ABOUT THE DISC & RECORDINGS:

The long awaited CD debut release of this album is a wonderful joy for the ear (and heart) to behold.

When originally released in 1959, and re-released through the 1980's, "The Letter" always had a distinct sound that was superior to most albums of the day. This was due to the fact that the recordings were made in 3-track stereo. Something new at the time. Now that lush sound can be heard in remastered 24-bit digital - sounding better than imagined. Gordon Jenkins' amazing orchestrations and Judy's one-of-a-kind voice blend to create a unique and totally satisfying listening experience.

The CD packaging stays as true to the original album's intent as possible. The original had an envelope pasted to the front, with a copy of "the letter" inside, and that letter is reprinted here, as are all of the original album's liner notes and artwork. The new CD booklet opens up to reveal the original album's artwork and text, from left to right. These two panels then open from the center to read the remaining original text, again from left-to-right (see below), as well as new notes about Garland and Jenkins and the production of the album, excellently written by Scott Schechter, author of "Judy Garland: The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend" and "The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook".

Astute listeners might notice a few slight differences between the previously released LP versions and this one. In some of the previous versions (such as the 1980's French LP release), the "cute" dialogue during the first verse of "Charley's Blues" isn't included, and the LP ends with a slightly different and more abrupt ending to "Come Back" (Judy seems to run out of steam). For this CD release, the producers used Capitol's stereo 3-track masters, except for the last note on the word "Sun" in "Come Back", which is from the mono master.

This is as perfect a realization of "The Letter" on CD as can be imagined. A true testament to Judy's artistry, and to DRG Records' continuing excellence in producing the best possible transfers of classic recordings.

All images on this page from the collections of Scott Brogan & Eric Hemphill.