Light Music CDs. Some highly recommended releases.
Light Music is ignored by most Record Stores and Radio Stations, yet it is enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
You may know it as Easy Listening or Concert Music ... or maybe Middle-of-the Road. Whatever you happen to call it, Light Music offers relaxing enjoyment at any time of the day or night, and we hope that you will return regularly to this page in the Robert Farnon Society website to keep fully informed on the latest releases.
Releases up to December 2011
27
May
Vocalion Reissue Four Vintage Farnon Philips/Mercury LPs from the 1960s
Written by Super UserFor 2011:
VOCALION REISSUE FOUR VINTAGE FARNON PHILIPS/MERCURY LPs FROM THE 1960s
Robert Farnon & His Orchestra
THE HITS OF SINATRA & A PORTRAIT OF JOHNNY MATHIS
THE HITS OF SINATRA
THE ORIGINAL LP SFL 13048 (1965) STEREO
Second Time Around (Van Heusen; Cahn)
All the Way (Van Heusen; Cahn)
Come Fly with Me (Van Heusen; Cahn)
A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (McHugh; Adamson)
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Mann; Hilliard)
Only the Lonely (Van Heusen; Cahn)
Young at Heart (Richards; Leigh)
Call Me Irresponsible (Van Heusen; Cahn)
(Love is) The Tender Trap (Van Heusen; Cahn)
All or Nothing at All (Altman; Lawrence)
Nancy (With the Laughing Face) (Van Heusen; Silvers)
My Kind of Town (Van Heusen; Cahn)
A PORTRAIT OF JOHNNY MATHIS
THE ORIGINAL LP SBL 7659 (1965) STEREO
Misty (Garner; Burke)
The Twelfth of Never (Livingston; Webster)
It's Not for Me to Say (Allen; Stillman)
What Will My Mary Say? (Vance; Snyder)
When Sunny Gets Blue (Segal; Fisher)
Maria from 'West Side Story' (Bernstein; Sondheim)
Chances Are (Allen; Stillman)
A Certain Smile (Fain; Webster)
Gina (Vance; Carr)
Small World (Styne; Sondheim)
Wonderful, Wonderful (Edwards; Raleigh)
Someone (Kaempfert; Ilene)
Vocalion CDLK 4455
Robert Farnon & His Orchestra
MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS & THE SENSUOUS STRINGS
MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS
THE ORIGINAL LP SFL 13047 (1964) STEREO
Get Me to the Church on Time (Lerner; Loewe)
Wouldn't it be Loverly (Lerner; Loewe)
On the Street Where You Live (Lerner; Loewe)
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Lerner; Loewe)
Button Up Your Overcoat (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Black Bottom (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Dancing in the Dark (Schwartz; Dietz)
The Best Things in Life are Free (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All? (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Sunnyside Up (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
THE SENSUOUS STRINGS
THE ORIGINAL LP 852011 BY (1962) STEREO
The Touch of Your Lips (Noble)
To a Young Lady (Farnon)
Isn't it Romantic? (Rodgers; Hart)
La Casita Mia (Farnon)
Moonlight Becomes You (Van Heusen; Burke)
When I Fall in Love (Young; Heyman)
Two Cigarettes in the Dark (Pollack; Webster)
I'm in the Mood for Love (McHugh; Fields)
Hey There (Adler; Ross)
Something to Remember You By (Schwartz; Dietz)
Just a Memory (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Alone Together (Schwartz; Dietz)
Vocalion CDLK4462
Mike Dutton, of the UK Vocalion label, has been responsible for restoring almost all of Robert Farnon's early recordings to availability in recent years. Farnon fans owe him a deep debt of gratitude for making available once more those glorious 1950s sounds on Decca, but there has been a gap waiting to be filled regarding the 1960s -; until now.
Surprising the copyright owners have shunned the 1960s Philips LPs for decades, despite false hopes being raised on a few occasions. For years it had seemed to RFS members that the pairing of Bob's Sinatra and Mathis collections was a 'natural' for reissue, but it has taken until late 2011 for this to happen. Mike Dutton has now obliged, but he has gone one step further, by reissuing the 'My Fair Lady' and 'Sensuous Strings' albums as well.
Readers will not need reminding that these two CDs contain fine examples of Farnon's mastery of string writing, as well as his instinctive feel for the swing era that played an important part of his upbringing. What stands out today, is that these recordings do not sound dated: they could have been recorded a month or two ago, such is the timeless quality of beautifully crafted music such as this.
A long held appreciation of Farnon's work must have been the main reason why Quincy Jones signed him up to make a series of LPs for US Philips, a division of Mercury Records, also released in Britain by Philips. This produced five outstanding orchestral albums, the first of which was "The Sensuous Strings of Robert Farnon", released in October 1962. As the title suggests, "Sensuous Strings" focuses on Farnon's mastery of string writing, rather than his command of the full forces of a modern concert orchestra.
The sessions took place on 10 and 11 May 1962 at the Cine-Tele Sound (CTS) studios then situated at 49-53 Kensington Gardens Square in Bayswater, London. In some ways Farnon was thumbing his nose at Decca for their failure to fully promote his work while under contract with them, because these were new stereo recordings of numbers that had previously appeared in mono on various LPs of the 1950s.
In JIM 18 (August 1962) David Ades reported on the final session on the evening of 11 May, which he was able to attend. David wrote: "The first tune played at my visit was Just A Memory and it took well over an hour before everyone was satisfied with the result. The other three tunes -; When I Fall In Love, Hey There and To A Young Lady -; were recorded with very little trouble. Of these, To A Young Lady was the most memorable for me. It was about 9:40 and the session was due to end at 10:00pm. Only the string session and a flautist were left in the studio, and the almost haunting quality of the flute introduction had everyone in the control room amazed. The first 'take' was perfect, but with a few minutes left it was decided to play safe and have another run-through. This second performance turned out to be one of the few occasions when it has been possible to improve upon perfection!"
David also spoke with producer Quincy Jones: "Quincy Jones, A & R Manager for Mercury Records, couldn't hide his enthusiasm for Bob's music. 'I'd like to record fifty albums with him!' he told me." Douglas Gamley was also present, sitting with the balance engineer and closely checking the score to make sure that all the notes were finding their way on to the tapes.
Although the emphasis was on strings, Farnon makes subtle use of occasional woodwinds and brass. It is also good to hear two of his own compositions, the afore-mentioned To A Young Lady (dedicated to his daughter Judith) and La Casita Mia, blending perfectly with the standards making up the rest of the collection. On numerous occasions we hear the sublime violin of Raymond Cohen, for many years Farnon's concertmaster.
In later years Robert Farnon's recording sessions would be regularly reported in Journal Into Melody, but a glance through back issues in the 1960s reveals very little about the other sessions that Bob did for Philips. There were actually five instrumental LPs, the one still awaiting reissue being "Captain From Castile and other Great Movie Themes". This could be paired with the "Shalako" soundtrack, and we have suggested this to Vocalion. Will there be some good news to report about this one day soon?
This report is taken from 'Journal Into Melody', issue 191, March 2012.
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5182
A Second A-Z Of Light Music
1 At The Theatre ("Up For The Day Suite) (Graeme Stuart, real name Frank Tapp)
REGENT CLASSIC ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1200 1947
2 Bristol Cream (Toni Leutwiler)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 446 1959
3 Curtain Time (J. George Johnson)
NEW WORLD THEATRE ORCHESTRA
Stereo Fidelity SF-3000 1957
4 Downland (Cecil Milner)
L'ORCHESTRE DE CONCERT Conducted by PAUL O'HENRY
Chappell C 389 1950
5 Edelma (Pasilli) (Terig Tucci, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA with MITCH MILLER (Oboe)
Columbia CL 551 1954
6 Fairy Tiptoe (Julian Fredericks)
HARRY DAVIDSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca Music While You Work MW 406 1946
7 Gazelle (Montague Ewing)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 060 1950
8 Huckle Buckle (Robert Farnon)
LESLIE JONES and his ORCHESTRA OF LONDON
Pye-Nixa NSPL 83009 1959
9 In A Monastery Garden (Albert William Ketèlbey)
NEW SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by STANFORD ROBINSON
Decca LK 4080 1954
10 Jack O'Lantern (Feux Follets) (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
Chappell C 470 1954
11 Kings Of Sport (Jack Beaver)
QUEEN'S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 295 1947
12 Let Us Live For Tonight (Adrian Bernard, arr. Sidney Torch)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by REG LEOPOLD
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2127 1948
13 Miss Melanie (Ronald Binge)
STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD (as 'Lansdowne Light Orchestra' on disc label)
Impress IA 125 1956
14 No Orchids For My Lady (Alan Stranks; Jack Strachey)
ERNEST MAXIN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Top Rank International JAR 335 1960
15 On A Little Street In Singapore (Peter DeRose; Billy Hill)
MONTY KELLY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Trans-World TWLP 211 1957
16 Prairie Schooner (Ron Goodwin)
CYRIL STAPLETON AND HIS ORCHESTRA ( as 'Malcolm Peters')
Top Rank 39/668 1960
17 A Quiet Stroll (Charles Williams)
CHARLES WILLIAMS AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 3215 1952
18 Romantic Illusion (Mischa Spoliansky)
THE HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by I. KARR
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 337 1952
19 Stereophonic March (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM SE 3748 1959
20 Taxi (Bruce Campbell)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON ('Melodi Light Orchestra' on disc label)
Chappell C 546 1956
21 The Unstoppable Man (theme from the film) (Bill McGuffie)
BILL McGUFFIE, piano and conducting THE CINE-MUSICA OF LONDON
Philips BBE 12374 1960
22 Vienna City Of My Dreams (Rudolf Sieczynski, arr. Billy Ternent)
JACK HYLTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV BD 393 1936
23 A Waltz For Terry (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Trebilco)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN ('Nat Nyll' on disc label)
Boosey & Hawkes O 2350 1959
24 Exotica (Philip Green) (from "Maku And The Monkey – Ballet)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM 180 1948
25 Young Man's Fancy (Peter Barrington, real name Felton Rapley)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CEDRIC DUMONT
Boosey & Hawkes O 2208 1951
26 Zip Along (Edward White)
THE GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 217 1959
Stereo tracks 3, 8 & 19; rest in mono
Just as two economists usually disagree, it would be difficult to find two music lovers who acknowledge where the exact boundaries of Light Music actually lie. The repertoire covered in this collection would certainly provide food for some serious arguments, but does it really matter? If music is enjoyable, then why do some people get so uptight about labels? At Guild we simply want to offer a varied selection that is pleasing upon a first encounter, and can become increasingly rewarding when it becomes better known, like a good friend.
Our first composer this time is Frank Harold Tapp (1883-1953) who was a contemporary of Eric Coates (1886-1957). Using the pseudonym 'Graeme Stuart', Tapp composed a suite "Up To Town which certainly contains the kind of atmosphere often generated by 'the uncrowned king of light music' when creating works dedicated to his adopted home city, London. Other suites by Tapp included "English Landmarks and "Land Of Fancy, but today his music seems largely forgotten, although two of his works have previously been featured on Guild CDs – Beachy Head Overture (GLCD5107) and Fighter Command (GLCD5164). From 1910 to 1919 he directed the Bath Pump Room Orchestra, which would have been a sizeable ensemble in those days.
As 'Tom Wyler', the Swiss violinist and composer Toni Leutwiler (1923-2009) became known outside his homeland, partly due to the success of his charming composition Lovely Day (on GLCD5183). His music was in demand from many broadcasting stations, and he was reported to have created over 2,000 arrangements. Bristol Cream is another fine example of his mastery of string writing.
