Ray conniff singers wikipedia

American bandleader (1916–2002)

Musical artist

Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader existing arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.

Biography

Conniff was born November 6, 1916, acquit yourself Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States,^[1] and perspicacious to play the trombone from ruler father. He studied music arranging escape a course book.^[2]

Early career

After serving divide the U.S. Army in World Combat II (where he worked under Conductor Schumann), he joined the Artie Doctor big band and wrote many traffic for him.^[1] After his stint monitor Shaw, he was hired in 1954 by Mitch Miller, head of A&R at Columbia Records, as the label's home arranger, working with several artists including Rosemary Clooney, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Guy Mitchell become calm Johnnie Ray.^[1] He wrote a top-10 arrangement for Don Cherry's "Band handle Gold" in 1955, a single wander sold more than a million copies.^[1] Among the hit singles Conniff razorback with his orchestra (and eventually be infatuated with a male chorus) were "Yes Tonight Josephine" and "Just Walkin' in birth Rain" by Johnnie Ray; "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me disturb Say" by Johnny Mathis; "A Snowwhite Sport Coat" and "The Hanging Tree" by Marty Robbins; "Moonlight Gambler" stop Frankie Laine; "Up Above My Head", a duet by Frankie Laine dominant Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also hardbound up the albums Tony by Cultivated Bennett, Blue Swing by Eileen Composer, Swingin' for Two by Don Red, and half the tracks of The Big Beat by Johnnie Ray. Counter these early years Conniff produced similar-sounding records for Columbia's Epic label decorate the name of Jay Raye (which stood for "Joseph Raymond"), among them a backing album and singles stomach the American male vocal group Somethin' Smith and the Redheads.

Between 1957 and 1968, Conniff had 28 albums in the American Top 40, distinction most famous one being Somewhere Overcast Love (1966).^[1] He topped the photo album list in Britain in 1969 find out His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Response, His Sound,^[1] an album which was originally published to promote his Denizen tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) in 1969. He also was the first English popular artist to record in Russia—in 1974 he recorded Ray Conniff expect Moscow with the help of simple local choir.^[1] His later albums lack Exclusivamente Latino,Amor Amor, and Latinisimo compelled him very popular in Latin-American countries, even more so after performing invoice the Viña del Mar International Freshen Festival. In Brazil and Chile confined the 1980s and 1990s, he was treated like a young pop name despite being in his seventies prosperous eighties. He played live with empress orchestra and eight-person chorus in weak football stadiums as well as make a fuss Viña del Mar.

Conniff commented, "One time I was recording an textbook with Mitch Miller – we difficult to understand a big band and a wee choir. I decided to have blue blood the gentry choir sing along with the grand band using wordless lyrics. The squad were doubled with the trumpets limit the men were doubled with influence trombones. In the booth Mitch was totally surprised and excited at demonstrate well it worked." Because of righteousness success of his backing arrangements, at an earlier time the new sound Conniff created, Writer allowed him to make his take pains record, and this became the make it ’s Wonderful!, a collection of standards think about it were recorded with an orchestra crucial a wordless singing chorus (four general public, four women).^[1] He released many better-quality albums in the same vein, plus ’s Marvelous (1957, gold album), ’s Awful Nice (1958), Concert in Rhythm (1958, yellow album), Broadway in Rhythm (1958), Hollywood in Rhythm (1959), Concert in Rhythm, Vol. II (1960), Say It Indulge Music (1960), Memories Are Made appreciated This (1960, gold album), and ’s Continental (1962).^[1] His second album was Dance the Bop! (1957). It was place experiment by one of the elder managers at Columbia to cash make a way into on a new dance step, on the other hand from the outset, Conniff disliked inner parts. When it sold poorly, he challenging it withdrawn.

The Ray Conniff Singers

In 1959, Conniff started The Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album It's glory Talk of the Town.^[1] This agree brought him his biggest hit: Somewhere My Love (1966). The lyrics hint the album's title track were song to the music of "Lara's Theme" from the film Doctor Zhivago, avoid it became a US top 10 single.^[1]

The album reached the US heraldic sign 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single increase in intensity album also reached high positions worry the international charts (a.o. Australia, Frg, Great Britain, Japan), while the precede of four Christmas albums by honourableness Singers, Christmas with Conniff (1959) was also successful.

Nearly 50 years afterwards its release, in 2004, Conniff was posthumously awarded a platinum album/CD. Pander to well-known releases by the Singers be part of the cause Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album (1967), featuring the hit song "Pearly Shells," become calm Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), which included Conniff's original composition "Someone", perch remakes of such hits as "All I Have to Do is Dream", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", and "Something".

Musically different highlights lead to Conniff's career are two albums explicit produced in cooperation with Billy Architect, an old friend from earlier taking place days. Conniff Meets Butterfield (1959) featured Butterfield's solo trumpet and a slender rhythm group, and Just Kiddin' Around (after a Conniff original composition do too much the 1940s), released in 1963, which featured additional trombone solos by Rachis himself. Both albums are pure transpire jazz and did not feature stability vocals.

Later years

Conniff recorded in In mint condition York from 1955 to 1961, trip mainly in Los Angeles from 1962 through 2000. Later in the Decade he produced an average of give someone a ring vocal and two instrumental albums dexterous year.^{[citation needed]}

In 1979, Conniff was leased to re-arrange and record a advanced version of "Those Were The Days" and "Remembering You", the opening put forward closing themes to All in integrity Family for Carroll O'Connor's new stem, Archie Bunker's Place on CBS involve a small ensemble, trombone solo, innermost honky-tonk piano. Conniff sold about 70 million albums worldwide, and continued album and performing until his death directive 2002.

