Film Albums: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh (1964) - A Disneyland Record

On February 1964, Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color aired the first of their three-part series titled "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" based on the story of Dr. Syn (Patrick MacGoohan), the English pastor who masqueraded as the fearsome Scarecrow at night to lead a band of smugglers and, like Robin Hood, share his spoils with the poor people of his parish. 

You can read our write-up on this great historical-adventure series here, but for this post we are featuring the thrilling theme song sung by none other than the Wellingtons who were best known for singing the "Three-hour tour" theme to Gilligan's Island. Terry Gilkyson wrote the lyrics and music to this memorable ballad of Dr. Syn. Gilkyson was an excellent writer of folk music and had a number of popular hits ("Greenfields", "Memories are Made of This") but is best known for his work with the Walt Disney Studios in the 1960s where he composed music for The Moon-Spinners, The Three Lives of Thomasina, The Jungle Book ("The Bare Necessities"), and The Aristocats ("Thomas O'Malley Cat").

The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was one of the many Disneyland records released by The Walt Disney Music Company. This one is number LG-774. 

You can listen to the ballad of The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh here.

Bonus 45 rpm: Another great Halloween ballad is "Demons and Witches" recorded in 1963 by The Four Preps. It features a great guitar strum and wonderful harmonies by the Prep boys. 

Film Albums: Pete's Dragon (1977)

This month's Film Album is the soundtrack from the classic Walt Disney film Pete's Dragon, released in 1977. This family musical was notable for combining an animated Elliott the Dragon into a live-action film and the result was truly lovely and memorable. It was, and still is, a childhood favorite for many. 

Walt Disney's resident songwriting team of Robert and Richard Sherman had long since left the Disney Studios so this picture's songs were composed by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. This duo is probably best remembered today for penning the songs to two popular Irwin Allen disaster pictures, "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure (1973) and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno (1975), both of which earned them Academy Awards for Best Original Song. "Candle on the Water" was the standout song from Pete's Dragon, and this tune earned the team another Best Original Song nomination (Helen Reddy also had a hit with this song as a single recording). 

There's lot of things to like about this album, the best of which is the Irwin Kostal arrangements. This talented man did many many records for Walt Disney and he put his stamp of excellence on every recording he made. You can hear his signature composing style in the "Main Title" overture. 

Ready to listen to Pete's Dragon? Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listings

Main Title

The Happiest Home in These Hills

Boo Bop Bopbop Bop

I Saw a Dragon!

It's Not Easy

Passamashloddy

Candle on the Water

There's Room for Everyone

Every Little Piece

Brazzle Dazzle Day

Bill of Sale

Candle on the Water (Reprise)

Top Picks: Main Title, It's Not Easy, Passamashloddy, There's Room for Everyone, Brazzle Dazzle Day

Film Albums: Rene Touzet Goes to the Movies (1962)

This is a fun album! It not only boasts that great album cover with the director's clapboard and all the titles listed, but the sound is fantastic - Rene Touzet mixes the musical style of Les Baxter with Peter Nero to get a uniquely Touzet sound. 

Rene Touzet was a Cuban bandleader and pianist so these covers of popular movie themes of the early 1960s definitely have a Latin rhythm to them. Can you imagine "Small World" in the style of Perez Prado's "Patricia"? That's what it does sound like. "Maria" is delightfully Spanish-sounding, "Exodus" becomes danceable, and "Moon River" was turned into a bossa nova - neato! Best of all - "Till There Was You" was transformed into a cha-cha!

