GOLDEN MEMORIES return to me every time I hear this melody, Memories enfold me, Memories that hold me, Memories of Gold, that mean the world to me.
Your smile tells me that you remember too, how we used to dance the whole night through, knowing we would belong, the day this Golden Melody became our song.
I can tell this lovely melody lingers softly in your memory, bringing you Memories of the night we found our Love and called this Golden Melody OUR SONG.
Most of us have a soft spot for one particular song — a song which brings back all those precious memories we can never recapture often enough. This album aims to do just this —bring back a few of your treasured and Golden Memories —and we hope that Your Song is one of those featured here by THE CASCADING STRINGS, conducted by GREGORY. This record includes a wide selection of some of the world’s most popular ‘Standards’, embracing several decades, but actually begins with a new song — the song which has given its title to the album — ‘GOLDEN MEMORIES’. Composed especially with this record in mind by their Conductor JOHN GREGORY, THE CASCADING STRINGS play this beautiful melody as if it is an ‘Evergreen’ they have long known, and indeed, as with many of the world’s most popular songs, it is the kind of melody you hear for the first time, and yet feel you have known it a lifteime.
Apart from conducting the orchestra, GREGORY arranges and orchestrates all the music himself, and over the past years, has developed a style of arranging which he calls ‘Panoramic Sound Pictures’. On the previous LP entitled ‘THE CASCADING STRINGS’ (6308 016) the track which best portrays this idea is his arrangement of ‘Raindrops Keep falling on my Head’.
On this record however, the best example of a GREGORY Sound Picture’, is the track which opens side two — Charles Trenet’s famous ‘LA MER’. He begins this quietly, depecting the sea’s tranquil yet mysterious quality. Gradually the sounds ‘swells’ as first a little wave, and then a larger one, approaches the seashore, gathers speed, tumbling over itself, and then crashes down on to golden sands, spreading out like a fan, and then receding, dragging with it the shingle from the water’s edge. The warmth and depth of the melody bring us back to the serenity and calmness of the sea, but in the background, behind the piano solo, one can still hear the little wavelets (on violins), dancing and breaking over the rocks, sparkling like diamonds in the glittering sunshine.
‘NIGHT AND DAY’ is another lovely arrangement, done in a modern style. As THE CASCADING STRINGS play this number, it is easy to picture yourself on some balcony at night, with the moon highlighting the features of your loved-one beside you, and as the ‘cellos play the melody, you will hear in the background (on violins) the rustling of the leaves on the trees overhead, as the gentle breeze fills the evening air with the scent of flowers.
‘JUST AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ’ begins gently, almost shyly, like young love, but gradually, we are transported as though in a dream, to an elegant ballroom setting, where we see a young girl in a beautiful long gown, which billows gracefully as she is being swung gently round the dance floor by her partner.
The song that was featured in the Columbia picture ‘Cover Girl’ starring Rita Hayworth — ‘LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY’ — has been given an unusual rhythmic pattern, and the opening to ‘MOONLIGHT AND ROSES’, which closes the album, is almost symphonic in its approach. Apart from this, what more remains to be said about such famous songs as Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s ‘SOME ENCHANTED EVENING’ and ‘THE SOUND OF MUSIC’, or Charles Chaplin’s recent ‘THIS IS MY SONG’, that hasn’t been said so many times before. The same might be said of ‘LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING’, ‘STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT’ or the ever-popular ‘ANNIVERSARY WALTZ’. On this album, GREGORY has given them all beautiful, warm and melodic treatments, which truly show THE CASCADING STRINGS off to their fullest advantage. We are sure you will enjoy listening to this record as much as we enjoyed making it for you, and if Your Song was not one of those featured here, then perhaps it will be on our next volume of GOLDEN MEMORIES.
There’s Always Room At Our House, Frankie & Johnny, On Top Of Old Smokey, Goodnight Sweetheart, Greensleeves, My Very Good Friend The Milkman, The Ferry Boat Inn, Little Girl, She Wears Red Feathers, Cielito Linda, Pennies From Heaven, Cruising Down The River
On this album we have captured the swingin’ style of MRS MOPP. Roll back the carpet and let’s have a party.
