A Little Bit in Love is a compilation album released in September 1970 by English actress and singer Julie Andrews, under Columbia Records' budget label Harmony. The album compiles recordings made by Andrews for Columbia Records in the early 1960s. The album predominantly features songs from Broadway musicals, although not specifically from productions in which Julie Andrews performed. It reflects her early association with the Broadway stage, where she first gained fame. The songs were occasionally accompanied by a barbershop quartet.
The compilation assembles a discerning selection of performances drawn from two prior studio albums: "Broadway's Fair Julie" and "Don't Go in the Lion's Cage Tonight and Other Heartrending Ballads and Raucous Ditties". The tracks "A Little Bit in Love", "I Feel Pretty", "How Can I Wait", "If Love Were All", "This Is New", and "Looking for a Boy" first appeared on "Broadway's Fair Julie" (1962), and serve to illustrate Andrews's enduring engagement with the Broadway musical canon. In parallel, the selections "Burlington Bertie from Bow", "Waiting at the Church (My Wife Won't Let Me)", and "By the Light of the Silvery Moon", originating from "Don't Go in the Lion's Cage Tonight and Other Heartrending Ballads and Raucous Ditties" (1962), reflect a turn towards traditional British music hall and vaudeville traditions, thereby highlighting the artist's versatility across diverse musical genres and cultural repertoires.
Critical reception.
In his review, critic William Ruhlmann from AllMusic praised the album for its comprehensive showcase of Julie Andrews's versatility at the height of her career. He highlighted her effective and elegant interpretations of Broadway ballads, noting that, although character songs sometimes stretched beyond her usual repertoire, she particularly excelled on the more obscure selections. Ruhlmann also commended her spirited and affectionate performances of the music hall numbers, suggesting that, despite the stark tonal shift between the two original albums, the compilation as a whole offered a rich and engaging portrait of a major talent in her prime.
Commercial performance.
The album appeared in the September 12, 1970, edition of "Billboard", in the 4 Stars section for Low Price Popular albums. This section highlights promising releases recommended by the magazine. Despite this, the album failed to appear on the magazine's charts.
Personnel.
Credits adapted from the liner notes of "A Little Bit In Love" record.