Cole PORTER (1891-1964), arr. Brian FAHEY
(1919-2007) Night and Day (from the film The Gay
Divorcee) (1960) Cyril Orandel and the Starlight Symphony
[3:20]
George GERSHWIN (1898-1937), arr. Rayburn WRIGHT
(1922-1990) Bidin' my time (1961) Frederick Fennell
and his Orchestra [2:45]
Wayne ROBINSON, Caesar GIOVANNINI,
Herman CLEBANOFF (1917-2004) Bobsled (1961) Clebanoff
and his Orchestra [2:15]
Annunzio Paolo MANTOVANI (1905-1980) Italia Mia
(1961) Mantovani and his Orchestra [2:41]
Ron GOODWIN (1925-2003) London Serenade (1961)
Ron Goodwin and his Orchestra [2:31]
Don BANKS (1923-1980) Coney Island (1961) The
Sinfonia of London conducted by Douglas Gamley [6:18]
Gus KAHN, Edward ELISCU, Vincent YOUMANS
(1898-1946) Carioca (from the film Flying Down to
Rio) (1961) Jack Shaindlin and his Orchestra [3:22]
Vernon DUKE (1903-1969), E.Y. HARBURG (1896-1981)
What is there to say? (1961) David Rose and his Orchestra [2:20]
Jerome KERN (1885-1945), arr. Morton GOULD
(1913-1996) Jockey on the Carousel (1961) Morton Gould
and his Orchestra [3:34]
Harry Vousden PURCELL, Harry PARR-DAVIES (1914-1955),
arr. Johnny DOUGLAS (1920-2003) Pedro the Fisherman
(from the film The Lisbon Story) (1960) The Living
Strings conducted by Johnny Douglas [2:02]
Joe HEYNE PETITE Waltz (1961) David Carroll and his Orchestra
[2:10]
Jaime TEXIDOR (1884–1957) Amparito Roco (1960)
Eastman-Rochester Pops Orchestra conducted by Frederick Fennell
[2:22]
Hugo FRIEDHOFER (1901-1981) One Eyed Jacks (Love
theme from the film) (1961) Ferrante and Teicher at two pianos,
with Orchestra and Chorus [3:03]
Percy FAITH (1908-1976) Lisa (1961) Percy Faith
and his Orchestra [3:26]
Heinz ROEMHELD (1901-1985), Mitchell PARISH
Ruby (from the film Ruby Gentry) (1961) The Melachrino
Orchestra conducted by George Melachrino [2:49]
Henry KAIKIMAI, G.H. STOVE, arr. William Hill
BOWEN (1918-1964) On the Beach at Waikiki (1961)
The Living Strings conducted by William Hill Bowen [3:00]
Charles WILLIAMS (1893-1978) (Dream of Olwen (from
the film While I Live) (1960) Russ Conway (piano) with
Michael Collins and his Orchestra [3:55]
Richard ROGERS (1902-1979), arr. Frank CORDELL
(1918-1980) Nobody’s Heart (1960) Frank Cordell and is
Orchestra featuring Neill Sanders (horn) [2:44]
Paul Francis WEBSTER, Dmitri TIOMKIN (1899-1979)
The Alamo (theme from the film Green Leaves of Summer)
(1960) Billy Vaughn and his Orchestra [2:26]
WAL-BERG (1910-1994) Fete Circassienne (1960)
Wal-berg and his Orchestra [6:57]
Eric COATES (1886-1957) Mayfair – from suite In
London Again (1961) Eric Jonson and his Orchestra [5:47]
Victor Popular YOUNG (1900-1956), Harold ADAMSON
(1906-1980), arr. Robert FARNON (1917-2005)
Away out West (from the film Around the World in Eighty
Days) (1960) Robert Farnon and his Orchestra [3:23]
All Tracks are in Stereo.
Dates refer to recording, not composition.
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5192 [73:20]
I can still remember being taken to my Uncle John’s house to
see his new stereogram. I cannot recall the exact date, but
it would have been around 1962. I am not sure what I expected,
but the stereo effects record was rather fun. There were a number
of LPs stored inside the unit, with some rather attractive covers,
including what I later discovered to be Henry Mancini’s soundtrack
for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. At that time it all seemed
so modern and up to date. However, that defined my Uncle and
Aunt – they had just recently acquired a Kenwood Mixer and regularly
holidayed in up-and-coming Spanish Balearic seaside resorts.
Some fifty years down the road and sound systems have changed.
We have enjoyed stereo, quadraphonic sound, 8-track and cassette
tapes. Vinyl disappeared, only to make a comeback amongst enthusiasts.
Just when we thought that perfection had been reached with the
audio CD, someone invented iTunes and the MP3 player. I certainly
do not know what will come next: perhaps an electro-organic
download direct to one’s brain? However my Uncle John’s stereogram
impressed me – even if the tunes he played on it did not. I
was just beginning to enjoy pop music, whilst he was into Henry
Mancini, Percy Faith and Mantovani. I have come to like this
music now, without losing my love of the Beatles, Gerry and
the Pacemakers and Led Zeppelin.
