THE JUNCTION OF MEMORY LANE AND THE SWINGING SIXTIES: THE READER'S DIGEST THREE PIECE SUITE BOX SET

Imagine: two plush chairs and a sofa make a three piece suite. Add music to match and portraits of the popular music icons of the late 60s and early 70s. Spice it up with layered lines of brown, and a record player to match. Better still leave the LP covers lying around the table legs and sofa to seal the time travel mood…Voila! You dig into the hits on the Reader’s Digest vinyl catalogue! Except that it’s now on Compact Discs…

For fans of Reader’s Digest music, here’s the full title: THREE PIECE SUITE – AN EASY LISTENING TRIP. VARIOUS ARTISTES. RDCD. MADE AND RELEASED EXCLUSIVELY BY READER’S DIGEST UK IN 1996. Catalogue numbers: RDCD 1751, 1752 and 1753 for the three discs respectively.

Think of this set as an extended vacation in easy listening land lined up by Reader’s Digest for both the younger CD crowd as well as faithful collectors of RD record compilations in the preceding decades. This is also not the usual instrumental box collection produced by RD – it captures both the beat and the ballads of the 1960s and early 1970s.  The names of the pop choral acts spell a return to the era of the Ray Conniff sound, or if you prefer, the Alan Copeland singers, the Mike Sammes Singers, the Anita Kerr Singers and others like them. There is a majestic element to reinterpreting a standard pop song with a chorus of what sounds like somewhere between eight to sixteen voices backed by combo and orchestral props. Their tempo is mostly upbeat, except where the original was a ballad. Even then, ballads sung by a choir carry a certain melodic and sentimental charm to them; try ‘Mood Indigo’, ‘Close to You’ and ‘All I Have to Do is Dream’ on this set. Think of classical choral song meeting pop rock passion? But then, there are the mind-blowing gospel-like atmospherics on the cheerier uptempo tracks like ‘My Sweet Lord’, ‘Up, Up and Away’, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ and ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’. Occasionally, there are standout vocal solos with discreet choral backing such as the refreshing version of ‘This is my Song’ by crooner Vaughan Monroe, and the spectacular Nelson Riddle backed and arranged bossa nova ‘Desafinado’ by Vic Damone. I never knew ‘Desafinado’ could be sung in that way!

Those of you still preferring purely orchestral moods will not be disappointed either with plenty to choose from such as the tender ballads ‘Voce’ by the Peter Knight Orchestra and the Mozart-like arrangement of the Beatles’ hit ‘If I Fell’ by the Perry Botkin Orchestra.   

The prime highlight of the three piece suite surely has to be the middle selection: Disc Two containing the ‘Golden Melodies of Burt Bacharach’. Bacharach and his writing partner, Hal David, produced a sound that epitomized the 60s beat, spanning the big band jazzy hues, married to beatnik pop, to the downright everyday hum along melodies captured so well by ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head’ sung here in a thoroughly enjoyable offbeat fashion by crooner Jerry Whitman. ‘Walk on By’ swings with the alternating orchestral highs of loud regret and the sweet tones of a flute conveying the dream-like aftermath of failed romance – an emotional contrast that Dionne Warwick’s original captured so skillfully. Then there is the cinematic, movie theme-like ‘I’m a Better Man’ performed so eloquently by the brass section of the Arthur Greenslade Orchestra. Listen out for the open invitation of the sound of a marching band on ‘Do you Know the Way to San Jose?’ signaling perhaps the hope of returning homeward for a fresh start in life – just as Bacharach and David wrote it…and the biggest gem of all is probably the chanteuse Beverly Kelly interpreting a bold brassy signature out of the romantic lament ‘One Less Bell to Answer’. Add in the near faithful interpretation of Herb Alpert by the Les Reed Orchestra on ‘This Guy’s in Love’ and you have a Bacharach tribute that is hard to find anywhere else!

If you can find this box set, make sure you add it to your collection, BECAUSE IT EPITOMIZES THE ORIGINAL LINK BETWEEN GOOD HI-FI AND POPULAR MUSIC, circa 1965-75!



