GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5206

Non-Stop To Nowhere

1 On The Side Of The Angels (from the show "Fiorello") (Sheldon Harnick; Jerry Bock, arr. Alfred Newman)
ALFRED NEWMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol ST1343 1959
2 Harum-Scarum (Florian ZaBach)
FLORIAN ZABACH, HIS VIOLIN AND ORCHESTRA
Mercury MPT7522 1957
3 Poor Butterfly (Raymond Hubbell; John Golden, arr. Philip Green)
PHILIP GREEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Top Rank RX 3013 1959
4 "The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse" - Love Theme from the film (Andre Previn, arr. Percy Faith)
PERCY FAITH AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8583 1962
5 Ballad Of The Sea (Joe Reisman, arr. Walter Landauer)
RAWICZ AND LANDAUER at two pianos with Orchestra and Chorus conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Philips 326547 BF 1962
6 Non-Stop To Nowhere (Mark Anthony, real name Tony Hatch)
THE PICCADILLY STRINGS
Piccadilly 7N 35027 1962
7 The Awakening Of Pedro (Mitchell Ayres; Danny Hurd)
MITCHELL AYRES AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA 47-6729 1956
8 Antilles (Jacques La Rue; Jean Paul Rene Guilbert)
JOE REISMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA Victor 6404 1956
9 Desiree (James Kriegsmann, arr. Bruce Campbell)
BRUCE CAMPBELL AND HIS ORCHESTRA (‘Coronet Orchestra’ on disc label)
MGM E 3167 1955
10 Grasshopper (Earle H. Hagen, Herbert Spencer)
THE SPENCER-HAGEN ORCHESTRA
Label "X" LXA 1003 1955
11 Piccadilly Hoe-Down (Chris Armstrong, real name Ray Martin)
RAY MARTIN AND HIS CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Columbia DB 3026 1952
12 Badinage (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER Conducting THE MODE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Vogue Mode MDINT 9080 1962
13 Hey! Taxi (George Siravo)
GEORGE SIRAVO AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca DL 8464 1956
14 Poppet (Ken Warner)
THE CRAWFORD LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Josef Weinberger JW 156 1958
15 Candy Floss (Peter Dennis, real name Dennis Alfred Berry)
DOLF VAN DER LINDEN AND HIS ORCHESTRA (‘Harmonic Orchestra conducted by David Johnson’ on disc label)
Charles Brull/ Harmonic CBL 334 1953
16 Metropolitan March (Roger Barsotti)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by SIDNEY TORCH
Chappell C 313 1947
17 Frantic Fiddles (Johnny Gregory)
WESTWAY STUDIO ORCHESTRA
Southern MQ 593 1962
18 Folies Parade (Cyril Watters)
LANSDOWNE LIGHT ORCHESTRA
Impress IA 233 1960
19 Twinkle Toes (Van Phillips)
STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD (‘Lansdowne Light Orchestra’ on disc label)
Impress IA 131-B 1956
20 Pennsylvania Dutch (Dolf van der Linden)
SYMPHONIA ORCHESTRA Conducted by LUDO PHILIPP
Harmonic/Charles Brull CBL 385 1955
21 Jamboree (Clive Richardson)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 343 1948
22 Starlight Special (Alan Perry, real name Ernest Tomlinson)
NEW CENTURY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERICH BÖRSCHEL
Francis, Day & Hunter FDH 155 1956
23 Ten To One (Arnold Steck, real name Leslie Statham)
DANISH STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by ROBERT FARNON
Chappell C 469 1954
24 Down Channel : Nautical Overture (Alec Rowley)
LONDON PROMENADE ORCHESTRA Conducted by WALTER COLLINS
Paxton PR 402 1946
25 Toward Adventure (Gilbert Vinter)
STUTTGART RADIO ORCHESTRA Conducted by KURT REHFELD (‘Lansdowne Light Orchestra’ on disc label)
Impress IA 169-B 1957
26 All The Fun Of The Fair (from "Rustic Revels" Suite) (Percy Fletcher)
QUEEN’S HALL LIGHT ORCHESTRA Conducted by CHARLES WILLIAMS
Chappell C 127 1942

Stereo: tracks 1-4; rest in mono

BOOKLET NOTES

The title of this collection says it all: simply an assortment of all kinds of Light Music, with a good proportion of it included at the special request of music lovers who have purchased previous CDs in this long running series.

The opening track features a great show business number arranged by Alfred Newman (1901-1970) who was, for much of his career, the most influential and respected composer and music director in Hollywood. At Twentieth Century Fox he was responsible for numerous major films, sometimes taken from successful Broadway shows. One exception was "Fiorello" (about the famous New York mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia), for which Frank Sinatra was mooted for the starring role. It never happened, although Newman did some preparatory work on the music score and On The Side Of The Angels is reputed to be a composite of what was intended as the Main Title and Ending of the film.

Florian ZaBach (1918-2006) was an American violinist and conductor who became a well-known television personality in post-war years. His 78 The Hot Canary (1951)sold a million, and during a long career he was invited as violinist and conductor to perform many ‘Pops Concerts’ with orchestras around the world. Harum-Scarum is one of his compositions.

