The Golden Age of the Light Music - Stereo into the Sixties
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
Nothing more to say about this fantastic CD – except to Guild - ‘Just keep
them on coming!’