The Lost Transcriptions - Volume 2
GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5181
The Lost Transcriptions - Volume 2
1 Falling In Love With Love (from the 1938 musical play 'The Boys From Syracuse') (Richard Rodgers; Lorenz Hart, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 31 1947
2 In The Still Of The Night (from the 1937 film 'Rosalie') (Cole Porter, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 29 1948
3 April Showers (from the 1921 Broadway musical 'Bombo') (Louis Silvers; Buddy De Sylva, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 98 1948
4 The Very Thought Of You (Ray Noble, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 28 1947
5 Why Do I Love You (from the 1927 musical 'Show Boat') (Jerome Kern; Oscar Hammerstein II, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 138 1948
6 Pavanne (Morton Gould, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 96 1950s
7 Night Creature (Edward 'Duke' Ellington)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring DUKE ELLINGTON, piano
VOA PO 80 1950s
8 Deep Blues (from Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra) (Elie Siegmeister)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA featuring VINCENT J. ABATO, clarinet
VOA PO 87 1955
9 Hoedown (from 'Rodeo' Suite) (Aaron Copland)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
VOA PO 95 1950s
10 Play Orchestra Play (from the 1935 musical revue 'Tonight at Eight-Thirty') (Noel Coward)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Towers Of London 6 CTP 14802-1 1948
11 Imp On Broadway (Abner C. Rosen, pseudonym for Annunzio Paolo Mantovani and Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-136B 1952
12 Coronation Scot (Vivian Ellis, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-123B 1952
13 March Of The Robots (Annunzio Paolo Mantovani)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-136B 1952
14 Danse Du Diable (Devil's Dance) (Wal-Berg, real name Voldemar Rosenberg)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-141B 1952
15 Jamaican Juggler (William Davies)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-141B 1952
16 Invitation To The Waltz (from 'Pacific 1860') (Noel Coward)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Towers Of London 6 CTP 14802-1 1948
17 Snakes And Ladders (Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-142A 1952
18 Rhapsody In Rhythm (Henry Croudson, arr. Ronald Binge)
MANTOVANI AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Lang-Worth Feature Programmes PC-147B 1952
19 Strike Up The Music (Sidney Torch)
SIDNEY TORCH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
BBC Transcription c.1949
20 Barbecue (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 41 c.1952
21 Amore Mio (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 47 c.1952
22 Wood Nymphs (Eric Coates)
RAF CONCERT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
ORBS Cut 2447 (2EN 9358) Issue MK 4943 1944
23 As Long As There's Music (from the 1944 film 'Step Lively') (Jule Styne, arr. Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 43 c.1952
24 Fandango (Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 41 c.1952
25 Dearly Beloved (from the 1942 film 'You Were Never Lovelier') (Jerome Kern, arr. Sidney Torch)
THE CAVALCADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Towers of London Transcription Recording: 'Cavalcade of Music' programme 45 c.1952
All tracks mono
The booklet accompanying the first volume of 'Lost Transcriptions' (GLCD5174) explained in some detail exactly what these intriguing recordings actually are. For this second volume it is sufficient to say that the term usually refers to recordings made for use by broadcasting organisations before the advent of audio tape. Sometimes these were simply broadcasts that were recorded so that they could either be repeated, or sent on to other radio stations, frequently overseas. A few companies started making their own programmes to sell to national broadcasting organisations: in Britain the BBC does not seem to have been very receptive to such sources, but elsewhere they were often welcomed.
During World War 2 transcriptions became commonplace in the USA and they were distributed to American forces via the AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Service) and broadcast by many other services including AFN (American Forces Network) and AEFP (Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme). Britain established The British Forces Network (BFN), and The Army Welfare Department created The Overseas Recorded Broadcasting Service (ORBS) to record and distribute recordings for use by BFN, other broadcasters and ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association). As well as providing live entertainment the latter was able to reach small groups of servicemen in remote areas by playing the recordings over PA systems installed in vans.
None of these wartime transcription discs were for sale, the intention being that they would be destroyed when the war ended. Fortunately some servicemen decided to keep them as souvenirs, preserving for posterity a unique record of the kind of music that played an important part in the morale of fighting troops. The sound quality of these discs is generally good, and modern digital restoration makes them very enjoyable. Only occasionally are there slight traces of distortion, which cannot be removed completely, but their historical importance dictates that they should not be rejected for such minor imperfections.