Londoner 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 with EMI in 1933, and he is credited with at least 150 film scores. His own arrangement of Poor Butterfly reveals Green’s ability to come up with fresh ideas for familiar standards.

André Previn (born Andreas Ludwig Priwin in Berlin 1929, or 1930) has enjoyed a glittering career as a conductor, pianist and composer. In 1969 he was appointed conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, where he remained for over ten years. The fame he achieved in London tended to overshadow the fact that he had already forged a successful career in Hollywood, resulting in four Academy Awards. The 1961 adaptation of "The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse" failed to impress the critics, but Previn’s score – arranged in our recording by Percy Faith (1908-1976) – deserves to be remembered.

Rawicz and Landauer were a very popular piano duo, heard regularly on the radio in Britain for many years. Marjan Rawicz (1898-1970) was born in Poland, while Walter Landauer (1910-1983) came from Vienna. Initially they formed their act in Austria in 1932, but soon moved to Britain. Walter Landauer was also an accomplished arranger and, in the early 1960s, Philips Records in the UK commissioned him to write a number of arrangements, notably of some original works by Robert Farnon (1917-2005) and Leroy Anderson (1908-1975), which were recorded under Farnon’s baton, sometimes with a choir. Most titles were for release on LPs, but Ballad Of The Sea was one of several 45 singles. The composer was Joe Reisman (1924-1987), who returns later on this CD with his own orchestra playing Antilles. Born in Dallas, Texas, he began his career playing saxophone and arranging but later held A&R appointments with Roulette and RCA.

Our title track is by a young English composer who would eventually go on to make a big name for himself internationally. Tony (Anthony Peter) Hatch (born Pinner, North London, 1939) studied for a while at the Royal Academy of Music but left to work in the office of a music publisher. While doing his National Service he became involved with the Band of the Coldstream Guards, then returned to work with several different record companies including Pye and Top Rank. His career took a big leap forward when he started writing songs for Petula Clark, becoming her regular producer: Downtown was their first great success. Before that he wrote a number of catchy tunes, often under the pseudonym ‘Mark Anthony’ – one of them being Non Stop To Nowhere.

Making his Guild debut on this CD is the American conductor Mitchell Ayres (1909-1969). He was also an accomplished composer and arranger and is best remembered for his work with Perry Como on radio, television and records. He was the co-composer of the intriguingly titled The Awakening Of Pedro. His career was cut short when he was killed in a traffic accident.

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 top British bands during the 1930s. Campbell assisted Farnon on his post-war BBC radio shows and eventually became a frequent contributor to various mood music libraries. Desiree comes from a rare LP that Campbell recorded anonymously in Britain for the American market.

Herbert Spencer (1905-1992) began contributing music to films as early as 1933, and during the 1950s he made several albums with Earle Hagen (1919-2008 – famous as the composer of the jazz standard Harlem Nocturne). The Spencer Hagen Orchestra is still remembered today by collectors of what has become known in the USA as ‘lounge music’. They co-composed Grasshopper, which comes from an LP with each track devoted to a cocktail. Two other tracks from the same album have been featured on previous Guild CDs: Side Car (GLCD5131) and Silver Fizz (GLCD5156).

Raymond (Ray) Stuart Martin (born Raymond Wolfgang Kohn in Vienna, 1918-1988) fled from the Nazis and settled in England before the outbreak of World War 2 where he became known as ‘Ray Martin’. He was one of the biggest names in British popular music during the 1950s due to his work on radio, television, films and especially the recording studios. Piccadilly Hoe-Down was composed under his pseudonym ‘Chris Armstrong’ – he used at least ten at various times, much to the confusion of his admirers.

After the Second World War Roger Roger (1911-1995) played piano and conducted a 35-piece orchestra for a major French weekly radio series "Paris Star Time". His own instrumental cameos that were featured in the show brought him to the attention of the London publishers Chappell & Co., who were rapidly expanding their Recorded Music Library of background music at that time. Roger’s quirky compositions soon became available to radio, television and film companies around the world, but the choice for this CD, Badinage, comes from one of his commercial LPs.

George Siravo (1916-2000) played clarinet with many of the big bands of the swing era and he was also in demand as a free-lance arranger for the likes of Glenn Miller, Charlie Barnet, Artie Shaw and Gene Krupa. Siravo’s contribution to this CD, Hey! Taxi,represents one of the rare novelty numbers that he both composed and recorded himself.

Ken Warner (born in London as Onslow Boyden Waldo Warner 1902-1988), was educated at the Guildhall School of Music. By 1940 he had become well known as ‘Ken Warner’ and in that year he joined the BBC Light Orchestra, playing violin, clarinet and saxophone under Fred Hartley, also doing much arranging. He stayed as a BBC employee until 1959, after which he retired to Cornwall to raise pigs. His compositions (such as Poppet on this CD) found their way into the Recorded Music Libraries of London publishers.