J. George Johnson was an American pianist and composer who wrote more than 500 songs, although he never seems to have attained success in the charts. His best known was probably The Laughing Samba (with lyrics by his wife Anne Spear Johnson), which was recorded by The Andrews Sisters in the USA and Edmundo Ros in Britain. His composition Curtain Time came from a collection of several pieces connected with New York, from which Guild has previously included his Central Park Romance (GLCD5155) and Greenwich Village (GLCD5167). He died in April 1994 aged 80.
Edward Cecil Milner (1905-1989) was a respected backroom boy in London music circles, arranging for many top orchestras such as Mantovani, for whom he supplied around 220 scores. He was also an accomplished composer (he was being recognised while still in his twenties), with his works, such as Downland for Chappells, willingly accepted by several background music publishers. He was also closely associated with Charles Williams since their days working on pre-war British films.
Terig Tucci (1897-1973) was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but he achieved fame spending most of his working life in New York. He played the violin, piano and mandolin, but his affinity with Latin American music meant that the major US radio stations employed him mainly as an arranger and orchestra leader. He made numerous recordings for RCA, where he was an executive producer for a while during the 1930s. His composition Edelma has rightly become a light music standard.
Julian Fredericks' Fairy Tiptoe was published in 1911, and it is among at least 40 of his pieces which were accepted by leading publishers between around 1902 and 1927. Little seems to be known of him today.
The English composer Montague Ewing (1890-1957) also wrote under the name 'Sherman Myers' (to appeal to American audiences), and he had a most successful career mainly as a composer and arranger of light music and popular songs. Among his best known works are Policeman's Holiday (GLCD5139) and Butterflies In The Rain (on GLCD5106 and 5137). Gazelle is a piece he composed for the mood music library established by London publishers Francis, Day & Hunter.
Canadian-born Robert Farnon (1917-2005) is widely regarded as one of the greatest light music composers and arrangers of his generation. His melodies such as Portrait Of A Flirt (on Guild GLCD5120) and Jumping Bean (GLCD5162) are familiar to millions around the world. He composed a vast amount of background music for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, and one of his lesser-known, but very appealing, pieces is Huckle Buckle. Around 40 of his works are already available on Guild Light Music CDs.
From the Lozells area of Birmingham, Albert William Ketèlbey (1875-1959) was a highly successful composer, who earned the equivalent of millions of pounds during the peak of his popularity. Pieces such as In a Monastery Garden (on this CD), The Phantom Melody, In a Persian Market (GLCD5120) and Bells Across the Meadow (GLCD5108)brought him international fame, no doubt assisted by his enthusiastic participation in the rapidly growing business of producing gramophone records.
Roger Roger (1911-1995) was a leading figure on the French music scene for many years, and his fine compositions and arrangements also won him many admirers internationally. He started writing for French films towards the end of the 1930s and after the Second World War he played piano and conducted a 35-piece orchestra for a major French weekly radio series "Paris Star Time" (Paris a l'Heure des Etoiles), which was sent all over the world and even broadcast in the USA. Roger's quirky compositions soon became available to radio, television and film companies, one of the earliest being Jack O'Lantern (original French title Feux Follets). His music is already well-represented on Guild.
Jack Beaver (1900-1963) was a 'backroom boy' in the music business – always busy composing and arranging, especially for theatrical productions. He has already been represented with a dozen of his mood music pieces on Guild, and Kings Of Sport was a gift to newsreel companies around 60 years ago.
Adrian Bernard wrote the words and music for the song Let Us Live For Tonight, but the credit for making it sound so special belongs to Sidney Torch (1908-1990) who arranged it for Boosey & Hawkes. It is conducted by Reginald Leopold (1907-2003), for many years a familiar name to BBC radio listeners, especially through his 17-year association with the "Grand Hotel programme.
Ronald Binge (1910-1979) is destined to remain forever remembered as the gifted arranger who designed the 'cascading strings' effect for Mantovani, but his true achievements deserve far greater recognition. He was a prolific composer in his own right - Elizabethan Serenade (on GLCD5162) The Watermill (GLCD5183) and Miss Melanie (on this CD) being three of his best-known works.
Jack Strachey (1894-1972) has ensured his musical immortality by composing These Foolish Things (GLCD5133). In the world of light music he is also remembered as the composer of In Party Mood (GLCD5120), the catchy number he wrote for Bosworths in 1944 which was later chosen for the long-running BBC Radio series "Housewives' Choice. No Orchids For My Lady was first made popular by Frank Sinatra in 1948.
Peter De Rose (1900-1953) was a prolific and successful American songwriter, whose most enduring standard is probably Deep Purple (on Guild GLCD5129). He wrote On A Little Street In Singapore in 1938.
Prairie Schooner is a composition by Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) who was under contract to EMI for many years. Similarly Cyril Stapleton (1914-1974) had a Decca contract, so when they decided to record an LP of Ron's original pieces for a rival label Cyril had to become 'Malcolm Peters'.
Charles Williams (born Isaac Cozerbreit, 1893-1978) composed a vast amount of music for films and production music libraries. He is one of the top contributors to Guild CDs, and A Quiet Stroll became familiar in Britain as a signature tune to a regular farming programme.
Mischa Spoliansky (1898-1985) was one of several Russian-born composers who left the German film industry during the 1930s to work in Britain, and later the USA. He provided a few pieces for London publishers of mood music, which is where his Romantic Illusion originated.
London-born David Rose (1910-1990) became one of the truly great light orchestra leaders in the USA, and his compositions such as Holiday For Strings (Guild GLCD5120) made him world famous. When stereo arrived in the mid-1950s his record company asked him to write something that would exploit the new wonder, and Stereophonic March was the result – even though it was first released in some countries in mono only! Is there a faint similarity to the music for the TV series "Highway Patrol (on GLCD5130)? There has long been a rumour in the music business that the composer of that famous theme - credited as 'Ray Llewellyn' - was actually David Rose.
Bruce Campbell was one of several writers who owed much to his association with Robert Farnon. He was a fellow Canadian, who actually came to Britain some years before Farnon, and played trombone with various British bands during the 1930s. Towards the end of the 1940s Campbell realised that he possessed some skills as a composer, and Farnon encouraged him and provided some valuable guidance. The fruits of this meeting of talents have already been experienced on Guild CDs in titles such as Cloudland (GLCD5145), Windy Corner (GLCD5150) and Skippy (GLCD5125). Taxi can now be added to Campbell's growing list of Guild credits.
Another musician whose career crossed paths with Robert Farnon is William (Bill) McGuffie (1927-1987). He is remembered by most music lovers as a fine pianist, often leaning towards jazz, although his occasional work in films proved that he was also a talented composer. The 1960 British crime film The Unstoppable Man may have vanished from cinema radar, but the music certainly deserves to be remembered.
The famous Austrian tenor Richard Tauber (1891-1948) made Vienna City Of My Dreams world-famous in the mid-1930s, so it came as no surprise when one of Britain's premier bandleaders, Jack Hylton (1892-1965), decided that it deserved what was termed in those days a 'concert arrangement'. His top arranger Billy Ternent (1899-1977) provided an inventive score that certainly put Hylton's polished musicians through their paces.
Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Charles Trebilco, 1924-2005) was working as a BBC sound engineer when one of his first compositions, High Heels (on Guild GLCD 5124) made the light music world sit up and take notice. Eventually his successful and prolific output mushroomed to such an extent that he had to give up his 'day job' at the BBC, and also find several different publishers simply because he was writing too much for just one to handle. He was successful in many musical styles, and A Waltz For Terry finds him in a wistful mood.
We have had to admit defeat in our efforts to find a composition this time beginning with the letter 'X'. But Exotica sounds like it might start with an 'X' and we hope that the choice of music will forgive this lapse in precision. Its composer Philip Green (born Harry Philip Green 1911-1982) began his professional career at the age of eighteen playing in various orchestras. Within a year he became London's youngest West End conductor at the Prince of Wales Theatre. His long recording career began in 1933, and he is credited with at least 150 film scores.
Edmund Felton Rapley, ARCM, graduated from being a church organist in Gosport, to a familiar name on the BBC especially during the 1940s and 1950s. He studied at Winchester Cathedral School, and was a regular organist for the Gaumont British Picture Corporation– sometimes being given the prestigious invitation to perform the opening concert on newly installed organs. He was a prolific composer and arranger, seemingly at home in varied styles although many of his arrangements were hymns and religious works. His own pieces included the Overture Down The Solent (on Guild GLCD5140) and the catchy Peacock Patrol (written under the pseudonym 'Peter Barrington') on GLCD5143. He wears his 'Barrington' hat again for Young Man's Fancy.
Edward White (1910-1994) enjoyed considerable acclaim with his Runaway Rocking Horse when it emerged as one of the most popular pieces of light music in the immediate post-war years – the version by the Orchestre Raymonde can be heard on Guild GLCD5102. But he was to achieve even greater success a few years later with Puffin' Billy (featured on Guild GLCD5101), thanks to its use in Britain as the signature tune of "Children's Favourites, and as the theme for "Captain Kangaroo in the USA. Many other White originals found their way into the recorded music libraries of several London publishers, and this time we have chosen his lively Zip Along to complete this A-Z of Light Music.
David Ades
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5184
The Lost Transcriptions – Volume 3
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
1 Ad Infinitum (Kenneth Sydney Baynes, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-136A 1952
2 Dear Little Soldiers (from the show "Conversation Piece) (Noel Coward)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-135B 1952
3 Heykens' Serenade (Jonny Heykens)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-142B 1952
4 So In Love (from the show "Kiss me Kate (Cole Porter, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-115B 1952
5 Elizabethan Serenade (original title Serenade) (Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-146A 1952
6 Prima Donna (Paolo Cortese, pseudonym for Mantovani)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-146A 1952
7 The Deserted Ballroom (Morton Gould)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-123B 1952
++++++++++
8 Hallelujah (from "Hit The Deck) (Vincent Youmans; Leo Robin; Clifford Grey)
AL SACK AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Standard Radio Transcription Services Z-219-3 1945
9 Turkey In The Straw (trad. arr. Van Phillips)
VAN PHILLIPS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
BBC Transcription 12PM-18889 1943 or 1944
10 Malaguena (from "Boabdil) (Moritz Moszkowski)
THE ORCHESTRA OF H.M. ROYAL MARINES (PORTSMOUTH DIVISION) Conducted by Captain F VIVIAN DUNN, MVO ARAM RM
ORBS Cut 3080 (2EN 12169) Issue MK 6337 1940s
11 Lizards In The Lounge (Peter Yorke)
PETER YORKE AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service 370 c. 1952
12 Prunella (Leslie Bridgewater)
ARMY SALON ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC ROBINSON
ORBS Cut 2791 (2EN 10537) Issue MK 5509 1944
13 Stairway To The Stars (Park Avenue Fantasy) (Mitchell Parish; Matt Malneck)
CAPTAIN ROBERT FARNON Conducting THE CANADIAN BAND OF THE A.E.F. featuring DENNY VAUGHAN, piano
Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service for ENSA taken from "Canadian Caravan Broadcast on BBC Light Programme 27 August 1945
14 Handley's Seaside Holiday (based on It's That March Again : Michael North, arr. Hal Evans)
BBC VARIETY ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES SHADWELL
BBC Transcription c.1947
15 Flower Of Love (Dave Dreyer; Herman Ruby; Harry Akst; David Mendoza)
CARL CHANDLER ORCHESTRA [real name EMIL CADKIN] Standard Radio Transcription Services Z-253-4 1949
16 Espanita (Edwin Franko Goldman)
HARRY HORLICK AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'Rene Savard' on disc label)
Standard Radio Transcription Services T 234-9 1945
++++++++++
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
17 Just A Memory (from the 1927 musical "Manhattan Mary) (Buddy De Sylva; Lew Brown; Ray Henderson, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Standard Radio Transcription Services Z-160-1 c.1942
18 A La Bien Aimée (Eduard Schutt, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Program Service 179 c. 1945
19 Green Moods (Raymond A. Bloch, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Standard Radio Transcription Services Z-154-5 c.1942
20 Puppet Serenade (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service (Australia) 012 c. 1945
21 Trees (Joyce Kilmer; Oscar Rasback, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Program Service 8419-8422 c. 1945
22 Won't You Be Mine (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service (Australia) 012 c. 1945
23 There's A Small Hotel (Richard Rodgers; Lorenz Hart, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service (Australia) 639 c. 1945
24 Rose Of Bel-Air (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Program Service 8419-8422 c. 1945
25 You Stepped Out Of A Dream (Gus Kahn; Nacio Herb Brown, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service (Australia) 006 c. 1945
The notes accompanying previous Guild collections of 'Lost Transcriptions' have explained in some detail what these recordings actually were. On this occasion suffice it to say that many of them were produced by broadcasters, although a large number came from commercial companies specialising in meeting the needs of radio stations. Others were produced for the Armed Forces during and after the Second World War, but they all had one thing in common: they were not available to private purchasers, and it was assumed that they would eventually be destroyed after they had served their initial purpose.
