Ronnie Aldrich and His Two Pianos- Two Pianos in Hollywood

Celebrating films this month with this one, which I bought last year for $6.  Seems high for this artist, who has been on this site before and thus will save me from writing a backstory. It was probably the version of “More” from Mondo Cane, which led me to buy this.

Again this week, from Phase 4 records, we have this collection from 1967.  A lot of the standard film themes are again here.  Aside from the normal fare we have seen this month, we have songs from Lawrence of Arabia, A Patch of Blue. The Apartment, and Limelight .  British easy listening pianist, Ronnie Aldrich (1916-1993) delivers his trademark sound on the keys.  I could highlight a number of feats from Aldrich’s storied career, but for some reason, I feel compelled to point out he served as the musical director of the Benny Hill Show (which was probably one of the smallest of his many accomplishments).  I am sure Boots Randolph has similar sentiments.

For a sample, I really liked the hip version of “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins (which the remake would have came out by the time you read this) in which Bert explains the social-economic conditions of his life as well as its affect on the human psyche.  The song would win an Oscar in 1965.  Most of the songs on this record were either winners or nominees.  

A bit overpriced but still decent enough.  Satisfactory.

Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra- Foreign Film Festival

Celebrating half this month with movie music, I bought this for $2, due to the track list as well as the general great production value of Phase 4 Records.  However, I found I had previously purchased a copy for $4.  Ugh.  Well, went I went to play the $4 copy, I found that the record was mismatched and I in fact had a copy of a Stanley Black collection of Spanish songs.  So I guess I made out ok?  Kind of got screwed over on two fronts but they canceled each other out. So I guess two wrongs did make a right.

So then there is this.  From one Frank Chacksfield and his Orchestra.  Chacksfield, born in Battle, East Sussex in 1914,  was a composer/ conductor/ arranger who played keyboards.  He was quite popular in England in the 1950’s.  He passed on in 1981.

This was part of his repertoire from later in his career, again from the famed Phase 4 from London Records.  During this period of his life, Phase $ was his main label.  Discogs puts this at 1967. As the title denotes, the music on this record comes from films both foreign and with foreign flavor(I have a hard time classifying Dr Zhivago as a foreign film).  But regardless, a lot of the classic film music of the period is represented including Alfie, A Man and  A Woman, Zorba The Greek, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, and my always favorite, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.  It is from the last two films which we are taking are samples from.  Here is the well known theme from GB&U as well as the immortal “I Will Wait For You” from Umbrellas.

Overall pretty decent album.  Arrangements could be better in some spots but tht is just me nitpicking.  In all, this record delivers the quality that would be expected of a Phase 4 release.  Satisfactory.

OST- Tom Jones

Ugh.  Been trying all day to write this post but have been held back by the crappy Microsoft operating system on my crappy HP computer.  Damn it.  I hate Bill Gates.  If he is dead by the time this comes out, I only hope his death was half as slow and painful as his programs that run on my lap top.  Anyway, back to reality, here is this that I bought for $5.  I bought it to write about the lead actor although said computer programs may slow me down.  Anyway, we are still celebrating half this month with movies for Oscar season and this record is as good as any of them in that regard.

English-born Albert Finney ( from Pendleton, 1936 to be exact) has made many fine movies including this one as well Miller’s Crossing, Erin Brockovich, The Dresser, and Murder on the Orient Express among others, but it is his early performance in 1960’s Saturday Night and Sunday Morning that forever endears him to me.  This seminal piece of British New Wave cinema introduced the world to Arthur Seaton, one of period’s “angry young men”.  Of course Finney is no longer an angry young man and neither am I for that matter (despite the above rant), but the film’s premise and the hero’s swagger and struggles with the system still resonate today. (note- Finney passed away this year after I wrote this post).

From 1963, Tom Jones was Finney’s third movie as well as his third film with producer Tony Richardson.  Based on Henry Fielding’s novel, The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, the movie shows the story of Tom, a lively young man who makes his way through the world trying to shake his bastard roots and win the love of Sophie Western, played by Susannah York.

Although it is a period piece, it has a comedic style along with its narration and crosses through the fourth wall. Finney also brings the charm on pretty strong. As a result, the film was a massive success both commercially and critically.