‘Peter Dennis’ hides the true identity of Dennis Alfred Berry (1921-1994), who also composed (sometimes in collaboration with others) under names such as Frank Sterling, Charles Kenbury and Michael Rodney. He was born in London and in 1939 was employed by several publishers before joining Paxton Music as their representative based in Amsterdam. He returned to the London office in 1949 and was responsible for producing numerous titles issued by Paxton during the 1950s. This did not prevent him writing for other libraries such as De Wolfe, Synchro and Charles Brull, for whom he wrote Candy Floss.

London-born Roger Barsotti (1901-1986) was a conductor and composer whose career began as a flautist with the Hastings Municipal Orchestra. Later he was appointed bandmaster of the Queen's Royal Regiment in 1930 and, following retirement from the British army in 1946, he took over the London Metropolitan Police Band, for whom he composed his Metropolitan March. Later it achieved fame as the signature tune for the British TV programme "Blott On The Landscape".

Johnny Gregory (born Giovanni Gregori, London 1924) is a prolific arranger and film composer whose career with Philips records spanned some 20 years. As "Chaquito" he arranged and conducted a series of Latin-American recordings. Essentially he was a backroom boy in the British music business for many years, with numerous arrangements, backings and radio broadcasts to his credit. His compositions, such as Frantic Fiddles, were also welcomed by mood music libraries.

Although not as well-known to the general public as some of his peers, Henry Cyril Watters (1907-1984) was another composer, highly respected by music publishers, whose work was readily accepted for its unfailing high standards. At times he was employed as a staff arranger by Boosey & Hawkes and Chappell, and for many years he willingly devoted some of his energies in running the Light Music Society for the benefit of his fellow musicians. He achieved a minor hit with his Willow Waltz (on GLCD5189)when it was used in Britain as a television theme, but possibly the number on this CD – Folies Parade – is more typical of his many bright and breezy melodies.

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. Many of his works such as Twinkle Toes were accepted by Inter-Art Music Publishers (Impress), and some admirers have noted possible influences of Robert Farnon and Bruce Campbell. He also worked on a major BBC Radio series "Journey Into Space", first broadcast in 1953. When composing failed to satisfy his creative instincts he eventually became a highly regarded professional photographer.

A musician who is already well represented on Guild Light Music CDs is Dolf Van Der Linden (1915-1999), who conducts his own piece Pennsylvania Dutch. His real name was David Gysbert van der Linden and he was the leading figure on the light music scene in the Netherlands from the 1940s until the 1980s.

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. It seems likely that Chappells commissioned him to compose Jamboree in a similar style to his earlier Holiday Spirit (on GLCD5120) which had been so successful.

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’, which he chose for Starlight Special on this CD. His suites of English Folk Dances have become part of the standard light music repertoire. In recent years Ernest has worked hard to preserve thousands of music manuscripts that would otherwise have been destroyed, and he is the President of the Light Music Society. In 2012 he received a well-deserved MBE for his services to music.

Arnold Steck (1905-1974) is a pseudonym used by Major Leslie Statham, conductor of the Band of the Welsh Guards, who retired from the regiment in 1962 to concentrate fully on composing. Not surprisingly he was a master of concert marches and two of his compositions were used by the BBC for many years to introduce their football and tennis programmes. Ten To One on this CD is a fine example of his work.

The English composer Alec Rowley (1892-1958) became known for his educational music aimed at amateur players, which seems to have resulted in his more serious works being unfairly neglected. He studied with Frederick Corder at London’s Royal Academy of Music, and became familiar to early radio listeners as a piano duettist with Edgar Moy. His Piano Concerto No. 1 was premiered in 1938. He makes his Guild debut with his Nautical Overture Down Channel.

Lincoln-born Gilbert Vinter (1909-1969) is probably best remembered in Britain as the conductor of the BBC Midland Light Orchestra when it was one of the foremost contributors of quality light music on the BBC. However he also excelled as a composer, both in light music (such as Toward Adventure on this CD) and the brass band world.

The work selected to complete this collection is a typical piece by Derby-born Percy (Eastman) Fletcher (1879-1932), who is often recognised today for his brass band pieces although he spent much of his career as a musical director in London’s West End theatres. A prolific composer, he wrote numerous ballads as well as choral works and light orchestral suites. Perhaps his best-remembered piece of light music is the valse-caprice Bal Masque, which was the second of his "Parisian Sketches", composed in 1914 (on Guild GLCD 5108 and 5137).The exhilarating All The Fun Of The Fair comes from his "Rustic Revels" suite. Another movement Dancing On The Green was featured on GLCD5107. His work is a fine example of the high standards achieved by British composers working in Light Music spheres during the first half of the last century.

