CD of the month
Available 24 March 2008
Pre-orders are available through, www.hmv.co.uk, www.play.com and
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October 1956
On 28th October 1956 Terry Parsons stepped through the doors of Decca Recording Studios, in West Hampstead. Those few steps were to transform the Teddington bus driver into one of the most sought after singing stars of the 60’s.
While working as Terence Parsons on a Number 27 Highgate – Teddington bus during the day – he sought to establish himself as a band singer at night. He sang first as Terry Fitzgerald and then as Al Jordan. His biggest break over that period was with the popular Harry Leader Band. During the various trips he became friendly with a couple of musicians in Scotland and talked them into going into a studio with him. “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” was the first disc Terry Parsons recorded. He hated it so there, for the time being, his aspirations rested.
Meanwhile the girlfriend of one of the Glaswegian musicians had been sending copies of the disc throughout the music industry and it eventually came to the attention of Winifred Atwell. She was so impressed that an introduction to Decca Records and an audition followed. They shared Ms Atwell’s zeal so much that they took the practically unheard of step of launching a new singer with an LP and a recording contract. The usual practice would have been a single disc release. It was made with the Malcolm Lockyer Orchestra and called “Blue and Sentimental”. Terry, who was still driving his Number 27 bus turned up at the studios one morning to cut his first professional disc. It was a chilly miserable Sunday and Terry’s temperature was not helped by a grade A attack of nerves. Partly to keep himself warm and partly to have the comfort of familiar things he kept on his heavy blue serge bus driver’s jacket.
It all looked a trifle bizarre. An aggregation of the country’s finest musicians, looking very professional, all the mechanical clutter of a recording studio looking very intimidating…. And in the middle of it all, a bus driver wearing his pasteboard roundel indicating that he was licensed to drive a public service vehicle. No wonder the orchestra looked a little startled and wore a “now we’ve seen everything” look. Certainly Terence was a little uneasy upon recognising several top musicians in the business.
They ran through the first number “Okay let’s take this one” boomed a voice from the control box. They took it. They played it back. The musicians listened, looked at the not-so-tall singer and after a pause, burst into applause.
Terry Parsons had satisfied the toughest, most cynical, and certainly the most musicianly audience he ever had to face. He sang with a gimmickless freshness as if the lyrics were his own personal thoughts … he phrased it with a maturity that belied his inexperience.
From that moment on he was one of them. He loosened his tie, opened his collar, and took off his bus driver’s jacket. That action symbolised Terry’s entry into a new career.
Decca decided he needed a different name. “Matt Monro” was decided upon in only a matter of minutes. “Matt” was taken from the first name of a Fleet Street journalist, the first to have written a spread on Terry Parsons, and “Monro” from the first name of Winifred Atwell’s father. Matt Monro was born.
“Blue and Sentimental” was released in England as a 10-inch and a 12-inch in the U.S.A. with the added tracks “The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else” and “My Old Flame”.
Between 10 November 1956 and 14 January 1957 Matt released three singles with the company making a total of 20 tracks that were recorded while under contract with Decca. It is interesting to note that two other tracks were also laid down at a session on the 16th January 1957, “I Never Had a Dream Like This Before” and “Mare Piccola” and although they are listed on Decca’s paperwork, they have never been found.
Also included are photographs from the original recording session that have never been released before and only located in 2007.
October 1967
By contrast, “An Evening With Matt Mono” is the singer at his best, working to a live audience in intimate surroundings, and giving us such unforgettable classics such as “My Kind of Girl”, “From Russia With Love” and “Born Free”.
For nearly 40 years a film reel of this performance lay in the family garage covered in cobwebs under a mountain of other forgotten debris. Its discovery was momentous: the only known film of Britain’s greatest singer had at last been found.
Odeon Entertainment had approached the Matt Monro Estate with a view to making a documentary on the singer’s life. Weeks were spent pouring over photographs, press cuttings, flyers, brochures, radio interviews and cinematic footage. One of the conditions of the contract was that, at Odeon’s expense, they would transfer all of the Monro’s video and cinematic footage to DVD, the newest format on the market. One unmarked canister was also handed over to Odeon to check its contents. It was taken off to a specialized processing plant and a phone call came to explain that the footage looked to be a live performance. Weeks followed while everyone held their breath, waiting for news that the footage was undamaged.