The film was nominated for 10 Oscars.  It would win four including Best Picture,Best Director ( Richardson), and Best Adapted Screenplay.  Although  he was nominated for Best Actor, Finney would lose to Sidney Pointer for Lillies of The Field.  Likewise, Hugh Griffith who played Squire Western lost the Best Supporting Actor to Melvin Douglas in Hud.  The women from the film really cleaned up with three nominations for Best Supporting Actress: Diane Cilento, Edith Evans, and Joyce Redman.  They would all come up short to Margaret Rutherford in The VIP’s.  

But that fourth and final Academy award was won by John Addison for Best Score and that is what we have here.  The record captures the excellent score which well represents the period of the film as well as the action represented there in .  Going to blame the lack of any further commentary on the fore mentioned slow computer.

For a sample, I went with “Tom Strikes Again” which borrows from the main theme.  I also wanted to show off the only piece with vocals ” If He Swings By The String” where as Tom awaits his fate at the hands of the hangman.

Good little record.  Satisfactory.

OST- Zachariah

This record just made me curious.  Really diverse line up of bands of the cover including folks who have been on this blog before.  For that reason, I detached myself from the $5 that this cost and purchased it.  Likewise, this sat on my shelf for a while before I took the effort to find out exactly what I had. Ugh, this is going to make for a long Saturday Post.

Zachariah, released by ABC Pictures in 1971, was a rock and roll western written by Joe Massot and the comedy troupe The Firesign Theatre.  George Englund directed.  The story, loosely adapted from Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha , featured John Rubinstein as the gunslinger lead character, Don Johnson (in his first movie role) as his sidekick, and Pat Quinn as Belle Starr.  The bands on the record feature prominently in the film ( or so as far as I can deduct).

IMDB link to film

Various musicians were tagged to this project including George Harrison, Bob Dylan, the Band, and Ginger Baker.  However, when the dust settled we have Country Joe and the Fish, The James Gang, White Lightin’ and The New York Rock Ensemble.  Doug Kershaw and jazz drummer Elvin Jones also are featured both on film and on the soundtrack.

This film did not do well.  I am not sure why.  Perhaps it was the subject material or the production .   Perhaps America was not ready for free love and drugs mixed in their westerns. Furthermore, the lack of reviews on line about this tells me that it was so bad, no one really cares about it. Either way, it lost money and faded quickly into obscurity.  

The album itself I imagine is quite like the movie.  Although I was really excited to listen to this, I was disappointed when it was all said and done.  Maybe this is harsh.  I mean the songs are ok. There are some really good moments. I guess I just expected more, especially with some of the incidental music.  

For a sample, I had to throw some love at Joe Walsh and James Gang so here is the opening track “Laguna Salada”.  I also wanted to highlight the piece from the oft overlooked New York Rock Ensemble, “Gravedigger”.  Finally I went with one of the songs that disappointed me most ” The Theme to William Tell Overture” which is basically the standard version with a drum beat.  I was really hoping for a more electric version with guitars and such.  

Really meh for this.  I was expecting more and for $5, I felt it was a bit too much.

 

Enoch Light- Great Themes from Hit Films

Well would not be a month of the Show without something from Command and/or Enoch Light.  Celebrating half of this month’s theme of movies with this release from 1962. I paid $1 for this.  Why do I love Light so much?  Well, no just because his records are great.  At this point, I have nothing left to say about the artist and that contributes to short posts.

Recorded on magnificent 35mm magnetic film, this record features that Command magic on such film themes as Never On A Sunday, El Cid, Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Exodus, and The Hustler.  A little bit more bland as compared to some of Light’s work but none the less, still a very interesting record.  

For a sample, we have the theme from the Italian film, La Dolce Vita, which borrow heavily from “Mack the Knife”. We also have one of my favorites, “Tonight” from West Side Story.  Was a bit on the fence with this one since it was a musical first but eh, here we go anyway. Both films won Oscars, LDV for Best Costume and WSS, 10 out of the 11 it was nominated for. Pretty good haul.

Satisfactory.

OST- The Pajama Game

This record is bitter sweet for me as a tried purchasing it earlier only to find a different record inside (although it was a good Sondhiem Revue, I am always a bit disappointed when this happens- you can read about it here).  So when I saw this for $2 ($1.60 with discount), you can bet I checked the inside to make sure I did not make the same mistake twice.  This record in particular was owned by one Deanna Brown.

You may think I got this for everyone’s sweetheart, Doris Day, or the great John Raitt, for whom I have spoke admirably about on this blog, but uh-no. I got this record to speak of Eddie Foy Jr (1905-1983), son of vaudeville great Eddie Foy Sr (1856-1928).  We are going to go all Joe Franklin on this blog and highlight that Foy Sr was one of the all time greats of the Vaudeville stage. 