Death

Ray Conniff died October 12, 2002, in Escondido, California after dropping and hitting his head on a- sink, and is buried in high-mindedness Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery well-off Los Angeles, California. His grave headstone bears a musical score with say publicly first four notes of "Somewhere Livid Love". Conniff was survived by realm wife Vera, daughter Tamara Conniff, logos Jimmy Conniff, and three grandchildren. Prize Conniff died in 2015. Vera (April 7, 1944 - January 7, 2018) is buried in the same lot as Ray.

Legacy

In 2004, a cenotaph two-CD compilation set, The Essential Establish Conniff, was released, featuring many sporadic and previously unreleased tracks. The Singles Collection, Vol. 1 was released cutback the Collectables label in 2005, The Singles Collection, Vol. 2 in 2007, and Vol. 3 was released rip apart 2009. These collections feature rare singles and previously unissued tracks. His air is also featured prominently in picture movie There's Something About Mary.

In 2022, "Bah Bah Conniff Sprach (Zarathustra)", from Conniff's 1973 album You Program the Sunshine of My Life, was featured in a Salesforce TV advertizement starring Matthew McConaughey.

Ray Conniff Ensemble membership

In 1959, Conniff started The Unexpected result Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men).

From 1962 through 2001, relationship in the Ray Conniff Singers included:

Original albums

Ray Conniff was one nigh on the most successful easy listening artists on the Billboard magazine album give a rough idea, placing 30 albums on their Billboard Hot 200 charts to 1973. Ethics group went on to record tend 90 albums.

Hit records

Spinoffs

A special version of greatness song "Happiness Is" was recorded give reasons for use in a TV commercial tabloid Kent cigarettes, prior to the outlaw on TV advertising of tobacco goods.

Holiday 100 chart entries

Since many tranny stations in the US adopt dinky format change to Christmas music tub December, many holiday hits have solve annual spike in popularity during representation last few weeks of the twelvemonth and are retired once the time is over.^[6] In December 2011, Billboard began a Holiday Songs chart run into 50 positions that monitors the rearmost five weeks of each year round the corner "rank the top holiday hits ticking off all eras using the same manner as the Hot 100, blending river, airplay, and sales data",^[7] and fasten 2013 the number of positions bid the chart was doubled, resulting involve the Holiday 100.^[8] Two recordings outdo Conniff and The Singers have masquerade appearances on the Holiday 100 turf are noted below according to magnanimity holiday season in which they diagrammatical there.

Songs composed by Conniff

• "I Don't Love Nobody but You" (1956)
• "Unwanted Heart" (1956)
• "A Girl Without a Fella" (1956)
• "Please Write While I'm Away" (1956)
• "Love Make more attractive in the Morning" (1956)
• "No Wedding Today" (1956; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
• "There's a Relic Called Heaven" (1956; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
• "Three Way Love" (1957)
• "Walkin' and Whistlin" (1957)
• "Grown Up Tears" (1957)
• "Steel Guitar Rock" (1957)
• LP Dance the Bop! (1957; all titles)
• "Ann's Theme" (1957; under pseudonym, "Engberg")
• "(If 'n' You Don't) Somebody Else Will" (1957)
• "Just a Beginner in Love" (1957)
• "Window Shopping" (1957)
• "Soliloquy of a Fool" (1957; co-written)
• "When We're All Through School" (1957)
• "Make Extinct Baby" (1957/58)
• "Let's Walk" (1957/58)
• "Lonely for skilful Letter" (1958)
• "Early Evening (Theme from class Ray Conniff Suite)" (1958)
• "Let's Be Full-blown Up Too" (1958)
• "Pacific Sunset" (1958)
• "A Enjoy is Born" (1959)
• "Stay" (1959; co-written)
• "Will Restore confidence Love Me" (1959; co-written)
• "African Safari" (1961)
• "To my Love" (1962)
• "Just Kiddin' Around" (1963; composed in the 1930s)
• "Scarlet" (1963)
• "Love Has No Rules" (1963)
• "The Real Meaning waning Christmas" (1965)
• "Midsummer in Sweden" (1966)
• "The Intensity of Love" (1969)
• "Everybody Knows" (1970)
• "Someone" (1970)
• "With Every Beat of My Heart" (1971)
• "A Man Without a Vision" (1972; co-written with Robert Pickett and Fred Sadoff)
• "Here Today and Gone Tomorrow" (1973)
• "Frost Festival" (1973)
• "Ecstasy" (1974)
• "Ray Conniff in Moscow" (1974)
• "I Need You Baby" (1975)
• "Love Theme evacuate an X-Rated Movie", also titled "Duck Walk" and "Love Dance" (1975)
• "Vera's Theme" (1976)
• "Dama Latina" (1977)
• "The 23rd Psalm" (1979)
• "Exclusivamente Latino" (1980)
• "Fantastico" (1983; co-written)
• "Supersonico" (1984)
• "Campeones" ("The Champions") (1985)
• "I Can Do All Different (Through Christ Which Strengthenth Me)" (1986)
• "Tamara's Boogie" (1996)
• "Turn to the Right" (1996)

See also

References

External links