Ready to listen to Touzet? Click here to hear the entire album on Youtube. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Theme from The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm

Tender is the Night

Small World

Maria (West Side Story)

Baby Elephant Walk (Hatari)

Moon River (Breakfast at Tiffanys)

Follow Me (Mutiny on the Bounty)


Side Two: 

El Cid

My Romance (Jumbo)

Never on Sunday

Till There was You (The Music Man)

Tonight (West Side Story)

Invitation

Exodus

Top Picks: Brothers Grimm Theme, Small World, My Romance, Till There Was You, Exodus

Film Album: Love Themes from Cleopatra (1963)

Most film albums feature a variety of themes from different films and title their album with the key theme, such as "Theme from the VIPS and other Film Hits".... but this album struck me as unique because Ferrante and Teicher decided to focus strictly on the music of Cleopatra (1963). Or so one would think with the title "Love Themes from Cleopatra" but if you read the back liner notes you will find that there are really just two songs from the 1963 Elizabeth Taylor epic ("Caesar and Cleopatra Theme" and "Anthony and Cleopatra Theme") with the remaining songs being "an assortment of romantic melodies steeped in an exotic orientation." What a lovely way to phrase this! 

The dueling pianists Ferrante and Teicher had a major hit with their version of the love theme "Anthony and Cleopatra," so it is no surprise that it headlined an album of its own. What is a surprise is that Ferrante and Teicher's names appear as composers on two songs in this album - "Sirocco" and "Sands of Time". Very interesting. 

Check out this album and, even if ancient orient themed music isn't your cup of tea, you may be surprised to find out how entertaining this album is! Listen to it in full on Youtube here. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Anthony and Cleopatra

Caravan

Moonlight on the Ganges

In a Persian Market

Sirocco

Sheherazade


Side Two: 

Caesar and Cleopatra

Samson and Delilah (not the film theme)

Devotion

Orientale

Sands of Time

Procession of Sardar

Top Picks: Sirocco, Caesar and Cleopatra, Orientale, Sands of Time

Film Albums: Brazen Brass Goes Hollywood (1961)

I wonder how many people heard of Henry Jerome & His Orchestra? Very few, I'd imagine! And even fewer have ever heard of Geffen Records. So you lucky readers are in for a treat (and an education)!

Henry Jerome was a popular bandleader in the 1930s and 1940s who performed on ships, at ballrooms, restaurants, and naturally on the radio. He had a soft, mellow style (influenced by Hal Kemp) with brass-heavy arrangements. In the 1950s, ABC Radio Network aired "Dinner at the Green Room," a weekly radio program which featured Henry's orchestra playing live from the Green Room at the Hotel Edison in New York City. 

In the early 1960s, Hal Jerome had a popular series of "Brazen Brass" albums which featured - brazen brass, of course. This one, released by Geffen Records in 1961, spotlights Hollywood classics in unique arrangements, such as Around the World in 80 Days, Three Coins in a Fountain (as a cha-cha), a highly danceable version of High Noon, a scrumptious "Beyond the Sea"-style version of Love is a Many Splendored Thing, and The Third Man Theme without the zither! 

Jerome is probably best known for his work "behind the label" as an A&R director at Decca Records, Coral Records, MCA, and United Artists. You can read more about him here, but first check out this album here on Youtube. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Around the World in 80 Days

Moonglow (from Picnic)

Three Coins in the Fountain Cha-Cha

High Noon

Gigi

Main Title (The Man with the Golden Arm)


Side Two: 

The Third Man Theme

The Song from Moulin Rouge

Tammy Cha-Cha

Theme from A Summer Place

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

Colonel Bogey March (from The Bridge on the River Kwai)

Top Picks: Moonglow, Tammy Cha-Cha, A Summer Place, Love is a Many Splendored Thing

Film Albums: David Lloyd Orchestra - Film Hits (1966)

David Lloyd & His London Orchestra wasn't the most popular name in the instrumental field during the mid-century, but this album – Film Hits (1966) – has some great arrangements of popular film themes and it makes one wonder why he didn't become more popular than he was. Admittedly, he had twelve albums released in the decade including two more film theme albums and two spy-themed albums which we'll review later this year. 

This LP (from Polydor) includes popular themes from the mid-1960s including the ever-present "Lara's Theme" (from Doctor Schiwago as it is listed on the cover) and "The Shadow of Your Smile" from The Sandpiper (what, no "More" from Mondo Cane?) but they are arranged in such a unique way that they sound completely new. Lloyd uses a nice mixture of unusual instruments to lead some of these songs, including muted horns and an accordion for both "What's New, Pussycat?" and "Zorba the Greek". 