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5207

Ca C’Est Paris

1 Ca C’Est Paris (Jean Lucien Boyer; Jacques Charles; Jose Padilla)
JOS CLEBER AND HIS COSMOPOLITAN ORCHESTRA
Philips P 10055 R 1954
2 April In Paris (Vernon Duke, arr. Robert Farnon)
ROBERT FARNON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Decca LF 1020 1950
3 En Avril A Paris (Charles Trénet; Walter Eiger)
FRANCK POURCEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
French HMV 7 EGF 136 1954
4 Tourbillon De Paris (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER Conducting THE MODE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Vogue Mode MDINT 9080 1962
5 La Seine (Guy Lafarge, arr. Hal Mooney)
HAL MOONEY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Time S 2005 1960
6 Mademoiselle De Paris (Paul Durand; Eric Maschwitz; Henri Contet)
ART WAINER AND THE LATIN QUARTER ORCHESTRA
MGM D 124 1954
7 Sous Les Toits de Paris (Under The Roofs Of Paris) (Raoul Moretti; René Nazelles)
FRANCK POURCEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV DLP 1150 1957
8 Sous La Ciel De Paris (Under Paris Skies) (Waltz Of Paree) (Jean Brun; Hubert Giraud)
CYRIL STAPLETON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM E 3206 1955
9 Sous Les Ponts de Paris (Under The Bridges Of Paris) (Vincent Scotto)
FRANCK POURCEL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
HMV DLP 1150 1957
10 An American In Paris (George Gershwin)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SML 30022 1961
Paris Original (From "How To Succeed In Show Business Without Really
Trying") (Frank Loessser)
ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Columbia CS 8627 1962
12 Paris Promenade (William Hill Bowen)
THE MELACHRINO ORCHESTRA Conducted by GEORGE MELACHRINO
HMV B 10954 1956
13 Paris Stay The Same (Victor Schertzinger, arr. Jo Boyer)
EDDIE BARCLAY AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury MG 20190 1955
14 Paris In The Spring (Mack Gordon; Harry Revel)
HUGO WINTERHALTER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
RCA LSP 1904 1959
15 Paris Honeymoon (Laurie Johnson)
GROUP FORTY ORCHESTRA
KPM Music KPM 086 1961
16 Heart Of Paris (Coeur de Mon Coeur) (Georges Auric; Mitchell Parish)
THE CLEBANOFF STRINGS AND ORCHESTRA
Mercury SR 60163 1960
17 Midnight In Paris (Herb Magidson)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Pacific STO-D16005 1962
18 Lovers In Paris (Al Sherman)
MONIA LITER AND HIS ORCHESTRA
London LL 1643 1957
19 Paris Canaille (Leo Ferré, arr. Michel Legrand)
MICHEL LEGRAND AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Philips BBL 7026 1955
20 Rainy Night In Paris (Black)
NORRIE PARAMOR AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Capitol ST 10190 1959
21 Paris Fashions (Cecil Milner)
THE HARMONIC ORCHESTRA Conducted by HANS MAY
Harmonic/Charles Brull HMP 266 1948
22 Paris Oui Oui (David Rose)
DAVID ROSE AND HIS ORCHESTRA
MGM 30521 1952
23 Miss Paris (Roger Roger)
ROGER ROGER AND HIS CHAMPS ELYSEES ORCHESTRA
Chappell C 674 1960
24 Poor People Of Paris (La Goulante du Pauvre Jean) (Marguerite Monnot)
DAVID CARROLL AND HIS ORCHESTRA
Mercury SML 30022 1961
25 Paris Soir (Vivian Ellis)
TELECAST ENSEMBLE
Chappell C 561 1957
26 Oh! Paris, Gai Séjour De Plaisir (Charles Lecocq)
GRAND ORCHESTRE DE PARIS Conducted by PAUL BONNEAU
Ducretet-Thomson 250-V-062 1955
27 Lights Of Paris (W. Noack)
LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Bosworth BC 1091 1939
28 I Love Paris (from "Can Can") (Cole Porter)
MONTE CARLO LIGHT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Conducted by ERWIN HALLETZ
Polydor 237078 SLPHM 1962

Stereo: tracks 5, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 20, 24 & 28; rest in mono.

BOOKLET NOTES

The City of Paris was a favoured settlement for our ancestors over two thousand years ago, no doubt due to its position on the River Seine and the rich agricultural conditions in the surrounding area. All this contributed to a pleasant lifestyle, and it was hardly surprising that it became the largest city in the world by the 12^th century, a position it retained until other developing nations eventually overtook it in size at the turn of the 18^th century. But size is not always everything, and for centuries Paris was at the forefront of Europe’s leading centres of learning and the arts. As such it attracted the best scholars and artists, and this was certainly true in musical terms. Today’s inheritors of this proud tradition still carry on the unique French style that is not afraid to adapt, yet still manages to retain that certain ‘je ne sais crois’. This tribute to Paris confirms the spell it still exerts not only for its own musicians and composers, but also the countless admirers from around the world who have fallen for its charms.

It seems only right that these notes should give precedence to the French musicians performing in this collection, and it would be hard to find a more worthy contender to begin with than Franck Pourcel (1913-2000), who was born in Marseille. He is widely recognised as one of the biggest names in French popular music, and during his lifetime it is estimated that he recorded over 2,000 songs. He achieved world-wide success with I Will Follow Him which he co-composed with Paul Mauriat. It is possible that earlier he may have disappointed some of his loyal fans when he decided to emigrate to the United States in 1952, but he did not desert the country of his birth. He often returned to France to record, and he even conducted for France at the Eurovision Song Contest between 1956 and 1972. He expanded his conducting into the classical arena, but this did not prevent him writing for top singers such as Petula Clark. Air France commissioned him to compose a special piece in 1975 for their Concorde fleet, and his days as an émigré were well behind him when this outstanding conductor, composer and arranger of superlative light orchestral music died at his home in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 12 November 2000 aged 87.

