Bells Are Ringing - The Melachrino Strings

 

The Bells Are Ringing

Music From The Betty Comden, Adolph Green, June Styne Hit

Bells Are Ringing

The Melachrino Strings and Orchestra 

New York Superior: Ethel Gabriel

Recorded in England

RCA Victor LPM-2279

1960

From the back cover: Once more George Melachrino rings the bell with this instrumental interpretation of "Bells Are Ringing," one of the more sparkling ornaments of the Broadway musical stage during the last decade. After its opening at the Huber Theatre in New York on November 29, 1956, "Bells" drew hosannas from the critics, ran tirelessly for over 900 performances, and stashed $7,000,000 into the box office before the final curtain fell on March 7, 1959.

From the outset, "Bells Are Ringing" was destined for reincarnation as a de luxe film production. It was also inevitable that Hollywood would summon Judy Holliday to play the pivotal role of the telephone-answering-service operator, the serious-comic character she created so brilliantly in the Broadway staging. This role, incidentally, also marked the first time in Miss Holliday's career that she was given star billing. As her romantic interest in the film version, Dean Martin takes the role originally played by Sydney Chaplin.

The music for "Bells Are Ringing" was compose by one of the deftest hands in show business. Joe Styne, a highly successful Hollywood songwriter who went East to tackle the more challenging assignments of Broadway, has demonstrated an artistic and commercial intuition with his associates regard with awe. He has been right with an uncanny consistency. Other writers from the Broadway stage may on occasion be tempted by the arty, the profound and the pretentious, but Mr. Styne stands unshakable on the belief that the essence of writing for the popular stage lies precisely in being popular.

In "Bell Are Ringing." Mr. Styne put the scale of his melodic talents to work. Two numbers from the show, Just In Time and The Party's Over, have already passed into the repertory of ensuring songs. Mr. Styne also threw in a cute cha cha item, some breezy rhythm tunes and some biting ballads for a well-round theatrical display.

The lyrics to Styne's tunes are written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, a versatile and clever duo of wordsmiths who also supply the book for the show. In recent years, the Styne-Comden-Green parlay has grow into one of the most fruitful collaborations on Bradway.

From the "Bells Are Ringing" score, George Melachrino has fashioned a scintillating musical treat. He has set imaginative arrangements in a rich orchestral framework to produce the distinctive sound associated with all his recordings. – Herm Schoenfeld - Music Editor, Variety

From Billboard - July 25, 1960: A most attractive, instrumental waxing of tunes from the current flick, "The Bells Are Ringing." The arrangements are stylish and the ork performs them smartly. Tunes include "Long Before I Knew You," "Just In Time," "Bells Are Ringing" and "I'm Going Back." Strong wax here, with a good cover.

Overture

Better Than A Dream

I'm Going Back

Just In Time

Mu-cha-cha

I Met A Girl

Long Before I Knew You

It's Perfect Relationship

The Party's Over

Do It Yourself

Bells Are Ringing