Malcolm Arnold's The Key, Plus Reups

This is the third in a series of Malcolm Arnold's soundtrack recordings, this one for The Key, a 1958 war story that starred Sophia Loren, along with William Holden and Trevor Howard as naval officers competing for her affections. I haven't seen the film, but the cover suggests that Holden wins out.

The Key was not one of Arnold's more elaborate scores, but it does have a simple but attractive theme that appears throughout. Columbia thought enough of it that it had Al Stillman come up with lyrics, and bearded maestro Mitch Miller recorded it for single release. Columbia then added it to the LP. (Mercifully, they did not include the single's flip side, "Rockabye in Beardland.")

Composer Malcolm Arnold (left) and conductor Muir Mathieson flank David Lean
at a recording session

Also prominent in the music mix was a theme Arnold (or someone) called "Chop Suey Polka," which appears as its own cut and also at some length during the "U-Boat Alley" montage. You will not want to have more than one course of this dish, so I have helpfully separated "U-Boat Alley" into several cues, allowing the polka to be avoided.

Then again, some of you may enjoy the tune more than I suspect. If so, I invite you to visit my singles blog, where I have posted a version by a real polka band (not Muir Mathieson's English impostors), that of Frankie Yankovic, who was a Columbia recording stalwart for many years. Yankovic backs the "Chop Suey" number with the "Roseann Polka," a terrific number that shows off his excellent ensemble.

Now a few reups by request - both remastered for much better sound.

Morton Gould - Music of Morton Gould. An early Columbia 45 set presenting Gould conducting his own music and arrangements. He leads the Robin Hood Dell (that is, Philadephia) Orchestra. Features the "Cowboy Rhapsody."

Fritz Lehmann Conducts Brahms, Schumann and Dvorak. Worthy recordings with the Bamberg Symphony and Berlin Philharmonic taken from early DGG LPs.