Keeping Track - Dateline June 2003
BRITISH LIGHT OVERTURES Volume 2: Plymouth Hoe (John Ansell); Overture 125 (David Gow); Farnham Festival Overture (Sir Richard Rodney Bennett); The Moor of Venice (William Alwyn); A Scots Overture (John Gardner); The Lamprey (Michael Gryspeerdt); Scaramouche (Peter Hope); A Cleveland Overture (Anthony Hedges); A Snowdon Overture (Gareth Glyn) Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Gavin Sutherland Sanctuary Group White Line CDWHL2137, 62:54 mins. While the nautically jolly Plymouth Hoe will be familiar to many, the other splendid overtures on this new CD will not. David Gow’s 125 was written to launch British Rail’s new high speed train in 1976; Richard Rodney Bennett’s offering is self explanatory; William Alwyn’s Moor of Venice began as a brass band piece before Philip Lane orchestrated it; while John Gardner’s original work was in honour of wartime RAF Fighter Command before being rescored for the 1954 Proms. Michael Gryspeerdt was a doctor by profession but played in the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra which often repaired to The Lamprey pub near Gloucester Cathedral while Peter Hope needs no introduction, nor does Anthony Hedges whose Cleveland Overture is related to Hull University where he was domiciled for many years. Welshman, Gareth Glyn lives on Anglesey and looks out to Snowdonia so it is easy to see where he obtained his inspiration. All the music is in the best British Light Music tradition and well worth purchasing. Peter Worsley
I have, alas, one or two serious misgivings about the makeup of this CD, bearing in mind the title British LIGHT Overtures. I can well imagine some impulse purchasers being misled into thinking that they are going to enjoy an hour or so of tuneful undemanding music which, for the most part, this recording doesn’t deliver. William Alwyn’s The Moor of Venice for example, has a particularly grim and doom-laden scenario which is fully realised in the music and could in no way be categorised as ‘light’. Surely a more accurate generic title (if Sanctuary Classics are going to continue with this series) would simply be ‘British Concert Overtures’. Furthermore the age profile, as represented by the compositional dates of these works is heavily tilted towards the modern with only two pre-dating 1950, one of which fortunately is John Ansell’s splendid, stirring and evocative salt-laden nautical overture Plymouth Hoe. Wonderful to have this at last in first-class modern sound, but for this listener at least leaving most of the remainder on this disc obstinately becalmed and (taking the nautical analogy a little further) outgunned and outranged! The best of the remainder for me was Rodney Bennett’s Farnham Festival Overture which includes skilful use of a piano, and Gareth Glyn’s appealing A Snowdon Overture which displays a charm and lyricism lacking in most of the remaining tracks, which I cannot imagine returning to very often. Playing time is somewhat miserly and there would have been ample room at the end for Ansell’s companion nautical overture The Windjammers, referred to in Philip Lane’s notes, and bringing about perhaps a satisfying concluding symmetry to this disc. Recording and performance are first rate, and if you think the contents will appeal to you don’t be put off by the strictures of a curmudgeonly reviewer. Incidentally, isn’t it about time that such significant figures of the past as Percy Fletcher, Montague Phillips, Haydn Wood, etc are represented in this series, assuming the compiler(s) can become a little less obsessed with ‘modern’? It would considerably increase the attractiveness and saleability of this series, and certainly I would have passed by Volume 2 had it not been for Plymouth Hoe! Roger Hyslop
JOHNNY DOUGLAS ORCHESTRA I won’t dance, Yesterdays, A fine romance, The Carioca, They can’t take that away from me, The way you look tonight, I’m putting all my eggs in one basket, etc.. (22 tracks taken from the Decca LPs ‘Cheek to Cheek’ & ‘A Handful of Stars’ Dulcima DLCD118, 73:42 mins. Many of us will recall these two Decca LPs from over 45 years ago with pleasant memories. Johnny Douglas’s own arrangements have a bright, fresh sound that won him many admirers back in the 1950s, and this welcome reissue on his own Dulcima label will please many readers of this magazine. The LPs date from 1955 and 1957, so they were just too early for stereo, but the original tape masters still sound fine. To fit both albums on to one CD, it has been necessary to omit Like Someone in Love and How High the Moon from ‘A Handful of Stars’. Just one slight disappointment: the CD booklet doesn’t say anything about Johnny’s distinguished career. Maybe he was too modest! As you will have read elsewhere in this issue, sadly Johnny died on Easter Sunday, 20 April, so this CD will serve as a lasting tribute to his talent as a superlative arranger of popular songs. David Ades Dulcima CDs are available from the RFS Record Service for £13 [US $26] each.
BRITISH STRING MINIATURES Volume 2: Set of Act Tunes and Dances (Henry Purcell); Serenade for the Birthday of Frederic Delius (Peter Warlock); Air and Dance (Delius); Serenade (Matthew Curtis); Suite – The Spanish Lady (Sir Edward Elgar); Serenata Concertante (Philip Lane) Royal Ballet Sinfonia conducted by Gavin Sutherland Sanctuary Group White Line CDWHL2136. You may not hear this music played regularly on BBC Radio 3 which shows it must be good! It is a delightful light string music CD of the highest calibre, both ancient and modern(ised). Gareth Glyn’s characteristic Anglesey Sketches tell the story of different parts of the island in North Wales where the composer resides. Particularly pleasant are the scherzo Cemaes, reflecting exuberant summer beach activities while the elegy Moelfre, conjures up the hundreds of lost souls down the centuries whose ships foundered on this dangerous rocky coastline. Matthew Curtis and Philip Lane prove that modern serious string music can be thoroughly enjoyable while the rest of the disc can easily be guessed from the style of the well-known composers listed. Peter Worsley The Sanctuary Group White Line series of CDs are available from the RFS Record Service for £10 [US $20] each.
