Love is...

José Carreras / Robert Farnon and his Orchestra
Philips 4122702

The existence of this album was unknown to me until Presto Classical very recently resurrected it on their own CD label. This costs £12.75, but I found the original still listed online for £5. The recording was made at Abbey Road Studios in December 1983 and produced by Walter Ridley [credited in the early ‘50s for transforming EMI's HMV label into a major popular music outlet]. There are 44 minutes of beautifully sung songs – 11 immaculately arranged and conducted by Bob Farnon that include Because you’re mine, As time goes by, Love is a many splendoured thing, The way we were, Tenderly, Tonight, Memory from ‘Cats’, The Impossible Dream, and a twelfth, My Way arranged by Derek Cox. The Catalan tenor himself writes “This album fulfils a long-standing ambition to record some of my favourite songs, which afforded the extra pleasure of working with Robert Farnon.” Listening to it has been my pleasure.

Peter Burt