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| MARAIS
AND MIRANDA on CDs Many people have written inquiring about getting Marais and Miranda on CD. There have been two CD's issued containing Marais and Miranda recordings, "Returning Home with Marais and Miranda" (see below) and "Doris Day: Love To Be With You" (see further below). "RETURNING
HOME WITH MARAIS AND MIRANDA"
The only all-Marais & Miranda CD ever produced was "RETURNING HOME WITH MARAIS AND MIRANDA," which was pressed in a small edition in 2001 and sold on this website for 4 years. It is now sold out, and as of this time, there are no plans to reissue it. However, we keep getting requests for it. To remedy this situation, Josef and Miranda's family have graciously agreed to make the recordings from Returning Home available here as MP3s for download. These are high-quality encodings, suitable for burning your own CD. They are large files. (If there's sufficient demand, I will make lower-quality MP3's available foir more compact MP3-player loading.) 1. Beside The Windmill (7.6 MB) 2. John Anderson, My Jo (5.3 MB) 3. Ma Says, Pa Says (7.5 MB) 4. My Lady Greensleeves (7.3MB) 5. Floating Down The Stream (8.8 MB) 6. The Cat Came Back (6.9 MB) 7. Eleven Little Froggies (6.2 MB) 8. Beau Reynolds (6.4 MB) 9. Lilibulero (3.4 MB) 10. Cockles & Mussels (6.8 MB) 11. The Grindstone Man (13.2 MB) 12. Train To Kimberly (5.7 MB) 13. Fiyella (6 MB) 14. Ihashe (6.5 MB) 15. The Laird o' Cockpen (6,6 MB) 16. Go Tell Aunt Rhody (5.3 MB) 17. Sponono (5.2 MB) MARAIS & MIRANDA ON CD!! DORIS DAY: LOVE TO BE WITH YOU Zone
Records has released the first volume of the Doris Day radio show from
the early 1950's. Vol 1 - a 2-disc set - includes two
appearances
by Marais and Miranda singing a total of three songs and
doing
some of the usual radio chit-chat.
The set is
beautifully produced, and sound quality is fine. Josef
& Miranda do a gorgeous rendition of "Old
Johnny Goggabbie," maybe the best rendition they recorded. Perhaps
most unusual, Josef & Miranda sing with Doris on "Around The
Corner" and they are joined by Doris and Gordon MacRae on a performance
that evolves into a wild quartet version of "Ma Says, Pa Says," which
was then a big hit and was being covered by a variety of
singers.
The CD can be ordered from Zone Records in the UK.
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Josef Marais and Miranda were balladeers. Both immigrants to the U.S., they met during WW2 while working at the Office of War Information. They pooled their musical talents, fell in love, and built a strong and dedicated marital and musical partnership. They first presented their artistry to the rather specialized audiences who attended New York folk music clubs such as the Village Vanguard. However, their popularity quickly grew, not just in the U.S. but worldwide, and resulted in a loyal following that has persisted from 1945 to the present.
Their repertoire encompassed an eclectic selection of folk ballads, art songs, indigenous music, and original compositions, sung in both the original language and the English adaptations of Josef's arrangements. Whether they performed a song that was original or traditional, their presentation was utterly unique and their style completely their own. Their voices blended masterfully with Josef's guitar and baroque viols, while Miranda often provided rhythmic accompaniment on indigenous instruments. Together, they unerringly conveyed their joy in music and their zest for living.
Josef and Miranda performed for their enthusiastic fans in typically sold out halls, large and small, all over the world, as well as on the numerous recordings listed on this site. Their broad appeal drew high accolades from a variety of fans. Press releases and reviews supporting them can be found here.
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Sadly, most of their performances are not available on CD. The majority of their LP's were issued on the old Decca label, which is now owned by Universal Music Group. In February 2007, a UMG executive named Scott Ravine told me that UMG planned to put Marais and Miranda recordings on iTunes. As of this time, they have not done so, nor have they made them available on any other music download service to my knowledge. The other big label that issued Marais and Miranda LP's was Columbia, now owned by Sony Music. Neither of these companies appear intersted in re-issuing the music. People who would like them to re-consider should write to the companies directly. At UMG, try: Scott Ravine Read A Marais & Miranda Memory by singer and storyteller Judy Gail GUEST BOOK Anyone with comments, information or reminiscences about Josef Marais and Miranda is cordially invited to send it to us, and we will try to include it in the site. There's a very fine independent Marais and Miranda fan site at http://mosaic.echonyc.com/~jhhl/MandM\ Paul Tracey - a South African artist who sings and plays numerous instruments. FolkLib Index: A Library of Folk Music Links www.ebay.com - A good place to search for old Marais & Miranda LP's.
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This site is designed for both old fans and "new comers", as a tribute to the unique artistry of Marais and Miranda as well as a resource for information that has become quite hard-to-find. It is a collaborative effort by their son, Marcel, and Steve Miller, a writer/designer and longtime fan. Additional inspiration came from Marcel's sister Yvonne and from two other dedicated fans, Bruce and Oliver, who initiated this concept because of the powerful impact which Josef and Miranda made upon all their lives. It is our hope that you will discover (or re-discover) the joy of Josef and Miranda's music and spirit, that it will enrich your life as it has ours, and that you will spread the word to others so the music will continue to be enjoyed for decades to come. We hope you like this site. |
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