Moon River - Music
Moon River by Mantovani
Mantovani
Artist Biography For Mantovani
Mantovani Was Born In Venice Italy And His Father Was The Concertmaster Of La Scala Orchestra Under Arturo Toscanini. His Family Moved To England In 1912 Where He Studied At Trinity College Of Music In London. After Graduation He Formed His Own Orchestra Which Played In And Around Birmingham. By The Time World War II Broke Out His Orchestra Was One Of The Most Popular In UK Both On The BBC And In Live Performances. He Was Also Musical Director For A Large Number Of Musicals And Other Plays Including Ones By Noel Coward. After The War He Concentrated On Recording And Eventually Gave Up Live Performance Altogether. He Worked With Arranger And Composer Ronnie Binge Who Developed The "cascading Strings" Sound Also Known As The "Mantovani Sound" . Citation Needed His Records Were Regulars In Stores Selling Hi-Fi Stereo Equipment As They Were Produced And Arranged For Stereo Reproduction. In 1952 Binge Ceased To Arrange For Mantovani But His Distinctive Sound Remained. He Recorded For Decca Until The Mid-1950s And Then London Records. He Recorded Over 50 Albums On That Label Many Of Which Were Top-40 Hits. These Included Song From Moulin Rouge And Cara Mia Which Reached No. 1 In Britain In 1953 And 1954 Respectively. The Latter Was Also Mantovani's First U.S. Top Ten Hit. In The United States Between 1955 And 1972 He Released Over 40 Albums With 27 Reaching The Top 40 And 11 The Top Ten. His Biggest Success Was With The Album Film Encores Which Made It To No. 1 In 1957. Similarly Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' And Other Great Themes Made It To No. 2 In 1961 And Sold Over One Million Albums. In 1959 Mantovani Starred In His Own Syndicated Television Series Mantovani Which Was Produced In England And Which Aired In The United States. 39 Episodes Were Filmed. 1 Mantovani Made His Last Recordings In 1975. Citation Needed Edit Music Style And Influences
The Cascading Strings Technique Developed By Binge Became Mantovani's Hallmark In Such Hits Arranged By Binge As "Charmaine". Binge Developed This Technique To Replicate The Echo Experienced In Venues Such As Cathedrals By Arrangement Alone In An Echo-Free Surrounding. Author Joseph Lanza Describes Mantovani's String Arrangements As The Most "rich And Mellifluous" Of The Emerging Light Music Style During The Early 1950s. He Stated That Mantovani Was A Leader In The Use Of New Studio Technologies To "create Sound Tapestries With Innumerable Strings" And That "the Sustained Hum Of Mantovani's Reverberated Violins Produced A Sonic Vaporizer Foreshadowing The Synthesizer Harmonics Of Space Music." 2 In 1958 Mantovani And His Family Bought A Holiday Home In Bournemouth In Durley Chine Road Then In 1961 Acquired A New Property In Burton Road Now Part Of Poole . He Moved Finally To A New Home In Martello Road In Poole. Since His Death At A Care Home In Tunbridge Wells Kent In 1980 His Music Has Enjoyed A Minor Revival Citation Needed With Much Of His Catalogue Reappearing On CD And An Orchestra Bearing His Name Performing Concert Tours. The Saleability Of The Mantovani Name Is Underscored By New Recordings Being Made As The Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately Neutrality Is Disputed A Large Number Of CDs Are Also Available Of Unauthorized Recordings Billed As Mantovani Or Mantovani Orchestra. Citation Needed There Have Also Been CDs Released Under The Mantovani Name Of Recordings Made By Others While Mantovani Was Still Alive. Citation Needed Thus Consumers Of This Music Are Advised To Familiarize Themselves With The Conductor's Discography. Material With The London Records Logo On It Is Apt To Be Genuine Mantovani While Other Recordings Are Less Likely To Be Actual Mantovani Recordings. Citation Needed The Continued Popularity Of Mantovani's Music Is Evident By The Number Of Original Albums Which Are Being Released On Labels Such As Dutton-Vocalion And By The Many Compilations Available Throughout The World. In 2008 As A Result Of Successful Ongoing CD Sales Amongst Other Contributing Factors The Mantovani Orchestra Performing From The Original Scores Was Recreated For A Tremendously Successful Historical Tribute Concert Sponsored By Bentley Motors Held At The Lighthouse In Poole England On 27 January Conducted By Sam Newgarth MBE. Much Critical Acclaim Has Led To The Planning Of A Second Concert To Take Place In January 2009 At The Same Venue. There Are Four Mantovani Websites In Honour Of The Maestro A Written Biography By Colin MacKenzie Entitled Mantovani - A Lifetime In Music ISBN 1-905226-19-5 . For Further Information Please Visit Http //www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Http //members3.Jcom.Home.Ne.Jp/torumonty Http //www.Lighthousepoole.Co.Uk Re. Ticket Sales For 31 January 2009 . A Ten CD Set 'The Wonderful World Of Mantovani' Was Released In November 2008 In Japan A Link To The Website In Japan May Be Found By Visiting Www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Featuring Many Rare Tracks Which Have Never Been Released On CD Before In A Superbly Remastered Format And Following The Success Of The Mantovani Orchestra's 2008 Concert 'More MANTOVANI Magic' Took Place At Lighthouse In Poole England On 31 January 2009 Again Conducted By Maestro Sam Newgarth MBE. The Concert Was Sponsored By Poole Audi And Also With The Generous Support Of Richard Cox.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: Moon River
Mantovani - Montovani Presents His Concert Successes
"Moon River" Is A Song Composed By Johnny Mercer Lyrics And Henry Mancini Music In 1961 For Whom It Won That Year's Academy Award For Best Original Song. It Is Most Well-Known For Being Sung In The Movie Breakfast At Tiffany's By Audrey Hepburn Although It Has Been Covered By Many Other Artists. It Became The Theme Song For Andy Williams Who First Recorded The Song In 1961 And Performed It At The Academy Awards Ceremonies In 1962. He Sang The First Eight Bars Of The Song At The Beginning Of His Television Show He Also Named His Production Company And Venue In Branson Missouri After Moon River. Williams' Version Was Vetoed By Cadence President Archie Bleyer Who Believed It Had Little Or No Appeal To Teenagers. Williams' Famous Version Never Charted Except As An LP Track Which He Recorded For Columbia In A Hit Album Of 1962. The Success Of The Song Was Responsible For Relaunching Mercer's Career As A Songwriter Which Had Stalled In The Mid-1950s Because Rock And Roll Replaced Jazz Standards As The Popular Music Of The Time. An Inlet Near Savannah Georgia Johnny Mercer's Hometown Was Named Moon River In Honor Of Him And This Song. The Popularity Of The Song Is Such That It Has Been Used As A Test Sample In A Study On People's Memories Of Popular Songs. The Original Version
Mercer And Mancini Wrote The Song For Audrey Hepburn To Fit Her Vocal Range. Initially The Lyrics Started "I'm Holly Like I Want To Be / Like Holly On A Tree Back Home..." However They Were Later Changed To Fit The Theme To The Movie Breakfast At Tiffany's. Although An Instrumental Version Is Played Over The Film's Opening Titles The Lyrics Are First Heard In A Scene Where Paul 'Fred' Varjak George Peppard Discovers Holly Golightly Hepburn Singing Them Accompanied By Her Guitar On The Fire-Escape Outside Their Apartments. There Was Much Behind-The-Scenes Consternation Which Erupted When A Paramount Pictures Executive Suggested Deleting The Song From The Film Immediately After A Very Successful San Francisco Preview. Hepburn's Reaction Has Been Described By Mancini And Others In Degrees Varying From Her Saying "over My Dead Body" To Her Using Somewhat More Colorful Language To Make The Same Point. Hepburn's Version Was Not Included In The Original Score Album To Breakfast At Tiffany's. Instead An Album Version Recorded By Mancini And His Chorus Was Released As A Single And Became A #11 Hit. In Different Versions Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult Contemporary Songs" Reported The Song As A #3 Or #1 Easy Listening Hit Due To Unpublished Charts In Billboard. Only Months After Hepburn's Death In 1993 Her Version Was Released On An Album Entitled Music From The Films Of Audrey Hepburn. Other Recordings
"Moon River" Was Released By South African Singer Danny Williams And Reached #1 In The UK. Shortly Thereafter Andy Williams Recorded The Song And Made It His Theme Song. It Was A Hit For Jerry Butler In 1961 Reaching #11 In The Billboard Charts. Other Artists That Have Covered The Song Are The Afghan Whigs Benny Anderssons Orkester Paul Anka Blake Louis Armstrong Vince Guaraldi Beru Revue Mary Black Sarah Brightman Liz Callaway Perry Como Ray Conniff Bobby Darin Ania Dąbrowska Dr. John Dump Billy Eckstine The Four Freshmen Connie Francis Bill Frisell Instrumental Emi Fujita Judy Garland Karel Gott Grant Green Instrumental Patty Griffin The Innocence Mission Although This Version Is Sometimes Incorrectly Cited As Being Performed By Milla Jovovich Bradley Joseph Instrumental Kim Yoo-Jin James Last Joey McIntyre Johnny Mathis Brad Mehldau Jane Monheit Morrissey Patsy Ann Noble Jim Reeves John Barrowman R.E.M. Mia Riddle Andrea Ross Frank Sinatra Barbra Streisand Sarah Vaughan Nan Vernon Kid Koala Westlife Victoria Williams The Divine Comedy And Tata Young. Mercer Himself Recorded The Song In 1974 For His Album Appropriately Named My Huckleberry Friend.