You can listen to the full album here on Youtube. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Lara's Theme from Doctor Zhivago

The Cincinnati Kid 

The Phoenix Love Theme (The Flight of the Pheonix)

The Shadow of Your Smile 

What's New, Pussycat? 

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 

Zorba, The Greek

Side Two: 

Chim Chim Cheree (Mary Poppins)

Darling 

Girl Talk 

A Shot in the Dark 

Baby, The Rain Must Fall 

The Mechanical Pianos 

Juliet's Theme (From Juliet of the Spirits) 

Top Picks: The Cincinnati Kid, The Pheonix Love Theme, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Chim Chim Cheree

Film Albums: La Dolce Vita and Other Great Motion Picture Themes (1961)

In the early 1960s a plethora of great "motion picture theme" albums were released and honestly, it is hard to choose one over the other when comparing them. Ray Ellis and His Orchestra was not as popular as Ray Conniff or Ferrante and Teicher, but he had a large output and recorded equally stellar music. This album, La Dolce Vita and Other Great Motion Picture Themes, dating from 1961, was recorded in Living Stereo (LSP-2410) and features some sensational stereophonic sounds, especially on Theme from "The Misfits". As lovely as they sound on headphones, these Living Stereo sounds are even more impressive on a record player. 

Ray Ellis was a saxophonist but, unlike Billy Vaughn, he did not feature the saxophone in all of his recordings... in fact, most of these pieces are predominantly strings and piano. Oh, and how lush they are! Love is a Many Splendored Thing with its chorus, strings, and harps, will transport you straight to the hilltop above Hong Kong on that beautiful summer day where you hope William Holden will be waiting for you. Then listen to how imaginative the arrangement for Theme from A Summer Place is. Ray Conniff had a huge hit with his release in 1959 and many conductors simply copied his style in their own releases afterwards, but not Ray! And speaking of imaginative, listen to his ending to April Love - simply lovely. But I'll let you judge for yourself, as you can listen to the full album by clicking on the link below. Enjoy! 

Listen to the full album here on Youtube. 

Track List

Side One:

La Dolce Vita = The Sweet Life 

The High And The Mighty 

Theme From "The Misfits" 

Spellbound 

All The Way 

Parlami Di Me = Speak To Me 

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing 

Side Two:

Tara's Theme 

Laura 

Theme From "A Summer Place" 

Ruby 

Que Sera, Sera 

April Love 

Theme From "Exodus"

Top Picks: The High and the Mighty, Spellbound, All the Way, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, April Love

Film Albums: That Travelin' Two-Beat (1965)

Bing Crosby was always the hippest cat in the music industry and when it came to toe-tapping rhythms, he really knew how to swing it. Dixieland music was a particular favorite of his, so he decided to team up with his gal pal Rosemary Clooney and band leader Billy May to create a Dixieland album in 1965. They went to Bing's old friends, songwriters Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, to help them create some new tunes and Jay came up with the idea of making it a world tour of Dixieland music. He penned the new and catchy tune "That Travelin' Two-Beat" as well as rewriting some of the lyrics to old favorites like "The Poor People of Paris", "Ciao, Ciao, Bambina", and "Knees Up, Mother Brown"... all of which were "swung" way out in jive land by Billy May. It's a rollicking good album! Rosemary Clooney and Der Bingle were a great team and you can tell by the playful sound of their voices that they had a great time putting this album together -- check it out yourself and see if it doesn't put a smile on your face.

Listen to the full album here on YouTube.

