There are so many good versions of this song. I gather this was 1987, when she played in Follies at age 63. What a powerful voice. There's less of the nyah, hah, hah, now who has the last laugh, and more of a feeling of steady perseverance in her rendition. It's great to have so many versions preserved to be enjoyed for decades to come.

This version, her performing is fabulous! ❤️ I always loved Dolores Gray! And her makeup and hair style is perfect mid fifties. Great!

I saw Dolores in a preview in the original production and boy! She was stunning. Still the best rendition of this song we waited at the stage door to meet her together with the rest of the coast and she was such a generous and friendly person. She made sure she spoke to everyone. A truly wonderful lady. Michael Lilley.

I saw this production of Follies in London over 30 years ago now. It was superb. The entire cast was stellar, the play and production were brilliant, yet Dolores Gray still stopped the show with this number. She had real authority, total command of the stage and the audience. Despite the poignancy, she played her character with no self pity, no regrets,. I wish, with hindsight, I had gone to see more of the 20th century greats, you don't realise when you are young that time will fly by and one day you will wake up and they will all be gone.

She conveys the story of this song beautifully. You just know she relates to every line!

Magnificent performance. Saw her in London and time stood still. As good as Yvonne and perhaps better. A truly great revival and one of my fondest memories of London musicals.

I saw her in Follies in London at the Shaftsbury Theatre - with Diana Rigg.Spectacular visuals in that production!

I recall seeing Gray in Follies in London. She was absolutely wonderful.

her voice is so comfortable to listen to- it's so secure

A joy never to be forgotten. And she grew, and grew, and grew...a showstopper. A wall of woman, voice and life. Knocked back in seats. Film can't communicate it. LIVE is live. Had to be there. I was. Love to Dolly Delores. RIP.

She has a rich tone quality in her voice which means she has to approach the song less cynically than some, but she is every bit the ex glamorous star. Wonderful Dolores Gray.

Dolores Gray. An unsung actress of the 1950s at MGM. I did not know she did theater. Gray is better here than in the 50s.

I've heard a hundred versions of this and Dolores Grey is the best !

LOVE her voice!!! a lot of older women let their voices go to shit, not her! Still powerful and with a beautiful tone!

Still a glamorous and gifted singer! Love Delores Gray!

🎹 Fabulous rendition. Hadn't heard it till now. What a terrific voice.

I have to hear this every morning to get through the day!

I saw the show in London in 1987. Dolores Gray was fabulous as was Diana Rigg. It was a splendid production. I have seen it 2 other times unfortunately not then original Broadway production. Got the OBC album to that when it first came out and stayed up all night listening to it over and over. I was so knocked out. In my opinion it is Sondheim's masterpiece and considering his other shows that is saying something. This song is so superb. I have about 10 different versions of it. I only wish they had released the soundtrack to Postcards From the Edge with Shirley Maclaine's version. Probably my all time favourite song!!!

I don’t think I’ve heard anyone else add a “Ha!” after “anything else is a laugh”. Fabulous. And does she ever sell it.

Dolores Gray has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard!

it is nice to hear a real singer do this.

This is a really good version, and I am a Follies snob.

This is how to sell a song -- with passion!

Wow! Fantastic performance. Thanks for posting!

4:39 - 4:41 might have to be 1 of my ringtones ! The way she stated "I'm still here!" Revelatory!

Wow the power of her voice blows me away! Thanks for posting!

Her pitch, rich alto voice was well equipped to sing without tsking actors shortcuts. Delores Gray had the chops@

Oh, I remember Gray so well in the original London production of Follies! It was so exciting to see a genuine Broadway / MGM star live - and in such an incredible production. The designs by the late Maria Bjornson were stunning.

The very, very best version is this - Dolores Grey !!!

All petty critics will be boiled in oil through eternity. All who sang this with passion were amazing because they lived that song. I adore Ms Gray's performance as I do all of them. Live the life and sing the song. God bless 'em all!

Fabulous performance from a fabulous musical. Sadly I didn't see Dolores perform this on the London stage, but I did see Eartha Kitt in London in the same role ... (she was fabulous also)

The best version.

DG had a strong voice. Loved her version of Im Here.

Just Fabulous Xxxxx

This is the only version of this song where the singer can finish the last stanza without screeching - leave it to Dolores Gray to pull this off; she is pitch perfect. She should have been a much bigger star, but she is stellar…

What a gorgeous voice!

I love her voice. Amazing woman.

@BigglesWatch Actually, the reverse is true. Dolores Gray originated the role in the London production. Eartha Kitt succeeded Gray in the role.

Perhaps the best version of this song.

I got to see Carol Burnett perform this in the concert that sparked this West End revival. One of my top 3 Sondheim musicals. Gray is wonderful here. Abe Burrows and Bert Lahr would be proud 😊

A star singing a star song!

I love this and her voice is excellent! I would love to hear Liza Minnelli do this!

The conductor is not following her lead. She keeps trying to slow him down, but he just keeps his own tempo. It's almost as if they didn't rehearse this.

Fantastic!