Happily for us some of them fell into the hands of enthusiasts and collectors, and in many cases they offer unique examples of work by leading composers and orchestras which was never made available in commercial recordings. The second "Lost Transcriptions CD (Guild GLCD5181) contained nine tracks from the Mantovani Orchestra, and from the same source we can enjoy seven more this time. Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980) was the conductor of one of the most famous light orchestras in the world from the 1950s onwards. Born in Venice, his family came to England when he was aged four and he was something of a prodigy on the violin by the time he reached sixteen. But he leaned more towards popular music, and fronted many different kinds of ensembles before long-playing records (especially when stereo arrived) brought him universal acclaim.
In the immediate post-war years his Concert Orchestra was, in effect, a traditional light orchestra, similar to his peers such as Sidney Torch, Charles Williams and George Melachrino. Before Ronald Binge (1910-1979) created the now famous 'cascading strings' effect, Mantovani could be relied upon to produce superior performances of many light music 'standards', as well as original works that were 'missed' or 'neglected' by his contemporaries.
The first track Ad Infinitum was composed by Kenneth Sydney Baynes, one-time Head of Light Music at the BBC who was the son of Sydney Baynes (1879-1938), famous for his Destiny waltz (Mantovani's version is on GLCD5110).
Noel Coward (1899-1973) was a major force in British theatrical circles and his musical "Conversation Piece (1934) was just one of many similar productions. It was less successful than some of his other works, managing only 177 performances at His Majesty's Theatre. The big hit from the show was I'll Follow My Secret Heart, and the track on this CD is a comparative rarity. Mantovani was Coward's musical director after the war for "Sigh No More" (1945-46), "Pacific 1860" (1946-47) and "Ace of Clubs" (1950-51). His choice of Dear Little Soldiers is from an earlier era and must have been a particular favourite, although he did not record it for Decca. For the most part, he got on well with Coward and gave him great support in those ventures mentioned above. Coward was the only person who called him affectionately "Manti"; everyone else referred to him as "Monty."
Jonny Heykens (1884-1945) was a Dutch composer who was particularly popular in Germany. His most successful work became known as Heykens' Serenade (Ständchen) - the traditional Marek Weber version is on Guild GLCD5120, but Ron Goodwin also made a fine recording for the small British company Polygon in 1953 (on Guild GLCD5101).
So In Love hardly needs an introduction. It was just one of many hit songs in "Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter (1891-1964). The version heard here is a completely different arrangement from Mantovani's Decca recording of the same tune, recorded in the summer of 1960.
Another hit follows, but this took some while to become one of the best-known pieces of light music from the past century. Mantovani's one-time chief arranger Ronald Binge wrote a melody he called Serenade, and the maestro made its first recording for Lang-Worth before the title was changed to Elizabethan Serenade – possibly at the time of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It seems that this transcription recording was used as a signature tune by AFN in Germany, which probably led to the popular vocal recording by the Gunter Kallmann Choir. Strangely Mantovani didn't make a commercial recording for Decca, leaving the field wide open to Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) whose 1957 Parlophone single (reissued on Guild GLCD5162) was a steady seller for many years.
Mantovani demonstrates his skill as a composer in Prima Donna for which he used the pseudonym 'Paolo Cortese'. It also bears strong influences of Ronald Binge's work, suggesting that he may also have had a hand in it.
Another landmark piece of light music from the 20th century was The Deserted Ballroom by the highly respected American composer Morton Gould (1913-1996). Among his best-known works were the ballet Fall River Legend and American Symphonette No. 3, which became better known as Pavanne (the mis-spelling was deliberate); versions have already appeared on Guild by Jay Wilbur (GLCD5139) and Percy Faith (GLCD5181). His distinguished career was crowned with a Pulitzer Prize (for his Stringmusic, commissioned by Mstislav Rostropovich for the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington) just a year before his death at the age of 82. This Mantovani version is longer than his commercial recording for Decca.
Before David Rose takes centre stage for the third part of this CD, we feature a varied selection of orchestras and composers from both sides of the Atlantic. Al Sack (1911-1947) was an American arranger and conductor whose promising career was cut short when he died aged only 36. He was also an accomplished violinist and composer, and when he left his home town of Cleveland to settle in California he worked with the likes of David Rose and Paul Whiteman. As well as his own instrumental recordings (Hallelujah is one he made originally for Black and White Records), he also accompanied leading vocalists such as Tony Martin, Fred Astaire, Dinah Shore and even Gracie Fields.
The American Van Phillips (1905-1992) was a respected member of London's dance band fraternity from the late 1920s onwards, and for a while was Dance Music Director for Columbia Records. He had a gift for arranging (as evident in his whimsical Turkey In The Straw), and after the Second World War he discovered a new talent for writing background music for publishers' libraries. When this failed to satisfy his creative instincts he eventually became a highly regarded professional photographer.
Malaguena features the Orchestra Of The Royal Marines (Portsmouth Division) conducted by Captain F.Vivian Dunn (1908-1995). He was their Director of Music from 1931 to 1953, in which year he was promoted to be Principal Director Of Music, Royal Marines, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In later years his conducting duties included tours on the Royal Yacht, and he became the first military musician to be knighted when he became 'Sir Vivian' in 1969.
One of the benefits of transcription recordings is that they regularly contain material not available elsewhere – which seems to be the case with Lizards In The Lounge by Peter Yorke (1902-1966). Leslie Bridgewater's (1893-1975) charming Prunella did find its way into the Paxton Mood Music Library, but Eric Robinson (1908-1974) offers us a slightly longer version.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Robert Farnon (1917-2005) had a distinguished career in Canadian Radio during the 1930s including a spell as first trumpet player in Percy Faith's CBC Orchestra. When Faith went to the USA in 1940, Farnon picked up the baton, but the Second World War was to make a major impact upon his life and career. As Captain Robert Farnon, he was posted to Britain in the summer of 1944 conducting Canadian Band of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, working alongside Glenn Miller and George Melachrino, who fronted the American and British bands. Farnon made numerous broadcasts for the BBC's AEF Programme, under such titles as 'The Canada Show', 'Night Cap', 'Canada Swing Show' and 'Canadian Caravan', which is the source of Stairway To The Stars. The piano soloist is Denny Vaughan (1922-1972) who also hailed from Toronto. He replaced Dick Misener as the band's pianist in April 1945, and also doubled as a vocalist. After the war he became known as the 'English Sinatra' through his work with Geraldo. He returned to north America in the early 1950s and made a successful career in radio and television. The Canadian Band's broadcasting schedule regularly involved around five new shows each week and, although Farnon did many of arrangements, the sheer volume of new music performed meant that he needed reliable orchestrators and copyists. The arranger of Stairway To The Stars wasn't credited on the original broadcast: it doesn't bear the usual hallmarks of a Farnon score, so it may have been the work Dick Misener, or possibly one of the regular team of arrangers which included Gary Hughes and Tony Braden.
During the Second World War comedian Tommy Handley's "ITMA ("It's That Man Again) BBC radio programme lifted the nation's spirits, and Charles Shadwell (1898-1979) (conductor of the BBC Variety Orchestra) was regularly featured to chat about the special orchestral interludes that became a popular part of the show. The programme actually continued until Handley's death in January 1949, and arrangers like Clive Richardson, Gordon Jacob and Charles Williams (to name just three) became better known as a result. Hal Evans took the show's signature tune It's That March Again as the theme for his Handley's Seaside Holiday, which amusingly traced the comedian's trip by train to the seaside, where he seems to have had difficulty finding somewhere to stay ('digs' being another word for a guest house). In the end Handley realises that 'there's no place like home' – maybe because he had to sleep on the beach with seagulls for company!
'Carl Chandler', the conductor of Flower Of Love, masks the true identity of Emil Cadkin (believed to have been born in 1920 – various references to his age differ), a prolific American musical director whose name crops up in films, television shows and as a composer of stock music, sometimes in collaboration with others such as Harry Bluestone (1907-1992) and William Loose (1910-1991). The Americans sometimes favour 'stock' as a description of production or mood music.
Russian-born violinist Harry Horlick (1896-1970) was the conductor of one of early American radio's most popular salon orchestras, largely due to his regular appearances on the long-running "A & P Gypsies show from 1924 to 1936. When this series ended, Decca signed him for almost twenty sets of 78s featuring what has been described as 'musically sturdy, if somewhat careful, albums, with a number devoted to popular and theatre music'. Such descriptions certainly apply to the recording of Espanita by a prolific American composer of band pieces, Edwin Franko Goldman (1878-1956), which Horlick recorded for Standard Radio Transcription Services in 1945, using the pseudonym 'Rene Savard'.
Finally the spotlight falls on David Rose (1910-1990) who needs no introduction to regular friends of Guild Light Music. Born in London, his family moved to the USA when he was four, and during his prolific career he became one of the biggest names in radio, films, television and – of course – records. Holiday For Strings (on Guild GLCD5120) gave his career a sudden boost in the early 1940s, and it proved to be one of the first in a string of memorable compositions that kept flowing from his fertile inspiration. During his very long career he made numerous commercial records, initially with RCA but mainly with MGM and, from 1967, Capitol. But at one time he was also active making transcription recordings, and these provide the final nine tracks in this collection.
To begin with he creates a distinctive brisk string sound (echoes of his famous Holiday For Strings) in his arrangement of Just A Memory, in contrast to some other arrangers who have tended to treat it as a slow, romantic ballad. Less familiar will be A La Bien Aimee and Green Mood, while Trees will bring back memories of rather strait-laced vocal versions by tenors long ago – happily it is reinvigorated in Rose's new 'canopy'.
The standards There's A Small Hotel and You Stepped Out Of A Dream complete the familiar titles in this collection, just leaving three original Rose compositions which may be less recognisable to many of his admirers. Puppet Serenade is hardly a serenade, sharing an affinity more in line with Parade Of The Clowns (the Charles Williams version is on GLCD5104). Won't You Be Mine certainly tears at the heartstrings; surely it deserved to be better known? It seems to be omitted from the list of his compositions on the David Rose Publishing website. Rose Of Bel-Air did become more familiar through later versions, although this early (was it the first?) version possesses its own special 1940s' ambience. The question arises: was this a self-portrait, or did David have another 'Rose' in mind when he composed it?