It seems a shame when some musicians get saddled with labels that do not give an accurate description of their achievements. Roger Roger (1911-1995) sometimes gets referred to as a bandleader, but one can think of many true ‘bandleaders’ who come nowhere near Monsieur Roger’s considerable contributions to light and popular music. He started writing for French films towards the end of the 1930s (firstly documentaries, then feature films), and was responsible for the famous pantomime sequences in Marcel Carné’s Les Enfants du Paradis (1944). After the Second World War Roger played piano and conducted a 35-piece orchestra for a major French weekly radio series Paris a l’Heure des Etoiles, which was syndicated overseas and even broadcast in the USA. His own instrumental cameos that were featured in the show brought him to the attention of the London publishers Chappell & Co., who were rapidly expanding their Recorded Music Library of background music. Roger’s quirky compositions neatly complemented the kind of music being created at the same time by Chappells’ other top composers, and radio, television and film companies around the world soon appreciated the fresh and, occasionally, unusual sounds he created. Although he was married to the opera singer Eva Rehfuss, Roger is reported not to have liked the human voice. This may explain why he seems to have devoted his career from the 1950s onwards to creating so much purely orchestral material, although he did ‘experiment’ for a while with electronic music in the 1960s, much to the consternation of some of his most avid supporters. In hindsight it is surprising that the post-war French film industry seemed to ignore his talents. Although he made a few commercial recordings, the main thrust of his composing abilities was directed towards the production music libraries of many leading publishers, not just Chappells, and these recordings were only made available to commercial users. The downside of this was that so much of his very appealing work could not be purchased by his admirers.

Eddie Barclay(1921-2005)(real name Edouard Ruault – he changed it in 1944 when he came into contact with American liberation forces) was famous in France for two reasons: his music, and his nine wives. His career took off at the end of World War 2 when he realised that his jazz with a French flavour was much in demand. He launched what he claimed to be the first discothèque, Eddie's Club, based on the American clubs that had opened to serve US military personnel. He certainly came up against the right influences at the right time: he regularly visited the Hot Club of France where Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt performed. Eddie started his own band in 1947, which accompanied many of the top visiting American artists such as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie. His list of close friends reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of top French entertainers, particularly Michel Legrand and Charles Aznavour. Gradually Eddie began extending his talents into conducting and record production for several leading singers, and eventually he formed his own record company. He persuaded his post-war friend Quincy Jones (who had studied in Paris) to come back to France and become artistic director of Barclay Records for a while at the end of the 1950s. Thanks to his strong contacts with the American record industry Eddie Barclay built up a leading role in the production and distribution of LP records in France where he became known as the ‘king of microgroove’.

Michel Jean Legrand (born in Paris 24 February 1932) was one of the first Europeans to work with legendary jazz innovators Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Bill Evans. This may help to explain why so much of his work has a jazz ‘edge’, although it is also appealing through being beautifully crafted in purely orchestral terms. Whether he is concentrating as a pianist with orchestral backing, or employing the full forces of a symphony-size orchestra for a film score, he manages to create a unique sound that his admirers applaud. Music critics regard him as one of the most important post-war film music composers in the world. He entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 10, studying under Nadia Boulanger, whose pupils also included Aaron Copland and Quincy Jones. With his studies behind him, he was chosen by Maurice Chevalier to be Musical Director for his 1954-55 tour of the USA. This opened many doors for young Michel, and ensured that he would not have to worry about finding work for the rest of his life. But his immediate future was back home in France where the 1964 film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg broke new ground with the dialogue being sung. Several songs became international hits, with recordings by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Andy Williams. Eventually Michel Legrand settled in Los Angeles, where his film career blossomed even more, including the title song for the 1983 James Bond movie Never Say Never Again. Legrand has composed over 200 film and television scores, several musicals, and made well over one hundred albums. He has won three Oscars (out of 13 nominations), five Grammys, and has been nominated for an Emmy. He was 22 when his first album, I Love Paris, became one of the best-selling instrumental albums ever released. Apart from his film work, he has conducted many top orchestras around the world.

Paul Bonneau (1918-1995) seems to get categorised as a French composer of classical music, but his name often crops up in connection with light music. He studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, where it is noted that he received three important prizes between 1937 and 1945. For much of this time the Second World War was being waged, which could explain why his musical studies seem to have been so extended: in 1939 he became the important-sounding assistant manager of music of the French Army, but one wonders how long this appointment lasted. In 1945 he is listed as bandmaster of the French Republican Guard, but before then he was already conducting light classical music for French radio. His first broadcast was on 27 November 1944, and he went on to conduct 638 programmes over the next 30 years. Paul Bonneau was a prolific composer and arranger. He collaborated on 51 French films and composed serious works such as Ouverture pour un Drame, Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra and Un Français à New York (for orchestra, dedicated to the memory of George Gershwin). He arranged many light symphonic pieces for orchestra and adapted Offenbach for the Paris Folies operetta in 1976, and seems to have been particularly busy as a ballet composer. His name appears as conductor and composer on many recordings for the French subsidiary of London publishers Chappell & Co.