Track List

Side One:

That Travelin' Two-Beat

New Vienna Woods

Knees Up, Mother Brown

Roamin' in the Gloamin'

Adios Senorita

Come to the Mardi Gras

Side Two:

Hear That Band

The Daughter of Molly Malone

The Poor People of Paris

I Get Ideas

Ciao, Ciao, Bambina

That Travelin' Two-Beat (Reprise)

Top Picks: That Travelin' Two-Beat, Roamin' in the Gloamin', The Daughter of Molly Malone, I Get Ideas

Film Albums: From Russia with Love - Si Zentner and his Orchestra

"If there ever was a 'Si Zentner kind of music', this is it -- music of great intensity and drive, just right for Si's big band style". 

So reads the album notes of Si Zentner & his Orchestra's From Russia with Love album from 1964 and boy are they right! The handsome orchestra leader had a distinctly bold and brassy sound and these themes were tailor-made for his style. 

Si had a number of hits in the early 1960s with his versions of The Stripper, Up a Lazy River, and More but this album's songs suit his band's style best. There is the titular From Russia with Love Theme with its mournful trombone solo, the fantastic James Bond Theme, and The 007 Theme that sounds like it could have been a TV theme in itself. Other pieces include the film themes to Charade, The Third Man, and The Man with the Golden Arm. The remaining selections are popular action-detective TV themes -- the best being Burke's Law. 

Si Zentner made big band music the "in" thing years after big band was considered to be on the wane and his ensemble was voted "Best Big Band" for 13 straight years by Downbeat magazine. Be sure to check out his other albums in addition to this one. 

Listen to the full album here on YouTube.

Track List

Side One:

The James Bond Theme

Burke's Law Theme

Mr. Lucky

Dragnet

The Third Man Theme

Peter Gunn

Side Two: 

From Russia with Love

M Squad Theme

Charade

Bond's "007" Theme

The Man with the Golden Arm

The Fugitive Theme

Top Picks: From Russia with Love, The James Bond Theme, Burke's Law, and Charade.

Film Albums: Pepe at the Movies (1965)

This is a wonderful album. Pepe Jaramillo was a fantastic pianist and the arrangements of these popular film themes are lovely. In an era when all of these songs appeared on countless instrumental albums, it seems impossible to create a new and unique arrangement for each and yet Ken Thome, the musical director of this album, did just that. If you can picture Ferrante and Teicher mixed with Xavier Cugat's orchestra, you can imagine how Pepe Jaramillo's music sounds like... but don't take my word for it, listen to it yourself. The link is down below. 

The album begins with the exciting theme from Charade which is infused with a Latin touch, followed by the lush The Singer Not the Song. This was the theme to one of Britain's few western productions. A Certain Smile is one of the best songs on this album. It's a slow rather melancholy love song as performed by Johnny Mathis in the film of the same name, but Pepe turns it into a lively Latin jungle-sounding dance tune. The album closes with the lovely Moon River. 

Pepe at the Movies was released in 1965 by Parlaphone records, a British label. The Mexican-born Jaramillo didn't have much success in the United States but he found a large audience in the UK so most of his albums from the 1960s were British labels. 

Listen to the full album here on Youtube. 

Track List

Side One: 

Charade 

The Singer Not the Song 

A Certain Smile 

I Will Wait for You 

Gigi 

Forget Domani 

Side Two:

Lawrence Of Arabia 

Days Of Wine & Roses 

Call Me Irresponsible 

Exodus 

The Green Leaves of Summer 

Moon River

Top Picks: Charade, The Singer Not the Song, A Certain Smile, Gigi, Forget Domani

Film Albums: Scrooge (1970)

In our family, the Christmas season just wouldn't be the same without a viewing of the 1970 musical Scrooge. My sister and I grew up watching this film with our "Oma" Rozi because it was one of her favorites. Since her passing, we have watched it every year with our father because it is one of his favorites, too....and ours. We have come to learn that watching Scrooge is a part of many people's Christmastime traditions. That's heartwarming. 