CHARLES WILLIAMS ‘Radio and Television Memories No. 2’ Devil’s Galop, Girls in Grey, The Old Clockmaker, Quiet Stroll, Voice of London, High Adventure, Rhythm on Rails, Starlings, Young Ballerina, Pioneer Trail, Trolleybus, Model Railway, Great Day, In a Hurry, Summer Garden, Follow That Car, Sports Galop, Workroom, Full Speed, Ten Days’ Leave, Night Boat to Duiblin (film theme), Alf’s Button Afloat (film music), SOS, Searchlight, Convoy Attack, Barrage, Naval Action, Commandos, Said the Bells, Atlantic Brakers, War in the Jungle, Sons of the Air, March Winds, Storm on the Moors, Seaford Head, Drummer Boy, Speedway Galop and The Falcons Charles Williams and his Concert Orchestra, Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra, etc. THIS ENGLAND CR3. As many readers will know, a new CD of Charles Williams’ compositions was recorded in England earlier this year, and its release is eagerly awaited. But This England magazine has just got in first by issuing the first commercial CD devoted entirely to compositions by this master of Light Music, which will delight his many admirers. The CD (and cassette) coincide with an article on Charles Williams in the spring 2003 issue of Evergreen (the sister magazine of This England). The CD is full of radio and TV themes, such as "Dick Barton – Special Agent", BBC Television Newsreel, "Jennings at School", Farming, "Friday Night is Music Night", "Top of the Bill", "Dan Dare", television interludes and others. There are also two rare film soundtracks – from "Night Boat to Dublin" (1946) and a 1938 Crazy Gang Film "Alf’s Button Afloat"; predictably the sound quality is only average and the extracts are brief, but the second film is notable for chase music which Williams must have used later as the basis for his Devil’s Galop. These two tracks alone make this CD a real collector’s item. Keen Williams fans will probably have many of the other tracks, and the need to choose items that are out of copyright (more than 50 years old) means that the compilers have had to resort to a number of less well-known short mood music pieces from the Chappell Recorded Music Library of the 1940s. Readers who have previously purchased CDs from This England will know that they are lovingly produced by real enthusiasts. The gloss of the major record companies may be missing, and expensive sound restoration is beyond their reach. Having said that, the sound quality here is perfectly acceptable, with only occasional surface noise evident, and it has to be recognised that this may well be a ‘plus’ factor for some collectors who value authenticity. This release is strongly recommended as a slice of English Light Music history. The only thing lacking is precise information of the recording source and the actual orchestra playing on each item. David Ades This CD is only available direct from Evergreen Melodies, PO Box 52, Cheltenham, GL50 1YQ, England – tel. 01242 515156 or online at The CD costs £8.95 including postage; a shorter cassette version is available for £7.50. Overseas members should enquire about extra postage costs.
MUSIC OF LECUONA Siboney, Danza Iucumi, Jungle Drums, Gitanarias, Maria my own, Malaguena, Always in my heart, Andalucia, La comparsa, High in Sierra PLACE PIGALLE Domino, Why do you pass me by, At last at last, Autumn leaves, C’est si bon, La mer, Waltz of Paree, Chez-moi, Boom, Mademoiselle de Paris, When the world was young, Au revoir Stanley Black, his Piano and Orchestra Vocalion CDLK4176. The early stereo sound on the ‘Lecuona’ album is quite amazing. Equally exciting are the arrangements, presumably the work of maestro Stanley Black, although he did not generally make known the musicians who must have worked with him on some of his albums. He was so busy in the recording studios and concert halls, that he surely could not have scored all his music himself. The accompanying LP "Place Pigalle" employs much fewer musicians, mainly piano, accordion, percussion and occasionally electronic organ. The result is an atmospheric portrait of the kind of sounds one would love to hear emanating from a smoky French café or bistro, late into the evening. Sadly things are rather different today, but at least Stanley allows us to wallow in our nostalgia for what should be. These are two very different albums, but somehow they are each very satisfying in their own way. You may not want to play the entire CD through in one go, but I suspect that you will get a lot of enjoyment from selecting various portions from time to time, depending upon your mood. David Ades
EVENING IN PARIS Mademoiselle de Paris, Love’s last word is spoken, My prayer, Vous qui passez sans me voir (Why do you pass me by?), Pigalle, La vie en rose, Boom, Ca c’est Paris, J’attendrai, Valentine, Clopin clopant, La Seine, Parlez moi d’amour, Can-can EVENING IN ROME Santa Lucia, Serenade in the night, Mattinata, Luna rossa, Tell me you’ll not forget, Mamma, Come back to Sorrento, La montanara, O sole mio, The echo told me a lie, Catari catari, Vieni sul mar, Anema e core, Funiculi funicular. Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra Vocalion CDLK4167. This is really Leon Young’s CD, with his glorious arrangements excelling in these timeless interpretations of delightful melodies that still cannot fail to charm. The Chacksfield Orchestra really was a superb ensemble in the 1950s, strongly supported by the Decca sound technicians who were in a class all their own. First issued in 1954 and 1955, these albums just pre-date stereo, but the mono sound is fine and, after all, it is the music that really matters. As far as I am concerned, these interpretations are exactly how I wish to hear this kind of music performed. Rock ‘N’ Roll hadn’t yet fully embarked on the wrecking spree that killed off so many fine orchestras just a few years later. David Ades
NAT KING COLE Love Songs When I Fall in Love, Unforgettable, Very Thought of You, Too Young, Let’s Fall in Love, The More I See You, Stardust, These Foolish Things, etc… 24 tracks EMI 581 5132. I suppose that the only ‘problem’ with compilations such as this is deciding how many duplications you are prepared to tolerate. I haven’t checked in detail, but I should imagine that keen NKC collectors will already possess many of these tracks. However if your collection is currently devoid of this great singer, you could do far worse than purchase this bargain. David Ades
