EASY LISTENING ROMANTIC SUNSETS

 

Sunsets…easy listening magic! Well almost every easy listening album ever released tried to capture the mood of sunsets but here are my current and all-time favourites. Our activities are all clocked by the rising of the sun and the setting of the same. This natural rhythm of life has inspired songs from time immemorial and Reader’s Digest has tried to capture it instrumentally in a massive six disc collection. When the sun sets, it is time to reminisce, to relax the intensity of the mind, to reconnect with those ‘close to you’…

The above Reader’s Digest set released in 1993 in both the UK and Australian markets (Cat No.: RDCD471-6) aimed for the melody of wood winds, piano sounds associated with the hour just before and after sundown, and the occasional spicy Latin number by Manuel and the Music of the Mountains. The inclusion of Bert Kaempfert added a touch of class, almost Big Band, but lusher and more in tune with the opulent mood of seeing beautiful memories silhouetted on a wide canvas. Bert’s trumpet and bass lines start a melody and often let the strings carry the bulk of it in a sweeping romantic crescendo. Finally, how does Reader’s Digest justify the inclusion of Ray Conniff and his singers in an otherwise all instrumental set? It probably comes down to the vocalizing of relief and soul at the end of a long day at the office, out trekking, exploring tourist itineraries and the like. The Conniff sound encapsulates the words and music of enchantment…take a listen and you will hear what I mean…this set must be on every easy listener’s library! Its thoroughly analogue recording quality also makes it a favourite for most of my Hi Fi listening tests. If this volume ‘glows’  on your Hi Fi set, that must be your ideal set up.

CD1     Programme 1 - Timeless Favourites
1 - Stardust - Henry Mancini
2 - Misty - Geoff Love
3 - Thanks for the Memory - Ray Conniff
4 - Night and Day - Richard Clayderman
5 - What a Difference a Day Made - Bert Kaempfert
6 - Jealousy - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
7 - I'm in the Mood for Love - Acker Bilk
8 - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - Henry Mancini
9 - Moonlight Serenade - Ray Conniff
10 - Auf Wiedersehn, My Dear - Acker Bilk
11 - Laura - Bert Kaempfert
12 - I'll String Along with You - Roger Williams
13 - Begin the Beguine - Klaus Wunderlich
14 - Granada - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains

Programme 2  - 50s Magic

15 - Memories Are Made of This - Ray Conniff
16 - Mona Lisa - Ronnie Aldrich & his Two Pianos
17 - Answer Me, My Love - Bert Kaempfert
18 - Scarlet Ribbons - Acker Bilk
19 - Gigi - Harry James

CD2
20 - When I Fall In Love - Geoff Love
21 - Love Me Tender - Richard Clayderman
22 - Island In The Sun - Bert Kaempfert
23 - Only You - Acker Bilk
24 - Unchained Melody - Ray Conniff
25 - Ebb Tide - Ronnie Aldrich
26 - Elizabethan Serenade - Adrian Brett
27 - Blue Tango - Geoff Love
28 - On The Street Where You Live - Ray Conniff
29 - Magic Moments - Ronnie Aldrich
30 - La Bamba - Manuel and his music of the mountains 

Programme 3  - Hits From The Shows

31 - Memory - Klaus Wunderlich
32 - Impossible Dream - Henry Mancini
33 - I Know Him So Well - Gheorghe Zamfir
34 - I Talk To The Trees - Manuel and hmotm
35 - Stranger In Paradise - Ray Conniff
36 - Don’t Cry For Me Argentina - Acker Bilk
37 - Sunrise Sunset - Ray Conniff
38 - So In Love - Ronnie Aldrich
39 - Send in the clowns - Acker Bilk

CD3
40 - I'll Never Fall in Love Again ('Promises, Promises') - Harry Stoneham
41 - On a Clear Day You Can See Forever - Roger Williams
42 - The Carousel Waltz - Geoff Love
43 - My Favourite Things ('The Sound of Music') - Ronnie Aldrich & his Two Pianos

