Smoke Dreams - Ronnie Deauville

So In Love

Smoke Dreams

Ronnie Deauville
Under The Musical Direction of Lloyd Shaffer
Cover Photography by Dusty Rhodes
Jacket Produced by Phil Howard Visual Advertising
Back Cover Notes by Bill Neavin
ERA Records EL 20002
1957

From the back cover: Ronnie recently returned to this country after an extended tour of Europe, his happiness to be home once again and his desire to reach his many admirers through recording is evident by the warmth and humility he so vividly projects.

The Man Behind The Baton

The brilliant Conductor-Arranger, Lloyd Shaffer, the writer of the title song, was chosen to arrange the songs and to direct this album because of his unique ability to create the proper musical impression to best present whatever artist he may work with. Though long a conductor of large orchestras, Lloyd used only a quintet for this album in order to set the proper mood. The musicians are all men of feature standing selected because of their exceptional talent. Of the thirteen songs Shaffer selected twelve are standards compositions, chosen because of their proven universal appeal. Musically and lyrically they rank with the best romantic ballads of our era.


From imdb.com: However, a long singing career was not to be as in September of 1956, Ronnie was in an automobile accident, and was stricken with Polio a month later leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. This was just a few months before the Salk vaccine came on the scene. Ronnie spent over a year in an iron lung. His chances of ever singing again were thought to be nil, since he had virtually no breath control. After months of arduous practicing, Ronnie made a comeback on a local Los Angeles TV show. He went on to fulfill other bookings before he stopped due to his health. Ronnie ended up in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.

Ronnie's career was stifled but not totally destroyed. Ralph Edwards soon did Ronnie's story on his "This Is Your Life" TV show, which stirred enough interest in him so that he was able to find work in motion picture dubbing for 20th Century-Fox, Warner Brothers, and Allied Artists. He died of cancer on Christmas Eve of 1990.

Smoke Dreams
I'll Close My Eyes
So In Love
I Kiss You Hand, Madame
Love Is Here To Stay
Wonderful One
Say It Isn't So
Something To Remember You By
As Children Do
I Concentrate On You
It's Easy To Remember
I Had The Craziest Dream
Soft Lights And Sweet Music