TED HEATH AND HIS MUSIC
Hits I Missed & Al Jolson Classics Vocalion CDLK4168
Great Film Hits & Pop Hits Vocalion CDLK4170
It is difficult to find something new to say about Ted Heath and his Music. His great band contained some of the finest soloists that were around in Britain at the time, and all of his Decca LPs were outstanding in their own way. For example, the idea of a big band swinging Al Jolson hits might sound a bit far-fetched, but Heath certainly gets away with it. And how many band leaders would allow their egos to admit that they had actually missed some hits? Ted Heath fans continue to be very fortunate that so many of his albums are now available in superb remasterings such as these. David Ades
MANTOVANI ORCHESTRA Italia Mia & Verzauberter Klang Aus Germany Vocalion CDLK4173. Just recently Vocalion have been treating us to several Decca albums featuring music from the continent of Europe, each being superb examples of the work of the respective orchestras. Frank Chacksfield with his ‘Evening in Rome’ (CDLK4167) has concentrated more on the popular sound of Italian music from the 1950s, whereas this Mantovani collection veers a little closer to the light classics. The sound and the performance are both stunning, and some readers may be reassured to know that the famous Mantovani ‘cascading strings’ sound is only used very sparingly (Decca probably insisted upon a touch of it here and there). The title track Italia Mia is one of Mantovani’s own compositions. This is the first time it has appeared on CD in Britain: it was previously on CD only in Japan – over a dozen years ago. The second LP was made for the continental market in June 1969, and did not appear in the UK, USA or Japan, so its revival should be of great interest to all Mantovani fans. Somewhat surprisingly, it was released in Australia as "Enchanting Sounds from Germany", but has been unavailable for many years. All of the tracks were big German hits, and many will be familiar to British ears. The German album is slightly more popular in style than theItalia Mia, but both fit nicely together, and this new CD is highly recommended. David Ades
SYDNEY LIPTON ORCHESTRA Sweet Harmony Cocktails for Two, Love is the Sweetest Thing, Love Walked In, Isn’t it Romantic, Dance Little Lady etc. Dancing at Grosvenor House Canadian Sunset, It’s Been a Long Long Time, Five Minutes More, Sioux City Sue, My Baby Just Cares for Me, Little White Lies, Scatter-brain, You’re Driving me Crazy etc. Vocalion CDLK4175. I suppose an obvious comment to make is that the melodies on this CD are so well-known that other versions of them must already be in the collections of many readers. So it all really comes down to a question of whether or not this style of music is your cup of tea – and I use the term deliberately, because a lot of tea will have been drunk over the years while Sydney Lipton and his Orchestra were performing music such as this at some of London’s most fashionable establishments. Today’s younger record buyers might find this rather quaint, but for those of us with longer melodies it will be a welcome addition to our collections. David Ades
EDWARD GERMAN Coronation March and Hymn, Henry VIII - Three Dances, Welsh Rhapsody, Much Ado About Nothing, Bourée and Gigue, Nell Gwynn -Three Dances, Gipsy Suite - Four Characteristic Dances, Tom Jones -Three Dances Band of the Welsh Guards directed by Major Philip Shannon MBE. Specialist Recording Company SRC 104 69 mins. This is a further instalment in SRC's continuing series featuring CDs devoted to a single British composer and performed by one of our premier military bands - in this case the Welsh Guards. With the notable exception of Marco Polo who have included him in their British Light Music Series (No. 8.223419) and issued two volumes of his more serious music (Nos. 8.223695 & 8.223726), Sir Edward German has been largely neglected by the recording companies, so this new SRC CD is particularly welcome. Whilst some of these items have already appeared on the aforementioned Marco Polo album - Gipsy Suite, Henry VIII and Nell Gwynn Dances - none are exactly over-represented in the current catalogue. The attractions of this issue are considerably enhanced by the inclusion of several rarities. The Coronation March and Hymn(for George V’s Coronation) is based on themes from Henry VIII, the excerpts from Much Ado About Nothing are quite delightful and well worth a hearing whilst there are no modern recordings extant of the Tom Jones Dances. Nimble and agile woodwind playing are demanded in many of the faster dance movements and the Welsh Guards are fully equal to the challenges made upon them. Like the Sullivan disc the sessions were taped in the spacious acoustics of the Chapel, The Royal Hospital Chelsea. A very good buy! Roger Hyslop
[available from DISCURIO, 46 High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LD. Tel/Fax 01634 845222,www.discurio.com, or from larger retail outlets such as the HMV Oxford Street stores in London].
BILLY MAYERL Vol. 1 Original Recordings 1925-1936 Marigold; Puppets Suite (Golliwog, Judy, Punch); Desert Song (selection); All-Of-A-Twist; Eskimo Shivers; Nippy (medley); Three Miniatures in Syncopation (Cobweb, Muffin Man, Clockwork); Sennen Cover; Jazzaristrix; Virginia Creeper; Limehouse Blues; Mignonette; Three Dances in Syncopation (English, Cricket, Harmonica); Indispensable You; Honky-Tonk; Honeysuckle; Sporting Love (medley); Have a Heart; Hollyhock.Naxos 8.120653. An excellent selection of early Mayerl masterpieces, including selections from two of his rarely heard musicals from the Thirties, Nippy and Sporting Love. Sennen Cove is the splendid full orchestral version conducted by Billy himself, while Ray Noble and Jack Hylton take the baton forHave a Heart and Indispensable You respectively. All the other tracks are solos played at the height of his fame by Mayerl, whose fantastic skills were described in a slow-motion film of the time as "Lightning Fingers". Peter Dempsey has done a wonderful job of remastering, including possibly the first ever piano recordings made by the new electrical process in Britain, namely All-Of-A-Twist andEskimo Shivers on 24th September, 1925. All in all a very good buy at bargain price. Peter WorsleyNaxos CDs are available from the RFS Record Service for £5 [US $10] each.
