Witchcraft! - Ray Martin

Old Devil Moon

Witchcraft!
Ray Martin and His Orchestra
Produced by Morty Palitz
Cover Design by Si Leichman
Photograph by Charles Varon
Jubilee Records JGM 1005
1958

Delightful mood set with just enough "witchcraft" to keep you "spellbound".

From the back cover: The spellbinder conducting the 'assembly' of sweetly relaxing illusions is Ray Martin, who was born in Vienna, Austria in 1918 and lived there for 20 years. He studied there at the Vienna State Academy for Music and Fine Arts from 1933 to 1938.

In 1938, Ray went to England and toured the Music Halls as a solo violin act. When war broke out in 1939, he monitored U-boat short-wave for the British Armed Services, enlisted in the British Army in 1940. Ray served with their Intelligence Corps until hostilities ceased in '45. He was naturalize as a British subject in 1946.

Then began a long career, broadcasting for B.B.C. There were weekly series, variety shows, music for plays and features. His associations with the B.B.C. ran through Radio and TV, from 1946 to 1957. In 1949, Ray cut some sides in England. His 'Blue Tango' was Number One in Europe, since then he has 9 other records in the Top Ten.

Besides conducting and arranging (for such as Stanley Black, Billy Ternant, Geraldo, Montovani), Ray Martin has written more than 1200 compositions, instrumentals and songs. 7 songs and 2 instrumentals hit the English 'lists'. Best known in the U.S. were "Blue Violins" with Hugo Winterhalter, Nat Cole's "You Are My First Love", "The Book" with David Whitfield and Dick Lee, and "Celeste" with Richard Hayman.

In 1957, Ray received the Ivor Novello Award from the best British song of the year, "You Are My First Love".

Old Devil Moon
Spellbound
The Witch
It's Magic
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
That Old Black Magic
Kiss Of Fire
I Wished On The Moon
In The Still Of The Night
The Gypsy
Make Believe
The Night Has A Thousand Eyes