1982  ·  Jazz  ·  Vocal Jazz / Cabaret  ·  1980s  ·  US  ·  12-inch LP

Smilin’ Through is a charming 1982 collaboration between British jazz vocal legend Cleo Laine and comedian-pianist Dudley Moore, released during the peak of Moore’s Hollywood fame following the blockbuster film ‘Arthur.’ The album showcases Moore’s considerable classical and jazz piano chops alongside Laine’s virtuosic, multi-octave voice on a program of beloved popular standards. For collectors, it represents a unique artifact of two British entertainment icons at the height of their transatlantic celebrity.

🎶 Track Highlights

Smilin’ Through, Thou Swell, Body and Soul, I’ve Got a Crush on You — a program of classic American and British popular song standards performed with wit and warmth

💰 Album Pricing

This is a relatively modest collectible in market terms. Common US pressings typically sell in the $5–18 range on Discogs depending on condition. UK pressings (RCA/CBS affiliated) and promo copies attract slightly more interest at $15–30. There are no known high-value auction outliers for this title, as it remains primarily of interest to Cleo Laine completists and Dudley Moore fans.

📖 Album Notes

Cleo Laine, born Clementine Dinah Campbell in 1927, is one of the most technically accomplished jazz vocalists Britain has ever produced — a singer celebrated for her extraordinary four-octave range and impeccable musicianship. By the early 1980s she was already a Dame-in-waiting (she received the DBE in 1997) with a decades-long career fronting the John Dankworth Orchestra. Dudley Moore, her collaborator here, is better remembered by many as a Hollywood comedy star, but his roots were firmly in jazz piano and satirical cabaret — he studied music at Oxford and was a genuine, practiced jazz pianist of considerable skill before ‘Not Only… But Also’ and ‘Arthur’ made him a global name.

Smilin’ Through was released in 1982 on Finesse Records, a CBS-distributed imprint, at the precise moment when Dudley Moore’s fame was at its absolute zenith following the worldwide success of ‘Arthur’ (1981). The album captures a meeting of old friends in a relaxed, cabaret-inflected jazz setting, running through classic popular songs of the golden era with Moore’s tasteful piano accompaniment providing the perfect foil to Laine’s vocal fireworks. The material — drawn from the Great American and British Songbooks — includes Tin Pan Alley staples and music hall favorites, performed with wit and evident mutual affection.

From a collector’s standpoint, the catalog number visible in the upper right corner of this cover (partially legible as beginning with ‘KKLT’ or similar, likely a radio station promo sticker or library code) suggests this copy may have passed through a radio station or institutional library at some point, which could affect grade but adds a layer of provenance interest. The cover design — bold red background with both artists bursting through what appears to be a paper surface — is a visually distinctive piece of early-1980s graphic design. The sleeve on this copy shows moderate ring wear, light corner wear, and general shelf fatigue consistent with a VG grade.

Pressing variants of note: The primary US pressing appeared on Finesse/CBS. There were parallel UK and European pressings under CBS-affiliated imprints. Japanese pressings, if they exist for this title, would carry the standard collector premium for that market’s superior quality control. Promo copies with ‘NOT FOR SALE’ stamps are occasionally encountered and attract modest additional interest among Dudley Moore completists. No picture disc or colored vinyl variants are known to exist for this release.

For serious collectors, this album occupies a niche but meaningful place in the discographies of both artists. Cleo Laine enthusiasts who have tracked down her essential Fontana, RCA, and Stanyan albums will want this as part of a complete run. Moore scholars interested in his musical output — including his earlier jazz trio records and the ‘Derek and Clive’ recordings with Peter Cook — will find Smilin’ Through a more polished and accessible entry point into his piano work. It is not a landmark collectible in price terms, but it is a genuinely enjoyable document of two remarkable British talents sharing a microphone.

📋 Record Details

Artist	Cleo Laine & Dudley Moore
Album	Smilin’ Through
Label	Finesse Records
Catalog #	FW 37484
Format	12-inch LP
Release Year	1982
Edition	Original US Pressing
Pressing Region	US
Vinyl Color	black
Speed	33 RPM
Sleeve Condition	VG
Vinyl Condition	VG+

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