PAUL MAURIAT AND HIS ORCHESTRA ‘The Best of …’ Love is Blue, Puppet on a String, Song for Anna, Les Deux Guitares, Last Summer Day, New York New York, Nocturne, Pearl Fishers, Guantanamera, Jeux Interdits, Those Were The Days, etc… 21 tracks (France) Mercury/ Universal 063 687-2. First of all he wrote the book … now our member Serge Elhaik has penned the booklet notes (in English and French) for this very entertaining and welcome new release. In 1968 Paul Mauriat’s Love Is Blue was top of the charts in the USA for seven weeks, firmly establishing his credentials as a top international conductor. Mauriat is also highly respected as a songwriter and arranger, as his work with the likes of Charles Aznavour and Mireille Mathieu will testify. His later career found him much in demand in Japan, where it is reckoned that he gave at least 1,200 concerts until 1998. The Paul Mauriat Orchestra still continues under Gilles Gambus. This CD presents the maestro in some of his most popular recordings (seven are his own compositions), and it should win him many new admirers. David Ades
THE FILM MUSIC OF RICHARD ADDINSELL Goodbye Mr. Chips; Dangerous Moonlight (Warsaw Concerto); Love on the Dole; Blithe Spirit; The Black Rose; Scrooge; Tom Brown’s Schooldays; The Admirable Crichton; Out of the Clouds (Flame Tango). BBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba Chandos CHAN 10046, 79:50 minutes. A real feast of light music for cinema and non-cinemagoers alike. The vast majority of these orchestral masterpieces have been reconstructed by Philip Lane and what a labour of love was that! By listening to the soundtrack over and over again he has recreated the deliberately destroyed scores and put back into the musical repertoire what would surely have been lost for ever. It seems strange to us now that such musical gems were discarded as worthless once the movie had been made but there was so much good music around at the time that it is understandable, if not forgivable. The recordings are first class with the addition of the choirs of both Chetham’s and Manchester Cathedral, plus the piano playing of Martin Roscoe in The Warsaw Concerto. If you remember the films then you will remember the music but even if you are too young it doesn’t matter because the splendid music stands alone. Peter Worsley
While welcoming this release wholeheartedly, it is only right that I should draw readers’ attention to the previous two CDs of Addinsell’s Film Music (ASV CDWHL2108 & 2115). Philip Lane was also involved with both of these, and it is understandable that Chandos would wish to include many of Addinsell’s best-known works, so it is inevitable that some duplications have occurred. However, on this latest release, the only items that may already be in the hands of keen collectors are Warsaw Concerto, Blithe Spirit, and Scrooge. This not only serves to illustrate the considerable output achieved by Addinsell, but it should also reassure his admirers that they must not hesitate to acquire this latest release. Full marks also for the excellent booklet. David Ades
…Warsaw Concerto – that seemingly indestructible veteran evergreen – receives from Martin Roscow a performance of genuine symphonic breadth imbuing the piece with a surprising verdant freshness which is very appealing. A highlight for me was the music from Love On The Dole which I found particularly poignant and touching. Rumon Gamba deftly steers the highly accomplished and polished BBC Philharmonic through these scores with unerring sensitivity and complete sympathy. Roger Hyslop This CD is available from the RFS Record Service for £12 [US $24].
MARTIN BÖTTCHER Film Music Unser Haus in Kamerun, Der Fälscher von London, Strasse der Verheissung, Auf Engel Schiesst Man Nicht, Lufthansa-Suite plus 3 bonus tracks (Germany) Peermusic CD 0103. I feel sure that our German members will be familiar with the work of Martin B?ttcher – and rightly so, because his music is inventive and very pleasing. This new CD (conceived by our member Volker Rippe) offers the music from five films, plus three bonus tracks which I suspect were popular singles in the 1960s. The first film Unser Haus in Kamerun has a very pleasant theme, which is attractively arranged in a variety of moods with strings well to the fore. Several of the tracks would stand up very well on their own as fine examples of production music. Der Fälscher von London veers more towards jazz and (presumably!) the seamier side of London night life. A somewhat similar style is evident in Strasse der Verheissung, with nods towards West Coast Jazz and the more blatant pop sounds of the 1960s. Glenn Miller sounds emerge (intentionally) in Auf Engel Schiesst Man Nicht. Then bright holiday sounds take over in the Lufthansa-Suite. This is an interesting collection, with varied styles that prove that the composer can turn his talents towards any kind of mood, as required by the storylines in the films. The CD booklet (in German only) reproduces four film posters – a ‘plus’ point for collectors of film music. Scores such as this deserve to be preserved for posterity. David Ades
TED HEATH & HIS MUSIC Listen To My Music Opus 1; East of the Sun; Bakerloo Non-Stop; Donegal Cradle Song; On Ilkla Moor Baht’at; Baia; London Suite (Chelsea, Whitechapel, Limehouse, Bond Street, Piccadilly, Soho): Deep Forest; Pagan Love Song; You Go To My Head; Dark Eyes; Harlem Nocturne; Song of the Vagabonds; Listen To My Music; Hindustan; Lady Byrd; Sophisticated Lady; Lyonia; Euphoria; Cuban Crescendo; Roumanian Roundabout. Sanctuary Group Living Era CD AJA 5459. Ted Heath lovers will be pleased with this CD which includes Fats Waller’s complete London Suite which was released before the wartime Waller piano solo originals (which were destroyed in the Blitz) were commercially recorded from inferior copies made at the time. All the tracks were mono and made between 1944 and 1950 when Heath was arguably at his peak. The band was initially formed at the behest of the BBC Variety Department for broadcasting purposes only but soon outgrew this role and became Britain’s most famous big band. A fine tribute to a fine set of musicians. Edmund Whitehouse
