Our local easy listening station had the slogan "music for the middlebrow" - I always wondered if that was actually an insult.
They were truly brilliant musicians as well and I once again really love their two great Christmas albums that Friday Music put together as a great twofer, Have Yourself A Merry Christmas/Snowbound. Wow, one of the greatest piano with orchestra Christmas albums you will ever hear in your life. I will have to check out their non-holiday stuff as I am not as familiar with it.
One more, while I'm on the Johnny Mathis "Merry Christmas" album. With apologies to Nat King Cole, whom I truly love to hear sing, I always preferred Johnny's version of "The Christmas Song". Here is a real rarity, from a 1991 episode of "OPRAH", where Johnny actually sings "live" to the original 1958 Percy Faith backing track ...
I am a huge Nat King Cole fan and truly worship his great Christmas album, but I agree with you that at the very least Johnny's version of The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) is every bit the equal of Nat's iconic version. And how about those high range notes Johnny hits as he goes into the "Reindeer really know how to fly" part of the song? Spectacular!
Don't hate me, but go figure, but those two Christmas albums by F&T are two of my least favorite albums by them. I can't really explain why, outside of the fact that I just didn't care for the arrangements on them. Still glad to read that you enjoy them, all the same!
Yes indeed as I always say when it comes to the various tastes on this great forum, "Ones man's garbage is another man's treasure." I am a sucker for Christmas music from the Golden Age and in fact have written the liner notes for RGM's upcoming twofer CD release of John Klein's A Christmas Sound Spectacular, paired with his follow-up album, Lets Ring the Bells ALL AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE. I cannot get enough of that great Christmas music from the late 1950's to the middle 1960's and a little beyond.
At least 8 of the 12 tracks predate the stereo era. I haven't heard the stereo LP, but there's probably a lot of rechanneled stereo. Also, the stereo "Summer Place" has a poor instrumental balance. The mono is the original hit mix.
I listen to Swinging Safari all the time, just love the sound of it.....when I am listening to it going to work, I am pretty sure I am having more fun than anyone else. Around these here parts I found Floyd Cramer and Chet Atkins records quite often and will buy them if they are in good shape... I think of it as Sunday morning music, often sound quite good... not exactly easy listening but close...
Yep. And now young music fans probably think that everyone alive in 1973 was grooving to Big Star instead of Foghat.
40+ years ago I kind of despised it, but I admit I like some of it now. Well, actually what I like now I sorta liked then -- some particular niche examples, like The Hollyridge Strings Beach Boys' and Beatles' covers albums The George Martin Orchestra Henry Mancini Paul Mauriat Quite like Esquivel these days as well.
Cast my vote for Tony Mottola. Aside from his popular easy listening records, Tony played guitar for Frank Sinatra (replacing Al Viola) and was a member of the Tonight Show Orchestra from 1958-72. Born in New Jersey, his first instrument was actually a banjo before learning guitar and training under mentor/jazz guitar legend Carl Kress.
I have gotten into easy listening music more and more over the years. I think singers like Andy Williams, Perry Como and Dean Martin all have substantial material that qualify. An easy way to check out easy listening artists is Sony's series of The Real... small box sets with three discs of greatest hits, trying to encapsulate a singer's career. Released only in Europe, they can be had under $10 in most cases on Amazon. All of them were just released a few years ago, so they contain the latest CD masterings. This series also happens to cover most of the big easy listening artists. Here's the The Real...Henry Mancini set. https://www.amazon.com/Real-Henry-Mancini-HENRY-MANCINI/dp/B00M0CX9NG
Tony Mottola was one of the greatest guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. I had the distinct pleasure of seeing him play for Mr. Sinatra three times live in concert. Two of the shows were up close at the very intimate Golden Nugget Ballroom in Las Vegas in 1985 and he and Mr. Sinatra were fantastic with a 40 piece orchestra providing some great big band power behind that great rhythm section, led by Tony and Frank's and Nelson Riddle's favorite drummer, Irv Cottler.
Somehow I ended up with someone's Robert Maxwell, Ethel Smith, Eddie Peabody, and Lenny Dee collection. And who can resist those Reader's Digest box sets for $1. apiece?
Crackerjacks! Today they'd be leaving a plastic bottle of water behind and ignoring the squirrel in order to gawk into their smartphones! The World We Knew... indeed.
“Stranger on the Shore” was the UK's biggest-selling single of 1962, the biggest-selling instrumental single of all time, and appears fifty-eighth in the official UK list of best-selling singles issued in 2002. It has sold 1.16 million copies as of November 2012. One of my All-Time Fave Songs! EDIT -- Haha, I now see that Fullbug posted the same song just five posts before mine! .
, or was it simply something to have on in the background while dad downed some cocktails after another day in the office? I think that is close.It was part of the GOOD LIFE. That said I really like the majority of these recordings,so is it part of our GOOD LIFE?
No worries.. . . I didn't know any of the details you filled in. I just knew I always liked the song.