Snapshots of the era of heady anticipation going into a record shop…



Sentimental vistas in the liner notes…

Easily one of the most artistically printed RD disc series…

Finally, the Track listing:

Disc One: Essential Easy Listening Favourites

1. Up, Up and Away – the Marty Paich Decktette

2. Music to Watch Girls By – The Charlie Barnet Orchestra

3. A Taste of Honey – The Harry James Orchestra

4. Java – Bob Crosby and the Bobcats

5. Mood Indigo – The Joe Reisman Orchestra and Singers

6. A World without Love – The Mike Sammes Singers

7. Yesterday – the Dick Grove Orchestra

8. Voce – the Peter Knight Orchestra

9. The Windmills of your Mind – The Johnny Keating Orchestra

10. As Tears Go By – the Hank Levine Singers

11. Something – the Steve Chandler Orchestra

12. Charade – The Charlie Barnet Orchestra

13. Fever – The David Whitaker Orchestra

14. Acapulco 1922 – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra

15. Baby Elephant Walk – The Les Brown Orchestra

16. This is My Song – Vaughn Monroe (vocal)

17. Scarborough Fair/Canticle – The Joe Reisman Orchestra and Singers

18. Desafinado – Vic Damone (vocal)

19. Harper Valley P.T.A. – The Joe Reisman Orchestra

20. Sapnish Flea – Ray Davies and his Button Down Brass

21. Tequila – The Hank Levine Singers

22. Somethin’ Stupid – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra

23. The Girl from Ipanema – Ray Davies and his Button Down Brass

24. Michelle – The Hank Levine Singers

25. In the Still of the Night – The Daniel Michaels Orchestra

Disc Two: The Golden Melodies of Burt Bacharach

1. Close to you – The Joe Reisman Orchestra and Singers 2. Walk On By – The Les Brown Orchestra
3. Do You Know The Way To San Jose? – The Romantic Strings
4. The Look Of Love – The Joe Reisman Orchestra
5. This Guy's In Love With You – The Les Reed Orchestra
6. Alfie – The Romantic Strings
7. Casino Royale – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra
8. I Say A Little Prayer – Perry Botkin Jr. Orchestra
9. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself – The Ken Thorne Orchestra
10. I'm A Better Man – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra
11. Paper Mache – The David Whitaker Orchestra
12. Wives And Lovers – The Copeland Orchestra and Singers
13. Reach Out For Me – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra
14.  The Windows Of The World – The David Whitaker Orchestra
15.  One Less Bell To Answer – Beverley Kelly and the Young World (vocal)
16. I'll Never Fall In Love Again – The Joe Reisman Orchestra
17. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head – Jerry Whitman (vocal)
18. What The World Needs Now – The Bill Shepherd Orchestra and Chorus
19. 24 Hours From Tulsa – The Alan Braden Orchestra
20.(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me – The David Firman Orchestra

Disc Three: Sweet Sound of Modern Classics

1. Mrs Robinson – The Good Guys (vocal)
2. The Mighty Quinn – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra
3. Sweet Caroline – The Young World (vocal)
4. Can't Buy Me Love – The Hank Levine Orchestra
5. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' – The Les Brown Orchestra
6.Bridge Over Troubled Water – The Young World (vocal)
7. If You Gotta Go, Go now – The Arthur Greenslade Orchestra and Singers
8. Unchained Melody – The Mike Sammes Singers
9. Wonderful World – The Perry Botkin Jr. Orchestra
10. Light My Fire – The Joe Reisman Orchestra
11. When A Man Loves A Woman – The Richard Alden Orchestra and Singers
12.I Think I Love You – The Sid Dale Orchestra
13. If I Fell – The Perry Botkin Jr. Orchestra
14. Like A Rolling Stone – The Robinsons (vocal)
15. Let's Stay Together – The Steve Gray Orchestra
16. All I Have To Do Is Dream – The Young World (vocal)
17. Mellow Yellow – The Al Capps Orchestra
18. My Sweet Lord – The Young World (vocal)
19. Proud Mary – The Perry Botkin Jr. Orchestra
20. Weekend In New England – The Romantic Voices
21. Je T'aime Moi Non Plus – The David Whitaker Orchestra

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