LEROY ANDERSON – ‘Blue Tango’ Sleigh Ride, Promenade, The Waltzing Cat, The Syncopated Clock, Saraband, Serenata, Jazz Pizzicato … Jazz Legato, A Trumpeter’s Lullaby, Plink Plank Plunk, Horse and Buggy, Belle of the Ball, Blue Tango, China Doll, The Penny-Whistle Song, Fiddle-Faddle, The Phantom Regiment, Irish Suite, Christmas Festival Leroy Anderson and his ‘Pops’ Concert Orchestra Sanctuary Group Living Era CDAJA5481, 75:12 mins. This new CD has been compiled by RFS member David Lennick (who is based in Ontario, Canada), so the recording information given in the booklet refers to North America. Which is why all of the 78s are quoted as having Decca catalogue numbers, but this is the US Decca company, not the familiar British one. (To avoid confusion, I feel that there should have been a note in the CD booklet to explain this). In the UK these tracks were issued on Brunswick with completely different catalogue numbers, although the matrix numbers will have been the same. The recordings date from 11 September 1950 to 5 November 1952, and the running order of the tracks simply reflects the sequence in which they were released in the USA (except for the final item). In 2002 Jasmine issued a CD containing the first 16 titles (JASMCD 2580 – reviewed in JIM 152), but these are not all the same performances. (Jasmine gives no recording information whatsoever, and there was insufficient time available to make further investigations before this review had to be ready for the printers. If any readers can shed more light on this, we’ll be pleased to give the relevant details in a future issue). Clearly this new Living Era release is better value because it also contains Anderson’s six-movement Irish Suite plus the longer eight-minute version of his Christmas Festival. For the sake of completeness, I should remind readers that in 1992 MCA Records/Good Music in the USA released ‘Blue Tango -The Original Hit Recordings of Leroy Anderson’ on MSD 35334. This had 20 tracks, although Jazz Pizzicato and Jazz Legato were put on two different tracks, and incredibly separated by four other numbers – clearly the compiler had little regard for Anderson’s original concept. The remaining three ‘extra’ tracks were later works – Forgotten Dreams, Sandpaper Ballet and Bugler’s Holiday. Surprisingly Horse and Buggy was dropped in favour of The Minstrel Boy. The later stereo recordings by Leroy Anderson are on the 2-CD set ‘The Leroy Anderson Collection’ (MCA MCAD2-9815) so there have already been several opportunities for collectors to obtain the composer’s own performances on CD. If anyone reading this review still lacks Leroy Anderson on their CD shelves, then my advice is to choose this latest release which is the best now available. The sound quality is very good (although the trumpets in The Wearing of the Green sound decidedly tipsy!), and these original performances from the beginning of the 1950s stand as the definitive versions. David Ades
BOB HOPE ‘Thanks for the Memory’ Title track, Two Sleepy People, The Lady’s in Love with You, Penthouse Serenade, Put it There Pal, The Road to Morocco, My Favourite Brunette, Beside You, Buttons and Bows, That’s Not the Knot, Lucky Us, Ain’t we Got Fun, Blind Date, Goodnight Irene, Home on the Range, Wing Ding Tonight, Am I in Love, A Four-Legged Friend, Hoots Mon, Chicago Style, The Road to Bali, Merry-Go-Runaround Living Era CDAJA5493, 76:30 mins. British-born Bob Hope has become an American institution, and he had the rare honour of hearing warm tributes paid to him by the US Congress a few years ago when what might be termed a ‘premature’ announcement of his death was made. Assuming that he doesn’t fall at the last hurdle, by the time you read this he will have celebrated his 100th birthday on 29 May, and this new CD is therefore both a timely and a fitting tribute to his rather sparse recording career. Once again, the compiler credits are in the name of ‘our’ David Lennick, so my previous comments (on the Leroy Anderson CD above) about North American recordings details apply here as well. If Bob wasn’t exactly prolific in the recording studios, at least what he did commit to wax was worthy of preservation, proving that he had an astute regard for quality, rather than quantity. On several tracks he is joined by the likes of Bing Crosby, Shirley Ross, Dorothy Lamour, Margaret Whiting and Jane Russell, and there are extra tracks (not listed above) from radio shows and visits to the troops, for which he became something of a legend in World War 2. Bob’s films are represented with numbers from several Roadfilms, plus The Paleface and Son of Paleface – the latter being a rare example of a sequel being better than the original. The gremlins appear to have made mistakes on two track titles, but apart from that minor niggle this is a splendid production in all respects. David Ades All Sanctuary Group Living Era CDs are available from the RFS Record Service for £8 [US $16] each.
BEST OF THE FIFTIES Various Artists 6 CD set, EMI GOLD 582 5542. Selling for around £20 this collection ought to be good value, although the music on the 6 CDs would easily fit on to 4. Also EMI are on decidedly dodgy ground with the assertion that these are "original artists … original hits" when many are cover versions by EMI contract artists. As for the 1950s tag, how can you describe Judy Garland’s Over The Rainbow in this way ("The Wizard of Oz" came out in 1939)? This is a very mixed bag, with hardly any instrumental items. Just treat it as yet another compilation: it certainly isn’t an accurate portrayal of the overall music scene in the 1950s as I remember it. David Ades
NORMAN WISDOM ‘The Very Best of …’ EMI GOLD 582 6522. I haven’t listed the tracks because you’d be hard pressed to associate many of the titles with Sir Norman. Missing is his big number (accompanied by Robert Farnon) from the ice show "London Melody" which first made his name, and it would have been nice to have that catchy tune I’d Like to Put on Record from "Trouble in Store" (of course Don’t Laugh at Me is included). Surprisingly absent also are those two classic sides he did with Joyce Grenfell (remember Narcissus?). Norman has a pleasant voice, and he usually had excellent orchestrations backing him. This collection is quite good, but with a little more thought it could have been so much better. David Ades
HUMPHREY LYTTELTON ‘The Best of …’ EMI GOLD 583 2802. This is a 3-CD box set which you should be able to pick up for around £12. I have to admit that my knowledge of Humph’s recordings is limited, so I cannot say if there are any glaring gaps among the 60 titles. It begins with Bad Penny Blues so perhaps the omens are good! Whether or not your own particular favourites are all here, I suspect that few will disagree that this is very good value. David Ades
ADAM FAITH What Do You Want, Poor Me, Someone Else’s Baby etc. 24 tracks. EMI GOLD 583 1132. Pop singers don’t usually get included in this feature, but we know that a number of our readers are keen fans of John Barry, so they may be interested in this new release. Faith’s early successes were distinguished by the pizzicato and strings effects cleverly achieved by John Barry, with a little help from the Abbey Road echo chamber. Thanks to Hit and Miss, the signature tune of BBC TV’s "Juke Box Jury", John Barry was well known to pop fans around 40 years ago, and he certainly helped young Terence Nelhams (aka AF), who died earlier this year on 8 March aged 62.David Ades
