Lay Down Your Arms - The Anne Shelton Collection 1940-62

Anne Shelton was a popular English vocalist whose career encompassed early years as an inspiring performer during WWII, becoming popular on both sides of the Atlantic in post-war years, with her chart hits continuing through the rock ‘n’ roll era into the 1960s. This great-value 50-track 2-CD set provides a selective overview of that career, with early recordings following her debut in 1940 at the age of 17 with Bert Ambrose’s orchestra, and then solo recordings for the UK Rex and Decca labels and the US London label, followed by releases on HMV and Philips in the UK and Columbia in the USA. It features all her career hits in the UK and USA, including the 1956 UK No. 1 “Lay Down Your Arms” and 1960 No. 10 “Sailor” plus the US Top 30 hits “Be Mine” and Galway Bay” and the UK Top 30 hits “Arrivederci Darling”, “Seven Days” and “The Village Of St. Bernadette”. She was a hugely versatile performer, beginning life as a big band vocalist and becoming a sophisticated mainstream song stylist in the post-war years before turning her hand to poppier material through the ‘50s, her ability to achieve success in the USA – unusual in that era for British artists – underlining her broad appeal. We hope this selection of recordings from across more than two decades offers a representative overview of her career and an enjoyable showcase for her talent and versatility.