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Biography - Mantovani
Mantovani Was Born In Venice Italy And His Father Was The Concertmaster Of La Scala Orchestra Under Arturo Toscanini. His Family Moved To England In 1912 Where He Studied At Trinity College Of Music In London. After Graduation He Formed His Own Orchestra Which Played In And Around Birmingham. By The Time World War II Broke Out His Orchestra Was One Of The Most Popular In UK Both On The BBC And In Live Performances. He Was Also Musical Director For A Large Number Of Musicals And Other Plays Including Ones By Noel Coward. After The War He Concentrated On Recording And Eventually Gave Up Live Performance Altogether. He Worked With Arranger And Composer Ronnie Binge Who Developed The "cascading Strings" Sound Also Known As The "Mantovani Sound" . Citation Needed His Records Were Regulars In Stores Selling Hi-Fi Stereo Equipment As They Were Produced And Arranged For Stereo Reproduction. In 1952 Binge Ceased To Arrange For Mantovani But His Distinctive Sound Remained. He Recorded For Decca Until The Mid-1950s And Then London Records. He Recorded Over 50 Albums On That Label Many Of Which Were Top-40 Hits. These Included Song From Moulin Rouge And Cara Mia Which Reached No. 1 In Britain In 1953 And 1954 Respectively. The Latter Was Also Mantovani's First U.S. Top Ten Hit. In The United States Between 1955 And 1972 He Released Over 40 Albums With 27 Reaching The Top 40 And 11 The Top Ten. His Biggest Success Was With The Album Film Encores Which Made It To No. 1 In 1957. Similarly Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' And Other Great Themes Made It To No. 2 In 1961 And Sold Over One Million Albums. In 1959 Mantovani Starred In His Own Syndicated Television Series Mantovani Which Was Produced In England And Which Aired In The United States. 39 Episodes Were Filmed. 1 Mantovani Made His Last Recordings In 1975. Citation Needed Edit Music Style And Influences
The Cascading Strings Technique Developed By Binge Became Mantovani's Hallmark In Such Hits Arranged By Binge As "Charmaine". Binge Developed This Technique To Replicate The Echo Experienced In Venues Such As Cathedrals By Arrangement Alone In An Echo-Free Surrounding. Author Joseph Lanza Describes Mantovani's String Arrangements As The Most "rich And Mellifluous" Of The Emerging Light Music Style During The Early 1950s. He Stated That Mantovani Was A Leader In The Use Of New Studio Technologies To "create Sound Tapestries With Innumerable Strings" And That "the Sustained Hum Of Mantovani's Reverberated Violins Produced A Sonic Vaporizer Foreshadowing The Synthesizer Harmonics Of Space Music." 2 In 1958 Mantovani And His Family Bought A Holiday Home In Bournemouth In Durley Chine Road Then In 1961 Acquired A New Property In Burton Road Now Part Of Poole . He Moved Finally To A New Home In Martello Road In Poole. Since His Death At A Care Home In Tunbridge Wells Kent In 1980 His Music Has Enjoyed A Minor Revival Citation Needed With Much Of His Catalogue Reappearing On CD And An Orchestra Bearing His Name Performing Concert Tours. The Saleability Of The Mantovani Name Is Underscored By New Recordings Being Made As The Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately Neutrality Is Disputed A Large Number Of CDs Are Also Available Of Unauthorized Recordings Billed As Mantovani Or Mantovani Orchestra. Citation Needed There Have Also Been CDs Released Under The Mantovani Name Of Recordings Made By Others While Mantovani Was Still Alive. Citation Needed Thus Consumers Of This Music Are Advised To Familiarize Themselves With The Conductor's Discography. Material With The London Records Logo On It Is Apt To Be Genuine Mantovani While Other Recordings Are Less Likely To Be Actual Mantovani Recordings. Citation Needed The Continued Popularity Of Mantovani's Music Is Evident By The Number Of Original Albums Which Are Being Released On Labels Such As Dutton-Vocalion And By The Many Compilations Available Throughout The World. In 2008 As A Result Of Successful Ongoing CD Sales Amongst Other Contributing Factors The Mantovani Orchestra Performing From The Original Scores Was Recreated For A Tremendously Successful Historical Tribute Concert Sponsored By Bentley Motors Held At The Lighthouse In Poole England On 27 January Conducted By Sam Newgarth MBE. Much Critical Acclaim Has Led To The Planning Of A Second Concert To Take Place In January 2009 At The Same Venue. There Are Four Mantovani Websites In Honour Of The Maestro A Written Biography By Colin MacKenzie Entitled Mantovani - A Lifetime In Music ISBN 