ANNE SHELTON The Best of … Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Bridge of Sighs, If I Give My Heart To You etc. 23 tracks. EMI GOLD 584 0152. Anne Shelton has been quite well served with CD reissues just recently, but mainly they have concentrated on her repertoire from the 1940s. This new collection from EMI comes mainly from the 1950s, and it includes a mixture of hits of the day plus a few well-loved standards. Anne was a very good singer, so we mention this for the benefit of her many admirers. David Ades
NATURAL BORN FILLERS Big Beat, Trippin the Blues, Waltz Cool, The Charmer (John Cacavas); Fancy Flutes, Kiddies Corner, Dancing Harp (Roger Roger); Swing Song, Happy Folk, For Deborah, The Waiting Game, The Winners (Roger Webb); Autumn Love (Paul Lewis); The Gentle Touch (Herbert Chappell); Regency Street (Sam Fonteyn); Dancing Youth Waltz (Douglas Gamley); The Storyteller (Harry Rabinowitz); Horn-a-Plenty (Robert Farnon); Like Spring (Steve Race) etc.. 66 tracks Double CD. Total Time 158 minutes Codename Music CMCD1970. "Diamonds are forever" should capture your mind when you see the cover of this well compiled CD of BBC and ITV Daytime Interlude classics from the late 1960’s and 1970’s. You should be mesmerized by the cover alone. On opening this double CD will unfold one primary disc and one secondary disc from schooldays past containing 64 tracks of catchy little pieces of light musical charm played before schools and children’s programmes on TV. Plus two distinctive bonus tracks featuring the primary school’s diamonds music and the secondary school’s diamonds music. The whole school timetable can be fondly remembered here as you listen to well loved and often aired musical miniatures from the world famous Chappell Recorded Music Library featuring enchanting pieces from the pens and pencils of John Cacavas, Brian Fahey, Roger Webb, Gordon Franks and Robert Farnon to name a few. So rustle up your old school kit and make space in your satchel for this little gem from days gone by. Malcolm Batchelor
The thought of 64 Chappell tracks should be enough to tempt many RFS members to buy this great new collection, especially as so many of the numbers will not already be in your collections. Steven Willis is a true enthusiast who has clearly put his heart into this compilation … and it shows! David Ades For full details of how to order this 2-CD set please go back to the full-page advertisement on page 5 of this issue.
ANDRE KOSTELANETZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA – A MISCELLANY. Liza, Laura, Sari Waltz, Vienna City of My Dreams, Falling in Love with Love, Gypsy Love Waltz, Gold and Silver Waltz, Intermezzo, Someone to Watch Over Me, Lady Be Good, Two Hearts in ¾ Time, Empore Waltz, Vilia, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Waltz Dream, Diane, Gypsy Baron Waltz, Love Walked In, You Made Me Love You, Serenade (Pierne ), We Kiss in a Shadow, Bali Ha’i, Moon over Miami, Now is the Hour, Frank Bristow FBCD91 78:30 mins. This is more or less Kosty’s recording career in microcosm, ranging from 12" 78s of anything up to 60 years ago (some of which …the Lehar, Stauss, Kalman, Stolz and Oscar Straus….startes me off as a collector) , on through Rodgers and Gershwin of the mid–forties and on to some early stereo recordings. Those six tracks are hardly typical of the Kostelanetz we admired for something like 30 years, either technically or musically. One, You Made Me Love You is so bad in both respects it’s all one can do to listen to it, but that is only one title out of many. Otherwise this ’Miscellany’ is a typical cross section of Kostelanetz’s’ work in all fields over the years and can be safely recommended. Arthur Jackson
ANDRE PREVIN & DAVID ROSE ORCHESTRA – LIKE BLUE/SONGS FOR YOUNG LOVERS. You and the Blues, Blue Room, Serenade in Blue, Blue Holiday, Blue Again, Like Blue, Black and Blue, Little Girl Blue, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Blue Turning Grey Over You, Blue Subterranean, Born to be Blue, Blame It on My Youth, Young Man’s Lament, You Make Me Feel So Young, Young and Tender, While We’re Young, Too Young to be True, Last Night When We Were Young, Like Young, Younger Than Springtime, Year of Youth, Too Young to go Steady, Love is for the Very Young. Frank Bristow FBCD94 70.30 mins. It must be forty years since I had a Polydor/MGM double LP called " Like Young, Like Blue ", which turned out to be one of those albums one keeps coming back to when all else fails to satisfy. Here is the identical set complete on a very welcome CD from our friend Frank Bristow, with both soloist and orchestra on top form. Previn and Rose are equally adept as interpreters also in no fewer than eight cases, composers of standard music such as we used to know in those happy days of yore. I would imagine most JIM readers will be familiar with these recordings, so if your original copies have been showing signs of wear, now is your chance to replace them. Arthur Jackson
DAVID ROSE & HIS ORCHESTRA – EASY LISTENING Kiss of Fire, In a Sentimental mood, You Stepped out of a Dream, Ebb Tide, Caravan, Blue Prelude, All the Things You Are,Misty, Flamingo, Man with the Golden Arm, Shangri – La, Autumn Leaves, Autumn Waltz, September in the Rain, Blue Autumn, ‘Tis Autumn, Indian Summer, Shine on Harvest Moon, Autumn Serenade, Autumn Nocturne, And This is My Beloved, October Mist, Autumn in New York, Misirlou, What Is There To Say? , It’s a Most Unusual Day, Love Makes the World Go Round. Frank Bristow FBCD95 78:46mins. "Easy Listening" as an album title sounds most inappropriate to me. One thing the musicianly David Rose was not was a mere purveyor of bland mood music, as this collection of familiar and well loved standards proves. The basic material stems from three American MGM LP’s, "21 Channel Sound", "Autumn Leaves" and "Spectacular Strings", none of which as far as I have been able to ascertain, were ever issued in the U.K. Everything is nicely contrasted as far as tempi and styles are concerned, varying between big band sounds and the lush Rose string sound. It’s always perfect and musicianly and in no way can it be classed as "Easy Listening". Arthur Jackson Editor: Sorry to correct Arthur, but to avoid correspondence(!) "21 Channel Sound" was released in Britain – on MGM C901 and MGM CD 6057 (stereo).