Programme 4  - Classics by Candlelight

44 - Love's Dream - Ray Conniff
45 - 18th Variation on a Theme of Paganini - Richard Clayderman
46 - Concierto De Aranjuez (Second Movement) - Larry Adler
47 - Theme from 'Elvira Madiga' - Gheorghe Zamfir
48 - No Other Love - Henry Mancini
49 - Vilia - Eddie Clavert
50 - Going Home - Acker Bilk
51 - Air on a G String - Ronnie Adrich & his Two Pianos
52 - Theme from 'Rhapsody In Blue' - Ray Conniff
53 - Greensleeves - Acker Bilk
54 - Moonlight Sonata - Henry Mancini
55 - Fur Elise - David Snell
56 - The Shepherd Song - Adrian Brett

CD4     Programme 5 – All-Time Romantic Favourites

57 - Spanish Eyes - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
58 - Tenderly - Henry Mancini
59 - Love Letters - Ray Conniff
60 - The Shadow of Your Smile - Gheorghe Zamfir
61 - Unforgettable - Ronnie Aldrich & his Two Pianos
62 - Secret Love - Bert Kaempfert
63 - Autumn Leaves - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
64 - La Vie en Rose - Eddie Calvert
65 - Somewhere My Love - Ray Conniff
66 - The More I See You - Bert Kaempfert
67 - Feelings - Henry Mancini

68 - Just the Way You Are - Richard Clayderman

69 - Nature Boy - Acker Bilk

Programme 6  - Golden Memories From The 60s

70 - A Whiter Shade of Pale - Richard Clayderman
71 - Scarborough Fair - Ray Conniff
72 - You've Lost That Loving Feeling - Acker Bilk
73 - Can't Take My Eyes off You - Nelson Riddle
74 - Theme from 'A Summer Place' - Klaus Wunderlich

CD5
75 - Africaan Beat - Bert Kaempfert
76 - Strangers in the Night - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
77 - A Taste of Honey - Acker Bilk
78 - Nights in White Satin - Richard Clayderman
79 - If You Go Away - Ghorghe Zamfir
80 - Yesterday - Acker Bilk
81 - More - Ray Conniff
82 - A Lover's Concerto - Henry Mancini
83 - A Swinging Safari - Bert Kaempfert

Programme 7  - Magical Moments From The Movies

84 - Chariots of Fire - Gheorghe Zamfir
85 - Theme fom 'Love Story' - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
86 - Cavatina ('The Deer Hunter') - Adrian Brett
87 - Tara's Theme ('Gone with the Wind') - Ronnie Aldrich
88 - Three Coins in the Fountain - Harry James
89 - High Noon - Ray Conniff
90 - Around the World - Geoff Love
91 - The Entertainer ('The Sting') - Larry Adler
92 - The Summer Knows ('Summer of '42') - Acker Bilk

CD6
93 - The Way We Were - Henry Mancini
94 - Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head ('Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid') - Ray Conniff
95 - A Man and a Women - Harry James
96 - As Time Goes by ('Casablanca') - Henry Mancini
97 - 'The Third Man' Theme - Ray Conniff

Programme 8  - Favourite Hits From the 70s

98 - Annie's Song - Henry Mancini
99 - Yesterday Once More - Adrian Brett
100 - Something - Ray Conniff
101 - The Most Beautiful Girl - Bert Kaempfert
102 - Imagine - Acker Bilk
103 - Sailing - Richard Clayderman
104 - (They Long to Be) Close to You - David Snell
105 - Morning Has Broken - Adrian Brett
106 - And I Love You So - Manuel and the Music of the Mountains
107 – Medley: For All We Know-We've Only Just Begun - Richard Clayderman
108 - Mull of Kintyre - Adrian Brett
109 - Top of the World - Gheorghe Zamfir
110 - Snowbird - Bert Kaempfert
111 - Everything Is Beautiful - Ray Conniff

One final note about that last selection from the 1970s – the compilers at RD were able to capture that sprit not only of optimistic sunsets amidst the relaxing vibes, but also evoking through the Adrian Brett and David Snell selections the gentle rising spirits that accompany breaking dawn…This is of course not the only ‘sunset mood’ collection from Reader’s Digest legendary archives. Here are two more titled STRANGER ON THE SHORE and HAWAIIAN PARADISE from the late 1970s.

