Connie Haines was a female vocalist who established a  reputation as a singer with a number of prominent big swing bands of the early 1940s before going on to forge a solo career in the post-war era.

Born Yvonne Marie Antoinette Jasme in 1921, she began performing at age four as a singer in Pick Malone’s Saucy Baby Show in Savannah, and by nine had a regular radio show performing as “Baby Yvonne Marie, the Little Princess of the Air”. She went on to work with Harry James, who suggested she changed her name. Interviewed in 1981, she recalled: “He said you don’t look like Yvonne Marie Antonette Jasme. And there would be no room on the marquee for me. You look like a Connie to me.”

Working with James’ orchestra and then Tommy Dorsey, in the latter case alongside Frank Sinatra, she had notable success during the war years before recording with Gordon Jenkins for the fledgling Capitol label, and recording for Mercury, Signature and primarily for Coral in the post-war era.

This 50-track set comprises recordings from all those relationships, the selection of performances with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, The Pied Pipers and Jo Stafford, including four Top 20 hits with Two Dreams Met,  You Might Have Belonged To Another, Kiss The Boys Goodbye and What Is This Thing Called Love?

The selected A- and B-sides of her solo singles also feature her solo hits on Coral from 1949 How It Lies, How It Lies, How It Lies! and Maybe It’s Because. She was a talented song stylist, equally at home singing with big bands, or performing the mainstream pop that characterised the post-war decade, and this will appeal to lovers of what is often called “the golden age of popular music”.

REVIEWS

It's good to have this collection available. Singers of this era all had to adhere to very high standards of professionalism and this shines through in all the many collectible sets that Acrobat have produced over the years. These singers such as Connie Haines may not have racked up a multitude of hits compared to some of the biggest names but that does not invalidate their output or diminish their appeal. What would we give if only a small percentage of the likes of Connie Haines were around today. - Gerry Stonestreet (In Tune Issue 354)