The Golden Age of Light Music: Orchestral
Gems in Stereo
Tolchard EVANS (1901 – 1978)
Lady of Spain (1931) (arranged by Carmen
DRAGON (1914 – 1984)) [3:46]
Jerome KERN (1885 – 1945) She Didn’t Say Yes (from
The Cat And The Fiddle) (1931) (arranged by Paul
WESTON (1912 – 1996)) [2:22]
Jule STYNE (1905 –
1994) and Leo
ROBIN (1900 –1984) Just A Kiss Apart (from
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) (1949) [3:06]
Charles TRENET (1913 – 2001) La Mer (1943) [2:54]
Les BAXTER (1922 – 1996) Shooting Star [1:53]
Harry WARREN (1893 – 1981) and Harold ADAMSON (1906 – 1980) Our Love Affair (from An Affair To Remember) (1957) (arranged
by Conrad SALINGER
(1901 – 1962)) [3:00]
Robert FARNON (1917 – 2005)
Mr Punch [2:36]
Fats WALLER (1904 – 1943) Chelsea (arranged by Angela MORLEY (at that time known as Wally STOTT) (1924 –2009)) [3:38]
Nicholas ROUBANIS, Fred WISE, Milton LEEDS, Sidney Keith RUSSELL
Misirlou [2:46]
Ivor NOVELLO (1893 – 1951) Glamorous Night (arranged by Peter YORKE (1902 – 1966)) [2:21]
Cole PORTER (1891–1964) After You [2:10]
Einar Aaron SWAN (1903 – 1940) When Your Lover Has Gone
(1931) (arranged by Gordon JENKINS (1910 – 1984)) [2:28]
SYLVIANO and BUSCH Le Premier Rendezvous [2:18]
David ROSE (1910 – 1990)
Majorca 7:10
Noel COWARD (1899 – 1973) I’ll Follow My Secret
Heart, (arranged by Philip GREEN
(1911 – 1992)) [3:20]
Ernesto LECUONA (1895 – 1963) Damisela Encantadora, (arranged
by Percy FAITH
(1908 – 1976))) [2:32]
Nelson RIDDLE (1921 –1985) Sea Of Dreams [2:36]
Hal MOONEY (1911 –.1995) Dreamland USA [2:48]
Billy MAYERL (1902 – 1959) Marigold (arranged by Ronald BINGE (1910 – 1979)) [2:37]
Ray EVANS (1915 – 2007) and Jay LIVINGSTON (1915 –2001) Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) [2:37]
Henry MANCINI (1924 – 1994) Mostly For Lovers [3:02]
Herman RUBY and Dave DREYER (1894 – 1967) Cecelia (arranged by Dennis FARNON
(b.1923)) [2:45]
Gaetano OLIVERO La Vita
E Un Paradiso Di Bugie [3:03]
Max STEINER (1888–1971) The Theme From A Summer Place
(arranged by Percy FAITH)
[2:15]
Emmanuel CHABRIER (1841 – 1894) Espaņa [6:51]
Hans–Georg Arlt (SYLVIANO), Warren Barker (STYNE), Les Baxter
(BAXTER),
Ronald Binge (MAYERL), Xavier Cugat (TRENET), Frank Devol (EVANS/LIVINGSTON),
Percy Faith (LECUONO and STEINER), Dennis Farnon (RUBY/DREYER),
Philip Green (COWARD), Gordon Jenkins (SWAN), Henry Mancini
(MANCINI), Hal Mooney (MOONEY), Angela Morley (WALLER), Nelson
Riddle (RIDDLE), David Rose (ROSE), John Scott Trotter (Misirlou)
and Paul Weston (KERN) all conducting “their own” orchestras;
Carmen Dragon and the Capitol Symphony Orchestra (EVANS); Leslie
Jones and his Orchestra of London (FARNON); George Melachrino
and the Orchestra of the 6th San Remo Festival (OLIVIERO); The
Conrad Salinger Orchestra/Buddy Bregman (WARREN); Victor Silvester
and his Silver Strings (PORTER); Peter Yorke and his Concert
Orchestra (NOVELLO); 101 Strings (CHABRIER)
Re–issues of stereo recordings made between 1956 and 1959 ADD
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD 5165 [78:20]
There are three different types of light music
on offer on this CD; original compositions, arrangements of
other pieces and arrangements of songs. As the first four tracks
are of the latter variety, let’s start with them.