Towards the end of his famed career which took him all over the US (including stints in Dodge City and Tombstone), he formed a family act , Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foy’s, in which Jr was a part of.  Of his siblings, he had the longest career, quickly moving from vaudeville to Broadway , to movies, and then to television.  Among his credits, he portrayed his father four times on the big screen due to his close resemblance. 

You see what I did here?  Given the many opportunities to bring relevance to today’s post, I went in the complete opposite direction, highlighting dead Vaudevillians.  God, I love this blog.

Well, back to this, this is the 1957 film soundtrack form the movie based on the 1953 hit Broadway musical based on Richard Bissell’s novel 7-1/2 Cents.  The story and the musical (book by George Abbott and Bissell/ music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross) tackles labor issues at a pajama factory. It ran for 1,063 shows (which was quite a haul back then) and won a Tony for Best Musical.  Various revivals (a 2006 one also won a Tony) have taken place and the work remains popular for school productions.

When Hollywood came a calling to make a movie (directed by Abbott and Stanley Donen), the intent was to use as many of the original stage cast as possible.  However, at least one Hollywood star was needed.  The title role of Sid Sorokin was offered to Frank Sinatra, who turned it down.  This led to Raitt reprising his stage role. Thus , by the laws of substitution, Janis Paige lost her role to Doris Day.  Carol Haney, Reta Shaw,  and Foy, also kept their stage roles for the film. Overall, the film did well and is regarded as such today.

For a sample, there were a few ways a could go.  Haney’s “Hernando’s Hideaway” was off the table since I featured it in an earlier post (which you can hear here).  I also felt the song “Steam Heat” in which Haney is featured heavily was quite similar to Wonderful Town‘s “Swing” (which can also be featured here).

Haney, who won a Tony for the stage performance, died tragically at age 39 from pneumonia complicate by diabetes and alcoholism.  It should also be noted that when Haney injured her ankle during the stage run of Pajama Game, her understudy took the role over.  A Hollywood producer, who had come to scout Haney saw the understudy and offered her a contract.  And thus while Shirley MacLaine became a great star, Haney never truly broke into Tinsel Town.  Her work both as a dancer and choreographer remains well revered today.

But back to a sample, “I went with “Once A Year Day” which features both Raitt and Day as well as “I’ll Never Be Jealous Again” which features Shaw and Foy Jr.  I suppose after writing so much about him at the beginning of this, I should throw him some light.

As far the record itself, I liked it.  “There Once Was A Man” and “Hey There” (which to me was the big song of the production) were among the highlights not previously mentioned.  Satisfactory.

Henry Mancini- Mancini Plays The Great Academy Award Songs

Here is a record from a frequent blog guest that features finely into this month’s co-theme of movie music.  And I paid a dollar for it .  Two dollar records in a row.  Woo-Hoo. Was supposed to get a better camera for the blog but i guess that never materialized.  I guess there is still hope.

It makes little sense to talk about something I did in terms of writing this post two weeks ago (in terms of reading this, three months ago), but I saw the HGO production of LaBoheme recently.  It was alright.  I find the Italian operas a bit light for my tastes, but as it is one of the most well known and oft performed operas, I went ahead a saw it.

Good production.  I knew it had a sad ending but I was taken aback at just how light the final act starts and just how quick things go foul.  Anyway, fine production and kudos , HGO.

Anyway, back to the record, here is this Dynagroove release from 1964 featuring a fellow who is no stranger to Academy Award winning music; Henry Mancini.  Not only does this album include his award winning “Moon River” and “Days Of Wine and Roses”, it also features a collection of award winners from various film composers.  With tunes such as “Que Sera, Sera”, “Gigi”, “Mona Lisa”, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe”, and two Disney songs; “When You Wish Upon A Star” and “Zipp A Dee Doo Dah”.  Mancini’s orchestra is backed up on vocals by his chorus.  Pretty good effort overall.

For a sample, I went with “The Continental” from the 1934 film The Gay Divorcee with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.  As the title would imply, this tune won the 1934 Oscar for Best Song.  This was the inaugural year for the award category .  It also beat one of my favorite tunes, “Carioca” from another Astaire/Roger’s film “Flying Down To Rio”.

Fine album.  Satisfactory.