David Ades
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5187
Light And Easy
1 Pyramid Dance (also known as "Heart Of Stone from the musical "Goldilocks) (Leroy Anderson)
LEROY ANDERSON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Brunswick STA 3030 1960
2 Mack The Knife (also known as "Moritat from "The Threepenny Opera) (Kurt Weill; Eugen Berthold Brecht)
THE CLEBANOFF STRINGS AND ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60163 1960
3 I Love Paris (from "Can Can) (Cole Porter)
PARIS THEATRE ORCHESTRA
Somerset SF 2500 1957
4 Light And Easy (Harry Rabinowitz)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 451 1960
5 On A Cheerful Note (Cyril Watters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'Paul Franklin' on disc label)
Paxton PR 681 1957
6 Wind-Bells (Mahlon Merrick)
MAHLON MERRICK AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Urania LP 9013 1957
7 A Cup Of Coffee, A Sandwich And You (Joseph Meyer; Billy Rose; Al Dubin)
JOHN CLEGG AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1916 1959
8 Main Line (Bruce Campbell)
BRUCE CAMPBELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA ('Coronet Orchestra' on disc label)
MGM 30837 1953
9 Fashion Show (Angela Morley, as 'Walter Stott')
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by ANGELA MORLEY
Chappell C 693B 1960
10 Pan American Panorama (Philip Green)
QUEEN'S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Chappell C 322 1947
11 Las Vegas Lady (Clive Richardson)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERICH BÖRSCHEL
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 126 1954
12 Hilltop Holiday (Anthony Mawer)
COSMOPOLITAN ORCHESTRA Conducted by PHILLIPO ANDEZ
De Wolfe DW 2658B 1960
13 Bermuda Holiday (Kermit Leslie & Walter Leslie real surnames Levinsky)
KERMIT LESLIE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Epic LN 3452 1958
14 Las Vegas (Laurie Johnson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA Conducted by LAURIE JOHNSON
KPM Music KPM 041 1960
15 Gay Time (Alan Perry, real name Ernest Tomlinson)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERICH BÖRSCHEL
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 222 1959
16 Blues On The Rocks – Concerto (Bernie Wayne, real name Bernard Weitzner)
BERNIE WAYNE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
ABC Paramount ABC 182 1957
17 4:20 AM (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM SE 3748 1959
18 Lazy Day (Robert Farnon)
LESLIE JONES and his ORCHESTRA OF LONDON
Pye-Nixa NSPL 83008 1959
19 I'll Be Seeing You (Irving Kahal; Sammy Fain, arr. Glenn Osser)
GLENN OSSER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Kapp KL 1022 1955
20 Now I Know (from the film "Up In Arms) (Harold Arlen; Ted Koehler, arr. Reg Owen)
REG OWEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1907 1960
21 This Might Be Love (Jerry Bock)
ACQUAVIVA AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM E 3696 1958
22 Stella By Starlight (Victor Young; Ned Washington, arr. Richard Jones)
PITTSBURGH STRINGS Conducted by RICHARD JONES
Capitol LC 6816 1956
23 More Than You Know (from the musical "Great Day) (Vincent Youmans, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca LF 1052 1951
24 There's A Lull In My Life (from the film "Wake Up And Live) (Gordon; Revel, arr. Frank Cordell)
FRANK CORDELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring RONNIE CHAMBERLAIN, soprano saxophone
HMV CSD 1294 1960
25 Waitin' For The Dawn (Ron Goodwin)
CYRIL STAPLETON AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as 'Malcolm Peters')
Top Rank 39/668 1960
26 That's All (Bob Haymes, arr. Henry Mancini)
HENRY MANCINI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSP 2101 1959
Stereo tracks 1, 2, 3, 17, 18, 24 & 26; rest in mono
It's a pity that so many people insist upon attaching labels to all kinds of music, because they tend to erect barriers that may often lead to false impressions. This can create situations where those who are unwilling (or maybe simply scared?) to venture outside of their usual comfort zones could well be denying themselves of many pleasures. In the case of 'Light' music, the term can mean unworthy or lacking substance in the closed minds of some professed music 'experts', yet to dismiss the composers and arrangers represented in this collection in such terms is surely a gross injustice.
The opening track is a shining example of the wealth of talent that so many possess. Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) is widely regarded as America's foremost composer of what his fellow countrymen often refer to as 'concert music' during the last century. Partly through his long association with the Boston 'Pops', he crafted many appealing melodies such as Belle Of The Ball, Blue Tango (Hugo Winterhalter's version is on GLCD5114), Forgotten Dreams (GLCD5135) and Sleigh Ride (GLCD5185) which have become part of his country's proud musical culture. But these were just four titles among a considerable number, and Pyramid Dance suggests that many more of his works could have become better-known, given the necessary promotion.
When a particular orchestra becomes especially popular, rival record companies try to ensure that they have a similar sounding ensemble under contract. In the case of the American Mercury label they chose Chicago born Herman Clebanoff (1917-2004) as its answer to the likes of Mantovani, Percy Faith and George Melachrino who were selling vast numbers of long playing records. Yet he deserved to be recognised in his own right, since he had a sound education in classical music and was an experienced violinist and concertmaster before he was 20. Usually just known as 'Clebanoff', he had a long association with NBC, and from 1945 he spent the next ten years as concertmaster of their Chicago-based orchestra, playing a wide repertoire from the classics to popular tunes such as Mack The Knife, his contribution to this collection.
When stereo discs were launched in the second half of the 1950s, record producers did not hesitate to tempt the public with exotic sounding titles that disguised the fact that they were probably not quite what they may have seemed. The Paris Theatre Orchestra, together with 101 Strings, were names used by the American Miller International Company on their bargain basement priced Essex, Somerset and Stereo Fidelity labels. The recordings usually employed various European symphony and radio orchestras and were linked by the name of Joseph Francis Kuhn (1924-1962) who composed, arranged, scored or conducted most of the early ones. It is highly likely that I Love Paris was his own arrangement, which he also conducted.
Harry Rabinowitz (born Johannesburg, South Africa 1916) came to England in 1946 and was employed by the BBC, first as a pianist then as conductor of the BBC Revue Orchestra. He later worked in television, and conducted many film scores. His composition Light And Easy provides the title for this collection.
Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was a backroom-boy in the music business in every sense of the word. From 1953 to 1961 he was chief arranger with Boosey & Hawkes, and worked in similar capacities with other publishers, including Chappells. His own compositions were willingly accepted for many mood music libraries, and On A Cheerful Note was one of several issued on 78s by Paxton.
The American composer and conductor Mahlon Merrick (1900-1969) studied at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, but the lure of working in early radio drew him to California in 1927. He was associated with comedian Jack Benny for around 30 years, and was particularly successful at composing advertising jingles.
The John Clegg Orchestra is making its Guild debut with a catchy version of A Cup Of Coffee, A Sandwich And You. In "Lullaby Of Broadway, the daughter of Al Dubin says her father's inspiration for this song was the "Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam which contains what she calls the classic line "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou..." The lyrics were co-written by Billy Rose, who found Joseph Meyer to compose the music. It was sung by Gertrude Lawrence and Jack Buchanan in "Charlot's Revue of 1925.
Bruce Campbell was one of several writers who owed much to his association with Robert Farnon. He was a fellow Canadian, who actually came to Britain some years before Farnon, and played trombone with various British bands during the 1930s. Towards the end of the 1940s Campbell realised that he possessed some skills as a composer, and Farnon encouraged and provided him with some valuable guidance. The fruits of this meeting of talents have already been experienced on Guild CDs in titles such as Cloudland (GLCD5145), Windy Corner (GLCD5150) and Skippy (GLCD5125). Main Line comes from a very rare single which appears to have only been released in the USA.
Another composer and arranger who received encouragement from Robert Farnon is Angela Morley (1924-2009) – born 'Wally Stott' in Leeds, Yorkshire. Today she is regarded as one of the finest British arrangers and film composers of her generation. In her later career she left England for the USA where she worked on several big budget movies (one example is the "Star Wars series assisting John Williams), and on TV shows such as "Dallas and "Dynasty. But during the 1950s and 1960s she made numerous recordings under her former name, also contributing many light music cameos to the Chappell Recorded Music Library– from which comes Fashion Show.
Also from the Chappell library we hear Pan American Panorama composed by Philip Green (born Harry Philip Green, 1911-1982). Apparently he was a compulsive worker, responsible for numerous broadcasts, film scores and compositions during a career lasting from the 1920s to the 1980s. His work is already well-represented on Guild Light Music CDs.
Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was best-known as a pianist during his early career, but working on many pre-war British films (usually without any credit on-screen) honed his talents as an arranger and composer. His London Fantasia (on Guild GLCD5120) was widely praised, and thereafter his work was regularly commissioned by many leading publishers.
The English composer Anthony Mawer [1930-1999] started contributing occasional mood music pieces to De Wolfe in 1955 (his first was Palm Beach Interlude), before joining the staff in 1959, where he remained until 1965. During this period he composed almost 500 titles exclusively for them, and Hilltop Holiday is typical of the bright, tuneful music that was much in demand around 50 years ago.
Kermit Leslie (born Kermit Levinsky in New York City) often composed with his brother Walter (1929-1999), and it seems a pity that he appears to have made relatively few recordings. Bermuda Holiday is the tenth work by the Levinsky brothers to appear on Guild.
Laurie Johnson (b.1927) has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene for 50 years. A gifted arranger and composer, Laurie has contributed to films, musical theatre, radio, television and records, with his music used in many well-known productions such as "The Avengers and "The Professionals. Las Vegas became very familiar in Britain through its use as the signature tune of BBC TV's "Animal Magic for many years from 1962 onwards.
Ernest Tomlinson (b.1924) is one of Britain's most talented composers, working mainly in light music, but also highly regarded for his choral works and brass band pieces. During a very productive career, he has contributed numerous titles to the recorded music libraries of many different publishers, often under the pseudonym 'Alan Perry'. He often jokes that 'Alan Perry' has been more successful than him, especially the number Gay Time. In recent years Ernest has worked tirelessly to preserve thousands of music manuscripts that would otherwise have been destroyed, and he is the President of the Light Music Society.
The 1950s seems to have been a very busy period for the American Bernie Wayne (born Bernard Weitzner 1919-1993). In the USA he is best known for his "Miss America Beauty Pageant theme, and the hit song Blue Velvet. His string of instrumental successes included Vanessa, Port-au-Prince(GLCD5130) and Veradero (GLCD5111). His mini-concerto Blues On The Rocks takes us from the 'light' numbers in this collection, to some which can be classified as slightly more 'easy' and, perhaps, sophisticated.
London-born David Rose (1910-1990) became one of the truly great light orchestra leaders in the USA, and his compositions such as Holiday For Strings (on Guild GLCD 5120) and The Stripper sold millions. 4:20 AM was one of his earlier compositions, which he 'jazzed-up' a little when he recorded it again for MGM as stereo arrived on the scene.
The English conductor Leslie Jones (b. 1905), a solicitor by profession, gave a large number of Robert Farnon (1917-2005) compositions their first stereo versions in sessions for Pye towards the end of the 1950s. Several have already been featured on Guild, and Lazy Day perfectly suits the 'easy' ambience of this part of our CD. Farnon's own orchestra appears later with his 1940s-influenced version of More Than You Know.