Still on the subject of Sunset Mood LPs, PHILIPS/FONTANA released a number of popular mood collections around 1970-2 themed Nice and Easy. As far as I know there were 4 volumes of them. One breathtaking collection was titled simply WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW. It could be music for the hour starting ten minutes before sunset to two hours after sunset. Who cares? It is simply gentle, classy instrumentals that set the mood for dinner or a romantic night in. PHILIPS in tandem with Phonogram London have remastered WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW on CD, minus mysteriously 8 tunes from the original LP. 

 

WHEN LIGHTS ARE LOW – Various Artistes: The Cascading Strings, Chaquito, John Gregory Orchestra, Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Paul Mauriat Orchestra etc. Printed in limited quantities and released in 1990 under the Nice N Easy series of Compact Disc remasters, as PHILIPS/Phonogram (London) catalogue no. 842905-2, made in West Germany. As the title and scenic cover photo suggest, this is mood music par excellence for nocturnal listening with soft musical hues provided by a cushion of strings and mostly softly played saxophone, trumpet and piano leads. There are spots of Latin beats – sambas and bossa novas – and gems from the 1960s and 1970s hits parades transformed instrumentally by classy acts. A trip to nostalgia territory, plus dream dancing. Highlights:

·         All tracks by the Bill McGuffie Quartet (Watch What Happens, Begin the Beguine, Quiet Nights etc.) are selected from his early 1970s LP ‘World hits latin style LP Philips 6856025’ featuring gentle piano notes backed by slow bossa and rhumba rhythms. A much much gentler version of Pepe Jaramillo’s Latin piano sound if you need a comparison.

·         John Gregory in three guises: Cascading Strings, Chaquito Latin Big Band, and under his own name – lots of tracks first time in CD format such as his lush rendition of the Carpenters’ hit ‘They Long to be Close to You’ and the dazzling arrangements of ‘Smoke Gets in your Eyes’ and ‘Serenade in Blue’. ‘Witchcraft’ gets a spicy cha-cha rhythm!

·         Nice touches of the sound of slow rolling ‘romantic strings’ by the Reg Tilsley Orchestra and Ivor Raymonde Orchestra.

·         Two guest appearances by Paul Mauriat on the upbeat ‘Ebb Tide’ and the dreamy lounge treatment of Bacharach’s ‘This Guy’s in Love with You’.

Track Listing:

1. Serenade In Blue – Cascading Strings conducted by John Gregory.

2. Watch What Happens – Bill McGuffie Quartet.
3. Let’s Face The Music And Dance – The John Gregory Orchestra.
4. Days Of Wine And Roses – Reg Tilsley and his Orchestra.
5. All The Things You Are – Dennis Wilson and his Orchestra.
6. The Look Of Love – The Chaquito Latin Big Band.
7. Deep Purple – Syd Lawrence Orchestra.
8. In The Still Of The Night – Ivor Raymonde and his Orchestra.
9. I've Got You Under My Skin – Bill McGuffie Quartet.
10. Ebb Tide – Paul Mauriat & his Orchestra.
11. Claire De Lune – Reg Tilsley and his Orchestra.
12. Witchcraft – The Chaquito Latin Big Band.
13.This Guy's In Love With You – Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra.
14.Fantasie Impromptu In C Sharp Minor Op 66 – Reg Tilsley and his Orchestra.
15.Begin The Beguine – Bill McGuffie Quartet.
16. They Long To Be Close To You – Cascading Strings conducted by John Gregory.
17. La Paloma – The Chaquito Latin Big Band.
18. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes – Cascading Strings conducted by John Gregory.
19.Stardust – Syd Lawrence Orchestra.
20.Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars– Bill McGuffie Quartet.
21.The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – The John Gregory Orchestra.
22.The Party's Over – Ivor Raymonde and his Orchestra.

Time to dream of even more sunsets...

ALAN

12 November 2018