Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story

Sammy Davis, Jr.

AllMusic Rating
10
User Ratings (0)
Your Rating

Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis Jr. Story Review

by William Ruhlmann

It's hard to believe that a Sammy Davis Jr. box set retrospective was not released until 1999. One simple reason for the delay is that Davis' discography is a licensing nightmare, so the initial triumph of Warner Archives/Reprise/Rhino's four-disc Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story is that it brings together material controlled by Time Warner, EMI-Capitol, Universal, and the Davis estate. But another reason why a Sammy Davis, Jr. box set may not have been an immediate priority is that recording was never his primary medium. Davis was first and foremost a live performer with an act that included singing, dancing, and impressions; everything else -- Broadway shows, films, television, record-making -- was secondary. Despite being possessed of a clear, powerful baritone and precise diction, Davis was always more a performer than a singer. His repertoire as presented here is dominated by songs written for stage and movie musicals by the cream of the interwar pop songwriters. Davis renders this material well, but the lyrics rarely mean much to him beyond being vehicles for his own self-expression (vocal effects, comic interjections, etc.). When this began to change in 1961, it was because a highly self-referential performer found a songwriter, Leslie Bricusse, whose subject was self-absorption. Writing for musicals, Bricusse secondarily provides Davis with material he sings with unprecedented conviction, because it allows him to explore his own dreams and doubts. The claims for Sammy Davis, Jr.'s importance as an all-around entertainer cannot be disputed by anyone who has seen him perform in any medium, and strictly as a recording artist, much of that appeal comes across. Yes I Can! The Sammy Davis, Jr. Story is more the statement of a magnetic personality than it is a collection of meaningfully sung songs, but it is no less impressive for that.

Track Listing - Disc 1

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	Smile, Darn Ya, Smile Jack Meskill	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:34	Spotify Amazon
2	Gypsy in My Soul Clay Boland / Moe Jaffe	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:34	Spotify Amazon
3	Hey There Richard Adler / Jerry Ross	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:48	Spotify Amazon
4	Birth of the Blues Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:17	Spotify Amazon
5	Easy to Love Cole Porter	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:24	Spotify Amazon
6	My Funny Valentine Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:08	Spotify Amazon
7	That Old Black Magic Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:19	Spotify Amazon
8	Love Me or Leave Me Walter Donaldson / Gus Kahn	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:57	Spotify Amazon
9	Something's Gotta Give Johnny Mercer	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:04	Spotify Amazon
10	Too Close for Comfort Jerry Bock / Larry Holofcener / George David Weiss	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:22	Spotify Amazon
11	There's a Small Hotel Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:29	Spotify Amazon
12	I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:41	Spotify Amazon
13	But Not for Me George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:23	Spotify Amazon
14	Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:26	Spotify Amazon
15	I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:29	Spotify Amazon
16	There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:00	Spotify Amazon
17	Soliloquy Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	09:44	Spotify Amazon
18	Change Partners Irving Berlin	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:51	Spotify Amazon
19	The Lady Is a Tramp Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:23	Spotify Amazon
20	Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You Andy Razaf / Don Redman	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:50	Spotify Amazon
21	Get on the Right Track, Baby Titus Turner	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:44	Spotify Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	A Lot of Livin' to Do Lee Adams / Charles Strouse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:45	Spotify Amazon
2	Begin the Beguine Cole Porter	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:30	Spotify Amazon
3	My Romance Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:32	Spotify Amazon
4	Falling in Love With Love Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:27	Spotify Amazon
5	Soon George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:49	Spotify Amazon
6	Thou Swell Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:00	Spotify Amazon
7	Let There Be Love Ian Grant / Lionel Rand	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:51	Spotify Amazon
8	Guys and Dolls Frank Loesser	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:09	Spotify Amazon
9	Bye Bye Blackbird Mort Dixon / Ray Henderson	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:49	Spotify Amazon
10	Blame It on My Youth Edward Heyman / Oscar Levant	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:16	Spotify Amazon
11	Here's That Rainy Day Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:19	Spotify Amazon
12	Lush Life Billy Strayhorn	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:47	Spotify Amazon
13	A Stranger in Town Mel Tormé	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:46	Spotify Amazon
14	What Kind of Fool Am I? Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:24	Spotify Amazon
15	Once in a Lifetime Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:10	Spotify Amazon
16	Someone Nice Like You Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:24	Spotify Amazon
17	As Long as She Needs Me Lionel Bart	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:06	Spotify Amazon
18	I Married an Angel Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	01:59	Spotify Amazon
19	Falling in Love Again Frederick Hollander / Sammy Lerner	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:26	Spotify Amazon
20	Me and My Shadow Dave Dreyer / Al Jolson / Billy Rose	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:07	Spotify Amazon
21	Teach Me Tonight Sammy Cahn / Gene DePaul	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:06	Spotify Amazon
22	April in Paris Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:46	Spotify Amazon
23	Night Song Lee Adams / Charles Strouse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:05	Spotify Amazon
24	I Want to Be With You Lee Adams / Charles Strouse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:34	Spotify Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	I've Gotta Be Me Walter Marks	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:55	Spotify Amazon
2	Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:00	Spotify Amazon
3	Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye Cole Porter	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:06	Spotify Amazon
4	This Was My Love Jim Harbert	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:23	Spotify Amazon
5	If I Ruled the World Leslie Bricusse / Cyril Ornadel	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:35	Spotify Amazon
6	The Shelter of Your Arms Jerry Samuels	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:52	Spotify Amazon
7	Yes I Can Lee Adams / Charles Strouse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:17	Spotify Amazon
8	Gonna Build a Mountain Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:23	Spotify Amazon
9	Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat Frank Loesser	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:32	Spotify Amazon
10	'Deed I Do Walter Hirsch / Fred Rose	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:12	Spotify Amazon
11	Walkin' My Baby Back Home Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:36	Spotify Amazon
12	The Party's Over Betty Comden / Jule Styne	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:13	Spotify Amazon
13	Unforgettable Irving Gordon	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:32	Spotify Amazon
14	People Bob Merrill / Jule Styne	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:57	Spotify Amazon
15	Here I'll Stay Alan Jay Lerner / Kurt Weill	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:08	Spotify Amazon
16	I Think I Like You Leslie Bricusse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:57	Spotify Amazon
17	At the Crossroads Leslie Bricusse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:17	Spotify Amazon
18	I'll Begin Again Leslie Bricusse	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:33	Spotify Amazon
19	The Candy Man Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:12	Spotify Amazon
20	Mr. Bojangles Jerry Jeff Walker	Sammy Davis, Jr.	05:47	Spotify Amazon
21	Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow (Baretta's Theme)	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:25	Spotify Amazon
22	I'm Not Anyone Paul Anka / Johnny Harris	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:08	Spotify Amazon
23	Life Is a Woman Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:14	Spotify Amazon
24	Lover, Come Back to Me Oscar Hammerstein II / Sigmund Romberg	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:55	Spotify Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 4

	Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
1	Something's Gotta Give Johnny Mercer	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:17	Spotify Amazon
2	And This Is My Beloved George Forrest / Robert Wright	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:41	Spotify Amazon
3	Hey There Richard Adler / Jerry Ross	Sammy Davis, Jr.	01:36	Spotify Amazon
4	It's All Right With Me Cole Porter	Sammy Davis, Jr.	05:53	Spotify Amazon
5	Ethel, Baby Jerry Bock / Larry Holofcener / George David Weiss	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:48	Spotify Amazon
6	Too Close for Comfort Jerry Bock / Larry Holofcener / George David Weiss	Sammy Davis, Jr.	01:25	Spotify Amazon
7	Once in a Lifetime Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:20	Spotify Amazon
8	What Kind of Fool Am I? Leslie Bricusse / Anthony Newley	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:19	Spotify Amazon
9	West Side Story Medley: Jet Song/Something's Coming/Cool/Tonight/A ...	Sammy Davis, Jr.	04:47	Spotify Amazon
10	Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody Sam M. Lewis / Jean Schwartz / Joe Young	Sammy Davis, Jr.	10:26	Spotify Amazon
11	Come Back to Me Burton Lane / Alan Jay Lerner	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:55	Spotify Amazon
12	Birth of the Blues Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:33	Spotify Amazon
13	Once in Love With Amy Frank Loesser	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:42	Spotify Amazon
14	If It's the Last Thing I Do Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:20	Spotify Amazon
15	Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone Sidney Clare / Sam H. Stept	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:38	Spotify Amazon
16	With a Song in My Heart Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:09	Spotify Amazon
17	As Long as She Needs Me Lionel Bart	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:30	Spotify Amazon
18	Bye Bye Blackbird Mort Dixon / Ray Henderson	Sammy Davis, Jr.	02:53	Spotify Amazon
19	Where or When Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:27	Spotify Amazon
20	You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You James Cavanaugh / Russ Morgan / Larry Stock	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:22	Spotify Amazon
21	Without a Song Edward Eliscu / Billy Rose / Vincent Youmans	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:50	Spotify Amazon
22	I've Gotta Be Me Walter Marks	Sammy Davis, Jr.	03:02	Spotify Amazon