Having covered the French contributors to this collection in some depth, it is hardly necessary to mention most of the other orchestras since they will already be well-known to regular purchasers of Guild Light Music CDs. But an exception has to be made for the conductor of the opening track, which also gives this collection its title. Jos Cleber (also known as Jozef Cleber and Josef van Cleber, born Maastricht, The Netherlands, 1916-1999) was a Dutch composer and conductor who was only fifteen when he started playing the violin in a local orchestra. He also played the piano, saxophone, clarinet and trombone, and developed a great liking for jazz, no doubt influenced by Duke Ellington, whom he greatly admired. During the Second World War he was part of Paul Godwin’s Orchestra in Zurich, and when hostilities ceased he returned to The Netherlands and played trombone in Dolf van der Linden’s Metropole orchestra. For a while he was also a trombonist in the famous Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra. In June 1948 he travelled to Indonesia, triggering an enduring love of the country and its people (in later years he orchestrated their national anthem). He founded the "Cosmopolitan Orchestra" for Radio Batavia, so named because it composed of 40 musicians of many different nationalities. He worked in Dutch radio until 1962, when he left to settle in South Africa.

In making a special mention of the first orchestra, it would seem only right to praise the conductor who provides such a splendid finale to this collection. Erwin Halletz was born in Vienna on 12 July 1923, and he also died there on 27 October 2008. In addition to conducting, he also performed on the saxophone and clarinet. Like many of his peers in European broadcasting stations at that time, he also found himself called upon to conduct for his country’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest. In those days it may have been considered an honour, but today …?

David Ades

GUILD LIGHT MUSIC GLCD5208

The Lost Transcriptions – Volume 4
David Rose and his Orchestra
1 The Tina Lina (Nicholas Brodszky; Johnny Green, arr. David Rose)
World Program Service 466J c.1951
2 On A Misty Day (David Rose)
World Program Service 800-7811 c.1945
3 A Strip of Sunset (David Rose)
World Program Service 800-6200 c.1945
4 Oh! You Horses (David Rose)
Standard Radio Transcription Services Z 154-3 c.1942
5 Birth Of The Blues (from "George White’s Scandals") (Ray Henderson; Lew Brown; Buddy De Sylva, arr. David Rose)
Standard Radio Transcription Services Z-162-3 c.1942
Mantovani and his Orchestra
6 Brass Hats (Guy Desslyn, real name Frederic Bayco)
Lang-Worth Feature Programs PC 137A 1952
7 Caprice Viennois (Fritz Kreisler)
Lang-Worth Feature Programs PC 122B 1952
8 Cuban Holiday (Donald Phillips)
Lang-Worth Feature Programs PC 124B 1952
9 Danse Drole (Michael Spivakovsky)
Lang-Worth Feature Programs PC 137A 1952
10 Loop-De-Loo (Vic Mizzy)
Lang-Worth Feature Programs PC 124A 1952

…………………..

11 Nocturnal Mood (Emil Cadkin)
CARL CHANDLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA (real name Emil Cadkin)
Standard Z-253-2 1949
12 It Wouldn’t Be Love (Allan Roberts; Buddy Bernier)
HOLLYWOOD SALON ORCHESTRA Conducted by HARRY BLUESTONE
Standard T-240-4 1949
13 The Minute Waltz (Chopin arr. Emil Cadkin)
CARL CHANDLER AND HIS ORCHESTRA (real name Emil Cadkin)
Standard Z-268-6 1949
14 Hindustan (Harold Weeks)
CARMEN DRAGON AND HIS ORCHESTRA
World Programme Service (Australia) 108 c.1945

……………………

Sidney Torch and his Orchestra
15 Long Ago And Far Away (from "Cover Girl") (Jerome Kern, arr. Sidney Torch)
Lang-Worth PC 86A c.1952
16 On The Trail (from "Grand Canyon Suite") (Ferdé Grofé)
Lang-Worth PC 132A c.1952
17 La Calinda (Frederick Delius)
Lang-Worth PC 134A c.1952
18 Syncopated Clock (Leroy Anderson)
Lang-Worth PC 88A c.1952
Percy Faith and his Orchestra
I Can’t Get Started With You (From "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936")(Vernon Duke;
Ira Gershwin, arr. Percy Faith)
VOA PO 103 1948
20 Oodles Of Noodles (Jimmy Dorsey) Solo Saxophone VINCENT J. ABATO
VOA PO 96 1948
21 The Snow Goose (Percy Faith) Solo Piano STAN FREEMAN
AFRS "Melody Hour" Programme 1946
22 Tears On Satin (Johnny Richards) Solo Harmonica RICHARD HAYMAN
VOA PO 117 1948
23 Two Silhouettes (From the film "Make Mine Music") (Charles Woolcott,
arr. Percy Faith)
AFRS "Melody Hour" Programme 1946
The Irish Washerwoman (Trad. arr. Percy Faith)
VOA PO 105 1948

