Hildegard Knef & Orchester Kurt Edelhagen – Knef Concert (1968) (24/44 Vinyl Rip)

One of my all time favorites, and in my opinion the best recording she ever released. Although she doesn't even have a trained singing voice, even Ella Fitzgerald once stated: She's the best singer without a voice.

Review from RateYourMusic:
I admit that I'm somehow torn considering Hildegard Knef. She definitively has that certain something that makes me really like her; she is a real person, with ups and downs, with weird knacks and idiosyncracies, not some artificial construct that doesn't even know that it's not a construct.
This also shows clearly in her music, in the way she sings. She has her very own style; she can't really sing, but she has so much emotion that many of the songs are really strong. I can't say I'm too much into the big band jazz style, and I don't really dig this silly "tongue-in-cheek" attitude of some of the more bourgeois songs.
That said, this is the best I've yet heard of her. Knef is in great form here, she definitively enjoys the scene, and it shows. Even the all-too-well-known songs that constantly get played in German radio and TV can be enjoyed in the live version here.
All in all, this is the perfect introduction to Hildegard Knef – much better than the comps I've heard which mostly focus on forgettable pop/schlager shit. Recommended!

Biography from Wikipedia:
Hildegard Knef was born in Ulm, Germany. She began studying acting in 1940, aged 14. She appeared in several films before the fall of the Third Reich, but most were not released until after World War II.
During the Battle of Berlin, Knef dressed as a soldier in order to stay with her then lover Ewald von Demandowsky, joining him in defence of Berlin. She was later sent to a prisoner of war camp.
She began a new career in 1963 as a singer and surprised her audiences with the deep, smoky quality of her voice and the many lyrics, which she wrote herself. Fans around the world rallied in her support as she defeated cancer several times. She returned to Berlin after the reunification.
In the 1960s and 1970s she enjoyed considerable success as a singer of German chansons, which she often co-wrote. The song she is mostly remembered for is "Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen" ("Red roses are to rain for me"). She is also known for her version of the song "Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin" ("I still have a suitcase in Berlin") and "Mackie Messer" ("Mack the knife"). She sold more than three million records in total.
She published several books. Her autobiography "Der geschenkte Gaul – Bericht aus einem Leben" (The Gift Horse – Report of a Life) from 1970 was a candid recount of her life in Germany during and after World War II. It allegedly became the best-selling German book after World War II. Her second book "Das Urteil" (The Verdict) from 1975 was a moderate success. It dealt with her struggle with breast cancer.

Tracks
01. Salute for Hilde · a. Salute for Hilde · b. Eins und eins, das macht zwei · c. In dieser Stadt 05:30
02. Ich glaub', eine Dame werd' ich nie 02:43
03. Mein Zimmer bei Nacht 02:45
04. This girl's in love with you 04:23
05. Wird Herbst da draußen 02:25
06. Von nun an ging's bergab 02:57
07. Prost Neujahr 03:22
08. Die Welt ging unter am Zürichsee, bei 30 Grad im Schatten 04:12
09. Na und … 02:48
10. Doch hör nicht auf mich (Wiegenlied) 03:05
11. Für mich soll's rote Rosen regnen 03:21
12. Ich zieh' mich an und langsam aus 03:29
13. Mame 02:59
14. I travel alone 01:43
15. Seeräuberjenny 04:16
16. Ostseelied 02:46
17. Wenn du mich einmal loswerden willst 02:45
18. Zwei Meter Bein 02:52
19. Das war mal mein Paradies 03:24
20. Dein erstes graues Haar 02:50
21. Ein kurzes Jahr 02:27
22. Wann fing es an, so aufzuhören 02:37
23. Die alte Frau 03:55
24. Laß mich bei dir sein 02:15
25. Halt mich fest 02:19
Total time: 01:17:55