1-905226-19-5 . For Further Information Please Visit Http //www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Http //members3.Jcom.Home.Ne.Jp/torumonty Http //www.Lighthousepoole.Co.Uk Re. Ticket Sales For 31 January 2009 . A Ten CD Set 'The Wonderful World Of Mantovani' Was Released In November 2008 In Japan A Link To The Website In Japan May Be Found By Visiting Www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Featuring Many Rare Tracks Which Have Never Been Released On CD Before In A Superbly Remastered Format And Following The Success Of The Mantovani Orchestra's 2008 Concert 'More MANTOVANI Magic' Took Place At Lighthouse In Poole England On 31 January 2009 Again Conducted By Maestro Sam Newgarth MBE. The Concert Was Sponsored By Poole Audi And Also With The Generous Support Of Richard Cox. read less
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The Cascading Strings Technique Developed By Binge Became Mantovani's Hallmark In Such Hits Arranged By Binge As "Charmaine". Binge Developed This Technique To Replicate The Echo Experienced In Venues Such As Cathedrals By Arrangement Alone In An Echo-Free Surrounding. Author Joseph Lanza Describes Mantovani's String Arrangements As The Most "rich And Mellifluous" Of The Emerging Light Music Style During The Early 1950s. He Stated That Mantovani Was A Leader In The Use Of New Studio Technologies To "create Sound Tapestries With Innumerable Strings" And That "the Sustained Hum Of Mantovani's Reverberated Violins Produced A Sonic Vaporizer Foreshadowing The Synthesizer Harmonics Of Space Music." 2 In 1958 Mantovani And His Family Bought A Holiday Home In Bournemouth In Durley Chine Road Then In 1961 Acquired A New Property In Burton Road Now Part Of Poole . He Moved Finally To A New Home In Martello Road In Poole. Since His Death At A Care Home In Tunbridge Wells Kent In 1980 His Music Has Enjoyed A Minor Revival Citation Needed With Much Of His Catalogue Reappearing On CD And An Orchestra Bearing His Name Performing Concert Tours. The Saleability Of The Mantovani Name Is Underscored By New Recordings Being Made As The Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately Neutrality Is Disputed A Large Number Of CDs Are Also Available Of Unauthorized Recordings Billed As Mantovani Or Mantovani Orchestra. Citation Needed There Have Also Been CDs Released Under The Mantovani Name Of Recordings Made By Others While Mantovani Was Still Alive. Citation Needed Thus Consumers Of This Music Are Advised To Familiarize Themselves With The Conductor's Discography. Material With The London Records Logo On It Is Apt To Be Genuine Mantovani While Other Recordings Are Less Likely To Be Actual Mantovani Recordings. Citation Needed The Continued Popularity Of Mantovani's Music Is Evident By The Number Of Original Albums Which Are Being Released On Labels Such As Dutton-Vocalion And By The Many Compilations Available Throughout The World. In 2008 As A Result Of Successful Ongoing CD Sales Amongst Other Contributing Factors The Mantovani Orchestra Performing From The Original Scores Was Recreated For A Tremendously Successful Historical Tribute Concert Sponsored By Bentley Motors Held At The Lighthouse In Poole England On 27 January Conducted By Sam Newgarth MBE. Much Critical Acclaim Has Led To The Planning Of A Second Concert To Take Place In January 2009 At The Same Venue. There Are Four Mantovani Websites In Honour Of The Maestro A Written Biography By Colin MacKenzie Entitled Mantovani - A Lifetime In Music ISBN 1-905226-19-5 . For Further Information Please Visit Http //www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Http //members3.Jcom.Home.Ne.Jp/torumonty Http //www.Lighthousepoole.Co.Uk Re. Ticket Sales For 31 January 2009 . A Ten CD Set 'The Wonderful World Of Mantovani' Was Released In November 2008 In Japan A Link To The Website In Japan May Be Found By Visiting Www.Hallowquest.Com/mantiindex.Htm Featuring Many Rare Tracks Which Have Never Been Released On CD Before In A Superbly Remastered Format And Following The Success Of The Mantovani Orchestra's 2008 Concert 'More MANTOVANI Magic' Took Place At Lighthouse In Poole England On 31 January 2009 Again Conducted By Maestro Sam Newgarth MBE. The Concert Was Sponsored By Poole Audi And Also With The Generous Support Of Richard Cox. read less
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"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer (lyrics) and Henry Mancini (music) in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It is most well-known for being sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists.