All titles mono

BOOKLET NOTES

Sound recordings provide a fascinating subject to study for anyone interested in the development of music in recent times. By the beginning of the 20^th century it was possible to enjoy the early acoustic recordings, without continually being aware of the limitations of the system. In the mid-1920s electrical recording proved to be a giant leap forward in terms of reproduction, and subsequent advances in technology have made it possible for listeners to enjoy superb sound whenever and wherever they wish. It is, perhaps, a pity that the small portable devices so common today have actually resulted in a deterioration in sound quality, but it is up to the user to decide what is acceptable.

For many people sound recordings probably just mean commercial recordings, offered for sale by record companies who have strived to anticipate what their potential customers will be willing to buy. The first three quarters of the last century witnessed the growth of major recording organisations around the world, sometimes linked to music publishers and other associated interests. In the early days the creators of the music seemed to have been largely in control; in later years the accountants took over, with the result that true music lovers often felt that their desires meant little to those in charge. Fortunately a number of small independent companies tended to surface as the 20^th century drew to a close, often sustained by the enthusiasm of dedicated collectors anxious to preserve what they regarded as the glory years of recorded music.

Alongside the familiar commercial gramophone records, a large number of recordings were also being made to serve the needs of various sections of the entertainment business. The general public was blissfully unaware of the existence of this vast reservoir of music, although they were frequently exposed to it. Today it is often labelled ‘production music’ or ‘stock music’; in earlier times it was ‘mood’, or ‘background’ music, and it often came from the music publishers themselves who wanted their music to be used in the cinema, radio, television, newsreels, documentaries – in fact anywhere that music could play a useful part. Some larger radio stations also made special programmes to offer to other broadcasters around the world, who maybe couldn’t afford the cost of some of these lavish productions. These were usually referred to as ‘Transcriptions’.

Sadly many of these were not highly regarded at the time. Although standards generally were high, they were frequently unkindly dismissed as ‘passing fancies’ that would serve a useful purpose, and then be forgotten. Often they were supposed to be destroyed after use, but fortunately for us some collectors who could appreciate their musicality decided that such a fate was surely too cruel. (Without wishing to complicate the story too much, it should be mentioned at this point that the Second World War also required a large amount of transcription recordings to entertain troops far away from home, and specialist organisations grew up to supply them).

Today many historic sound recordings are under threat due to copyright regulations which can only be described as deplorable. Unless the original legal owners are willing to fund the necessary work involved, dedicated restorers are hampered by regulations which prohibit them from working to save deteriorating precious recordings that are part of our musical heritage. Reports from concerned sources within the USA suggest that some early sound recordings are ‘locked away’ for up to 177 years. One cannot believe that this was intended by legislators, and it can only be assumed that law makers have been poorly advised by the people who should be ensuring that they make correct and sensible decisions. In Europe the period for ‘locking away’ sound recordings ignored by the copyright holders has been increased from 50 to 70 years, despite every learned study into the question ruling against such a retrograde step. This is all happening when the internet has made it virtually impossible to police all forms of copyright. Every day hundreds of thousands of pieces of music, and literary works, are made available to the world without any thought as to what the creators deserve to receive from the fruits of their labours.

This collection of transcription recordings, which has been produced carefully to observe all applicable copyright laws, is an example of the essential work that should be done all over the world to preserve the music that has played such an important part in the lives of us all.

Four leading Light Orchestras provide the lion’s share of the music in this collection. In each case they have enjoyed international success with their numerous commercial recordings, and it may come as a surprise to some of their admirers to learn that they were actively involved in making transcription recordings. Their contributions to this CD were not issued commercially when originally recorded.

David Rose was born on 15 June 1910 in London, England, and the family moved to the USA when he was just four-years-old. After leaving the Chicago College of Music at the age of 16, he eventually became a pianist/ arranger/ conductor for NBC Radio. He moved to Hollywood, and in 1938 formed his own orchestra for the Mutual Broadcasting System, and featured on the programme "California Melodies". In 1943 he had a big hit with his own composition Holiday For Strings which firmly launched him as a light music composer in the eyes of the public. By the late '40s he was a regular on Red Skelton's radio show, moving with him into television. He later wrote scores and themes for over 20 television series and won Emmy awards for his 14 year stint on "Bonanza", 10 years with "Little House On The Prairie" and his work on three much-acclaimed Fred Astaire specials. Rose began working in movies in 1941 and is credited with scoring 36 films. After chart success with Calypso Melody in 1957, Rose had a worldwide smash hit in 1962 with another of his own tunes, a humorous and satirical piece called The Stripper. In total he won five Grammy awards and six gold records. Apart from his record, film and television work, Rose was guest conductor with several symphony orchestras. His Concerto For Flute And Orchestra was first played by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and later by the Boston Pops. Towards the end of his life his enduring passion was miniature steam trains, which ran on 900 feet of track around his house. Rose died on 23 August 1990, at his home in Burbank, California, aged 80.