Transcription discs became an important part of the broadcasting scene for many countries, and they lasted long after the war ended. Only one track in this collection actually dates from the war years, unlike the first volume in this series which contained many from that troubled period in history.
Three major conductors are featured in depth this time - Percy Faith, Mantovani and Sidney Torch. All were leading figures in post-war orchestral popular music, and it is particularly interesting to listen to them in performances that were not meant to be heard again and again, unlike the case with all commercial gramophone records. Therefore they could allow themselves a certain freedom to experiment with new ideas, and the results can sometimes provide tantalising glimpses of the way in which their careers would develop and mature.
Percy Faith (1908-1976) 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. Initially Faith concentrated on broadcasting, and his occasional recording sessions during the 1940s were for several different companies. Things were to change when he signed a Columbia (CBS) contract in 1950, and he soon discovered that his singles sold well and the new long playing records needed the kind of popular instrumental sounds that had formed the basis of his broadcasts for so many years.
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. He accompanied many of Columbia's contract singers, and even contributed the odd popular song, such as My Heart Cries For You for Guy Mitchell. But today it is his numerous albums that have created a resurgence of interest in his work, thanks to their reissue on CD. Faith was always busy, whether working in the recording studios, radio, television or films. He died at Encino, California, on 9 February 1976, aged 67.
Details of Percy Faith's 'Voice Of America' recordings are as scarce as those for the RAF Concert Orchestra. VOA issued hundreds of 16' discs to the armed forces featuring Faith and other popular orchestras of the day such as Richard Maltby, Andre Kostelanetz and David Rose. They contained straight re-issues of their commercial recordings, alternate and out-takes of these recordings and different arrangements of pieces they had recorded commercially. In Faith's case, of most interest are the recordings he made which were unique to VOA, three of which were featured on Guild GLCD 5174 with a further nine here. It has not been possible to date all of them accurately as surviving VOA programme logs only go up to 1950 but, using the dates of the commercial recordings which are on some of the discs as a guide, they are probably from between 1951 and 1955.
What makes some of these VOA recordings of particular interest is that they gave Faith the opportunity to perform with artists he wouldn't normally work with as they were under contract to other record companies. One such piece is Night Creature where he collaborates with Edward Kennedy 'Duke' Ellington (1899-1974) in a fascinating arrangement. Vincent 'Jimmy' Abato (1919-2008) was a regular member of Faith's recording orchestra and also performed with most of the top symphony and popular orchestras in the USA. His clarinet is featured in Deep Blues from Concerto for Clarinet and Orchestra by Elie Siegmeister (1909-1991).
Our second featured conductor is Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980), who 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.
Noel Coward (1899-1973) composed Play Orchestra Play for his revue 'Tonight At Eight-Thirty', first staged in Manchester in 1935, and revived in London's West End in 1948. Around that time Mantovani was working closely with Coward in the theatre, and on recordings and radio productions. He conducted the theatre orchestra for Coward's 'Pacific 1860' (premiered in 1946) from which comes Invitation To The Waltz.
Imp on Broadway by the mysterious Abner C. Rosen seems to be a pseudonym for Mantovani and one of his main arrangers Ronald Binge (1910-1979). This 'Imp' has a humorous nod towards Richard Rodgers' Slaughter on 10th Avenue. Like several of the other pieces in this collection, it was written as a concert showpiece and was not considered for a commercial recording, thus making this the first time it has been available on record. It was first performed publicly in a Mantovani concert at Bournemouth on 27 September 1953.
Coronation Scot was the brainchild of Ronald Binge, who took the original arrangement by Cecil Milner of this famous Vivian Ellis melody and gave it a bright new livery. Described to Colin MacKenzie by Mantovani's recording manager, Tony D'Amato, as being 'masterfully scored with all the low instruments: probably two basses, cellos, trombones, euphonium, bottom piano keyboard, bassoon, bass drum (not tuned timps), tam-tam, wind machine (?), an "all aboard!" whistle, triangle, and so cleverly a horn and high woodwind (maybe flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet) recreating in dissonance a doppler effect, like the wailing of an ambulance siren going out-of-tune as it moves farther into the distance.'