Abe (Glenn) Osser (b. 1914) first came to prominence though his close association with Paul Whiteman for whom he provided arrangements and often conducted the orchestra, usually for the vocalists. Other top bands which used his scores included Les Brown, Jan Savitt, Bob Crosby, Bunny Berigan and Charlie Barnet. For much of his career he freelanced as a conductor and arranger, and became closely associated with the "Miss America beauty pageants for many years. He sometimes worked under pseudonyms such as Arthur Meisel, Bob Marvel and Maurice Pierre. I'll Be Seeing You was the perfect song to remind servicemen in World War II of their loved ones back home, although it was first published in 1938.
Reg Owen (born George Owen Smith, 1921-1978) was a busy British arranger and bandleader whose book "The Reg Owen Arranging Method" in 1956 inspired many fellow musicians. He worked in all areas of the music business, especially films and recordings.
The American composer and conductor Nick (Nicholas Paul) Acquaviva (1925-1998), although not a frequent visitor to the recording studios, gained recognition in the USA through his involvement with the Symphony of the Air orchestra and as conductor of the 135-strong New York 'Pops' Symphony Orchestra which promoted new works by young composers.
There was a time when record companies thought that the word 'Strings' added to an orchestra's title would enhance sales. It didn't seem to matter if there were other instruments as well, but a few were genuine string ensembles, such as The Pittsburgh Strings, for which Capitol Records engaged Richard Jones. He conducted and arranged for the complete string section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, led by their famous concertmaster Samuel Thavin.
Frank Cordell (1918-1980) was a fine English composer, arranger and conductor whose work first became noticed through the tuneful backings he often supplied to some contract singers on HMV singles in the 1950s. Occasionally he was allowed his own 78s, and he was also responsible for several distinctive LPs which quickly became collectors' items.
Waitin' For The Dawn is a composition by Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) who was under contract to EMI for many years. Similarly Cyril Stapleton (1914-1974) had a Decca contract, so when they decided to record an LP of Ron's original pieces for a rival label Cyril had to become 'Malcolm Peters'.
Our final track is a tribute to two great men of music. Firstly the late Alan Dell, a much-missed broadcaster who used That's All to sign off his BBC Radio "Sounds Easy broadcasts. Secondly it allows us once again to feature Henry Mancini (born Enrico Nicola Mancini, 1924-1994), who became one of the top American film composers. During the 1950s his talents were widely recognised within the music business, and thereafter he was offered numerous commissions for television series, films and – of course – recordings. For the next three decades his name was constantly being noticed by the public, but his prodigious output was not achieved at the expense of quality.
David Ades
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5188
The Art Of The Arranger – Volume 1
1 Can Can (Jacques Offenbach, arr. Hal Mooney)
HAL MOONEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Time S 2005 1960
2 The Continental (from "The Gay Divorcee) (Con Conrad; Herb Magidson, arr. Conrad Salinger)
THE CONRAD SALINGER ORCHESTRA Conducted by BUDDY BREGMAN
Verve MG VS-6012 1958
3 Almost Like Being In Love (from "Brigadoon) (Alan Jay Lerner; Frederick Loewe, arr. Brian Fahey)
CYRIL ORNADEL AND THE STARLIGHT SYMPHONY
MGM SE 3781 1959
4 Birth Of The Blues (from "George White's Scandals Of 1926) (Buddy De Sylva; Lew Brown; Ray Henderson, arr. Morton Gould)
MORTON GOULD AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSC 2104 1960
5 Windows Of The East (Ya Mayla) (Rahbani Brothers, arr. Ron Goodwin)
RON GOODWIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Parlophone PCS 3002 1959
6 London By Night (Carroll Coates, arr. Angela Morley)
ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA (as 'Wally Stott')
Philips SBBL 501 1958
7 Clopin Clopant (also known as 'Comme Ci, Comme Ca') (Pierre Dudan; Bruno Andre Coquatrix, arr. George Melachrino)
THE MELACHRINO STRINGS Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA Camden CAS 10173 1958
8 My One And Only Love (Robert Mellin; Guy Wood, arr. Henry Mancini)
HENRY MANCINI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSP 2101 1959
9 Taboo (S.K. Stillman; Margarita Lecuona, arr. Les Baxter)
LES BAXTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol T 733 1956
10 The Thrill Is Gone (from "George White's Scandals Of 1931) (Lew Brown; Ray Henderson, arr. Gordon Jenkins)
GORDON JENKINS AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol ST 884 1957
11 Old Man River (from "Show Boat) (Jerome Kern, arr. David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM 3555 1957
12 Please Be Kind (Sammy Cahn; Saul Chaplin, arr. Nelson Riddle)
NELSON RIDDLE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol T 753 1957
13 Te Quiere Dijiste (Magic Is The Moonlight) (Maria Grever, arr. Mario Ruiz Armengol)
MARIO RUIZ ARMENGOL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LPM 1292 1956
14 Willingly (Melodie Perdue) (Carl Sigman; Hubert Giraud, arr. Monty Kelly)
MONTY KELLY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Carlton STLP 12/123 1960
15 Summertime (from "Porgy and Bess) (George Gershwin, arr. Frank Cordell)
FRANK CORDELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring JACK LA ROQUE, violin
HMV CSD 1294 1960
16 The Song Is You (from "Music In The Air) (Jerome Kern, arr. Paul Weston)
PAUL WESTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8049 1958
17 Across The Wide Missouri (Shenandoah) (Traditional arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM SE3804 1960
18 Destiny (Sydney Baynes, arr. Sidney Torch)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Parlophone E 11454 1947
19 The Irish Washerwoman (Traditional, arr. Clive Richardson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 063 1960
20 Symphonic Rhapsody on "With A Song In My Heart (Richard Rodgers, arr. Eric Coates)
COURT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC COATES
Columbia DX 63 1930
21 Temptation (from the film "Going Hollywood) (Arthur Freed; Nacio Herb Brown, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8292 1960
BONUS TRACK
22 Percy Faith discusses his arrangement of Temptation with Goddard Lieberson for a Columbia Records TV advertisement 1960
Stereo tracks 1-8, 10, 14–17 & 21; rest in mono
The arrangers are some of the most important people in the music business, yet all too often their work is taken for granted and frequently ignored. Yet without the skill of the arranger, the glorious sounds that any musical ensemble can create might never emerge.
Some light music composers do not need arrangers. Usually music is conceived at the piano, and those who possess the necessary talents are able to produce a full score which sets out in fine detail how each instrument will play the work. Often these prove to be the definitive versions, which are used whenever the music is performed.
But other composers are blessed with a gift for being able to write a good tune, which they prefer to leave others to interpret. They may offer guidance as to how they feel their music should sound, but they are usually happy to trust their chosen arranger with the intricacies of deciding which instruments should play different sections of the music. In the case of well-known tunes, such as those first heard in shows or films, over the course of time there will be many different arrangements made of the songs which are most popular.
Sometimes there is confusion between the roles of the 'arranger' and the 'orchestrator', and it is true to say that there is not universal agreement on the precise meanings of these terms. Generally the arranger is regarded as the person who decides how the music should sound, indicating the points in the score where different instruments will be playing. Other guidelines such as tempo will also be identified, and in some cases an arranger may go on to complete the entire score. But a busy musician is likely to pass over the manuscript to an orchestrator, who will then proceed, according to the arranger's guidelines, setting out all the individual notes to be played throughout the piece. At this point the music will be in the form of a complete score, with all the instruments placed at the usually accepted points down the (quite large!) page. This will be used by the conductor when the work is performed, since it is possible to see at a glance which instruments should be playing.
The final stage is for the manuscript to be passed to a copyist, who will make separate scores for each of the instruments in the orchestra. This means that the violins will only see those parts of the music where they are playing, with similar scores for all the other sections of the orchestra.
The description above relates to the traditional method by which arrangements are created, and it certainly applies to the music in this collection. However modern technology – computers– now mean that a composer (if he or she wishes) can do all these tasks on their own, then simply press a button to get all the individual scores printed.
From the foregoing it will hopefully be clear that the arranger is the essential ingredient in ensuring whether or not a piece of music will succeed. Arranging is an art form in itself: there are good and bad arrangers - two different ones working on the same piece of music can produce settings that are poles apart. Without the skill of the arranger, the works of excellent tunesmiths such as Richard Addinsell and Vivian Ellis in Britain, and Richard Rodgers, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and Frederick Loewe in the USA, might never have made such a big and lasting impact.
It is, perhaps, a strange coincidence that two of the greatest arrangers of quality popular music during the second half of the 20th century were born in Toronto, Canada, and their paths crossed during their early careers. Percy Faith (1908-1976) sought fame and found fortune in the USA, whereas his fellow countryman Robert Farnon (1917-2005) decided to base himself in Britain after service with the Canadian Army during World War II. In the late 1930s Faith was conducting the CBC Orchestra for a popular series of programmes that were also heard in some areas south of the border. His lead trumpeter for a while was Robert Farnon, who also did some vocal arrangements for the show. When Faith eventually decided to accept one of the lucrative offers he kept receiving to work in the USA, Farnon took over the orchestra in 1940.
But the war dictated that Farnon's immediate future involved providing musical entertainment for the troops, and in 1944 he arrived in England to work alongside the US and British service orchestras fronted respectively by Glenn Miller and George Melachrino. When hostilities ceased Farnon remained in Britain, and became one of the top composer, arranger and conductors of his generation. Faith did the same in the USA, although it was his arranging, rather than his composing, that would ensure his lasting fame. Thanks to long playing records, both became known to music lovers around the world, and their styles have been text book examples for others to emulate, on occasions almost to the extent of plagiarism.
Unfortunately the space available in notes such as these does not allow the complete biographies that all of the arrangers featured on this CD fully deserve. However the advent of the internet has meant that it is now relatively easy to undertake more thorough research than has previously been possible, so maybe the following brief details will provide useful pointers.
Our opening track Can Can features the work of Harold (Hal) Mooney (1911-1995), an American composer, arranger and conductor who worked with most of the top bands and singers during a long career. It demonstrates how a brand-new approach to a familiar and often hackneyed melody can be given fresh life in the hands of an expert arranger.
Conrad Salinger (1901-1961) is now recognised as one of the great arrangers during the 'Golden Days of Hollywood' especially with his contributions to numerous MGM Musicals such as "Meet Me In St. Louis (1944), "Singin' In The Rain (1952) and "The Band Wagon (1953). During his lifetime he never received the recognition that his work deserved, but in recent years his inspired scores have been championed by the British conductor John Wilson.
From the late 1950s onwards Cyril Ornadel (1924-2011) made many fine orchestral albums with his 'Starlight Symphony', aimed primarily at the American market. His regular arranger was Brian Fahey (1919-2007), well-known in Britain as a musical director, arranger and composer. Fahey's mastery of the full orchestra is given full rein in this version of Almost Like Being In Love from "Brigadoon.
Morton Gould (1913-1996) became one of the most highly respected American composers and conductors, and he generally arranged the works he conducted in the concert hall and on records. From 1986 to 1994 he held the important position of President of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
Ronald (Ron) Alfred Goodwin (1925-2003) was a brilliant British composer, arranger and conductor, whose tuneful music reached the furthest corners of the world. As he gained recognition for his original compositions he became in demand for film scores and among his best-remembered are "633 Squadron (1964), "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (1965) and Alfred Hitchcock's "Frenzy (1972). In 1994 his talents were recognised when George Martin presented him with the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music. His big album sales also earned him gold and platinum discs.