The day that a rough cut was delivered to the Monro’s was heavy with expectation and with trepidation running through the room the Monro’s played the footage. It was as first thought, a full-length undamaged performance of the singer in cabaret at the New Twenties Club in Melbourne, Australia. The clarity was fantastic and the actual performance pitch perfect.
Odeon pleaded that the contract be amended and that this performance supersede the documentary “A Portrait of Matt Monro” which everyone agreed to.
Now for the first time, this audio edition is available. If Matt Monro had gone into the studio and recorded this presentation, it couldn’t be any better vocally. The added bonus here is that the listener is able to share in the singer’s warmth and love he has for his art while catching a glimpse of his rich personality which rarely comes through on a produced record.
This truly is a unique find and packaged together with the artist’s first ever album we can enjoy the singer’s journey from the days of Terry Parsons to that of the legendary artist we know as Matt Monro.
Michele Monro
www.mattmonro.com
ALSO AVAILABLE
Audio CD 10 December 2007
Label
Nostalgia Direct
Exclusive Christmas Release
Discs 1
Catalogue No. 50999 517579 2 2
Audio CD February 2008
Label EMI – General Release
Discs 1
Catalogue No. 50999 517579 2 2
Tracks
BROTHER JOHN
COME BACK TO ME
WHAT TO DO?
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE
WALK AWAY
IT’S ALRIGHT WITH ME
BORN FREE
WHEN YOU BECOME A MAN
SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE
THE JOHN F KENNEDY MARCH
SOFTLY AS I LEAVE YOU
STRIKE UP THE BAND
Matt Monro and Nelson Riddle were born within nine years of each other on opposite sides of the world and their contributions towards the advancement of popular music, especially in the 60’s was as significant as anyone in that epoch. Both of their musical achievements were immense and each has left a noteworthy footprint on musical history.
By the early 60’s Nelson was established as an outstanding arranger of popular music and Matt as an outstanding singer. Both were signed to Capitol Records and worked with some of the best assemblage of musicians in the business. Both artists had a string of hits to their credit and were no strangers to the pop charts.
Nelson was perhaps best known for his work for Capitol Records, providing jazzy big-band arrangements to accompany such vocalists as – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Louis Prima and Keely Smith. Later Ella Fitzgerald, Shirley Bassey and Linda Ronstadt also used his arranging talents. His arrangements are characterized by groundbreaking orchestrations with counter melodies and instrumentation that express the emotion of each verse of a song.
Matt first became noticed when his recording of ‘Portrait Of My Love’ entered the New Musical Express charts in the early 60’s, reaching number three. This was followed through with ‘My Kind of Girl’ ‘Softly As I Leave You’ ‘Walk Away’ ‘From Russia With Love’ and ‘Yesterday’. For the most part Johnnie Spence provided such majestic support for Matt in these early years claiming his fame with outstanding inventive arrangements that have stood the test of time.
Matt’s fame spread and led him to other shores including America taking the place left by the sad demise of Nat King Cole. Working on albums with Capitol Records gave him the opportunity of working with two of the all time greats, Billy May and Syd Feller.
With a string of exceptional recording achievements both artists were drawn into the area of movies. One of Nelson’s greatest joys was scoring for the big screen and his works included ‘Johnny Concho’, ‘Robin and the Seven Hoods’, ‘Can Can’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’. Matt on the other hand had huge hits with ‘Born Free’, ‘From Russia With Love, ‘The Wilby Conspiracy’ and ‘The Italian Job’ to name but a few.
Both performers had a great passion and love for their art, especially that area including concert touring and personal appearances, which gave them the chance to engage with their audiences and cross the footlight barriers. Their worldwide recognition allowed them both to travel the world gaining them each a new fan base and greater audience appreciation.
As well as a love for their music they also had a great respect and admiration for each other and were able to understand some of the immense challenges that each other’s work could throw at them and each harboured a quiet respect for the solutions offered in any given situation.
Unfortunately, although considered two of the finest performers of popular music by their peers, they only ever worked together on one occasion, as more often was the case that they were always in different countries to the other and their touring schedules around the world never saw them appearing in the same place at the same time.
The one time that they came together was a landmark musical highlight for them both. The date was the 14th July 1967 and the venue was at the Television Centre, Wood Lane, London. The British Broadcasting Corporation had brought them together for a BBC televised concert which would allow both artists to show off their excellence to a select invited audience. Matt said of the evening ‘It was spectacular’ and he meant it.
