Born in Australia, singer Diana Trask emigrated to the United States in 1959 after catching the ear of a visiting Frank Sinatra, and soon landed a slot as a cast member of Mitch Miller's TV show, appearing on the program from 1960-64, when the show got cancelled. She returned to Australia for several years, but set her sights on a career in country music and moved back to the States in the late 'Sixties, where she settled into a career as a third-tier Top Forty artist, eventually retiring in the 1980s after scoring a few mid-level 'Seventies hits. Her country stuff sounded pretty pop-oriented, even for the countrypolitan era, but if you like slick stuff, it might be worth a whirl. Here's a quick look at her work...
Diana Trask "Diana Trask" (Columbia Records, 1961)
Before Ms. Trask "went country" in the late 'Sixties, she was a straight-up pop vocals artist, signed to Columbia by square music icon, Mitch Miller, and her early albums reflect this mainstream pop orientation. Country fans will have to wait a while for a little twang to come out...
Diana Trask "Diana Trask On TV" (Columbia Records, 1961) (LP)
Diana Trask "Miss Country Soul" (Dot Records, 1969) (LP)
Diana Trask "From The Heart" (Dot Records, 1969) (LP)
Diana Trask "Diana's Country" (Dot Records, 1971) (LP)
Diana Trask "Sings About Loving" (Dot Records, 1972) (LP)
Diana Trask "It's A Man's World" (Dot Records, 1973) (LP)
(Produced by Norro Wilson)
Yeesh. This Aussie-born filly did some passably twangy material before this (wish I still had those early albums as reference), but this mix of overbaked countrypolitan and outright showtunes-y vocals is really cluttered and clunky. I mean, it has it's moments, but there's nothing I'd go back to to listen to for fun... It's just a little too mannered and densely constructed. Nothing special.
Diana Trask "Lean It All On Me" (ABC/Dot Records, 1974) (LP)
Diana Trask "Greatest Hits" (ABC/Dot Records, 1974) (LP)
Diana Trask "The Mood I'm In" (ABC/Dot Records, 1975) (LP)
Diana Trask "Believe Me Now Or Believe Me Later" (ABC/Dot Records, 1976) (LP)