Sugar Blues, Basin St. Blues, Cryin’ The Blues, Fifth Avenue Blues, Easy Going, Little Brown Jug, Blues In The Night, When My Baby Walks Down The Street, Limehouse Blues, Get Along, Peppersteak Blues, Steamboat Blues
A tremendous rhythm section, A terrific instrumentalist, A great brass section, It all adds up to excitement which is Blues & Brass!
Maybe we’ve used the wrong title, for a start. Maybe we should have said : “Salute to Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier.” For they were the writers, composers, producers who actually put the Supremes on the map, with such fabulous songs as Where did our love go, Baby love and Stop! in the name of love.
Seven of the 12 million-sellers re-created on this album emerged from this unique trio — those above, plus Reflections, In and out of love, You keep me hangin’ on and The happening. In fact, these are the songs still most closely identified with the Supremes; these are the songs that put them in the millionaire class.
But the incredible thing about the Supremes is that, take away the original back-room boys, take away their lead singer Diana Ross, and replace her with the curiously-named Cindy Birdsong, and you still get hits! Witness Stoned love, a Top Five hit only a few months ago. Maybe, after all, we should have made this a salute to Berry Gordy Jnr. who, as founder and boss of Motown Records, thought up the whole concept in the first place, and kept it going so miraculously for so long.
If Mr. Gordy Jnr. ever gets to read these sleeve notes, we’d like to say, here and now, that if Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson and Jean Terrell (the present Supremes) ever decide to give up singing and take up chicken farming, we’ve got a really great trio ready and able to take their place! Just listen to them now on this album, as they excitingly re-create twelve of the Supremes’ greatest hits.
This is Anna’s second LP on the GEMINI label. The first LP, GMX 5002, ‘Move Into The Hammond Spectrum, With The Swingin’ Miss ANNA DELL’, enjoyed the kind of success which made us realise that we had to come up with something spectacular for a follow-up. Well, here it is! The easy swingin’ style is there, bringing you such show-stoppers as: ‘Up, Up And Away’, ‘Volare’, ‘Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head’, ‘Portrait Of My Love’ and many many more of the world’s greatest hits. Go Easy On Yourself, treat yourself to a whole evening with the sound of the Swingin’ Anna Dell and while you are at it play the first LP again. Why not? It will make your day!
Goin’ Out Of My Head, With A Little Love, Summer Love, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head, Mame, Happiness Is, Invisible Tears, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Birds ‘N Bees ‘N Things, Somewhere My Love, Red Roses For A Blue Lady, Memories Are Made Of This
Owing to the huge success of “Sounds Like Kaempfert Volume I” Stan Foster now presents “Sounds Like Kaempfert Volume II”. The majority of titles on this Album are familiar standards, to which Stan’s arrangements in the Kaempfert idiom have lent a new perspective.
Stan Foster’s idea of creating a relaxing and intimate atmosphere has made this an ideal album for before dinner dancing and after dinner listening!
The varied career of Stan Foster has included playing with the Ted Heath, Geraldo and Nat Temple Bands as pianist and arranger. He accompanied the late Alma Cogan for many years—in fact from the beginning to the very end of her exciting International career.
No wonder then that after being in the company of the famous and best Stan’s own orchestra includes the finest musicians in Great Britain. His lead trumpet player—Alan Lewis—has earned well-deserved respect for his faultless musicianship and it is with musicians such as these that Stan retains his orchestra’s reputation of one of the foremost in the world.
Currently, Stan Foster is a regular performer on the B.B.C. and has his own featured programme “The Stan Foster Impression” which stand high on the popularity ratings.
This brilliant album will be popular with all age groups and has been specifically devised and recorded to present the widest cosmopolitan appeal.
Almost any time Ray Conniff lifts his baton, the town is likely to have some-thing to talk about, and this particular moment is no exception. Beginning with his first album, “‘S Wonderful,” Ray has endowed dance music with a tantalizing beat, a new sound and some very stylish arrangements, featuring a wordless chorus.
Now, in his latest collection, he brings the chorus forward and supplies them with words as well, giving these excellent singers the spotlight they deserve and bringing, moreover, a new dimension to his music.
The bright, singing sound of the Conniff music is still very much to be heard here, despite the emphasis on the chorus. Ray’s analysis of popular music in recent years has enabled him to come up with .w ideas in the application of familiar sounds, and again and again he has uncovered combinations that have caught and retained the public’s fancy. As an accompanist for vocalists on single records, and particularly as the leader of the sparkling organization heard in his albums, he has provided dance music with a delightful new impetus that seems to gather momentum as it goes along.