The event was the original brainchild of Vic Lewis, an exceptional bandleader in his own right, who had been Nelson Riddle’s European manager since 1960. Within that capacity he had already organised several successful television and radio shows for Nelson as well as a highly lucrative and well publicized concert tour with Shirley Bassey. Therefore it seemed a natural progression that Nelson Riddle, regarded at the time as one of the finest arrangers in the world, should meet up with Matt Monro, regarded at the time as one of Britain’s most outstanding singers. Two majestic talents merged together for one spectacular performance
The 12th July saw Riddle’s three boxes of music parts arrive from Hollywood courtesy of TWA and the production crew were in charge of ensuring everything was in place for the following day’s rehearsal. The programme budget estimate was a luxurious £7538.00, which allowed a free reign to meet the artist and musician’s needs.
The 13 July saw Matt and Nelson at the television centre rehearsing for the following day’s concert and with an eight-hour time constraint it was a long gruelling day but both artists enjoyed the challenge in garnering the handpicked orchestra to produce the music to the best of their ability. With a line up of 12 violins, 4 trumpets, 2 percussionists, 4 violas, 4 trombones, 4 cellos, 5 saxophones, 1 guitar, 1 bass, 2 horns, 1 harp, a xylophone, vibraphone, a C3 Hammond organ, a pair of pedal tymps and a Steinway 6’ 11 inch piano this was music at its best with a theatrically produced ensemble and high end opulent lighting creating the perfect of atmospheres.
The evening kicked off with Nelson performing ‘Brother John’ and Vic Lewis’ name crops up again on the recording of ‘When You Become a Man’, which he composed with lyricist Don Black. The evening culminates with Matt singing a version of ‘Strike Up the Band’, which Riddle especially arranged for him. The high swing number culminated in a double encore and saw the 500 strong audience on their feet demanding more.
Unfortunately as with most of the early BBC footage, the televised highly sought after concert was wiped over to save money and achieve stringent budget restraints. The show simply does not exist anymore.
Dick Turpin, a Sinatra Music Society Member, who passed on the tape to former committee member Bryan Officer, made the reel to reel of this concert. Thirty years on Bryan stumbled across the tape in his attic and considered that such a gem should be made available to a wider audience. The CD was re-mastered and re-engineered by Alan Bunting, a recognized name in his field for resurrecting missing and mutilated recordings from long-gone years and so the first print of this compact disc was pressed and made available to the Nelson Riddle Appreciation Society.
In 2006 I had the opportunity of buying the rights to these masters and with the backing of EMI jointly decided to release this exceptional concert to the mass market. Richard Moore had the arduous task of re-mastering the album from scratch. The source for this recording was a 3-¾ inches per second, quarter track, reel to reel tape which had been recorded directly from a TV line source. Professional standard mono recordings are made at the very least on 15 inches per second full track tape. As you decrease the speed of the tape the quality and frequency response of the recording drastically reduces. On quarter track tape the sound is squashed into a smaller area and any defects on the tape become more pronounced causing what is known as ‘dropouts’, where the sound disappears for a fraction of a second.
The original restoration by Alan Bunting had removed some of the hiss and tape noise but had left behind some smaller defects that still needed to be addressed which meant removing them so as to bring the recording, as close to it’s original sound as possible. The first problem was a hum (caused by the mains electricity supply) that ran throughout the tape but was most pronounced during the spoken sections. The recording also has had a considerable amount of high frequency distortion removed and had then been re ‘EQ’ed’ to compensate for the slow recording speed. After more hiss removal there was still two more faults that needed attention which was altogether much more time consuming. The microphone that Matt used during this broadcast had a minor flaw, which caused some strange ‘clunking’ noises to appear on the soundtrack whenever the microphone was jolted. On this high-class edition, as many of these noises have been digitally removed as possible, but only where the removal of the noise would not harm or interfere with the original recording. Lastly, as many of the large ‘dropouts’ as possible were repaired although once again immeasurable care was taken not to harm the original recording. One thing that could not be achieved was to restore the bass frequencies; there was nothing there to boost. As these frequencies are not usually lost on lower speed recordings, it can only be assumed that it was broadcast in this way.
