This Is the Final Farewell to Mitch, I Promise

I recently came across this 1952 Mitch Miller LP, and wanted to bring it to you even though I suspect it will elicit another chorus of groans from the people who think Mitch not only had the beard of a devil but cloven hooves as well.

But where else but on a Mitch Miller record could you hear Greensleeves presented in oom-pah style? No one else would dare - or, I suppose, care - to do so. On a Miller record, everything is beautifully done and imaginative, but with little if any regard for conventional good taste. The latter tendency he shared with musics that came later - the former, not so much. I have to admit that I do not require my listening material to be all that tasteful - but I sure hate it when it's dull and poorly done (like most rock music). I find records like this amusing and enjoyable, while others retreat in horror.

The excellent vocalists on these records are the Paulette Sisters, Peter Hanley and Burt Taylor, who were, I believe, Columbia contract artists.

The download includes two Columbia ads that promote this LP and the other pop materials that the label was releasing at the same time under Mitch's aegis. The ads are fascinating items, showing how repertoire was migrating from various genres into the pop realm in the restless search for new material. (Perhaps Mitch's oddest idea in this regard was to have Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra record It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.)

One of the ads contains a column by Mitch in which he praises Hank Williams (an M-G-M artist), noting that Williams compositions had recently become hits for Tony Bennett (Cold, Cold Heart), Jo Stafford and Frankie Laine (Hey, Good Lookin'), Rosemary Clooney (Half as Much) and Jo again (Jambalaya). This was written at the end of Williams' very short career - he would die only three months later, at age 29.

A Souvenir of Mitch, from Mitch

I've written before about Mitch Miller, the pop potentate whose first love was classical music, where he was Mitchell Miller, oboe and English horn virtuoso.

Mitch must have been proud of the recordings he made of classical and light music because he made his own CDs to give out to friends and acquaintances, among them Will Friedwald. I am making them available here in tribute to this important personality, thanks to Will.

Mitch had two different CDs. One was his recordings of Vaughan Williams, Cimarosa, J.C. and J.S. Bach, Mozart and Sibelius (The Swan of Tuonela), conducted by Leopold Stokowski and Daniel Saidenberg. The other was of light music fare recorded in the early 50s with Percy Faith, for Columbia (cover above).

We've encountered the Bach and Mozart items on this blog previously (courtesy of Joe Serraglio) - here. And my friend Fred posted the Vaughan Williams on his blog, Random Classics - here - along with a few other items that aren't part of this post. I believe I have seen the Cimarosa elsewhere; can't remember where. The Sibelius is new to me, and is excellent.

I haven't seen the light music LPs offered elsewhere - and actually had vague thoughts of presenting my own copies here. But here are both of them, courtesy of Will. It's So Peaceful in the Country features music of Jimmy Van Heusen and Alec Wilder (whose music Miller promoted for decades). There are two additional items by Wilder on Music Until Midnight - Ellen and Piece for English Horn. Both LPs are exceptionally fine examples of the genre.

Mitch Miller was an unusual combination of artist and pop entrepreneur. As he so often did, Al Hirschfeld captures his subject's spirit in pen and ink, on the caricature that Mitch himself chose to put on the cover of the CDs that he used as his own calling card. It wasn't the only time Mitch was depicted by a famous artist - see Fred's blog post for a wonderful, puckish Norman Rockwell portrait that originally was on one of Miller's Sing Along LPs (perhaps Family Sing Along with Mitch).

One of my first records was a kiddie 78 conducted by Miller, so I have been listening to his music literally all my life - and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience (well, maybe not the sing-alongs). A fond farewell to this important figure.

ADDENDUM - My friend Mel tells me the Percy Faith records were recorded in 1954 and 1955. And I really should have linked you to Will's article on Mitch - it's here.

Mitch Miller Plays Mozart and Bach

Yes, it's the same Mitch Miller, he of the sing-alongs, children's records, Botch-A-Me and Mama Will Bark. The man who never met a novelty tune he didn't like. The sworn enemy of rock and roll. That very same fellow was a fine oboist who made classical records such as this one.

Our friend Joe Serraglio, who has contributed two superb Virgil Thomson recordings to this blog, now wants to draw attention to Mitch's other life as a classical musician - less well known than his work as A&R king of Mercury then Columbia records, and sing-a-long honcho on television and on records that are widely available at your local thrift store.

Here Miller assays works by Mozart, J.C. Bach and J.S. Bach, with the backing of the Saidenberg Little Symphony. Just a few words about Daniel Saidenberg, a most interesting figure in his own right. A cellist, he won the Naumburg Competition and then joined the Chicago Symphony. Upon moving to New York, he formed his chamber orchestra, which was in residence at the 92nd Street Y for several years. At the time of this recording, he and his wife also operated the Saidenberg Gallery, which purveyed masterpieces of 20th century art.

These works were recorded in March 1952 and October 1953 in Columbia's 30th Street studio.

Thanks so much again to Joe for making them available!

LINK

On Vacation with Mitch Miller

You really need to click on the image above to see it properly. When you do, you will see a suburban couple and their furniture transported to an airport tarmac, where they are being serenaded by a diverse assemblage of Europeans in mufti, conducted by a benevolent Mitch Miller. It must have been quite a concert, with guitars, bagpipe, tuba, trombone, violin, horn, and who knows what else.  

I can't say that my own most recent visit to the airport (two days ago) was attended with quite so much ceremony. But we're not in the 50s any more, and air travel isn't quite as glamorous as it once was. 

 The glamour of air travel is what's behind this LP. As you might suspect from the prominent placement of the SAS plane (a Super Constellation?), this record began life as a promotional item sponsored by the airline. The main selection is a mini-musical of sorts that starts with a encounter with a travel agent (who is termed a Dealer in Dreams, which today has a much different connotation). Over the next several minutes we fly over to the continent, whistle stop through numerous countries, and return. The presentation of the SAS menu is particularly absurd, with elaborate foods and wines described in detail. I was reminded of the low point of my airborne culinary career, when I was served a frozen taco - frozen. 

All this (the music, that is, not the taco) is presented by young Columbia artists Jill Corey and Jerry Vale, and Thurl Ravenscroft-style bass Michael Stewart. The character parts are taken by someone named Jonathan Winters - it could be the comedian early in his career, but he doesn't sound like himself here, if you know what I mean. 

The other side contains three Miller chestnuts - good ones, featuring Stan Freeman and his harpsichord, best known for their contribution to the Mitch-produced "Come on-a My House."

I mentioned that this began life as a promotion for SAS airlines. Not sure, but I think the original presentation was through travel agents, inside the cover below (the record, not the travel agents). The commercial version came later, with the cover above. The SAS package substituted three classical excerpts from Scandinavia.