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA, Works For Wind Band – Volume 3 The Corocan Cadets, Semper Fidelis, Selections from : The Free Lance, The New York Hiippodrome, La Flor di Sevilla, Waltzes from ‘El Capitan’, A Century of Progress Suite: The Last Days of Pompeii, The White Rose, With Pleasure, Dance Hilarious, The Belle of Chicago, The National Game. Royal Artillery Band conducted by Keith Brion. Naxos 8.559092 54mins. Naxos have ambitiously set their sights on recording Sousa’s Wind Band music in its entirety, so this will be a substantial and significant series with several more instalments apparently already in the can. They have invested very wisely in the Royal Artillery Band, one of the largest and best bands in the British Army and in obtaining the services of Keith Brion, an American conductor who is a specialist in Sousa’s period style. The third volume was recorded in Woolwich Town Hall, a venue where often the Royal Artillery Orchestra have given public concerts. Sousa said a march ‘should make a man with a wooden leg step out‘ and that he succeeded spectacularly in his own philosophy cannot be in doubt. All the marches are played here with quite superb panache and swagger. La Flor de Sevilla composed for the Ibero – American Exposition in 1929 has a particularly attractive and beguiling trio, whilst A Century of Progress written in the year prior to his death showed the ‘March King’ had lost none of his flair for the idiom. The selection from the 1905 operetta The Free Lance, contains some appealing melodies, whilst the early suite The Last Days of Pompeii (which includes harp) has some interesting special effects as does the final piece on the disc The National Game. This is a series to collect and cherish especially at the Naxos price and one waits impatiently for Volume 4. Incidentally, this disc has the rare distinction for a military band CD in being ‘mentioned in despatches‘ during BBC Radio 3’s CD Review on Saturday 15th March, when Semper Fidelis followed on from a particularly unattractive and impenetrable piece by Schnittke!
Roger Hyslop
Production Music CDs
BIG SCREEN LITTLE SCREEN 2-CD collection of Archive tracks classified as Horror, The Westerns, Epics & Adventure and Dark Drama Cavendish CAV CD 155. This interesting collection has been put together by André Leon, from the Boosey & Hawkes archives, some dating back to 78s issued in the 1950s. Many of the tracks are quite short in duration, and the CDs are obviously not intended for leisure listening at home. But there are some interesting tracks that will appeal to enthusiasts, and the list of featured composers illustrates the quality of the writing – Trevor Duncan, Don Banks, John Scott, Eugene Cines, Joseph Cacciola, Dudley Simpson and Monia Liter, among others. Our good friend Heinz Herschmann is represented by his classic 78 The Galleon, and I have to say that it sounds better here than it did on his own Apollo Sound CD APSCD 205. Trevor Duncan’s gems include Revelation, four tracks of Mob Violence and two tracks from The Unwanted – The Boy. Enthusiasts are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear mood music of this calibre. David AdesCavendish CDs are only available from the RFS Record Service.
CLASSIC FILM & TV Vol. 4 ‘Comic Cuts’ Hey Buddy, Quack Track, Camilla, La Tour Eiffel, Allo Paris! (Nino Nardini); Puffing Joe (Harry Rabinowitz); Dolly Flapper (Peter Dennis); Saloon Rag, Adios Amigo, Clown in Town (Philippe Pares); Chase Me Chester, Slap and Tickle, Dandy Andy, The Moke, Caliope Carousel, River Police (Roger Roger); Goon Time (John Scott); Capering Clowns (Max Saunders); Yom Kippur, Irish Spree, Scottish Frolic (Leslie Bridgewater), etc… 54 tracks Bruton BRO21/356. The above details give titles of some of the longer pieces, but others are of a very short duration – often just a few seconds. The comments about leisure listening for the Cavendish CD above, equally apply here. The previous three CDs in this series were listed in JIM 153 – page 87.David Ades Bruton CDs are only available from the RFS Record Service.
A further selection of recent releases from Vocalion. Unfortunately we had to go to press before review copies were received, but we felt sure that you would wish to know that these CDs are being released in the late Spring.
BOB SHARPLES ORCHESTRA Contrasts in Hi-Fi On the Road to Mandalay, Will You Remember, By the Bend of the River, Giannina Mia, A Perfect Day, Donkey Serenade, Sylvia, Sweethearts etc.Dimensions in Sound Tuxedo Junction, Singing the Blues, Mack the Knife, The Whistler and his Dog, Strike Up the Band, Satin Doll, Trolley Song, etc. Vocalion CDLK4169.
WINIFRED ATWELL Hall of Fame Melodies in the style of other famous pianists including Bill Snyder (Bewitched), Eddie Heywood (Soft Summer Breeze), Fats Waller (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Carmen Cavallaro (Manhattan), George Shearing (I’ll Remember April) etc. …plays Gershwin Nice Work if You Can Get It, Love Walked In, Somebody Loves Me etc and Rhapsody in Blue with Ted Heath Orchestra Vocalion CDLK4177.
CATERINA VALENTE Great Continental Hits (with Stanley Black Orchestra) If You Go, Autumn Leaves, Melodie d’Amour, Too Soon, Volare, I Wish You Love, Song of the Sea, Why Do You Pass Me By etc. Valente & Violins (with Roland Shaw Orch) Love Letters, It Might as Well be Spring, This is all I Ask, Ebb Tide, What Now My Love, Somewhere etc. Vocalion CDLK4125 (postponed from last year).
RONALD BINGE Aldershot Brass Ensemble A Variation on Alouette, A Tune a Day, Trombonioso, Rushlake Green, The Jolly Swagman, A Song for all Comets etc. The Romantic Guitar with Gerald Tolan Echoes of a Dream, The Ever-Changing Sea, Summer’s End, Fugal Fancy, Where the Sun Shines etc. The Wimbledon Girl Singers Where the Gentle Avon Flows, Sailing By, Down by the River, String Song, The Watermill, Alas My Love You Do Me Wrong etc. Vocalion CDLK4129.