This new release from Guild Light Music is quite simply a stunning
re-pristination of this ‘fab’ music. This is not to belittle
the original ‘stereo’ tracks and vinyl LPs where all of these
tunes have their origin. It is just great to hear these tracks
digitally re-mastered and restored (by Alan Bunting).
I always smile at the number of musicians that are involved
in some of these ‘light music’ tunes – for example, the Spanish
inspired ‘Pedro the Fisherman’ from The Lisbon Story
and lasting just a fraction over two minutes was written, arranged,
rearranged and fettled by Harry Vousden Purcell, Harry Parr-Davies,
and Johnny Douglas. ‘Bobsled’ - a classic example of ‘music
on the move’ and so typical of the nineteen-fifties is ‘dished
up’ by a trio of composers. Somehow, Havergal Brian managed
to write his massive two-hour long Gothic Symphony
all by himself. Fortunately this CD does have a fair few ‘original’
works by ‘single’ composers.
A visit to ‘Italia Mia’ by Mantovani depicts a perfect picture
of that romantic country. Then Ron Goodwin’s jaunty ‘Serenade’
to London describes an era before, but possibly anticipating,
the ‘swinging sixties’. Have you ever been to Coney Island?
It is now a former shadow of its American Dream heritage, but
still a great place to visit. The hamburgers are good too. Don
Banks’ vision suggests romance, a stroll along the boardwalk
from Brighton Beach and all the fun of the fair. It is one of
my favourite tracks on this CD. Who could not fall in love with
Percy Faith’s musical description of the beautiful ‘Lisa’?
I am not sure if Joe Heyne’s amusing ‘Petite Waltz’ comes from
a show or is a stand-alone number; however it a fine piece complete
with harpsichord continuo! Still in ‘Sunny Spain’ the rather
martial ‘Amparito Roca’ by Jaime Texidor balances the sunshine
with the pizzazz of the bullfight or fiesta.
Not sure about being On the Beach at Waikiki: it just
does not impress me. However Richard Rogers’ ‘Nobody’s Heart’
is a good example of a dreamy, romantic number that must have
been the soundtrack to many lovers’ evenings sitting listening
to the stereogram and sipping Liebfraumilch.
Good old-fashioned, traditional ‘light music’ is represented
with a fine version of Eric Coates ‘Mayfair’ from his London
Again Suite. We move from ‘The Smoke’ to lands somewhere
in the Caucasus region of Eurasia with the exotic ‘Fete Circassienne’.
This was composed by a certain Wal-Berg –real name Voldemar
Rosenberg!
There are a fair number of ‘standards’ from films and the shows.
The CD opens with a great curtain-raiser – a version of ‘Night
and Day’ from The Gay Divorcee with music by Cole Porter.
The next ‘musical’ song is the Gershwin brothers hit ‘Bidin’
my Time’ from Girl Crazy. This is performed by the
redoubtable Frederic Fennell. It is a lovely relaxing, slow-tempo
piece featuring high strings, solo piano and Glen Miller-like
muted brass. ‘Carioca’ from the well-loved film featuring Fred
Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Flying down to Rio is given
the full Latin-inspired works. I enjoyed Vernon Duke’s number
‘What is there to say?’ written for the Ziegfeld Follies. These
were a series of Broadway revues popular in the 1930s inspired
by the Folies Bergères in Paris. Equally inspiring is the Jerome
Kern number ‘Jockey on a Carousel’. This foxtrot started life
in the RKO picture I Dream Too Much starring Lilly
Pons and Henry Fonda. Still on films, One Eyed Jacks
was a 1961 production featuring Marlon Brando in the lead role
and as director. In spite of the rather vicious nature of the
film, the music written by Hugo Friedhofer is impressive. Another
film that has its ‘dark’ moments is Ruby Gentry starring
Jennifer Jones and Charlton Heston. However the music epitomises
romantic Hollywood.
As a youngster, I used to watch The Billy Cotton Band Show with
my parents. One of the guests who featured regularly was Russ
Conway. He is usually famed for his up-tempo music such as ‘Side-Saddle’
and ‘China Tea’. So it is good to hear his interpretation of
the ‘Dream of Olwen’ from the film ‘While I Live’ with music
by Charles Williams. Conway plays this tearjerker with consummate
skill. I would challenge listeners hearing this work ‘blind’
to think it was anyone other than a ‘great’ concert pianist.
All film buffs will be stirred to recall John Wayne, Patrick
Widmark and a youthful Frankie Avalon in The Alamo.
The CD concludes with the exciting music from the film Around
the World in Eighty Days –‘Away out West’. Once again three
composers and arrangers have contributed to the success of this
powerful number.
Nothing more to say about this fantastic CD – except to Guild
- ‘Just keep them on coming!’
John France
