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Gift of Song

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Gift of Song
Studio album by
Released15 February 1970
StudioWestern Recorders, Hollywood, California
GenreFolk, pop
LabelA&M
ProducerChad Stewart
Judith Durham chronology
For Christmas with Love
(1968)
Gift of Song
(1970)
Climb Ev’ry Mountain
(1971)
Alternative cover
Australian 1973 re-release

Gift of Song is the second studio album released in 1970 by Australian recording artist Judith Durham.

The album was re-released in 1973 and again on CD and digitally in 2012.[1][2]

The album produced the singles, "The Light Is Dark Enough"/"Wanderlove" which was released in January 1970[3] and "Take Care of My Brother".

Reception

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Richie Unterberger from AllMusic gave the album 3 out of 5 saying "This seems to be A&M's (unsuccessful) attempt to break ex-Seeker Judith Durham into the American pop market. Not much of The Seekers' folk-pop is left on this heavily, though tastefully, orchestrated production. Durham and her handlers seem to be aiming for a Judy Collins-like Baroque-folk on many cuts, and (in other parallel with Collins) some theatrical art song-informed songs. Durham's voice is not as good or expressive as Collins', and her material isn't as stellar either. For all that, this isn't a bad record, particularly when it does get into its most melancholy classical-Baroque arrangements on "Wanderlove," "There's a Baby," and similar numbers. A couple of Mason Williams songs, "Wanderlove" and "Here Am I," are among the better offerings, and there's also a relatively little-known Harry Nilsson song, "Wailing of the Willow"."[4]

Track listing

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LP/ Cassette
  1. "Wanderlove" (Mason Williams) - 2:35
  2. "I Wish I Knew" (Roger Nichols, Hal Levy) - 2:50
  3. "There's a Baby" (Alan Bernstein, Vic Millrose) - 2:52
  4. "That's How My Love Is" (Clive Westlake) - 3:10
  5. "I Can Say" (David Reilly) - 3:38
  6. "Gift of Song" (Patti Ingalls) - 3:08
  7. "Wailing of the Willow" (Harry Nilsson) - 2:29
  8. "The Light Is Dark Enough" (Jean Maitland, Richard Kerr) - 2:39
  9. "Take Care of My Brother" (Art Podell) - 3:00
  10. "God Bless the Child" (Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday) - 2:49
  11. "Here Am I" (Mason Williams) - 2:33

Personnel

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  • Judith Durham - vocals
  • Steve LeFever - bass
  • Hal Blaine - drums
  • Richard Clements - arrangements
  • Erno Neufeld - concertmaster
Technical
  • Mike Shields - engineer
  • Tom Wilkes - art direction
  • Jim McCrary - photography
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References

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  1. ^ "Gift of Song by Judith Durham". Sanity. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Gift of Song". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Judith Durham singles". Judith Durham UK. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Gift Of Song". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 September 2016.