Whilst it still has it’s imperfections, which you would expect from a 40 year old home recording, we hope it now sounds much closer to how it was originally broadcast and it is presented here in all its brilliance for your listening pleasure.
Michele Monro
Copyright 2007.
Matt Sings Nelson Swings:
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Previous Titles
Matt At The Movies
Matt at the Movies – Disc 1
WEDNESDAY’S CHILD THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (1966)
COME BACK TO ME ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER (1970)
EXODUS EXODUS (1960)
AROUND THE WORLD MIKE TODD’S AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS (1956)
ALFIE ALFIE (1966)
DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962)
SPRING IS HERE
I MARRIED AN ANGEL (1942)
I’VE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO HER FACE
MY FAIR LADY (1964)
GONNA BUILD A MOUNTAIN STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF (1966)
FOR ALL WE KNOW LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS (1970)
IMPOSSIBLE DREAM MAN OF LA MANCHA (1972)
LOVE STORY
LOVE STORY (1970)
MARIA WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
HAPPY LADY SINGS THE BLUES (1972)
MY KIND OF GIRL SCANDAL (1988)
PRECIOUS MOMENTS
THE SEA WOLVES (1980) NEW
A MAN AND A WOMAN
A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966)
SECOND TIME AROUND HIGH TIME (1960)
SEPTEMBER SONG KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY (1944)
THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE
THE SANDPIPER (1965)
ON A CLEAR DAY (YOU CAN SEE FOREVER) ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER (1970)
JEAN THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE (1969) NEW
WHEN I LOOK INTO YOUR EYES
DR DOOLITTLE (1967)
ALL MY LOVING
HARD DAY'S NIGHT 1964
THE WRONG TIME (IT’S ALRIGHT WITH ME)
CAN CAN (1960) – FULL ORCHESTRA
Matt at the Movies – Disc 2
HELLO DOLLY
HELLO DOLLY (1969)
A PLACE IN PARIS
TIME FOR LOVING (1971)
OVER THE RAINBOW
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
ALONE AM I
TOMORROW NEVER COMES (1977)
LET ME SING AND I’M HAPPY
MAMMY (1930)
HELLO YOUNG LOVERS
THE KING AND I (1956)
MORE
MONDO CANE (1962)
CHATANOOGA CHOO CHOO
THE GLENN MILLER STORY (1953)
SUNRISE SUNSET
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971)
EVERYBODY’S TALKIN’
MIDNIGHT COWBOY 1969)
CHARADE
CHARADE (1963)
UNCHAINED MELODY
GHOST (1990)
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE
FOLLOW THE FLEET (1936)
SOMEWHERE
WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
BE MY LOVE
TOAST OF NEW ORLEANS (1950)
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING
LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDOURED THING (1955)
WHAT TO DO
WOMAN TIMES SEVEN (1967)
YOU’RE SENSATIONAL
HIGH SOCIETY (1956)
LAURA
LAURA (1944)
AS LONG AS SHE NEEDS ME
OLIVER (1968)
BORN FREE
BORN FREE (1966)
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT
A MAN COULD GET KILLED (1966)
PEOPLE
FUNNY GIRL (1968)
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
PINOCCHIO (1940)
Matt at the Movies – Disc 3
ON DAYS LIKE THESE
THE ITALIAN JOB (1969)
A TIME FOR LOVE
AN AMERICAN DREAM (1966)
NEARNESS OF YOU, THE
ROMANCE IN THE DARK (1938)
STARDUST
THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY (1956)
MOMENT TO MOMENT
MOMENT TO MOMENT (1966)
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
STRANGER IN PARADISE
KISMET (1944)
I WILL WAIT FOR YOU
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964)
MEMORY
CATS (1998)
PUT ON A HAPPY FACE
13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING (2001)
SPEAK SOFTLY LOVE
THE GODFATHER (1972)
I HAVE DREAMED
THE KING AND I (1956)
WHEN I FALL IN LOVE
ISTANBUL (1957)
RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD
BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