OST- Nancy Goes to Rio/ Rich Young And Pretty

Here is one I can no longer accurately remember why I bought.  I could try to BS you but you probably get enough of that already so I am leaving this here.  It was unopened when I got it,  It also had a strange pricing history.  I believe it started life specially priced at $6.98.  It was then marked down to 50 cents.  Somehow went it got to me, the difference had been split at $3.99. Oh, I sense a lot of videos for this one.

This record features songs from two films from the master studio of movie musicals, MGM Studios.  First off, we have Rich, Young, and Pretty, released in 1951 featuring Jane Powell, Danielle Darrieux, Fernando Lamas, and introducing, the now recently deceased Vic Damone.

On the other side, we have 1950’s Nancy Goes To Rio , again featuring Powell with Ann Southern, Barry Sullivan, Danny Scholl, and the Brazilian Bombshell, Carmen Miranda.

Miranda, best known for the fruit headpiece, was born in Marco do Camaveses, Portugal in 1909, but moved Rio de Janerio when she was 10 months where she would grow up to become a popular singer and actress in Brazil.  Broadway came a calling and later Hollywood.  By 1945, she became the highest paid female in the US .  Her film career declined some but her stage show remained popular as ever.  A bad marriage, heavy smoking, and drinking, and later, amphetamines and barbiturates would lead to the end, however, which in her case was a heart attack in 1955 after filming an segment for Jimmy Durante’s TV show.  She was only 46 years old.

I am pretty sure I posted the video above before, as it features frequent blog guest Xavier Cugat, but I am doing so again as it is one of my favorite songs.  Not because of Miranda although it was a pleasant surprise when I first found this.  No, by enjoyment of this song comes from all my performative musical influences.

Both movies were musical comedies but the difference between the sides is night and day.  One is more reserved and ballad-esque in nature.  The other is more light and tropical.  You can guess which one is which.

All in all, I did like both sides although the Rio side was my favorite.  In terms of RYAP, the songs were alright despite the fact that there were no Damone songs on the record.  I really liked “We Never Talk Much” a duet from Darrieux and Lamas.  On the flip side, I really liked their version of “Musetta’s Waltz” from Act II of La Boheme.  However, it was a given that I was going to use one of the Miranda tracks as she was probably the reason I bought this record.  I really liked both tracks but at the end of the day, I went with “Ca-Room Pa Pa”.  If you want to see what you missed, it is below.

A bit expensive for a record with only two Miranda tracks.  Also, as I have oft lamented, you lose the visual aspect of Miranda on the record, but still I thought it was a good record.  Satisfactory.

OST (Frank Sinatra)- Pay Joey

I bought this the same day as yesterday’s post, maybe because subconsciously I wanted to group them together.  I remember when I bought this, there was a young women at Half Price Books looking for Frank Sinatra and happened to skip over this record because she was looking at the spines and not the cover.  Oh well, for $5 her loss is my gain.  I am presenting this today as great book end to yesterday’s post on Gene Kelly.

And why you might ask?  Not because of the work the two did together, indulging Anchor’s Aweigh, Take Me Out To The Ball Game, and On The Town (as a side note, I would love to be a fly on the wall for the filming of On The Town.  As Kelly was a strict taskmaster, I imagine Kelly berated Sinatra in 1940 ethnic terms at least once).

No it is because Kelly originated the role of Joey Evans on Broadway in 1940 in what was the last hit for Rodgers and Hart as well as the last great pre-golden era musical.  A couple of years later, Hart became unstable, Rodgers partnered with Hammerstein, their work Oklahoma! became a smash, and the era of the book musical was born.  Based on the short stories of John O’Hara and his character Joey, the musical was the first big lead for Kelly and propelled him towards stardom.  The musical itself, although receiving mixed reviews, ran for 10 months, which made it the third longest running Rodgers and Hart production. It has enjoyed revivals over the years.

I can name about 20 or so Rodgers and Hart songs because they became standards, but Pal Joey is the only Rodgers and Hart musical I can name and for the most part, that is because this movie, which was released in 1957. During the pre-book days, musicals were known for their songs and the stories were merely window dressing.  Also, the movie differs meaningfully from the musical.  Joey Evans, the original anti-hero is way more likable in the movie.  The blackmail subplot is excised from the film.  It also has a way more happier ending.  Some classic songs from other R&H musicals were added including “The Lady Is A Tramp” and “My Funny Valentine”.  Finally, where as R&H wanted the actor playing Joey to be a dancer.  In the movie, Joey is a singer. I am unsure if that was done by design or given the fact that Kelly under contract by MGM was unavailable for the role.  The film would become a hit both critically and financially.