Albert Finney gives a tour-de-force performance as the old miser Ebenezer Scrooge and the ending to the film is probably one of the most joyous ever made. Leslie Bricusse created such a magnificent score for this huge production that one cannot think of Charles Dicken's classic ghost story without associating it with his beautiful songs. I'm sure every fan has a favorite number from the film, so if you want to share yours, leave a comment below. For me, the best song in the film is "Happiness" sung by the lovely Suzanne Neve but my personal favorite is "December the 25th" performed by Laurence Naismith, Kay Walsh, Albert Finney, Suzanne Neve and the whole company of dancers. 

If you have not seen Scrooge in many a year or have never seen it (shame, shame!!), then do not listen to the soundtrack first....watch the film so you can see these songs in their proper context. But if you are an old fan of Scrooge and do not have time to watch it this year, why not listen to the soundtrack while you wrap presents this evening? Check it out ad-free on the Internet Archive. 

Track Listing

Side One:

Overture

Main Title (A Christmas Carol)

Christmas Children

I Hate People

Father Christmas

See the Phantoms

December the 25th

Happiness

You....You

Side Two: 

I Like Life

The Beautiful Day

Happiness (Reprise)

Thank You Very Much

I'll Begin Again

I Like Life (Reprise)

Father Christmas (Reprise)

Top Music Picks: Christmas Children, December the 25th, Happiness, Thank You Very Much, I'll Begin Again

Did You Know? Whatever Happened to Baby Jane was a Song

Did you know that Bette Davis cut a record in 1962? In a promotional move by Warner Brothers, Bette teamed up with singer Debbie Burton for the upbeat rock n' roll version of "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" that was released shortly before the premiere of the titular film. This was not Ms. Davis' first recording but it certainly is her most memorable. 

The song made the charts, but Bette was not asked to do any follow up teenage songs. Indeed, the Frank DeVol tune is very likable and has a catchy rhythm that's hard to get out of your head. The lyrics, by screenwriter Lukas Heller, are also clever but it's Debbie Burton's husky voice and Bette's inimitable "sprechgesang" that really makes it memorable. Have a listen to the song on Youtube and notice how the edges of your mouth naturally curl up when Bette makes her entrance with "Here's what happened to Baby Jane....." Good stuff. 

If you want to follow up with another goodie, watch Bette perform this on The Andy Williams Show. 

Tales of Witches, Ghosts and Goblins Told by Vincent Price

In the 1970s, Vincent Price was not only busy continuing his film work in Hollywood but he also returned to his old haunting ground - the radio studio. His best radio work was done on The Price of Fear, a BBC horror anthology serial, that aired late nights in 1973. 

However, one year prior to that he recorded an album of eerie tales for the Caedmon label (TC-1393) of literary LPs. "Tales of Witches, Ghosts and Goblins" gathers a compelling selection of short stories: Iroquois legends, Sioux folktales, Scottish witch-reels, and even an essay snippet on becoming a werewolf, all narrated by the inimitable silky voice of Price. There’s a delightful almost conversational intimacy in Price’s tone in this album, as though he’s leaning in close, whispering one more ghost story before turning off the light.

The album sold enough copies to justify a follow-up and, in 1973, Price returned to record "A Coven of Witches' Tales" (TC-1338) which featured stories even more intriguing than the first album....but the third recording (or should I say "thrice"?) was the best - "A Graveyard of Ghost Tales" (TC-1429) released in 1974. Werewolves are eerie, witches are scary, but ghosts are terrifying, so be warned that this is not a bedtime album to listen to! 

All of the albums featured fabulous and imaginative illustrations by book illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon. 

Enjoy these LPs online because they are popular among collectors and can fetch anywhere from $100-$400 each. 

Ready to be enchanted by old legends and eerie ghost stories? Click here to listen to "Tales of Witches, Ghosts and Goblins Told by Vincent Price" and here to listen to "A Coven of Witches Tales" and here to be spooked with a "A Graveyard of Ghost Tales".

Film Albums: Half a Sixpence (1967)

Every October, around Columbus Day, I get the urge to watch two films: Doctor Dolittle and Half a Sixpence, both of which were released in 1967. Some people consider the 1960s a musical revival decade and others consider it the worst decade in musical history.... personally, I think the 1960s had some good productions and this is definitely one of them. You can read our full review of the film here, for this post we will just be sharing what stands out with this score. 