Carmen Dragon gives a technicolour arrangement,
as you’d expect from him, of Tolchard Evans’s great Lady
Of Spain, and Paul Weston’s subtle arrangement of Jerome
Kern’s She Didn’t Say Yes proves a good foil. A gentle
waltz version of a gentle song from that most exuberant of musicals
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; Just A Kiss Apart is
a lovely song we should hear more of. Charles Trenet’s La
Mer is here given a restrained performance which highlights
many of the instruments of the orchestra – it’s almost a Guide
to the Light Orchestra – but I do miss Trenet’s voice singing
the tune! Our Love Affair (from the Cary Grant film An
Affair To Remember) is one of Harry Warren’s most heart
warming creations and this version, by Conrad Salinger, brings
out all the warmth and love in the piece. Peter Yorke’s arrangement
of Ivor Novello’s Glamorous Night is certainly enchanting,
as is Victor Sylvester’s version of Cole Porter’s After You,
perhaps not for dancing but certainly a delight for listening.
When Your Lover Has Gone can boast a couple of dozen
recordings, its success being guaranteed by its
inclusion in the Jimmy Cagney film Blonde Crazy. A beautiful
tune in a gorgeous arrangement and performance.
I’ll Follow My Secret Heart is the hit song from Noel
Coward’s play Conversation Piece and Philip Green’s arrangement
is a study in understatement. It is said that Ernesto Lecuona's
compositions influenced the Latin American world in a similar
way to Gershwin in the USA, raising Cuban music to classical
music status. Damisela Encantadora is a waltz
of some energy!
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),
or, to give it its’ alternative title, Que Sera, Sera (Whatever
Will Be, Will Be), was featured in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock
film The Man Who Knew Too Much, where it was sung by
Doris Day – and it subsequently became her signature tune. It
won an Oscar for its writers, and who could have expected it
to appear in a version for mandolin and orchestra?
I cannot over emphasise the silliness of Cecelia
in this lovely arrangement by Dennis Farnon (younger brother
of the more famous Robert), while La Vita E Un Paradiso Di
Bugie is another love affair. The Theme From A Summer
Place seems to me to be beloved of muzak compilers so it’s
good to hear it properly here.
Les Baxter’s Shooting Star is
a real piece of mood music, with a simple tune repeated several
times in various orchestrations. Lovely. Somehow I’ve managed
to miss Robert Farnon’s Mr Punch and it is my loss for
here is a clever scherzo movement which cannot rest, but quite
what it has to do with Mr Punch is beyond me. Leslie Jones and
his Orchestra of London show us that this is the way to do it.
Chelsea is the second movement (of 6) from Fats Waller’s
London Suite which Waller himself recorded in London
in 1939. Angela Morley’s arrangement captures the feeling of
a lazy Sunday afternoon, in the summer. Misirlou is a popular Greek song which here appears as a tango, amongst other
things. Lots of drums give the music its impetus, while woodwind
sound an Eastern note.
Le Premier Rendezvous is a fun piece
with wire brushes on the drums, muted trumpets and cool flutes.
David Rose’s Majorca is an extended tone poem in popular
idiom, with lots of Latin flavour. It’s a more popular version
(if that is possible) of Chabrier’s Espaņa! Nelson Riddle’s
Sea Of Dreams has a Summer of ’42 feel
about it, perhaps unrequited love is behind the inspiration
of this gorgeous miniature. Hal Mooney’s dream is of a different
kind, for Dreamland USA is obviously in praise of the
American way of life and Mom’s apple pie. Closer to home, Billy
Mayerl’s famous Marigold sounds well, in this delicious
version by Ronald Binge, as a duet for flutes. Henry Mancini’s
Mostly For Lovers is cocktail lounge stuff, with tinkling
solo piano and discreet accompaniment.
The disk ends with a version of Chabrier’s
riot of Spanish colour Espaņa which nods in Chabrier’s
direction and adds some rather good things which Chabrier obviously
forgot! A terrific ending to a most enjoyable disk. As usual,
the transfers are very good, the notes helpful but not exhaustive
and the disk well filled.
Bob Briggs
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD 5165 [78:20] 
