The recording took place at the Manhattan Center in New York City on April 26, 1962.

That evening, Garland was suffering from a severe case of laryngitis, which prevented her from completing the full set of 13 songs—she managed to finish only 10.

Initially, Capitol Records chose not to release the album due to the impact of Garland's illness on the performance, with tentative plans for her to re-record the material in a studio.

However, the album was eventually issued 27 years later under the title Judy Garland Live!.

Tracks 10–14 are from the Capitol Records album Just for Openers.