ALMA COGAN PMES 535 (-65/-72) MONO SWEDEN

Alma Cogan (born Alma Angela Cohen 1932-66) was one of Britains most popular and highly paid female vocalists of the fifties and early sixties with eighteen high charting singles on the UK list 1954-61. Then as popular music changed towards merseybeat, rock and blues she was suddely considered "square" and soon "yesterday's news". Though with vanishing approval on home turf she remained appreciated in other parts of the world. Especially in Sweden where she got a second carreer mid-sixties with two #1 singles - "Tennessee Waltz" and "The Birds And The Bees" - TV appearances and sold-out concerts. A girl I was secretly in love with back then adored her, talked about her a lot and had a room filled with Alma Cogan posters and "all her records". It wasn't my kind of music, but for a long time I agreed and went along with it just to humor her and get inside. As I recall the pretend liking didn't get me anywhere and she eventually told me to get lost...in a nice way of course so I did. Anyway good innocent times and for me Alma Cogan will always be connected with that girl and listening now takes me back fifty years to when colors were brighter, sounds clearer and love could make you do the strangest things. This issue was Swedish only. Not sure if the recordings were British or Swedish, or of mixed heritage. In any case I don't think they sound dated for its time. She always had the voice and track choice as well as arrangements here reminds of contemporary Sandie Shaw or Cilla Black, way into the then modern age. At the time she was re-inventing her persona to fit the sixties pop scene and if continued on the same path there might have been a British comeback. But sadly while doing club dates in England early 1966 she collapsed and was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Nevertheless she went on a Swedish tour just a month later to promote her Swedish only single "Hello Baby", collapsed again and was rushed home to England where she died October same year. This was first released on Columbia 1965 (SSX 1019). Also on cassette 1972 (Odeon TC-PMES 535). 1993 CD (EMI 0777 7895142 1) came with eight bonus tracks. The one shown here was the second press, using the same matrixes as the original. It came with label as shown here and thin matt cover. (FÄV*) (CCÖ*) (SWÄU*)