For one thing, you cannot go wrong with any production conducted by Irwin Kostal. This brilliant arranger/conductor is most famous for his work on Mary Poppins (1964) but he also did a splendid job adapting the Sherman Brothers music in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and Charlotte's Web (1971). 

For Half a Sixpence, Kostal had some fantastic music by David Heneker to work with and Tommy Steele, with his unmistakable Cockney accent, performed all of the numbers with his usual lovable zeal. The tunes are all befitting an English turn-of-the-century setting and definitely lean towards the music hall sound. 

Highlights of this album include the titular "Half a Sixpence" with its beautiful instrumental interlude, "She's Too Far Above Me," the lilting "If the Rain's Gotta Fall" performed by Steele (as Artie) and the chorus, and "This is My World." Artie's gal Ann was played by Julia Foster but her singing voice was dubbed by Marti Webb who had played the role in the original 1963 London production. Marti's lovely soprano voice can be heard best in the reprise of "Half a Sixpence" at the end of the album. 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing


Side One:

"Overture"

"All in the Cause of Economy"

"Half a Sixpence"

"Money to Burn"

"I Don't Believe a Word"

"I'm Not Talking to You"

"A Proper Gentleman"

Side Two:

"If the Rain's Gotta Fall"

"Lady Botting's Boating Regatta Cup Racing Song (The Race)"

"Roses of Success"

"Entr'Acte, Flash, Bang Wallop"

"I Know What I Am"

"This is My World"

"Half a Sixpence - Reprise"

Top Music Picks: Half a Sixpence, She's Too Far Above Me, If the Rain's Gonna Fall, This is My World

Film Albums: Big Hits from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by the New Christy Minstrels

 

The MGM Classics channel aired Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) this afternoon and that was so enjoyable to watch that I followed up the pleasure by listening to the album "Big Hits from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" released by Columbia records. There were many Chitty albums released after the film became popular, but this one is unique because the songs are performed by the New Christy Minstrels folk group along with Arthur Treacher. Yes, you read that correctly, Arthur Treacher, the toe-tapping butler of the Shirley Temple films (or if you prefer, the founder of the fish and chicken fast-food chain).

The New Christy Minstrels had big hits with "Green, Green" and "Today" in the early 1960s, during the Hootenanny craze. You would think that these beautiful Sherman Brothers songs wouldn't sound very well converted to folk songs complete with banjo and tambourine, but it is actually an entertaining blend and Arthur Treacher's voice is well-suited for "Posh" and "You Two." The only unusual song added to the album is "Fun Fair" which may have been a music-only track on the original album that had lyrics added to it because it certainly wasn't in the original film.

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing


Side One:

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

"Posh!"

"Hushabye Mountain"

"Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious"

"Chu-Chi Face"

"Fun Fair"

Side Two:

"Me Ol' Bamboo"

"You Two"

"Roses of Success"

"Lovely Lonely Man"

"Toot Sweets"

"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Reprise"

Top Music Picks: Hushabye Mountain, Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scumptious, You Two, Lovely Lonely Man

Film Albums: Happiness - Connie Francis on Broadway Today

This week, we lost one of the greatest talents in the music world - Miss Connie Francis - who passed away at the age of 87. Francis, or Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero as she born, skyrocketed to fame at the age of 19 with the release of "Who's Sorry Now?" which was popularized on Dick Clark's American Bandstand. During the following three decades, she churned out hits in all the most popular genres: rock and roll, country, jazz, folk, Broadway, and even disco. 

She was not only an amazing singer but a great linguist as well and recorded albums in German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. She had many hits stateside but was an even bigger sensation in Europe, notably Germany, where many of her songs made the Top Ten charts. She had an incredibly large body of work that she released over her nearly sixty-year career. It can take you weeks to explore all of her songs! 

