From the PRODUCERS NOTES in the CD Booklet:
"It is with great pleasure that we premiere the original soundtrack album to one of the best MGM Musicals of all time, The Harvey Girls, featuring the timeless songs of Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer, perfectly rendered by the extraordinary Judy Garland and a stellar supporting cast.

The music for The Harvey Girls was recorded with several microphones placed strategically throughout the scoring stage, each creating discrete recordings called "angles" that captured the vocals and different sections of the orchestra. Each angle was then edited, using portions of many different 'takes' of each song or score piece. Finally, the edited vocal orchestral angles were mixed to monaural composite tracks ('comps') in preparation for final use in the film.

While very few angles for The Harvey Girls were available, most of the orchestral and vocal comps did survive the aging process and were used to master most selections on this album. Individual angles were available for the Oscar-winning 'On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe,' the joyous 'Swing Your Partner Round And Round,' and the wonderful outtake 'March Of The Doagies,' enabling us to mix these selections in true stereo. Neither comps nor angles were available for a portion of 'Training Montage (The Train Must Be Fed)' or 'Wait And See' reprise #2, so it was necessary to replace missing sections with the music and effects track of the fine-grain print master. Due to the natural aging process of all production elements, the listener will note occasional variations in fidelity. Selections are presented in their original order and by name as they appear in the conductor's score."

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Music conducted by ..Lennie Hayton
Music and Lyrics by ..Harry Warren & Johnny Mercer
Additional Music and Lyrics by ..Kay Thompson, Ralph Blane, Conrad Salinger
Additional Arrangements and Orchestrations by ..Conrad Salinger, Bob Franklyn, Ted Duncan, David Raksin, Roger Edens, Wally Heglin, Daniele Amphitheatrof, Paul Marquardt, Joseph Nussbaum
Vocal Arrangements by:..Kay Thompson

All music recorded in Culver City, California

Recordings in stereo noted by an asterisk * ...................... JUDY GARLAND tracks in BLUE

Continuation of the participants in the recording of "On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe": Benny Carter, The Seckler Group, The Williams Brothers (Andy, Bob, and Don), Alice Ludes, Dorothy McCarthy, Lee Botch, Jud Conlon, Ralph Blane, Loulie Jean Norman, Dorothy Jackson, Judy Matson, Mary Moder, Ruth Clark, Jimmie Garland, Dorothy Wilkerson, Vivian Edwards, Joe Karnes, Kenneth Rundquist, Claude Martin, Arnet Amos, Elva Kellogg, and the MGM Studio Chorus

** "Introduction to Great Big World" Performed by the MGM Studio Orchestra, recorded on 06.30.1945

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The Harvey Girls was completed on June 4, 1945 but did not premiere until January 1946 due to the amount of product that MGM had on the market and/or slated ahead of the film.

Judy Garland would marry Vincente Minnelli just eleven days after principle photography was completed for The Harvey Girls.

This was Judy's last starring role in a musical until after the birth of daughter Liza Minnelli in 1946 (Judy would film her guest spots in Till The Clouds Roll By in 1945 and would not return until 1947 to film The Pirate).

"On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe" on the Oscar for Best Song of 1946. Strangely, Judy rarely ever sang it after leaving MGM.

Director George Sidney has since marvelled at the genius of Judy Garland. Judy had a reputation for being one of the quickest learners in all of Hollywood. She could hear a song once or twice, then sing it back as if she had been practicing for days. Same with dancing, both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire recalled how she was the quickest study they had ever worrked with. On this occasion, Sidney been rehearsing the staging of "On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe" for most of the day (on Lot 3 of the MGM Studios). Judy came on the set, watched a "dance-in" go through the number a couple of times, then said "I'm ready" and did the number in one take. "...she did it like she had been rehearsing it for six months. It was sheer genius!" said Sidney. If you watch, her entrance through her part of the song is one shot without any cuts.

The recording listed above of the Judy Garland/Kay Thompson duet of "In The Valley (When The Evening Sun Goes Down)" is the only known recording of these two lifelong friends singing together. Kay Thompson's immense talents and unique vocal style would have an influence on Judy throughout her life. Kay would open up doors of musicality for Judy that she didn't know existed. In fact, Judy would be closer to Kay than she ever was or would be with another woman. They were the best of friends. Kay would leave the Freed Unit just a few years later, to form her own famous nightclub act. Kay is also the author of the "Eloise" books, and is the Godmother of Liza Minnelli.

Ray Bolger, of course, co-starred with Judy six years earlier as The Scarecrow in The Wizard Of Oz. They were lifelong friends and obviously got along wonderfully - as evidenced when watching him as her guest on her T.V. Series almost 20 years later. Ray's dance to "On The Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe" is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated dances ever put on film.

Angela Lansbury was fresh off her success in Gaslight (and Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress) when she was cast in The Harvey Girls. She later remarked about how much she learned from watching Judy work - and would joke about how she received "hate mail" after the film came out, from fans who chided her for being so "mean to Judy"!!!

Cyd Charisse was just beginning to make waves when she made The Harvey Girls. It would be another 6 years before she would achive a much deserved "real" star status. Ms. Charisse is one of the most beautiful, elegant dancers ever to appear on screen. She married Tony Martin in the 1950's and they're still married today.

Virginia O'Brien was a popular "novelty" singer/actress of the 1940's - famous for her "deadpan" straight faced, no-nonsense delivery of songs. The legend is that when she auditioned on Broadway, she was so nervous she couldn't smile. The director liked her and hired her to perform just as she did in the audition. This eventually worked against her, and she was never taken seriously as a singer or actress - and she was sadly under-utiilized by MGM. For the latter part of shooting The Harvey Girls, she was pregnant. So her scenes had to be shot quickly - this is why you don't see her in the latter part of the film.