never made it to the
record stores for sale.
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Diane Renay with Bob Crewe attending the 1987 remake session of "Navy
Blue".
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The titles of these songs that you
will also hear on CD1 are..."Dynamite," "Please Gypsy", (Recorded in 1967
and Released on United Artist Record Label), "Can't Help Lovin' That Man,"
(Recorded in 1968, Produced by Herb Bernstein), "Yesterday," and "Hold Me,
Thrill Me, Kiss Me" (Recorded in 1969, Produced by Thom Bell).
On CD2 are all recordings that
were Never Released, some of which I recorded as early as 1962 through
1968 (song #1 through song #5). I stopped singing and did not make any new
recordings after 1969, until I went back into the recording studio again
in 1981 through 1982 and recorded many other songs (on CD2 song #6 through
song #14).
Also on CD2 is an updated remake
recording mix of my 1964 Hit, "NAVY BLUE" (written and originally produced
for me by Bob Crewe), which I again recorded in 1987 (CD2 song #15). I
call this my Friend and the Producer of this Session, the David Lasley
"Navy Blue" Mix! |
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The Titles of the following
songs that were recorded during the early 1980's, and Never Released are
as follows.......
"Maybe" (CD2, song #6)
Recorded 1981, Produced by Richie Rome & Diane Renay.
"Together Again" (CD2, song #7) Recorded 1981, Produced by Richie Rome &
Diane Renay.
"Love Is Wonderful" (CD2, song #8) Recorded 1981, Produced by Richie Rome
& Diane Renay.
I wrote song #7 & song #8, as
well as the songs, "Blue Snow" and "I need You Too" (which are songs #16 &
song #17 on CD2) during different periods of time when my personal life
was either in a turmoil, or going through some crazy mayhem, which
resulted in some serious life changes that were taking place in my life!
I did not record "Blue Snow" and "I Need You Too" until between 1989 and
1990, and these recordings were only demo's that I produced for myself.
However, I decided to add them to this Compilation for your listening
pleasure.
The following next group of
songs on (CD2 song #9 through song #14) were recorded in 1982, all of
these songs were written for me by Phil Hurtt & Ann Clark, which Phil
Hurtt also Produced.
These recordings also were
NEVER RELEASED, and the Titles are as follows:
"This Is Where I Came In", "I'd Rather Do It Myself", "Come On Out and
Play", "Let's Talk It Over", "The Gift of Love" (Duet with Producer Phil
Hurtt). "City Girl", was also written just for me by Phil Hurtt
& Ann Clark,
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and Originally Produced by
Phil Hurtt. However, Additional and the Final Production which
resulted in the Final Mix, was Produced by Billy Terrell.
The last song on CD2
has a Story and Life all of it's own, which I will try and explain How,
Why, When and Where I came to record, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow".
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I was separated and eventually
divorced from my first husband in 1979 after 10 years of marriage, which
produced my one and only beautiful daughter, Heather Eden! My
daughter remained living with me, until I decided to follow my parents and
move from New Jersey to Las Vegas in 1985. I brought my then 13 year
old daughter Heather with me to Las Vegas. She was very unhappy,
leaving her familiar school and all her familiar friends behind. 13
is a very difficult age for a teenager to have to move and make
adjustments to a new school and making new friends.
After two months of living
with me in Las Vegas, and going back to visit her Dad for Christmas break,
when she returned from her trip she told me that she was going to pack her
things and move back to live with her Dad. He agreed to relocate
from living in Philadelphia, to the area in New Jersey where we had lived,
so that Heather could go back to her old school and familiar school mates.
I was crushed to have her leave me, she lived with me
from the moment she was born! But I wanted her to be happy, so I
reluctantly let her go without trying to stand in her way. It was
the most painful experience in my life, I must have cried on and off for
months, and I still have never gotten over her moving away from me!
She still lives far away, now in Florida.
During the mid 1980's, popping up across the country in
Shopping Malls were "Make Your Own Recording Studios", whereby the
studios had a menu of Music Tracks a person could choose from, and go into
a Recording Booth and make their own recording!
One day I received a cassette in the mail from my
daughter, Heather, singing the song, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", that
she recorded in a studio set up in a shopping mall. As I listened to
her singing the song, I cried through the entire song, and since then I
have never been able to listen to it again because of the painful memories
that it evokes within me! |
Diane Renay with David Lasley during the 1987 remake session of, "Navy Blue"
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Diane Renay with her friend and Producer of the 1987 remake of "Navy
Blue", David Lasley
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During the time I was in Los
Angeles 1987, for the remake recording session of "NAVY BLUE", and I was
staying with one of my Aunts, we decided to take a stroll through the
Beverly Mall one afternoon, when there I saw one of those "Make Your Own
Recording" studios set up.
I went to look at the Menu of
Song Titles that were on Pre-Recorded Music Tracks, you could not pick a
key in which you wanted to sing the song. Whatever key the Music
Tracks were recorded in, was what you had to sing to.
There it was "Somewhere Over
The Rainbow", I had to do it, I had to sing it for Heather and send it to
her. Because she sang it for me, I wanted to sing it for her! I
entered the Recording Booth, the engineer played the Pre-Recorded Music
Track once, and I was already feeling overwhelmed with emotion.
So, I decided to go for a practice run through right away, even though I
had only listened to the Music Track once!
As I sang my first practice
run through, I became so chocked up with tears, that I didn't think that I
would make it to the end of the song. Well, I did get through the
first one and only practice run through. I knew if I couldn't make a
Recording with the next try, that I would not be able to sing the song
again!
I told the engineer I was
ready to Record. He asked me if I wanted to practice again, that I
had plenty of time. I said "NO, I have to go for a Recording Now, or
I won't be able to sing this song at all". Of course he did not
understand what was going on with me, but he complied and started the
music track and tape running.
What you are hearing as the
last song on CD2, "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" is the ONE and ONLY
Recording Take that I was able to get through. Towards the end of
the song I was so overwhelmed with emotion of missing my daughter,
Heather, that I started to cry and that is when my voice started to falter
and break apart!
I Dedicate this Recording that
I sang of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" to my beautiful daughter, Heather
Eden, I love you Heather!
To those of you who have
decided to purchase my New Double CD Compilation, I hope that you will
enjoy the variety of songs that I have put together just for you my fans,
just for My Generation and maybe even the Children of Our Generation.
Thanks for "Taking A Walk Down
My Musical History Memory Lane" with me!
Love To All My Fans....Diane Renay |
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