I Love Paris - Pete Fountain

Autumn Leaves

I Love Paris
Pete Fountain
Plays The Sweetest French Melodies
With Charles Bud Dant and His Orchestra
Coral Records CRL 57378
1961

From the back cover: Consider for a moment the ingredients that were used to create this most unusual and exciting of all Fountain albums. The basic idea of having Pete record something different from his usual New Orleans Jazz tunes led to the choice of these delightful French songs, all of which he loved and felt he would like to play in his own style.

The selection of a foundation, or rhythm section, was no problem. Naturally, the boys who have always sparked Pete's great style on his previous hit records and TV performances were used – Jack Sperling, the swingin'est drummer, Stanley Wrightsman, the last of the two-handed pianists, and Morty Corb, the bass fiddle player who plays the right notes and the right time. This group can do more in the interest of real imaginative musical back-ground than most larger orchestras.

Then came the first big question; should these songs be recorded with just this rhythm section (as in many of Pete's previous hit albums), or should some new and provocative sounds he introduced to add frosting and excitement. Our being an era of new sounds in recording, it was decided to add French horn (mais oui!), trombones, a large string section, plus another percussionist, namely Pete's own vibe player, Godfrey Hirsch.

The final ingredient was obvious. Since this was now a large orchestra, there was to be a conductor and arranger. The only man for this dual job was Pete's musical and A&R director, Charles Bud Dant, who has been swinging the baton and writing music on all of his big band recordings since Pete left Lawrence Welk.

From Billboard - July 31, 1961: Fountain strays far from the Dixie path on this latest effort, as he applies his sub-tone clarinet sound to a number of popular melodies having to do with France, with a backing by a big ork, highlighting strings. It thus becomes a fine mood presentation, with such tunes as "I Love Paris," featured. Artful cover shows a winking Pet Fountain in typically French attire. Set can do a lot of business.

I Love Pairs
Comme Ci Comme Ca
Frere Jazz
Autumn Leaves
La Vie En Rose
April In Paris
C'est Magnifique
Two Loves Have I (J'ai Deux Amours)
C'est Si Bon (It's So Good)
The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart)
My Man (Mon Homme)