Destry Rides Again

Harold Rome's musical 'Destry Rides Again' opened on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on April 23 1959 and ran for a respectable 493 performances. Based on the classic 1939 Western film of the same name, 'Destry Rides Again' was produced by David Merrick and starred Andy Griffith and Dolores Gray. The production earned 4 Tony Award nominations, with Michael Kidd winning the award for Best Choreography.

One week after the Original Broadway Cast Album was recorded by Decca, a studio cast album of Harold Rome's score was recorded at RCA Victor's Studio A in New York City and subsequently issued on the RCA Camden imprint. Produced by Chick Crumpacker with lead vocals by popular recording, radio and television personalities Louise O'Brien and Jack Haskell, the album presented another platform to showcase Harold Rome's immediate and memorable score.

The album is complemented by a generous selection of bonus tracks spotlighting the many pop recordings covers of Rome's score, including cuts by Lisa Kirk ('Ring on the Finger'), Sammy Davis, Jr. ('Fair Warning'), Anita Bryant ('Anyone Would Love You'), Sylvia Syms ('I Say Hello'), Richard Hayes ('Ballad of the Gun') and more.