A musical journey through the lives of Amelia Earhart and George Putnam from their first meeting in 1928 until she disappeared in 1937.

16 MP3 Songs
EASY LISTENING: Musicals/Broadway, EASY LISTENING: Soft Rock



Details:
Best Theatre Album nominee in the 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards!

This is about the creation of a reluctant celebrity. The songs on this album tell the story of the relationship between famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart and her promoter George Putnam beginning when they met in 1928 until her disappearance in 1937. Many of the characters are fictional created by Linda Page in her book (script) for Amelia's Journey, the Creation of a Reluctant Celebrity (formerly entitled Amelia & George: The Journey's Not Over) (copyright Linda Page). The events are dramatizations. When she first met George Amelia disliked him, but eventually married him. He was a wheeler dealer. Putnam was well connected with the press, The White House & the movie studios. He asked Amelia if she would like to be the first female to fly the Atlantic. Amelia, a social worker at the time, felt she wasn't experienced enough to pilot a plane across the ocean. George explained that she would lie between two fuel tanks in the plane while a male pilot would fly the plane, but that she would get all the glory. He sings the song "Spread your Wings" to try and convince her. Later she is with her lifelong friend Gwen Bowen and her flying mentor Duke Munroe discussing her concern about the flight and sings "The Journey's Not Over". She reluctantly agrees to the flight. Putnam says "You're Mighty Lucky to Have Met Me" to Amelia. As she's getting ready to leave on the transatlantic flight with the pilot and mechanic she wonders "Why Did I Say I Would Do This?" After her triumphant flight to Wales, successful tour of Europe and return to America, she and George travel the United States promoting her as a speaker, heroine and author, as she wrote a book about her flight. Returning home after many months with Amelia, George finds his wife has left him and gone to Reno for a divorce. Once the divorce is granted, George asks Amelia to marry him in the song "If You Were Mine". Amelia turns him down. While working as her manager over many months he keeps asking her to marry him. Finally Amelia decides she will marry him, but with a lot of conditions (perhaps the first prenuptial agreement) which she describes in "Attractive Cage". After much flying experience Amelia is finally ready to be the first female to fly SOLO across the Atlantic. Landing in Ireland she sings "Nothing Matches the Feeling". There is a celebration at Amelia & George's Rye, NY house where Amelia leads George & the guests in "Fly through The Universe With Me". Gwen wants Amelia to attend a Broadway show with her, but George, as usual, wants Amelia to work. George tells them it takes "Money To Pay The Bills", Amelia is overwhelmed by her career. She and Gwen sing of a simpler time when they were growing up in Kansas ("Winding Grandpa's Clock"). Amelia & George plan for Amelia to be the first person to fly around the world. George tries to announce it at a press conference, but is interrupted by Annie Page and other female fliers in "America Flies With Amelia (It Wasn't Amelia's Fault)". The press and some of the public have turned on Amelia. She is feeling sad and sings "Firewalk". Amelia is discussing the upcoming flight with Duke who tells her she's not used to the bigger plane with all the new equipment George is getting from the corporate sponsors (She has already crashed on her first attempt at a 'round the world flight). She tells Duke not to worry. She leaves and Duke who has secret feelings for Amelia sings "If You Were Mine Reprise" to himself. George & Amelia are together in California the night before she is to leave on her 'round the world flight. She and George sing "Your Love" [and "The Wisdom of Solomon"]. George has Gwen and other actors and dancers rehearsing a song "Flying Around the World" to be sung at the conclusion of Amelia's 'round the world flight on the 4th of July, 1937. While rehearsing they get the news on the radio that Amelia's plane is missing and presumed crashed into the ocean after running out of fuel on the way to tiny Howland Island in the South Pacific. Amelia had flown 22,000 miles before disappearing. In the finale Gwen & others sing "Heading For the Future", while George and others sings "Spread Your Wings".

Vocalists on this album are:
Anita O'Connor as Amelia Earhart and harmonies,
David Bosley Reynolds as George Putnam,
Eloise Ullman as Gwen Bowen and harmonies,
Maurie O'Connor as Duke Munroe and harmonies,
John E. Starr, Jr. on harmony vocals & arrangements
Anita & Eloise as the other female fliers.

Instrumentalists on this album are:
John E. Starr, Jr. on arrangements and all instruments except for guitar, banjo and additional percussion;
Gerry Kunkel on guitar and banjo
Les Lentz on additional percussion and engineering

Produced by Doug Schenker

Samberhalo Records [see www.samberhalo.com]