It became the theme song for Andy Williams, who first recorded the song in 1961 and performed it at the Academy Awards ceremonies in 1962. He sang the first eight bars of the song at the beginning of his television show; he also named his production company and venue in Branson, Missouri after Moon River. Williams' version was vetoed by Cadence president Archie Bleyer, who believed it had little or no appeal to teenagers. Williams' famous version never charted, except as an LP track, which he recorded for Columbia in a hit album of 1962.
The success of the song was responsible for relaunching Mercer's career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-1950s because rock and roll replaced jazz standards as the popular music of the time. An inlet near Savannah, Georgia, Johnny Mercer's hometown, was named Moon River in honor of him and this song. The popularity of the song is such that it has been used as a test sample in a study on people's memories of popular songs.
The original version
Mercer and Mancini wrote the song for Audrey Hepburn to fit her vocal range. Initially the lyrics started, "I'm Holly, like I want to be / like Holly on a tree back home...", however they were later changed to fit the theme to the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Although an instrumental version is played over the film's opening titles, the lyrics are first heard in a scene where Paul 'Fred' Varjak (George Peppard) discovers Holly Golightly (Hepburn) singing them, accompanied by her guitar, on the fire-escape outside their apartments.
There was much behind-the-scenes consternation which erupted when a Paramount Pictures executive suggested deleting the song from the film immediately after a very successful San Francisco preview. Hepburn's reaction has been described by Mancini and others in degrees varying from her saying "over my dead body" to her using somewhat more colorful language to make the same point.
Hepburn's version was not included in the original score album to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Instead, an album version recorded by Mancini and his chorus was released as a single and became a #11 hit. In different versions, Joel Whitburn's "Top Adult (Contemporary) Songs" reported the song as a #3 or #1 easy listening hit, due to unpublished charts in Billboard. Only months after Hepburn's death in 1993, her version was released on an album entitled Music from the Films of Audrey Hepburn.
Other recordings
"Moon River" was released by South African singer Danny Williams, and reached #1 in the UK. Shortly thereafter, Andy Williams recorded the song and made it his theme song. It was a hit for Jerry Butler in 1961, reaching #11 in the Billboard charts. Other artists that have covered the song are The Afghan Whigs, Benny Anderssons Orkester, Paul Anka, Blake, Louis Armstrong, Vince Guaraldi, Beru Revue, Mary Black, Sarah Brightman, Liz Callaway, Perry Como, Ray Conniff, Bobby Darin, Ania Dąbrowska, Dr. John, Dump, Billy Eckstine, The Four Freshmen, Connie Francis, Bill Frisell (instrumental), Emi Fujita, Judy Garland, Karel Gott, Grant Green (instrumental), Patty Griffin, The Innocence Mission (although this version is sometimes incorrectly cited as being performed by Milla Jovovich), Bradley Joseph (instrumental), Kim Yoo-jin, James Last, Joey McIntyre, Johnny Mathis, Brad Mehldau, Jane Monheit, Morrissey, Patsy Ann Noble, Jim Reeves, John Barrowman, R.E.M., Mia Riddle, Andrea Ross, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Nan Vernon, Kid Koala, Westlife, Victoria Williams, The Divine Comedy, and Tata Young.
Mercer himself recorded the song in 1974 for his album (appropriately named) My Huckleberry Friend.
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