One of our favorite Connie Francis albums "Connie Francis Sings Award Winning Motion Picture Hits" was featured in a previous Film Albums post (you can read it here), so today we are going to highlight another favorite: "Happiness - Connie Francis on Broadway Today". This album has some beautiful arrangements of popular Broadway songs and Connie belts them out like only she could. Hallelujah, Baby and Sherry are especially rousing, but my favorites are the soft songs: the lovely Happiness, My Cup Runneth Over and I Wanna Be With You. 

Happiness - Connie Francis on Broadway Today was released by MGM Records in 1967 and, unfortunately, is not one of the easiest albums to track down online but you can find a few of these songs on Youtube. Check them out! 

Track Listing


Side One:

Happiness - "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

Together Forever/My Cup Runneth Over Medley - "I Do! I Do!"

Hallelujah, Baby - "Hallelujah, Baby"

Willkommen/Cabaret Medley - "Cabaret"

Fiddler on the Roof/To Life Medley - "Fiddler on the Roof"

Walking Happy - "Walking Happy"

Side Two:

Illya Darling - "Illya Darling"

If They Could See Me Now/I'm a Brass Band - "Sweet Charity"

Sherry - "Sherry!"

I Wanna Be With You - "Golden Boy"

My Best Beau - "Mame"

The Impossible Dream - "Man of La Mancha"

Top Music Picks: Happiness, Fiddler on the Roof, Sherry, I Wanna Be With You, The Impossible Dream

Film Albums: Miyoshi Sings for Arthur Godfrey

If you grew up watching the television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father, then you probably best remember Miyoshi Umeki as Mrs. Livingston, the housekeeper to Eddie and his father, but prior to this series she made a name for herself in the films Sayonara, Flower Drum Song, and comedies such as Cry for Happy and The Horizontal Lieutenant. Miyoshi was also a regular guest star on The Arthur Godfrey Show in the 1950s and it was through this show that she was introduced to American audiences...as a singer. Ms. Umeki began her career in Japan as a nightclub singer and she had a beautiful deep sultry voice that was quite unlike the soft speaking voice she used in her films. 

For her first US album (from Mercury Records) she performed some of her personal favorites in a mixture of Japanese and English languages. Personally, I favored her Japanese renditions and was hoping to find an album of hers in Japanese but no such luck...even in the 1950s, Japanese audiences wanted to hear American songs in English!

There are some lovely orchestra arrangements with these songs but what makes them especially wonderful is Miyoshi's rendering of these classics. She puts such heart in her singing. 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing:

Side A

If I Give My Heart to You

China Nights

I'm in the Mood for Love

My Baby's Comin' Home

How Deep is the Ocean

Slowly Go Out of Your Mind

Side B

Teach Me Tonight

Hanna Ko San

Can't Help Lovin' That Man

S'Wonderful

Over the Rainbow

Sayonara

Top Picks: China Nights, I'm in the Mood for Love, Hanna Ko San, Can't Help Lovin' that Man, Sayonara

Film Albums: Theme from King of Kings and Other Film Spectaculars

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and what better way to get into the Easter spirit then to listen to some soul-stirring religious music. This album - Theme from King of Kings and Other Film Spectaculars - could not be classified as religious music strictly speaking, but it features lovely songs from some of the best religious films ever made...including Ben-Hur and The Robe. 

My sister and I picked up this album at a second-hand store when we were teenagers and loved it instantly. It's been played countless times in our house and it was this album that introduced us to films such as The High and the Mighty, The Sundowners and Francis of Assisi. 

The music is arranged and performed by Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra and he does a "spectacular" job as usual. Chacksfield was the Mantovani of Great Britain and released a large number of albums throughout the 1950s-1970s. His film theme albums are the best and the sound on these London Records LPs are marvelous. This one is "LL3275" and it was issued in several variations in 1962 and 1963. 

