Despite its highfalutin' title, British budget-reissue label Prism Leisure's
Dick Haymes compilation
The Ultimate Collection is just another in a long line of cheap discs made to take advantage of the 50-year copyright limitation in Europe. The album is generous, boasting 25 tracks and a 74-and-a-half-minute running time. With the exception of "I'll Get By," recorded by bandleader
Harry James with
Haymes on vocals for Columbia in 1941 (but not a number one hit until 1944), the selections are all drawn from
Haymes' tenure at Decca Records, 1943-1949. Included are both solo recordings and several hit duets with
Helen Forrest, such as "It Had to Be You" and "I'll Buy That Dream," plus a duet with
Judy Garland on "For You, for Me, for Evermore." Eighteen of
Haymes' 27 Top Ten hits following his big band days are included, among them the chart-topper "You'll Never Know" and his other gold record, the number two hit "Little White Lies." But far too many favorites are missing for the album to live up to its title, especially when the familiar muffled sound of compilations made on the cheap is taken into consideration. Supposedly, albums like this are not for sale in the U.S.; in practice, they're usually easy to find inexpensively, and for the novice this one will give a sense of
Haymes' singing. But there are legitimate stateside collections that would be more highly recommended.