NOTHING TO LOSE
THE PARTY (1968)
IN THE ARMS OF LOVE
WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR DADDY? (1966)
LOVE WALKED IN
RHAPSODY IN BLUE (1945)
AND WE WERE LOVERS
THE SANDPEBBLES (1966)
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD
GOOD MORNING VIETNAM (1987)
GEORGIA ON MY MIND
RAY (2004)
SOUTHERN STAR (THE)
THE SOUTHERN STAR (1969)
CHEEK TO CHEEK
TOP HAT (1935)
GREEN LEAVES OF SUMMER
THE ALAMO (1960)
TILL THE END OF TIME
TILL THE END OF TIME (1946)
MATT MONRO
EN ESPANA/GRANDES EXITOS EN ESPANOL
En Espana
- Sueno Imposible (The Impossible Dream)
- No Me Pesa, Es Mi Hermano (He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother)
- Te Esperare (Les Parapluies De Cherbourg)
- Jean
- Si Yo Fuera Carpintero (If I Were A Carpenter)
- La Sombra De Tu Sonrisa (The Shadow of Your Smile)
- Donde Hallarse? (Where In The World)
- En Dias Como Estos (On Days Like These)
- Los Dos (Two People)
- Puedo Ser Feliz (You’ve Made Me So Very Happy)
- Que Tonto Fui
- La Estrella Del Sur (The Southern star)
Grandes Exitos En Espanol
- Alguien Canto (The Music Played)
- Que Tiempo Tan Feliz (Those Were The Days)
- Lo Que Quedo (All That Remains)
- No Puedo Quitar Mis Ojos de Ti (Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)
- Todo Pasara (Everything Will Happen)
- Vete Por Favor (Walk Away)
- Nacida Libre (Born Free)
- La Montana
- No Me Dejes (If You Go Away)
- Amandote Otra Vez (Lovin’ You Again)
- Si Tu Te Vas (If You Go)
- La Perla Y El Rubi (The Ruby And The Pearl)
Audio
CD February 5th 2007
Label EMI Gold
- When I Fall In Love
- On Days Like These
- From Russia With Love
- Days Of Wine And Roses
- Till Then My Love
- Walk Away
- Portrait Of My Love
- Autumn Leaves
- More
- Historia de Amour (Love Story)
- Born Free
- Ebb Tide
- The Shadow Of Your Smile
- Once In Every Long and Lonely While
- The Music Played
- Be My Lady
- I'm Glad There Is You
- Softly As I Leave You
- Till The End Of Time
- September Song
- For Once In My Life
- My Kind of Girl
- Music To Watch Girls By
Click Here for the TV advert.
The Rare Monro
Audio
CD September 4th 2006
Label EMI Gold
Discs 2
Catalogue No.
Side One
Other People
Mirage
All of a Sudden
Yours Alone
Let Me Choose Life
Only The Night Wind Knows
No Puedo Quitar Mis Ojos De Ti
(Can’t
Take My Eyes Off You)
Love Song
Try To Remember
Alone Am I - Soundtrack from “Tomorrow
Never Comes”
The Lady Smiles
Don’t Answer Me
The Touch Of Your Love
How Could I Ever Leave You
I Love You Too
Walk Into The Dawn
Is There Anything I Can Do
Love Comes Along
It’s That Time Again
During One Night
Only Friends
I’ve So Much To Be Thankful For
These Things Happen
Cuando Miro En Tus Ojos
(When I Look into
Your Eyes)
Where In The World
New York, New York
Side Two
Taking a Chance on Love
All That Remains
Lover’s Caravan
All Of You
Floral Dance
Nothing to Lose
So Little Time
I’m Just Breezing Along with the Breeze
By The Way
Everything is Nothing Without You
Picking Up the Pieces
I Got Love
Sitting on Top of the World
Blue Moon
Making Whoopee
Row, Row, Row
Day In, Day Out
Strike up the Band
Till
Birth of the Blues
In the Still of the Night
Lulu’s Back in Town
Up a Lazy River
The Wrong Time (It’s Alright By Me)
Bonus Extra
Let The Train Take the Strain – British
Rail Jingle
Babycham
Pop Gear
Mangers
The Heart of The Man
Audio CD July 17th 2006
Label Rollercoaster Records
Discs 1
Catalogue No. NOMCD 101
The
Heart of A Man
Come to My Arms Baby
This is Real, This is Love
Just in Time
Flattery - Duet
French Poodle
Nice & Easy
My Favourite Song
I’m Happy
Say Something Sweet
S’ Wonderful/ I Get a Kick Out of You
Avalon/Chicago
Exodus
Somewhere
In The Still of The Night
Just One of Those Things
Pennies From Heaven
Walk Away
I Remember It Well – Duet
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