The bright, singing sound of the Conniff music is still very much to be heard here, despite the emphasis on the chorus. Ray’s analysis of popular music in recent years has enabled him to come up with .w ideas in the application of familiar sounds, and again and again he has uncovered combinations that have caught and retained the public’s fancy. As an accompanist for vocalists on single records, and particularly as the leader of the sparkling organization heard in his albums, he has provided dance music with a delightful new impetus that seems to gather momentum as it goes along.
Apart from the fact that the lyrics are sung in this newest Conniff programme, the main departure is that of mood; here Ray and the singers are in a somewhat more reflective vein, and many of the selections arc slower in tempo and smoother in over-all design.
The familiar shuffle beat is on hand, of course, punctuated here and there by the warm sound of a harp, and the chorus is in its mellowest form. They start off with the title number, an agreeably mournful ballad written in 1933 by Marty Symes, Al Neiburg and Jerry Levinson, and then move On to You’re an Old Smoothie, introduced by Ethel Merman in “Take a Chance” (1932). The composers were B. G. DeSylva, Richard Whiting, and Nacio Herb Brown. This affectionate foolishness gives way to the lively Buttons and Bows, an Academy Award-winning song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, first heard in the 1948 movie “Paleface.” Let’s Put Out the Lights turns the time backward again to 1932, in terms of a charmingly intimate song with words and music by Herman Hupfield, and then another old smoothie turns up in 1945’s It’s Been a Long, Long Time, devised by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. The first part of the programme concludes with another Academy Award-winner, Allie Wrubel and Ray Gilbert’s Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, from “Song of the South” in 1947.
Continuing this mellow divertissement, Ray Conniff and his singers come up with that hand-clapping hit of 1941, Deep in the Heart of Texas. This tribute to what is now the second largest state in the union was written by June Hershey, to Don Swander’s music. 1932 was a good year for songs (and for this album) as Ray Conniff turns to Love Is the Sweetest Thing, devised by Ray Noble on the opening notes of God Save the King. Another Ethel Merman success turns up next, in Irving Berlin’s lasting They Say It’s Wonderful from “Annie Get Your Gun” (1946), and then the Conniff singers present a melting rendition of Hands Across the Table, composed by Jean Delettre in 1934 to words by Mitchell Parish, and introduced by Lucienne Boyer. My Heart Cries for You, by Carl Sigman and Percy Faith, helped make Guy Mitchell one of the brightest new stars of 1950, and the programme is rounded off by a fragrant melody from Cole Porter’s extensive list, Rosalie from the 1937 movie of the same name.
SIDE ONE TENDER MELODY (Knofel) JERSEY BOUNCE (Plater-Bradshaw-Johnson) HORIZON (HORIZONTE ) (Lara) CHA! BULL! (Leiber-Stoller) MASON DIXON LINE (Eddy-Hazlewood)
SIDE TWO SHEPHERD’S CHA CHA (Kaye-Carr) LONGING FOR YOU (Rohn) ARIZONA FLIP (Bones) CANNON BALL (Eddy-Hazlewood) LAS VEGAS (Kaempfert)
Bert Kaempfert comes from Hamburg and his pre-war life was spent solely in his home country. After a spectacular career at the Hamburg School of Music, during which he mastered piano, accordion, clarinet and saxophone, he embarked on his musical career by joining a popular band of the day run by Hans Busch. His ability soon earned him regular national radio work.
In the United States Kaempfert’s single of ‘WONDERLAND BY NIGHT’, released in 1960, staggered the record business. No-one could have forseen the fantastic effect his music had on the paying public who bought over a million of this single and sent it to No. 1 in the American charts. His orchestra was voted ‘Up and coming Orchestra of the Year’ in 1961 in a Cash Box Poll.
The Stripper, What Is This Thing Called Love, Walk On The Wild Side, Soft Lights And Sweet Music, Sophisticated Lady, My Heart Belongs To Daddy, Sunset Strip, Love For Sale, Blues In The Night, Lady Of The Evening, Some Of These Days, A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody, Banned In Boston