Angela Morley (1924-2009) – born 'Wally Stott' in Leeds, Yorkshire - is today regarded as one of the finest arrangers and film composers of her generation. In her later career she left England for the USA where she worked on several big budget movies (one example is the "Star Wars series assisting John Williams), and on TV shows such as "Dallas and "Dynasty. But during the 1950s and 1960s she made numerous recordings under her former name, also contributing many light music cameos to the Chappell Recorded Music Library.
George Miltiades Melachrino (1909-1965) was one of the big names in British light music from the 1940s to the 1960s. Born in London, he became a professional musician, competent on clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone, violin and viola, and he worked with many British dance bands in the 1930s. After war service he built an orchestra which became of the finest in the world; when long playing records arrived, Melachrino's sold in vast quantities, especially in the USA.
Henry Mancini (born Enrico Nicola Mancini, 1924-1994) was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and became one of the top film composers. In 1952 he was fortunate in gaining a job at Universal Pictures in Hollywood, and during a six-year contract he worked on around 100 films, including "The Glenn Miller Story. By 1958 his talents were widely recognised within the music business, and thereafter he was offered numerous commissions for television series, films and – of course – recordings.
Texas born Les Baxter (1922-1996) tended to be asked by his record companies to record pieces with an 'exotic' appeal, although he was a talented arranger who was capable of producing the many different styles that a busy musician working in films and television – as well as recordings – was expected to provide.
Gordon Jenkins (1910-1984) arranged for many of the top bands in America before carving out an impressive career for himself in radio and films. He signed with US Decca in 1945, and eventually became their managing director. When he later moved to Capitol he created some fine arrangements for Nat 'King' Cole and Frank Sinatra. Happily his new label commissioned him to arrange and conduct his own albums.
London-born David Rose (1910-1990) became one of the truly great light orchestra leaders in the USA, and his compositions such as Holiday For Strings (on Guild GLCD5120) made him world famous. His inventive version of Ol' Man River suggests the Mississippi is in full flood!
Nelson Riddle (1921-1985) was a trombonist who turned to arranging and conducting – with spectacular results. His work with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Nat 'King' Cole, Dean Martin, Judy Garland and Peggy Lee possibly prevented him from fully realising what could have been a highly successful career making instrumental albums on his own.
Don Mario Ruiz Armengol (1914-2002) has been compared by some musicologists as being Mexico's equivalent of David Rose, and his arrangements do contain certain snatches of Rose's unique style. During the middle years of the last century he was regarded as Mexico's foremost arranger and conductor of popular music, as well as one of its leading composers.
Monty Kelly (1910-1971) was a trumpeter, arranger and bandleader who was a regular in the recording studios, and managed to secure some success with singles such as Tropicana and Three O'Clock In The Morning (both on Guild GLCD 5105). This persuaded Cash Box magazine to name him 'most promising orchestra' in 1953, and a few years later he contributed to the universal success of the now legendary 101 Strings recordings.
Frank Cordell (1918-1980) was a fine English composer, arranger and conductor whose work first became noticed through the tuneful backings he often supplied to some contract singers on HMV singles in the 1950s. Occasionally he was allowed his own 78s, and he was also responsible for several distinctive LPs which quickly became collectors' items.
Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein 1912-1996) was one of America's top arrangers and conductors, whose orchestral collections such as 'Music For Dreaming' and 'Music For Memories' were to provide the springboard for many future albums.
Sidney Torch, MBE (born Sidney Torchinsky 1908-1990) is well-known in Britain for his numerous Parlophone recordings, as well as his long tenure as conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in the "Friday Night Is Music Night BBC radio programme.
Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was best-known as a pianist during his early career, but working on many pre-war British films (usually without any credit on-screen) honed his talents as an arranger and composer. His London Fantasia (on Guild GLCD5120) was widely praised, and his Melody On The Move (GLCD5102) has deservedly become a light music classic.
Eric Coates (1886-1957) was a successful composer of ballads in the early years of the last century, before devoting all his energies to light music. He was particularly adept at writing catchy melodies that appealed as BBC signature tunes, and in 1954 he provided the memorable march for the war film "The Dam Busters". His vast body of work is still attracting the attention of the new generation of conductors, resulting in welcome performances in the concert hall and on disc.
As a 'bonus' in this compilation Percy Faith discusses his approach to arranging Temptation, which is the final orchestral work we hear. It comes from a promotional interview with Goddard Lieberson.
The aim of this collection has been to illustrate the wide variety of beautiful orchestral sounds that gifted arrangers can create. From the nostalgia of Hollywood as personified in Conrad Salinger, to the sheer opulence of a Robert Farnon miniature tone poem; the sensitive approach to the music of the Middle East when married to the West by Ron Goodwin, and the reverence shown by one major composer to another in Eric Coates' glorious tribute to Richard Rodgers. Every track possesses its own special magic giving unquestionable confirmation of the importance of the arranger in making orchestral music like this so pleasing and thoroughly enjoyable.
David Ades
Robert Farnon & His Orchestra
THE HITS OF SINATRA & A PORTRAIT OF JOHNNY MATHIS
THE HITS OF SINATRA
THE ORIGINAL LP SFL 13048 (1965) STEREO
Second Time Around (Van Heusen; Cahn)
All the Way (Van Heusen; Cahn)
Come Fly with Me (Van Heusen; Cahn)
A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening (McHugh; Adamson)
In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Mann; Hilliard)
Only the Lonely (Van Heusen; Cahn)
Young at Heart (Richards; Leigh)
Call Me Irresponsible (Van Heusen; Cahn)
(Love is) The Tender Trap (Van Heusen; Cahn)
All or Nothing at All (Altman; Lawrence)
Nancy (With the Laughing Face) (Van Heusen; Silvers)
My Kind of Town (Van Heusen; Cahn)
A PORTRAIT OF JOHNNY MATHIS
THE ORIGINAL LP SBL 7659 (1965) STEREO
Misty (Garner; Burke)
The Twelfth of Never (Livingston; Webster)
It's Not for Me to Say (Allen; Stillman)
What Will My Mary Say? (Vance; Snyder)
When Sunny Gets Blue (Segal; Fisher)
Maria from 'West Side Story' (Bernstein; Sondheim)
Chances Are (Allen; Stillman)
A Certain Smile (Fain; Webster)
Gina (Vance; Carr)
Small World (Styne; Sondheim)
Wonderful, Wonderful (Edwards; Raleigh)
Someone (Kaempfert; Ilene)
Vocalion CDLK 4455
Robert Farnon & His Orchestra
MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS & THE SENSUOUS STRINGS
MY FAIR LADY AND OTHER MUSICAL BOUQUETS
THE ORIGINAL LP SFL 13047 (1964) STEREO
Get Me to the Church on Time (Lerner; Loewe)
Wouldn't it be Loverly (Lerner; Loewe)
On the Street Where You Live (Lerner; Loewe)
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Lerner; Loewe)
Button Up Your Overcoat (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Black Bottom (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Dancing in the Dark (Schwartz; Dietz)
The Best Things in Life are Free (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All? (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Sunnyside Up (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
THE SENSUOUS STRINGS
THE ORIGINAL LP 852011 BY (1962) STEREO
The Touch of Your Lips (Noble)
To a Young Lady (Farnon)
Isn't it Romantic? (Rodgers; Hart)
La Casita Mia (Farnon)
Moonlight Becomes You (Van Heusen; Burke)
When I Fall in Love (Young; Heyman)
Two Cigarettes in the Dark (Pollack; Webster)
I'm in the Mood for Love (McHugh; Fields)
Hey There (Adler; Ross)
Something to Remember You By (Schwartz; Dietz)
Just a Memory (De Sylva; Brown; Henderson)
Alone Together (Schwartz; Dietz)
Vocalion CDLK4462
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5183
A Return Trip To The Library
Marches : Majestic Atmosphere
1 With Pomp And Pride (King Palmer)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 401 1946
Show Business
2 Happidrome (Paul Fenoulhet)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 021 1960
Romantic
3 Lovely Day (Tom Wyler, real name Toni Leutwiler)
THE HARMONIC STRINGS Conducted by TOM WYLER
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL328 1952
Light Atmosphere
4 Rue De La Paix (Laurie Johnson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 033 1960
5 Looking Around (Colin Smith, real name Lloyd Thomas)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 386 1950
6 Making Merry (Cyril Watters)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (as ‘Paul Franklin’ on disc label)
Paxton PR 661 1956
Scenic Grandeur
7 Wide Horizon (Cecil Milner)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 419 1958
Animals
8 Dog Gone (George French)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERIC COOK
KPM 008 1959
Children
9 Little Debbie (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by DOLF VAN DER LINDEN (as ‘Nat Nyll’)
Boosey & Hawkes OT 2340 1959
Small Groups
10 Secret Serenade (Reg Owen, real name George Owen Smith)
THE CLUB QUINTET
Conroy BM 161-A 1959
Dance Music
11 Dixielander (Robert Farnon)
THE DANCE ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 351 1948
Modern Movement
12 Transcontinental (Anthony Mawer)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 182-B 1959
13 Holiday Excursion (Peter Yorke)
TELECAST ORCHESTRA Conducted by PETER YORKE
Chappell C680B 1960
Humorous
14 This Old Man Came Rolling Home (Knick, Knack, Paddy Whack) (Traditional, arr. Clive Richardson)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 063 1960
National Character
15 Rickshaw Ride (Jos Cleber)
THE GROSVENOR STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Synchro FM 213 1959
16 Le Cabaret – French Overture (John Foulds)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 406 1946
Sea
17 Sea Piece (Jack Beaver)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 640 1959
Sports
18 Ascot Parade (Jack Strachey)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 455 1948
Comedy
19 Buffoonery (Van Phillips)
THE CONNAUGHT LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Conroy BM 106-A 1958
Novelty
20 Man From Mars (Dolf van der Linden)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS METROPOLE ORCHESTRA
Paxton PR 581 1953
Pastoral
21 The Watermill (Ronald Binge)
THE LANSDOWNE LIGHT ORCHESTRA (probably STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD)
Impress IA 206-A 1959
22 Luccombe Common (Trevor Duncan, real name Leonard Charles Trebilco)
THE SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by CURT ANDERSEN
Charles Brull/Harmonic CBL 457 1960
Glamour
23 The First Waltz (Robert Farnon)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 639 1959
Costume Drama
24 Quality Street (Fredric Bayco)
GROUP-FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 060 1960
Space
25 Stratosphere (Eric Spear)
THE NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 048 1948
Dramatic Atmosphere
26 Shades Of Destiny (Wilfred Burns, real name Bernard Wilfred Harris)
REGENT CLASSIC ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1257 1950
War
27 Blood And Sand March (Ronald Hanmer)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 044 1948
Industrial
28 A Machine Ballet (Charles Williams)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
Chappell C 228 1945
All tracks mono
The notes accompanying the first CD in this series ("A Trip To The Library" GLCD5164) explained in detail how leading publishers established libraries of recorded music to suit the requirements of the entertainment industry and documentary film makers. Although some had their origins in previous decades, it was during the 1940s that several major new publishers became involved, resulting in a surge in the availability of what were usually termed "Mood Music" recordings – partly to satisfy the requirements of newsreels during World War 2.
The positive response to the earlier Guild collection has prompted this sequel, which includes a number of vintage tracks included by special request. The opportunity has also been taken to widen the scope of music covered, because the talented composers who produced this specialised music catered for every kind of mood. Some pieces were very short, and not intended for listening on a CD such as this. Others were dramatic and, frankly, occasionally depressing. But some of the numbers describing ‘cops and robbers’ and the like deserve not to be dismissed entirely: who would have wanted Devil’s Galop by Charles Williams (on GLCD5162) to be consigned to oblivion?