March Of The Robots finds composer/conductor Mantovani in typical tongue-in-cheek, stylish and fun mood. He was clearly a gifted composer (usually hiding behind nom-de-plumes such as Tulio Trapani and Pedro Manilla), but rarely pushed his own works in preference to others, unlike some of his peers.
Danse du Diable (Devil's Dance) is a widely admired piece of light music by Wal-Berg (born in Istanbul as Voldemar Rosenberg 1910-1994) who was a leading figure in the French popular music scene. It was first conducted live by Mantovani in November 1952 at the Municipal Hall, Tottenham and was regularly included in concerts throughout the 1950s, being performed in Canada, USA, South Africa and Holland as well as the UK. A great favourite with audiences, it was a showcase for percussionist Charles Botterill.
Jamaican Juggler (with more than a nod towards Arthur Benjamin's famous Jamaican Rumba) was written by William Arthur Davies (1921-2006). He was a pianist, organist, composer and conductor who became a household name in Britain, thanks to his regular appearances on the BBC Light Programme and later Radio 2, especially in connection with the programme 'Friday Night Is Music Night'. He occasionally introduced his own compositions into programmes such as 'Music Box', 'The Organist Entertains' and 'Just William', and he made his first appearance on Guild with his catchy Toy Town Trumpeters (GLCD5180).
Ronald Binge returns as composer of Snakes and Ladders, and he was also responsible for the inspired arrangement of Henry Croudson's (1898-1971) Rhapsody In Rhythm which brings Mantovani's segment of this CD to a rousing finale. It is interesting to compare this concert arrangement with the composer's own shorter version for the Bosworth mood music library (on GLCD5104).
Now the spotlight falls on Sidney Torch (born Sidney Torchinsky 1908-1990). When he was called up for war service in 1941 he was posted to Blackpool where there was a large Royal Air Force Unit that provided entertainment for the tens of thousands of service personnel in the area. Regular shows by and for the forces were produced at several Blackpool theatres, and contemporary theatre programmes show that many well known names from the world of light music were involved with these orchestras.
Sidney Torch conducted an RAF radio series for ORBS called 'March Of The Movies', devised by Harry Alan Towers, who later worked with Torch on various projects after the war, including the 'Cavalcade of Music' programmes which a young David Jacobs introduced. From being one of Britain's finest theatre organists during the 1930s, after his discharge from the RAF he emerged as a leading light music composer and conductor. He became a frequent conductor and composer of mood music recordings for the Chappell Recorded Music Library, and many of his pieces have already appeared on previous Guild CDs.
Among the rare tracks included here are four Torch compositions: Strike Up The Music (his theme for 'London Studio Melodies' programmes on the BBC Transcription Service); Barbecue (which only originally appeared in the Chappell Recorded Music Library); Amore Mio (in a longer version than the recording for Chappells - Torch never made a commercial recording); and Fandango which was one of his popular orchestral cameos.
Eric Coates (1886-1957) needs no introduction to Guild 'regulars', but anyone in the fortunate position of discovering his music for the first time can be assured that he composed some of the finest light music of the last century. Wood Nymphs was one of his shorter works, especially under the baton of Sidney Torch who was noted for his brisk tempi.
The other two works conducted by Sidney Torch are his own concert arrangements of two popular melodies from 1940s films - As Long As There's Music by Jule Styne, and Jerome Kern's Dearly Beloved. Neither of these brilliant performances has previously been available on a commercial recording.
In 1953 the BBC decided that it needed a new programme whose brief was: "to help people relax after the week's hard work and put them in the right mood for a happy weekend". With Sidney Torch's full participation, the formula for "Friday Night Is Music Night" was devised - with such foresight that the programme survives to this very day. The BBC Concert Orchestra had been formed the previous year, and Torch conducted it for almost twenty years in this series, until his retirement in 1972. It is still regarded by many as 'his' programme, and his own compositions and arrangements are still regularly performed by 'his' BBC Concert Orchestra. Few musicians could have a better memorial to their talents.
David Ades