Whilst Michele is on her travels – currently crossing the Pacific Ocean on the Sea Princess and struggling with an intermittent internet connection - it once again falls to me to bring you this month’s news.
It’s not going to be the longest news bulletin ever to appear on this site; with Michele’s absence things are quite quiet. One interesting development is that discussions have been taking place between Michele and Goalpost films who are interested in making Matt Monro – The Singer’s Singer into a movie. Its early days and I must stress it only discussions at the moment nothing signed & sealed, but some interesting ideas have been put forward so watch this space over the coming months.
Of course the BIG news this month is, after many months of anticipation, the release of the track list for the forthcoming double CD set ‘Matt Uncovered – The Rarer Monro’. First though the bad news. When you’re putting together an album that features material belonging to several companies, it can take a while to get all the copyright clearances and contracts signed and sealed. Unfortunately this is what has happened here and has meant that the release date has had to be changed. Providing there are no more delays the new release date will be July 2nd at the latest.
The good news is that the recordings have all been mastered, the liner notes written and the artwork designed (although not complete) so we’re all just waiting for the green light from the legal department!
The recordings date from Matt’s earliest professional recording in 1955 through to 1977 and besides songs from the EMI vaults it includes rare material from the BBC, the Monro estate archives, film soundtracks and some newly discovered recordings made for Reditune - the transcription arm of Reduffusion TV and Radio. This all adds up to 67 tracks and more than two and a half hours of music.
Michele wanted the cover of the album to have a similar feel to the Rare Monro but the photograph used on that album was unique and there was nothing to match it in the vaults. So we trawled through thousands of photographs looking for a picture of Matt at work in the studio. The chosen shot features Matt listening to a playback of one of his recordings in a control room at Abbey Road Studios in the 1960’s.
The CD booklet includes full track recording details and background notes to the songs and where they’ve been hiding!
So finally here is the all important track listing:
(Note: Unfinished Artwork)
Matt Uncovered – The Rarer Monro
CD1
I Hear Music
Strange Lady In Town
I Suddenly
It's Only A Paper Moon
Everything I Have Is Yours
You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
My Funny Valentine
I've Got The World On A String
Birth Of The Blues
Amor Amor Amor
The Nearness Of You
You're Sensational
Did You Ever See A Dream Walking
I'll Be Around
I’ve Got My Eyes On You
Chattanooga Choo Choo
In Time
What Makes a Sunset
The Clouds Will Soon Roll By
Old Devil Moon
It Can’t Be Wrong
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
You Make Me Feel So Young
The Heart Of A Man
I Know
Twixt Twelve and Twenty
Fare The Well My Pretty Maid
No One Will Ever Know (Piano Version)
Easier Said Than Done
There Are No Words For Love (Piano Version)
Love Is The Same Anywhere (Alternate Arrangement)
Bill Bailey
A Few Tender Words
All My Loving (Early Version)
CD2
Once In Every Long And Lonely While (Early Version)
Ten Out Of Ten (Unedited)
Choose (Unedited)
Beautiful Beautiful (Unedited)
Let’s Find An Island
The World I Used To Know
Pretty Polly (Soundtrack Version)
Maria (Spanish)
If You Go
Lovin’ You Again
If You Go Away
Two People (Film Version)
Por Primera Vez (For Once In My Life)
Time To Go
Oh My Child
Didn’t We (Early Version)
How Can I Live Without Your Love
One Last Try
You Came Along From Out Of Nowhere
I Apologise
The Folks Who Live On The Hill
Your Driving Me Crazy/The Song Is You
You’ll Never Know
What Is This Thing Called Love
Day By Day
Younger Than Springtime
Bonus Tracks
Bound For Texas
Newport cigarettes
Teem
Macleans toothpaste
Mackintosh’s Weekend
Zal (1970’s version)
Kenny Everett sketch.
Please note that the disc hasn’t gone into production yet and there may be last minute changes.
More details about the tracks can be found on the ‘CD of the Month’ page.
My usual restoration notes are now posted on my own Mint Audio Restoration site – which includes a few sound clips (including a couple of bits of exclusive studio chat).
Don’t forget to check out Michele’s Travel Blogs on the Forum and her Facebook page.
Michele's remaining itinerary for 2012 is as follows:
Tuesday 1st May:
Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Wednesday 2nd May:
At Sea
Thursday 3rd May:
At Sea
Friday 4th May:
At Sea
Saturday 5th May:
At Sea
Sunday 6th May:
At Sea
Monday 7th May:
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Tuesday 8th May:
Maui (Lahaina), USA
Wednesday 9th May:
At Sea
Thursday 10th May:
At Sea
Friday 11th May:
At Sea
Saturday 12th May:
At Sea
Sunday 13th May:
Disembark San Francisco
Monday 14th May:
San Francisco
Tuesday 15th May:
San Francisco
Wednesday 16th May:
Flight to Las Vegas
Thursday 17th May:
Las Vegas
Friday 18th May:
Las Vegas
Saturday 19th May
Las Vegas (Marion Flies Out)
Sunday 20th May:
Las Vegas
Monday 21st May:
Flight to Los Angeles
Monday 21st May – Tuesday 19th June – Los Angeles
Wednesday 20th June: Air New Zealand to London
Thursday 21st June: Land London Heathrow
Check out the ‘Rough Guide to mattmonro.com’, which is available towards the bottom of the Homepage. A few of you have mentioned that you don’t know how to access certain areas of the site or in fact are unaware of new areas, this guide will explain how easy this website is to get around, once you know how.
There is also another information box “How to Use the Forum’. I know a lot of people have been tempted to join in on some of our conversations but are slightly nervous of doing so. For that reason I have printed step-by-step instructions of how to access it. It really does only take a few minutes.
All being well, Michele will be back with the news next month
