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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Voices In Fun - The Four Freshmen

 

Swinging On A Star

Voices In Fun
The Four Freshmen
Arranged and Conducted by Billy May
Produced by Voyle Gilmore
Capitol Records ST 1543
1961

From the back cover: As their fans know, the Frosh (Bill Comstock, Ross Barbour, Ken Albers, Bob Flanigan – left to right in the cover photo) often help provide their own backing. But this time save for solos – Bob on trombone, Ken on trumpet – their instruments remain cased. Into the vacuum pours Billy May with a musical wit that finds a capricious partner in Dick Reynold's vocal arranging. Their partnership is tighter knit than most, because Dick wrote the first vocal chorus of each song as a departure point for Billy, who then voiced his orchestrations along the same lines, and finished the vocal arrangements.

From Billboard - May 8, 1961: Billy May's arrangements and kicking band support the Four Freshmen and their vocal pyrotechnics on this highly enjoyable album. The set is composed of very hip and humor-filled interpretations of hit and standard tunes of the past. "Ole Buttermilk Sky," "Happy Talk" and "I Want To Be Happy" give some idea of the variety of material. In addition there's a pretty and unusual treatment of "Mañana."

I Want To Be Happy
Ole Buttermilk Sky
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
You Make Me Feel So Young
Save The Bones For Henry Jones
Swinging On A Star
On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Manana
On The Atchison, Topeka And Santa Fe
Aren't You Glad You're You
Happy Talk
Ac-cent-tchu-ate-The-Positive

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