PAUL MAURIAT & his GRAND ORCHESTRA

Paul Mauriat's arrangements are always groovy, and occasionally sentimental in sampling the musical fashions of the songs composed in their era. Here are my Paul Mauriat Reviews...

Paul Mauriat & His Orchestra
‘Rhythm And Blues & The Paul Mauriat Orchestra’ Released In England in 2011 By Dutton Vocalion CDLK 4433. For Track Listing, Go To Http://www.duttonvocalion.com/

This pairing of Mauriat’s 1969 and 1975 LPs on a single CD showcases the maestro’s extraordinary capabilities of keeping up to date with pop music fashions. To capture the mood of the sound of rhythm and blues from the Sixties, Mauriat deployed his horn section upfront in a bold way and arranged his strings to mimic the drawn-out, emotive soul-dripping vocal passages of  an Otis Redding, Percy Sledge, James Brown or the lead singers from groups like the Chi-Lites and the Supremes. There’s something extra-special about the bold strokes of Mauriat’s brass players that render this selection exceptional in capturing the musical beat innovations of the 1960s. Intriguingly there is a ‘tip of the hat’ to the Beatles in the introduction to Diana Ross & the Supremes’ hit ‘You Keep me Hanging On’. This was the Beatles’ ‘guru-centred’ phase and the opening sitar notes evoke that. The rest of the fast tempo tracks such as ‘Unchain my Heart’, Aretha Franklin’s ‘RESPECT’ and ‘My Girl’ evoke plenty of a-go-go rhythms so ts in our lives. ypical of that decade. Now 1975 saw a slew of very mellow ballads on the hit parade which Mauriat has carefully arranged to sound in tune with his newer audiences while keeping to his knack for blending strings and brass into a ‘pop-jazz’ sound. Listen to ‘Mandy’, ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ and ‘The Way We Were’ and you’ll realize how much first-rate ballad writing came out of the Seventies. Then there are amazing continuities with ‘Rhythm & Blues’ through the enigmatic and addictive ‘Angie Baby’ with his trumpet-laden midsections evoking ‘Papa was a Rolling Stone’ and ‘SHAFT’, and ‘Rock your Baby’ giving his listeners a chance to get up and dance. Those of you still enamoured with the 70s iconic love comedy THE LOVE BOAT will adore his interpretation of the Carpenters’ hit ‘I Won’t Last a Day without You’. Then there’s Mauriat’s own mid-70s instrumental smash ‘El Bimbo’ which actually takes after an Arabic tune (if I’m not mistaken) with disco-like panache, and some very pleasant surprises on ‘Until the End of My Song’ and ‘Pacific Holiday’ (with Marcel Bianchi’s guitar solos) evoking memories of dancing Hawaiian girls on a picture postcard holiday. BEAUTIFUL.

FULL TITLE: The Best of Paul Mauriat Volume II. Made in West Germany but released by Phillips Polygram Hong Kong with reg. no. PHILIPS 818 968-2. This is a ‘historic’ compilation since it was part of a two-volume set issued by Philips Polygram (Hong Kong) during the early years of the CD format. This volume, covers mostly the late 1970s and early 1980s including some rare selections from the late 1970s LP ‘Paul Mauriat Disco Sensation’ – ‘Love is Still Blue’; ‘The Logical Song’; and the remade ‘I Will Follow Him’ – and his Asia-only release of the haunting theme from the Bruce Lee action movie of the same name ‘Descendant of the Dragon’. The latter serves as a perfect opening to this collection whether you are an Asian fan or not because its arrangement is typically Mauriat with an interweaving of pop-rock guitar, elegant strings, harpsichord keys and exciting drum breaks. The rest of the 1976-81 pop parade are a nice dollop of nostalgia with the likes of Air Supply, ABBA, Elton John, Eric Carmen, Streisand, Bee Gees and Chicago.

TRACK LISTING:

1. Descendant Of The Dragon  '82
2. Taste Of Sorrow  '83
3. Love Is Still Blue (Mauriat’s own Disco version of his 1968 signature ‘Love is Blue’) '77
4. Don't Go Breaking My Heart  '76
5. Woman In Love  '81
6. Even The Nights Are Better  '82
7. Woman In You  '83
8. All By Myself  '76
9. The Logical Song  '79
10. Money, Money, Money  '77
11. Guilty  '81
12. The Bird And The Child (L'oiseau Et L'enfant)   '77
13. I Will Follow Him 'Chariot'  '76
14. Honesty  '79
15. If You Leave Me Now  '77