MANTOVANI Exodus Exodus Main theme & Karen, A Summer Place, The Green Leaves of Summer, Song Without End, 76 Trombones, The Sundowners, Irma la Douce etc. Great Films – Great themes Barabbas, Fanny, Advise and Consent, Goodbye Again, The Apartment, Never on Sunday etc. Vocalion CDLK4179.
SID PHILLIPS Rediffusion Anthology Vol. 3 Chicago, I’ve Found a New Baby, Ja Da, Bugle Call Rag, That’s a Plenty, Dar Town Strutters’ Ball, Sweet Georgia Brown, After You’ve Gone, Nobody’s Sweetheart, Milenberg Joys, Georgia on my Mind etc. Vocalion CDLK4184.
DENNIS LOTIS and BRIAN DEE piano ‘Mr. Dee and Me’ (1999 recordings) Skylark, It’s You or No One, Handful of Keys, I’m So in Love, Day by Day, I See Your Face, My Shining Hour, My Romance etc. Vocalion CDLK4185.
GRETA KELLER Vol. 2 Vocalion CDEA6084.
JOSEPHINE BRADLEY AND HER BALLROOM ORCHESTRA ‘Dancing in the Dark’ Vocalion CDEA6088.
BERTINI and the TOWER BALLROOM DANCE BAND ‘Hello Everybody’ Eclipse Records Vocalion CDEA 6092. Editor: Sadly this doesn’t include his famous number ‘Samum’ which was on Regal Zonophone – not Eclipse.
JACK PAYNE AND HIS ORCHESTRA Vol. 4 ‘Good Morning Mr. Sun’ Imperial Records Vocalion CDEA6093.
SAMMY KAYE Swing and Sway Vocalion CDUS 3024.
EDDIE FISHER The Early Years Vocalion CDUS3026.
DINAH SHORE Volume 2 Double CD for the price of 1 Vocalion CDUS3029.
All Vocalion CDs are available from the RFS Record Service. CDLK series cost £10 [US $20] each; CDEA are £6 [$12]; and CDUS are also £6 [$12] each.
BRITISH FILM COMPOSERS IN CONCERT Clifton Parker – Thieves’ Carnival Overture, Two Choreographic Studies; Leighton Lucas – Ballet de la Reine; Anthony Collins – Eire Suite; Bruce Montgomery – Scottish Aubade, Scottish Lullaby; Eric Rogers – Palladium Symphony Royal Ballet Sinfonia / Gavin Sutherland Sanctuary White Line CD WHL 2145. This new release showcases the concert works of some of the most interesting British cinema composers in a collection of world premiere recordings, featuring the likes of ‘Carry On’ film composers Bruce Montgomery and Eric Rogers, whose Palladium Symphony was inspired by his time conducting and composing for ITV’sSunday Night at the London Palladium. Another featured composer, Leighton Lucas, went from dancing with Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes to working with Ivor Novello, later writing music for Alfred Hitchcock’s Stage Fright and war epics such as The Dam Busters, for which he provided the incidental music to supplement Eric Coates’ famous march.
KET?LBEY CONDUCTS KET?LBEY Volume 3 A Cockney Suite, Gallantry, I Call You From The Shadows, Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind, In a Camp of Ancient Britons, A Musical Jigsaw, Danse a la Tarantelle, Mind The Slide, Jungle Drums, Aberfoyle, Fiddle Fun, A Desert Romance, Sunset Glow, With Honour Crowned Various Orchestras Naxos 8110869. This collection of recordings dates from 1909 to 1940. The previous two volumes disappointed some buyers who felt that the sound restoration was patchy; it may be worth waiting to read reviews before deciding to purchase, although the price of around £5 is certainly not excessive.
THE NEW CONCERT ORCHESTRA Volume 1 Boosey & Hawkes recordings Citizens of the World – March, Passage to Windward, Four Old Fusspots, Icicle Ride, Broad Reach, Harvest Supper, The Scent of Sandalwood, Little Suite – Folk Tune, The Spirit of Progress – March (Trevor Duncan); Romantic Journey, Exuberant Youth (Ernest Tomlinson); Music for a Sunday Afternoon (Willis Schaefer); The Bingola, Paris Taxi, Spring (Vivian Ellis); Vin Rosé, Song of the Woodlands, Riverside Idyll (Frederic Curzon); Talking Point, Celtic Melody, Watersmeet (Cyril Watters); Girl Bird (Dennis Farnon); The Bullfighter (Monia Liter); Diary of a Debutante (Sam Fonteyn) VOCALION CDLK4192.
DIMITRI TIOMKIN : "Red River" film score Moscow Symphony Orchestra / William Stromberg Marco Polo 8225217. Starring John Wayne and Montgomery Clift, Howard Hawks’ Academy Award-winning Red River ranks among the best of the classic westerns made in the 1940s.
CARL MICHAEL ZIEHRER Selected Dances and Marches – Volume 4 Razumovsky Sinfonia / Christian Pollack Marco Polo 8223817.
New PERCY FAITH albums from Collectables in the USA (due to be released at the end of June):
COL 7561 Clair + New Thing
COL 7563 Lil' Abner + Broadway Bouquet
COL 7564 Bon Voyage! + Carefree - The Music Of Percy Faith
COL 7565 The Columbia Album Of Victor Herbert (Originally a 2-LP set)
…and finally an interesting CD from Derek Boulton’s Horatio Nelson
TUTTI CAMARATA Tutti’s Trumpets (1957 LP) I Can’t Get Started, Boy Meets Horn, What’s New, Trumpet Soliloquy, Trumpet Tango, Stardust, Tenderly etc. Tutti’s Trombones (1966) The Sweetest Sounds, Blueberry Hill, I Feel Pretty, The Pink Panther Theme, The Girl from Ipanema, Mr Lucky theme etc. Horatio Nelson HN04. Available from the RFS Record Service for £10 [US $20].