Guys, Ann Miller was 80, when she recorded this song. For an 80 year old, she fucking ROCKED that song like no one's business. Not to detract from Dolores, here, but at least Annie was on tempo.

Powerful version from a powerful woman

A M A Z I N G WOMAN.............

Phenomenal!! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

all these know it alls.. I love this! best!

Powerful performer!

"I lived through Shirley Temple" looks towards the royal box - couldn't help if she knew that was the cruel nickname given to Her Majesty The Queen by her uncle Duke of Windsor lol i know she wouldn't have, but still, bet the Queen sat a little straighter then lol

Dolores you're incredible x. 🎉

Terrific!

Sorry y Yvonne de Carlo from the Original Broadway show which this was picked for her to sing Nails it with all the Emotions and Voice She Lives this Song ,My opinion

@jemb2000. You are absolutely correct, my apologies. I saw the original London cast and the take overs. Gray was far better in my opinion.

Gray would have been the next Elmer Merman is musicals hadn't lost their popularity with the general public.

Best version easy.

Story of my life.

Sorry, saw the original on Broadway in 1971. A composer knows who he is writing for when they write a song like this out of town (Boston) in this case for Yvonne DeCarlo. Maybe not the strongest voice, but her interpretation of the piece has never been exceeded by any singer. My opinion.

Very Good!

thank u darling !!!!!! ur the best.

Judy would have KILLED with this! That would've been awesome!

"original tempo" -- that's based on.....? checking with Steve? the score markings? :)

We saw this several times in London, twice with Dolores, once with Eartha. Both were amazing, but l saw the pre-Broadway tryouts in Boston, for my 20th birthday present, and can't forget Yvonne de Carlo's vocally less bombastic but emotionally moving take. The only version I have ever really detested is Carol Burnett's mugging, exaggerated reading in the 85 concert version.

Fantastic...what year was this?

Dolores sort of turned her back on America and made England her turf where she was a perennial favorite. Better to be queen of England than another on a roster of aging stars in the U.S.

Ms Paige is just dandy. She's unique in the role, more hysterical than I needed, but she wakes things up a bit. Ms. Gray - some pipes, I have to say. Not a jot of self-pity (one assumes this is how she played the role on stage). I did keep wanting to jump up there and push her along, but that's some voice.

Dick Kallman would’ve approved

@jjweho Dolores Gray never played Carlotta on Broadway.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am amazed :'D

Does anybody know- what production she played Carlotta? I saw her in the London production in the late eighties, but I cannot find what BWay production. . .

Much better than Miller's version mainly because Dolores Gray has a warmer persona and a better voice

is this clip from a British show?

Search for Jim Bailey's version as Judy on youtube--it's uncanny

She is consistently off a beat.

@tightlygagged i can't speak about Paige's performance on Broadway. I did see her in Piaf and Sunset Boulevard however and she was extraordinary. The Piaf performance was, quite simply, the most powerful one woman tour de force I've ever seen. I saw both Gray and Kitt in Follies in the West End and they were both good in their own very unique ways. But from what I've seen (on KZfaq) of Paige in Follies I think she does a good job (although I would have preferred her as Sally).

Polly Bergen was the Best with this song. Delores is a close second. Shirley MacLaine sung it on film she was Great.

Kismet wouldn't be a hit without her.

I believe Judy Garland could made this transcendent. Sadly, she had died before this.

She played Carlotta in the London production at the Shaftesbury Theatre, she took over from Eartha Kitt who was in the original cast.

@marcosvalenca Miller thought she was a singer, but she wasn't.

Funny how she sings very off the beat except the refrain; I was hoping she didn't modulate it down as on the cast recording, but maybe her top notes weren't there. Still very expressive, and loose.

And here's a 2020 version of this iconic song: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qdWgqdSDnbzNdWg.html

Nicely sung, but this isn't a singer's song. Ann Miller, many years her senior, has her beat.

She seems to be singing to a music track heard by her alone.

Much more powerful voice than Ann Miller, I prefer it sung this way!!

She died the day I was born

I love Dolores as much as the next gay man but, good lord, her back-phrasing is atrocious! However, I do not think this is her fault. The tempo on the cast recording is roughly 102bpm. This one is around 116bpm. I'm assuming that the conductor was told to pick up the tempo for television purpose and in doing so poor Dolores was left in the dust.

Better than Ann Miller's version!

The greatest voice to navigate this number. Yet, she doesn't quite convince me. I think they used to call it being "vulernable." .

wtf dat dress ?????

Ji

You can't back phrase Sondheim like that…. it sounds awful

@TonyDale I just saw the 2011 revival yesterday. Elaine Paige was the weakest in an otherwise flawless production. She lost the irony of the song because of her phrasing.

Not feeling this. At all. The phrasing sounds like William Shatner directed her.

not a flattering gown

She is in fantastic voice here, but the phrasing is perfectly awful. It seems like she can't hear the orchestra. Too bad, because she was a wonderful performer.

Painful. Backphrasing every line. Did she ever hear of singing to the actual rhythm of the song?

She can still sing but her timing is way off sorry. The orchestra doesn't know what to do - wait for her to catch up or just leave her to it. It's a bit sad really.