 

Sinatra’s acting star was well on the rise before this, due to his work on From Here To Eternity.  However, he was not given top billing.  That was given to co star Rita Hayworth, when asked what he felt about having his name between Hayworth and Kim Novak, Sinatra quipped that it was “a sandwich I don’t mind being stuck in the middle of”.  It is also funny that despite playing the much older woman to Joey’s boy toy, Haywood was three years younger than Sinatra.

Anyway, here this is with various musical duties handled by George Dunning, Morris Stoloff, and Nelson Riddle. Jo Ann Greer sang for Hayworth.  Trudy Stevens for Novak.  The rest is pure Chairman of the Board with songs that were meant for him and became standards in his own catalog, including”The Lady Is A Tramp” which I am using for a sample.  The song originally appeared in R&H’s musical, Babes In Arms.

Satisfactory record.

OST (Gene Kelly)- Les Girls

I got this record for $4 (and not the 50 cents on the cover) for the expressed purpose of writing about Gene Kelly, who was one of the greatest performers of the last century.  With the exception of La La Land, nobody dances in movies anymore, but when they did , there was nobody better than Kelly.  I believe this record was previously owned by Lee Cramer who scrawled his/her name on the cover as well as both sides of the album.

Kelly, born in 1912 in Pittsburgh, PA, was the epitome of the great musical films of the 1940’s and 50’s.  He learned to dance as a youth (abet against his wishes) and moved on to teach at his family’s dance studios.  After working on local productions, went to New York to strike it big on Broadway.  He went to Hollywood in 1941 and went on the star in some of the biggest musical movies as the era,  If you made a list of the most iconic dance scenes of the big screen, I would put Kelly prominently on it.  Heck, Singing in The Rain alone contained four such numbers. As the genre fell out of taste, Kelly did a couple non-dancing roles as well as taking a turn towards directing, most notably with the film version of Hello Dolly  (according to Wikipedia, he passed on directing on what he called a “piece of sh*t”, The Sound of Music).  Kelly passed in 1996 from complications from strokes.  He was 83.

Why Kelly, you may ask?  First off, he had an every man appearance,  We has not ugly, but he did not have what I consider the proto-typical Hollywood leading man good looks.  He was handsome enough but he could have been anybody if that makes sense.  His characters, for the most part, were down to earth and very likable.  But mostly, it was his dancing.  It was very athletic and masculine.  At times, it was very fluid and loose.  At other times, there it was very physical; straight lines and violent in motions. And above all, he made it appear so effortless.  Every movement was an extension of himself and he executed them with such ease.  Of course, no one worked harder than Kelly and his work ethic brought some of his co-stars to tears, including Debbie Reynolds.

So here is a record from two of his movies with MGM, both of which with songs written by Cole Porter.  (Kelly’s first Broadway part was as a dancer in Porter’s Leave It To Me).  First we have Les Girls, (1957) directed by George Cukor, with costar’s Jacques Bergerac, Kay Kendall, Taina Elg, and Krusty the Clown’s favorite, Mitzi Gaynor.

The music for this was conducted by Adolf Deutsch.  On the flip side, we have The Pirate (1948), an Arthur Freed production directed by Vincent Minellli and co-staring Judy Garland. The music for this was conducted by Lennie Hayton.  Overall, good stuff.  Of course the dancing does not translate to the record, but luckily, Kelly was pretty apt at carrying a tune.  All the aforementioned players are all pretty well represented on this.  Good effort all the way around.

So it is kind of odd then to write extensively about the praise of Kelly and then not feature him in a song but truth be told, my favorite number on the first side was by the trio of females, “Ladies In Waiting”.  That is not a slap in the face to the others.  I just liked that one best.  From the second side, however, I went with Kelly and Garland in “Be A Clown”.  If you recognize that tune, Arthur Freed re purposed for Singing In The Rain as “Make ‘Em Laugh” sung by Donald O’Connor.  MGM wanted Oscar Levant for the side kick role, but Kelly insisted on O’Connor for the dancing skills he honed in vaudeville.  The result, a musical number that again, falls among the best on film.

Good little record and a chance to write about one of my favorites although do to time, the post was a bit more convoluted as I would have liked. Satisfactory.