Patty Duke Sings Songs from Valley of the Dolls and other selections (1968)

Patty Duke has been one of my all-time favorite actresses for as long as I can remember. You could say that I went through a period when I was pretty much obsessed with her - recording all her movies and her TV show when they came on TV, buying her old record albums (I'm only missing one), and buying various memorabilia such as the Patty Duke Board Game, paper dolls, etc. In trying to decide what to post next, a friend of mine requested that I post this album. So, Bradley, this one's for you!

Liner notes from the album:

What you will hear in this superb collection has been hailed as 'the excited voice of Patty Duke,' which is not, as it sounds, a misnomer, but which is a deliberate way of suggesting that Patty Duke's lustrous, range-rich and expressive voice displays the very essence of excitement itself. Of course, Patty is an exciting singer, but precisely because her voice is excited and emotional and full of action.
The songs themselves are diversified, in keeping with Patty Duke's own wide and considerable talents. The numbers demonstrate the subtle nuances of character, of mood and of motivation, of deep human understanding of the troubled soul who sings them. This is the personality of 'Neely O'Hara' in "Valley Of The Dolls", the destroying and self destructive, self-centered and eruptive singer which Patty Duke portrays with such power and verisimilitude.
The combination of singer and actress is a rarity in show business, as the long history of the musical stage has so often attested. Patty Duke combines both talents in a stirring and striking blend of rare accomplishment. Her achievements as a stage and motion picture actress, crowned with a coveted and much deserved Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Oscar Award for her unforgettable performance as young Helen Keller in 'The Miracle Worker' are well known. If it were at all possible, Patty Duke surpasses herself as Neely O'Hara in "Dolls", and one detects the magic of her talents in the warm modulations of her voice, in the heart-touching airs, the nostalgic themes, and above all, the deeply moving arias which come through.
What impresses above all is the diversity and range of Patty Duke's performance. Here gathered together are different songs which express the gamut of emotions which charge through vibrant and dynamic Neely O'Hara. And different they are, for they exhibit the changing moods of a woman alternately in ecstasy and anguish‹self-pity and romance, bitter cynicism and bright hope, yielding softness and brassy harshness. There are few performers who can offer this gamut of human emotions with such clarity and with such controlled power. Patty Duke has added to her laurels, and added to your entertainment pleasure.

Liner Notes By GENE KELLY

Track listing for Patty Duke Sings Songs from Valley of the Dolls and other selections:

Side 1:
1. It's Impossible
2. Come Live with Me
3. Give a Little More
4. I'll Plant My Own Tree
5. Theme from "Valley of the Dolls"

Side 2:
1. My Own Little Place
2. Half Hearted Kisses
3. Roses are Red (My Love)
4. A Million Things to Do
5. Forever Young
6. Learn to Live with Your Heartbreak