Chacksfield and his orchestra implemented instruments that brought the ancient eras alive in this album, such as timpanis, tambourines, piccolos, and French horns. Not to miss themes include the scrumptious Song of Delilah from Cecil B. DeMille's epic "Samson and Delilah" (1949), the melancholy love song to "The Robe", the lovely "Francis of Assisi" theme played with piano and strings, and of course, the love theme to "Ben-Hur". 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing:

Side One

Theme from "King of Kings"

The Song of Delilah from "Samson and Delilah"

Love Theme from "The Robe"

Love Theme from "Quo Vadis"

The Green Leaves of Summer ("The Alamo")

Theme from "Exodus"

Side Two

Parade of the Charioteers ("Ben-Hur")

Theme from "Francis of Assisi"

Love Theme from "Ben-Hur"

The High and the Mighty

Love Theme from "The Prodigal"

Theme from "The Sundowners"

Top Picks: King of Kings, The Song of Delilah, Love Theme from The Robe, Theme from Francis of Assisi, Love Theme from Ben-Hur

Film Albums: The Victors and Other Themes by the Frank Chacksfield Orchestra

Frank Chacksfield has long been one of my favorite conductors. His name on an album pretty much guarantees that you are in for a good listening experience. Mr. Chacksfield was a British conductor/composer/organist who was very popular in the 1960s and he had numerous albums, most of which featured the latest film and television themes. 

One of my all-time favorites is "The Music from King of Kings and Other Film Spectaculars" but this one, "The Victors and Other Themes," is running a close second. The reason? The variety of the music for one thing. This album features romantic dance music (The Victors), slow violin music (The V.I.P.S/Days of Wine and Roses/David and Lisa), upbeat catchy melodies (8 1/2), gentle bossa novas (A New Kind of Love) and sweeping love songs (The Cardinal). Secondly, those gorgeous string sections! Frank Chacksfield had a large orchestra and he liked to put the string sections to good use, so if you like light orchestral string music, you'll love this album. 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing

The Victors - My Special Dream 

Cabinet of Caligary - Sounds of the Night

Divorce Italian Style - Theme 

The VIP's - The Willow

Days of Wine and Roses - Theme 

8 ½' - Theme

From Russia with Love

A New Kind of Love- Theme

Mondo Cane - More 

Toys in the Attic - Theme

David and Lisa - Love Song

The Cardinal - Main Theme

Top Picks: The Victors, Cabinet of Caligary, A New Kind of Love, Mondo Cane, David and Lisa

Film Albums: Drive-In Movie Time - Bobby Vinton Sings Great Motion Picture Themes

It's time to hit the drive-in and sit back and listen to that famous Polish-American pop star Bobby Vinton as he sings "Great Motion Picture Themes". This Epic album not only boasts a great cover design but does indeed cover a lot of themes from great motion pictures. Many of these songs appeared on numerous albums of the early to mid-1960s but Vinton gives them a touch of his unique style....granted, it's a style that not everyone may warm up to (after years of listening to Jerry Vale, I still make a face when he hits those Jolson-like high notes). 

Drive-In Movie Time was released in 1965 and it was Bobby Vinton's twelfth studio album. Vinton's popularity began to wane in 1966, but he continued to have a loyal following of fans and released two albums every year up until 1977. He was quite a versatile performer and, in addition to writing some his own songs, he had a few albums where he was featured playing the saxophone. 

"Lonely Girl" from Harlow (1965) is a highlight of this album. It was penned by Neal Hefti for the Carroll Baker film (not the Carol Lynley film of the same title). 

Click here to listen to the full album on Youtube. 

Track Listing

Chim-Chim Cher-ee

Around the World in 80 Days

Theme from A Summer Place

Goldfinger 

Moon River

Never on Sunday

More from Mondo Cane

The Song from Moulin Rouge

From Russia with Love

Theme from Harlow "Lonely Girl"

The Exodus Song

Dear Heart

Top Picks: Around the World, Theme from A Summer Place, The Song from Moulin Rouge, "Lonely Girl", Dear Heart