The catalogues issued by the publishers often included sections identifying different styles of music. This assisted professional users to find exactly what they wanted without having to check through long numerical lists. Titles were important, and care was taken to describe the music through the chosen name, although this didn’t necessarily preclude certain pieces from being suitable for more than one kind of situation. For this collection this practice has been revived, with short sections each containing contrasting areas of production music. It is hoped that this will not prevent an enjoyable flow from one mood to another, but the advantage is that it will permit the inclusion of a greater variety of music reflecting the vast repertoire that was available.
Without exception, all of the composers included in this collection were important contributors to the production music libraries of the middle years of the last century. Many were also active in other areas of light music, but a few were content to concentrate on this frequently ignored niche of the music business which, in reality, was an essential ingredient in so many different productions. Not every composer could adapt to the requirements of these background music libraries, but those who were able to master this particular craft found themselves in constant demand for their special skills. They all deserve to be praised, and rather than place some on a higher pedestal than others we will simply give brief details in the order that they are represented on this CD.
Cedric King Palmer (1913-1999) was a prolific composer of mood music who contributed over 600 works during a period of 30 years to the recorded music libraries of several London publishers. He ceased composing mood music in the 1970s, and towards the end of his life he became a piano teacher.
If you lived in Britain during the middle years of the last century you will have been familiar with the name of Paul Fenoulhet (1906-1979) – even if you were unsure how to spell it! At one time he was conductor of the famous Skyrockets then moved on to work with several of the BBC’s light orchestras.
As ‘Tom Wyler’, the Swiss violinist and composer Toni Leutwiler (1923-2009) became known outside his homeland, partly due to the success of his charming composition Lovely Day, which Frank Chacksfield recorded commercially for Columbia. His music was in demand from many broadcasting stations, and he was reported to have created over 2,000 arrangements.
Laurie Johnson (b.1927) has been a leading figure on the British entertainment scene for 50 years. A gifted arranger and composer, Laurie has contributed to films, musical theatre, radio, television and records, with his music used in many well-known productions such as "The Avengers" and "The Professionals".
Rhys Donald Lloyd Thomas (1901-1961) was familiar to radio listeners with his popular organ recitals. He also wrote marches and light pieces, and as ‘Colin Smith’ he composed Looking Around for Chappells which was picked as signature tune for a popular BBC Children’s TV series "The Appleyards" in the 1950s. Born in South Wales, during his early career he played piano before becoming one of the major organists on the Granada circuit. His other pseudonyms included John Barclay and Pedro Gonzalez.
Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was chief arranger with Boosey & Hawkes from 1953 to 1961, often providing appealing arrangements for melodies supplied by other composers who were either too busy, or insufficiently skilled, to orchestrate their own creations. However his position at Boosey & Hawkes did not prevent rival publishers from commissioning music from him.
Edward Cecil Milner (1905-1989) was a respected backroom boy in London music circles, arranging for many top orchestras such as Mantovani, for whom he supplied around 220 scores. He was also an accomplished composer with his works willingly accepted by several background music publishers. Since their days involved in pre-war British films he was closely associated with Charles Williams, and arranged some of his compositions. In the cinema Milner worked on some 50 films (often for Louis Levy) most notably the 1938 classic "The Lady Vanishes".
George French (b. 1921) was a British violinist who broadcast frequently on the BBC, sometimes fronting his own orchestra, but more often as leader for many well-known conductors in programmes such as "Music While You Work". He clearly had a gift for composing, but his recorded output was not substantial.
Regular collectors of this Guild series of CDs will already be familiar with the music of Trevor Duncan (real name Leonard Charles Trebilco, 1924-2005). Over 20 titles have now been reissued, and among the best-known are his first success High Heels (on GLCD 5124), Grand Vista (GLCD 5124) and Panoramic Splendour (GLCD5111). Little Debbie was dedicated to his daughter.
Reg Owen (born George Owen Smith, 1921-1978) was regarded as one of England's leading orchestrators, and he published his book "The Reg Owen Arranging Method" in 1956. He is regarded as a ‘one hit wonder’ thanks to his best-selling recording of Manhattan Spiritual in 1958. His own film scores date from 1957 and include "Murder Reported" (1958), "Very Important Person" (1961), "A Coming-Out Party" (1961) and "Payroll" (1962). He moved to Brussels in 1961, though he continued to arrange, compose and conduct albums all over Europe, including France, Germany and Italy before moving finally to Spain where he died in 1978. His Secret Serenade came to prominence in Britain through its regular use in a TV coffee commercial.
Canadian born Robert Joseph Farnon (1917-2005) is featured as both composer and conductor in this collection. Light Music enthusiasts will not need reminding of his tremendous influence on this area of the international music scene during the second half of the last century. His beautifully crafted melodies, numbering several hundreds in total, have been heard throughout the world in radio, television and films.
Anthony Mawer [1930-1999] recently made his debut in Guild with Painted Carousels (GLCD5180) from the De Wolfe library. He was born in Sale, Cheshire and educated at Manchester Grammar School. Musically he was mainly self-taught and started contributing occasional mood music pieces to De Wolfe in 1955 before joining the staff in 1959, where he remained until 1965. During this period he composed almost 500 titles exclusively for them. But his talents had been noticed by other London publishers and after leaving De Wolfe his name appeared on discs issued by almost all of the major production music libraries.
Peter Yorke (1902-1966) is a regular contributor to this series of CDs, as composer, arranger and conductor. After a period in British Dance Bands of the 1920s and 1930s, he graduated to arranging for Louis Levy before eventually forming his own concert orchestra for recording and broadcasting.
Clive Richardson (1909-1998) was part of ‘Four Hands in Harmony’ (with Tony Lowry), but that was just a small interlude in a long and successful career. He accompanied several artists on the piano, and was an early contributor of scores to British films (especially some of the Will Hay comedies, although he wasn’t credited on-screen). London Fantasia (GLCD5120) was a big success in the 1940s, and other well-known Richardson compositions to succeed were Melody on the Move GLCD5102) and Holiday Spirit (GLCD5120), that exuberant theme for BBC Children’s Television Newsreel. The BBC radio programme "ITMA" regularly featured amusing arrangements of well-known tunes, and Clive Richardson contributed several, including This Old Man Came Rolling Home.
Jos Cleber (also known as Jozef Cleber and Josef van Cleber, 1916-1999) was a Dutch composer and conductor. For a while he played trombone in Dolf van der Linden’s orchestra, and conducted his own ensemble De Zaaiers before leaving the Netherlands in 1962 to settle in South Africa.
John Herbert Foulds (1880-1939) was a classical British composer who also succeeded in writing light music and theatre scores. He was unfairly neglected for much of the later years of the 20th century, but there has recently been a revival of interest in his work. From 1927 to 1935 he lived in Paris, which was obviously the inspiration for Le Cabaret.
Jack Beaver (1900-1963) was reputed to be a workaholic, who would dash between engagements in various parts of the country, often completing scores for theatrical productions during long train journeys en route. He also worked on well over 100 films and documentaries. Beaver contributed original works to most of the London publishers who ran their own recorded music libraries.
Jack Strachey (1894-1972) has ensured his musical immortality by composing These Foolish Things (GLCD5133). In the world of light music he is also remembered as the composer of In Party Mood (GLCD5120), the perky number he wrote for Bosworths in 1944 which was later chosen for the long-running BBC Radio series "Housewives’ Choice". This is just one of a series of catchy instrumentals that have flowed from his pen, and he seemed particularly gifted at writing marches with a sporting or show business theme. Ascot Parade falls into the former category; there was a time when it seemed to be heard in almost every newsreel containing horse racing scenes.
The American Van Phillips (1905-1992) was a respected member of London’s dance band fraternity from the late 1920s onwards, but after the Second World War he discovered a new talent for writing background music for publishers’ libraries. When this failed to satisfy his creative instincts he eventually became a highly regarded professional photographer.
Dolf van der Linden (real name David Gysbert van der Linden, 1915-1999) was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s. As well as broadcasting frequently with his Metropole Orchestra, he made numerous recordings for the background music libraries of major music publishers. He also made transcription recordings for Dutch radio and other companies. His commercial recordings (especially for the American market) were often labelled as ‘Van Lynn’ or ‘Daniel De Carlo’.
Ronald Binge (1910-1979) is destined to remain forever remembered as the gifted arranger who designed the ‘cascading strings’ effect for Mantovani, but his true achievements deserve far greater recognition. He was a prolific composer in his own right and The Watermill was widely praised.
London-born Fredric Bayco (1913-1970) was an organist and composer who contributed pieces to several libraries, sometimes with an historical feel. During the 1960s he was Chairman of The Light Music Society.
Eric Spear (1908-1966) will forever be associated with the theme for the TV series "Coronation Street", but this was only one of many light music works he composed.
Bernard Wilfred Harris, better known as ‘Wilfred Burns’ (1917-1990) was a prolific composer of mood music who has over 200 titles to his credit. After military service during the Second World War he worked at Elstree studios before eventually becoming a freelance film composer and musical director. He had many pieces accepted by various London publishers.
Former cinema organist Ronald Hanmer (1917-1994) composed over 700 pieces for various background music libraries, which must make him one of the most prolific composers specialising in this field.
Our final track features Charles Williams(born Isaac Cozerbreit 1893-1978), another composer/conductor whose work is now familiar once again through his many Guild appearances. He had numerous pieces published by Chappells when he was the main contributor to their Recorded Music Library, and his Machine Ballet was regarded as a landmark piece of industrial music when it first appeared in 1945. Like several pieces in this collection, it has been specially requested by production music enthusiasts, having never previously been available on a commercial release.