Annunzio Paolo Mantovani was born in Venice, Italy on 15 November 1905. His father 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, 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 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. 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. 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. This has ensured his well-deserved place in the history of popular music.

Sidney Torch (1908-1990) was born Sidney Torchinsky, of Ukranian parents at 27 Tottenham Court Road, in London’s West End. For decades he was 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. Prior to the Second World War he was one of Britain’s finest theatre organists. After war service in the Royal Air Force, where he conducted the RAF Concert Orchestra, he made a complete break from playing the organ and concentrated entirely on composing, arranging and conducting light music. Towards the end of his life he was awarded the MBE, but sadly did not seem to enjoy a happy retirement. He had no children, and his wife pre-deceased him. In his will the beneficiary of all his royalties was the Cancer Relief MacMillan Fund. He has left behind a wealth of recordings: some feature him purely as a very accomplished conductor who could handle anything required by broadcasters from the light classics to popular melodies of the day. But his admirers are also grateful for the magnificently crafted light music cameos that continue to delight listeners more than fifty years after he composed them. Alongside this treasure-house of individual works are the many pieces by others that he orchestrated so beautifully. He was truly a very gifted musician, and one hopes that music lovers fifty or one hundred years from now will still have the opportunity to explore his legacy.

Percy Faith was born in Toronto, Canada, on 7 April 1908, 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.

The three remaining conductors were also very active in the specialised area of the music business involved in the making of transcription recordings.

Emil M. Cadkin, who used the pseudonym ‘Carl Chandler’, is an American composer and conductor of Russian descent, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1920. At the end of the 1930s he was in Los Angeles writing and teaching music, and he enlisted in the USAF in 1942. Back in civilian life he seems to have spent many years providing ‘stock’ or ‘production’ music for various third rate film studios, but eventually he gained a position as musical director and arranger for Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems. He was certainly prolific: his name crops up in many films, television shows and as a composer of stock music, sometimes in collaboration with others such as Harry Bluestone (see below) and William Loose (1910-1991).

Harry Bluestone (1907-1992) was born in England, but he made his successful career in the USA where he composed and conducted music for films and television, often alongside some of the busiest ‘backroom boys’ in the business.

Carmen Dragon (1914-1984) was born in Antioch, California. His first success in Hollywood was collaborating with Morris Stoloff (1898-1980) arranging Jerome Kern’s score for the 1944 Rita Hayworth/Gene Kelly film "Cover Girl" which secured him an Oscar. He worked extensively in radio and television, and was a frequent visitor to recording studios conducting the Hollywood Bowl and Capitol Symphony Orchestras. He also arranged and conducted for the Standard School Broadcast Transcription Service, and his version of San Francisco (which cleverly includes brief snatches related to the Californian city’s cosmopolitan population) was included on GLCD5180.

David Ades

THE FINEST COLLECTION EVER OF DEFINITIVE ERIC COATES RECORDINGS

A new box set from Nimbus promises to be the outstanding Light Music release of 2013 – if not the decade. Every commercial recording of Eric Coates conducting his own compositions has been collected together on 7 CDs, from his earliest acoustics in 1923 to his final sessions in 1957.

This is the brainchild of Alan Bunting, who has been working on this ‘labour of love’ for the best part of the last year. The sound restorations are all outstanding, which is hardly surprising when you consider that Alan is widely recognised as one of the finest digital ‘wizards’ in the world. He has gone to great lengths to obtain the very best copies available of the original discs, calling upon the willing participation of his many contacts in the record collecting fraternity. Sometimes he has had to reject some old 78s, and redouble his efforts to find better copies. The result is that the work of Eric Coates has now been preserved in amazing quality that would not have been possible only a few years ago. There are instances of Coates revisiting some of his earlier works to record them again when better technology became available, following the advent of electrical sound recording. And for the sake of completion a few tracks feature other orchestras playing Coates’ works, where he did not conduct them himself.

Originally Alan worked on this project without knowing for sure if it would ever be offered to record buyers by a commercial company. He simply felt that it was something that ought to be done, in recognition of Eric Coates’ magnificent contribution to the Light Music repertoire of the 20^th Century. But always at the back of his mind Alan hoped that, one day, he might be able to convince a record company to release his restorations. At one time there was a vague possibility that the 7 discs might be issued singly over a period of several months, but this would have been considered only as a last resort.

Happily the English company Nimbus enthusiastically embraced the project, and the results have exceeded Alan’s wildest expectations. They have they produced a top quality product in all respects at a very reasonable price (internet retailers are offering the 7 CDs for little more than £20). The accompanying booklet features an extended essay by Michael Payne, the author of the recent published book ‘The Life And Music Of Eric Coates’ (Ashgate Publishing Ltd.).

The Definitive Eric Coates" Nimbus NI 6131

This appeared in the August 2013 issue of ‘Journal Into Melody’