David Ades
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5185
Christmas Celebration
1 Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont, arr. George H. Greeley)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
2 We Three Kings Of Orient Are (Reverend John Henry Hopkins Junior, arr. Percy Faith) (An American carol from the 19th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
3 Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Charles Wesley; Felix Mendelssohn, adapted William H. Cummings, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An English carol with origins in the 18th century, although the popular version dates from a century later)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
4 Good King Wenceslas (Tempus Adest Floridum) (Traditional, arr. William Hill- Bowen) (Music based on 13th Century Spring Carol ‘Tempus Adest Floridum’; Words John Mason Neale)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
5 Snowfall (Claude Thornhill, arr. Angela Morley)
ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA (as ‘WALLY STOTT’ on LP label)
Warner Bros. WS 1341 1959
6 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (John D. Marks, arr. Richard Hayman)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
7 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Thomas Patrick Connor)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
8 White Christmas (from the 1942 film "Holiday Inn") (Irving Berlin, arr. Billy Vaughn)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
9 The First Noel (The First Nowell) (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (Believed to be based on an English carol, possibly Cornish, from the 18th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8176 1959
10 Joy To The World ( Handel; Lowell Mason; Isaac Watts, arr. Billy Vaughn) (Originally based on Psalm 98)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
11 Nazareth (Traditional, arr. Cecil Milner)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4022 1958
12 Adeste Fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) (John Francis Wade, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An English carol which may have originated in the 13th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
13 Deck The Hall With Boughs Of Holly (Welsh Traditional, arr. George H Greeley) (Based on a Welsh winter carol ‘Nos Galan’, dating from the 16th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
14 Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
15 Fairy On The Christmas Tree (Roma Campbell Hunter; Harry Parr-Davies)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
16 Winter Wonderland (Felix Bernard, arr. Jack Mason)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
17 Christmas Sleigh Bells (Romance and Troika from "Lieutenant Kije") (Sergei Prokofiev, arr. Angela Morley)
ANGELA MORLEY AND HER ORCHESTRA (as ‘WALLY STOTT’ on LP label)
Warner Bros. WS 1341 1959
18 Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town (Fred J. Coots, arr. Jack Mason)
BOSTON ‘POPS’ ORCHESTRA Conducted by ARTHUR FIEDLER
RCA LSC 2329 1959
19 Christmas Alphabet (Buddy Kaye; Jules Loman)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
20 God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (Traditional) (English carol, believed to date from the 18th century)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
RCA LSP 2044 1959
21 Carol Of The Bells (Peter J. Wilhousky; Mykola Leontovich, arr. Percy Faith) (A Ukrainain carol, first performed in 1916)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
22 Silent Night, Holy Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) (Joseph Mohr; Franz Xaver Gruber, arr. Percy Faith) (An Austrian carol from the 19th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8176 1959
23 It Came Upon The Midnight Clear (Edmund Sears; Richard Storrs Willis, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An American carol from the 19th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
24 I Saw Three Ships (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol with origins in the 17th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
25 O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Lewis Redner, arr. Billy Vaughn) (An American carol from the 19th century)
BILLY VAUGHN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
DOT DLP 25148 1958
26 Angels From The Realms Of Glory (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol from the 19th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
27 Christians, Awake! (John Byrom; John Wainwright, arr. Percy Faith) (An English carol from the 18th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
28 O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) (Traditional, arr. Percy Faith) (A German folk tune with connections dating back to the 16th century; the most popular version today dates from the 19th century)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
29 The Skaters’ Waltz (Émile Waldteufel)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca SKL 4022 1958
30 Hallelujah Chorus (from "Messiah") (George Frideric Handel, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
COLUMBIA CS 8033 1958
All tracks in stereo
Somehow Christmas isn’t the same without Festive Music, whether traditional carols or the appealing popular melodies dreamed up by composers who know how to tear at our nostalgic heartstrings. Both categories can be found in abundance in this collection, which offers tasteful orchestral settings of some of the best known carols from various countries alongside the catchy novelties that make Christmas such a happy time of the year. In the hands of the top arrangers and orchestras assembled on this CD, there is every chance that the discerning listener will discover some new sounds that add a welcome vibrancy to old, familiar friends.
The six conductors performing the music for our enjoyment were among the most famous in the world towards the end of the 1950s, when these stereo recordings were made. First on the podium is Richard "Billy" Vaughn (1919-1991), born in Glasgow, Kentucky, who began his career playing piano and singing baritone in the group ‘The Hilltoppers’, before joining Dot Records as musical director where he accompanied many of the label’s top singers. He became one of the most successful orchestra leaders during the rock’n’roll era, and from 1955 to 1970 he managed to get 36 titles into the USA Top 200 charts, including a million seller Melody Of Love which earned him a gold disc. In 1965 he began touring internationally with his band, achieving considerable popularity in Japan, Korea and Brazil. His 1958 Christmas LP for Dot Records, from which the titles in this collection are taken, tastefully combined a small choir with the orchestra.
It is possible that Billy Vaughn may have surprised some of his usual fans with the restrained treatment of his Christmas melodies, given his reputation for recordings that were often more strident. But when Percy Faith (1908-1976) turned his attention to this repertoire there was no doubt that he would treat it with proper respect. Faith was born in Toronto, Canada, and originally he expected that his musical career would be as a concert pianist. But he injured his hands in a fire, which forced him to turn to composing, arranging and conducting. During the 1930s his programme "Music By Faith" was carried by the Mutual network in the USA, which prompted offers of work south of the border. He eventually succumbed in 1940, leaving Robert Farnon (previously his lead trumpeter) to conduct his Canadian orchestra. Unlike most of his contemporaries, Faith arranged all his own material, and his exciting and vibrant scores made his work stand out among the rest. Faith was always busy, whether working in the recording studios, radio, television or films. Today it is his numerous albums that have created a resurgence of interest in his work, thanks to their reissue on CD. More than once his record company commissioned him to produce superior albums for the Christmas market, and they remain highly collectable.
Like Percy Faith, George Miltiades Melachrino (1909-1965) was asked to conduct music for the Festive Season on several occasions. The LP era was the perfect vehicle for his inventive scores (including some by his right-hand man, William Hill-Bowen 1918-1964), although as early as 1950 his Christmas Fantasy (on two sides of an HMV 78 - reissued on Guild GLCD5138) had left his admirers hoping for more. Melachrinowas one of the big names in British light music from the 1940s to the 1960s. Born in London, he became a professional musician, competent on clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone, violin and viola, and he worked with many British dance bands in the 1930s. He was also in demand as a singer, and can be heard on recordings with Carroll Gibbons and others. During World War 2 he became Musical Director of the Army Radio Unit, and his 50-piece ‘Orchestra in Khaki’ toured with the ‘Stars in Battledress’ (two of their rare wartime recordings can be heard on GLCD5174). When the Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme of the BBC began broadcasting to Allied troops on 7 June 1944 (one day after D-Day), George Melachrino was featured conducting the British Band of the AEF; his colleagues were Glenn Miller and Robert Farnon (whose recordings can be heard on many Guild CDs), fronting the American and Canadian Bands. After the war Melachrino retained the finest elements of his service band to form the magnificent orchestra that went on to achieve worldwide fame, mainly through its superb long-playing record albums which sold in millions. Many tuneful pieces of light music flowed from his pen, and he developed a unique arranging style which was instantly recognisable. Melachrino built up a thriving entertainment organisation also involved in films, theatre and broadcasting and EMI used his talents extensively when stereo arrived.
Angela Morley (1924-2009) originally played alto sax with bands such as Geraldo (under her former name, Wally Stott), and her orchestra was an essential ingredient in the overwhelming success of BBC Radio’s "Goon Show" starring Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe. The positive reaction to her distinctive arrangements encouraged her to start composing, and one of her first was A Canadian In Mayfair (on Guild GLCD5157)dedicated to Robert Farnon. She recalled that it was just intended as a piece of fun, but Farnon insisted that it should be shown to his publishers, Chappells, who added it to their mood music library – appropriately conducted by Farnon himself. When Philips Records launched in Britain in 1952 she was placed under contract to arrange and accompany many of their stars, but she was also fortunate in being given the opportunity to record many orchestral numbers, both on singles and LPs. In 1958 an album of melodies associated with London received numerous plaudits from critics and fans alike, and it is still regarded as one of the finest musical tributes to Britain’s capital city. Undoubtedly this helped her to become known in the USA, and in 1959 Warner Bros. asked her to rework – this time in stereo – a collection of Christmas titles she had previously recorded on a 10" Philips LP, with a few extra tunes added. Two of the outstanding ‘new’ tracks can be found on this CD. Angela was also a frequent contributor to the Chappell Recorded Music Library, with several of her works at last available for the first time on previous Guild CDs. In her later career she was much in demand for film scores, and also assisted leading composers on major projects – working with John Williams on "Star Wars" being a prime example. Her TV credits included "Dallas" and "Dynasty".
For many years Arthur Fiedler (1894-1979) was always linked in the mind with The Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra, although in Britain its records were released under the name Boston ‘Promenade’ Orchestra, which seemed more in keeping with its repertoire. It took quite a long while before the American term ‘Pops’ Orchestra finally gained acceptance outside the USA. Fiedler’s Austrian-born father played violin in the Boston Symphony Orchestra (from which the Boston ‘Pops’ is created for its lighter moments). Arthur became the eighteenth conductor of the ‘Pops’ in 1930, and remained at the helm until a heart attack following a performance on 5 May 1979 hastened his death two months later at the age of 84. For years Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was the full-time arranger, so it seems only right that the orchestra should play his Sleigh Ride on this CD. Such was its popularity that it managed to reach No. 34 in the Cash Box Top 50 in August 1954; but because it sold steadily over many years, its total sales probably exceeded those of many other records which hit the top for just a week or two. During the post-war years Anderson enjoyed considerable fame with his own compositions, sometimes introduced to the public by the Boston ‘Pops’, but more often through his recordings with his own ‘Pops’ Concert Orchestra. The arrangers of the other popular melodies played by the orchestra selected for this CD originally received due credit for their important contributions on the LP sleeve – something that rarely happened in those days. Although not so well-known, Jack Mason (1906-1965) was very prolific and he composed Pops Polka (on GLCD5166). On the other hand Richard (Warren Joseph) Hayman (b. 1920) as well as being a respected arranger and conductor, was also a harmonica virtuoso, and he sometimes adapted his scores of popular melodies so that he could perform on his favourite instrument. This formula brought him two chart successes in the early 1950s, with 78s of Ruby and April In Portugal. He followed Leroy Anderson as an arranger for the Boston ‘Pops’ Orchestra over a period of more than 30 years, and also served as Music Director of Mercury Records. He was regularly in demand to orchestrate Broadway shows and film soundtracks, and notable among his own compositions are No Strings Attached (GLCD5105) and Skipping Along (GLCD5131).
The father of Venetian-born Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980) was principal violinist at La Scala, Milan, with the legendary Arturo Toscanini. Although details are difficult to confirm, Mantovani always maintained that he came to England when aged only four, and it is believed that he may have accompanied his father who was playing with a touring Italian opera company which performed at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1909. The family seems to have settled permanently in England in 1912. During his formal studies at Trinity College he excelled on the violin, performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 when only 16. But the young Mantovani showed leanings towards the popular music of the day, and he embarked upon a career that was typical for many aspiring musicians in the early years of the last century. His studies had equipped him well as both a violinist and pianist, and it was not long before he became proficient at composing and arranging. Living in the capital city there were plenty of opportunities for work in restaurants, hotels and theatres, and while still in his teens he realised that conducting was another skill that came easily to him. In 1923 he took a quintet into the Midland Hotel in Birmingham; by 1925 he was at London’s Metropole Hotel where one of his later players was another talented youngster who would one day become one of the most famous light music conductors alongside Mantovani – none other than George Melachrino. This was the era that witnessed the birth of radio, and the emergence of gramophone records as a major source of home entertainment. Naturally Mantovani was in demand for both, and by 1932 his name was starting to be recognised by music lovers: it was in this year that he began his series of popular recordings conducting his Tipica Orchestra. There was a steady demand for dance music, and Mantovani tended to specialise in Latin American styles, resulting in two minor hits in the USA in 1935 and 1936 (Red Sails in the Sunset and Serenade in the Night). Gradually his recorded repertoire expanded to include pieces of concert-style light music, and this laid the foundations for the large orchestra, with the emphasis on strings, that was to bring him universal acclaim from the early 1950s onwards. In addition to all his other commitments, he conducted the theatre orchestra in West End productions such as "Sigh No More", "Pacific 1860" and "Ace of Clubs" (all Noel Coward shows), and Vivian Ellis’ "And So To Bed". But the world-wide acclaim that greeted Charmaine in 1951 forced him to devote all his energies thereafter to recording and performing concerts in Britain and overseas with the great orchestra that has ensured his well-deserved place in the history of popular music. Today it is well-known that Ronald Binge (1910-1979) deserved recognition as the talented arranger responsible for devising the distinctive string sound (sometimes called ‘cascading strings’) which made Mantovani famous throughout the world. But he was well served by some other talented arrangers, and Cecil Milner (1905-1989) created the delightful setting of the traditional air Nazareth.
Choosing the right melodies to open and close collections such as this can often pose problems for compilers. Happily this time Jingle Bells simply had to set the scene, leaving Handel’s magnificent Hallelujah Chorus, employing the full forces of the Percy Faith Orchestra, to provide the spectacular finale.
David Ades
