Fancy Meeting You Here

Last updated

Fancy Meeting You Here
Fancy.jpg
Studio album by
Released1958
RecordedJuly 28–August 11, 1958
Genre Vocal pop, vocal jazz
Length38:11
Label RCA Victor
Producer Simon Rady
Bing Crosby chronology
Jack B. Nimble – A Mother Goose Fantasy
(1958)
Fancy Meeting You Here
(1958)
Around the World with Bing!
(1958)
Rosemary Clooney chronology
Swing Around Rosie
(1958)
Fancy Meeting You Here
(1958)
Hymns from the Heart
(1959)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Fancy Meeting You Here is a 1958 RCA Victor studio album of duets by the American singers Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, arranged by Billy May, who also conducted the orchestra. [2] The album was originally issued in both mono and stereo, catalog numbers LPM/LSP 1854. Fancy Meeting You Here is an early example of a concept album, the 13 songs combining romance and travel with songwriters Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen contributing introductory and concluding versions of "Love Won't Let You Get Away" as well as a new song, "Fancy Meeting You Here". Cahn wrote special lyrics to standards like "How About You?" and "I Can't Get Started" that reflected the late 1950s and the personalities of the two stars.

Contents

In 1969, the album was reissued on the budget RCA Camden label under the title Rendezvous with a truncated and re-sequenced track listing and different cover artwork. This reissue destroyed the concept of the original album, and the abridgment, which omitted the first version of "Love Won't Let You Get Away" as well as "Calcutta" and "Isle of Capri," further voided the concept. Following the death of Bing Crosby in October 1977, the 1958 RCA Victor stereo LP was reissued with its original title and artwork with the catalog number AFL1-1854.

Critical reception

In its review on January 12, 1959, Time magazine called this album, "An infectious musical dialogue between two of the sassiest fancy talkers in the business. C. & C. give slick and witty readings to a selection of retreads — 'On a Slow Boat to China', 'You Came a Long Way from St. Louis' — and introduce a punchy, potential hit named 'Calcutta'. One of the most intriguing vocal entertainments since Noël Coward had his famous chat with Mary Martin."

Variety said, "Two savvy singers team up in a charming rundown of a dozen numbers for a pop set with adult appeal." [3]

Billboard also liked it, saying: "A lot of charm here — A flock of tunes carrying different place names, carrying out the idea of the album title... Cover also carries out the theme. Performances are very smart, with occasional interpolations and asides by Crosby and Clooney. Arranged and conducted in grand style by Billy May." [4]

The British publication The Gramophone in its April 1959 edition went further. "Even so for the duet-warbling of the month I would turn to RCA SF5022 (Mono RD27105): 'Fancy Meeting You Here' with Rosemary Clooney and the old groaner himself, Bing Crosby, bumping amicably into each other in a dozen stage sets scattered around the world...The Billy May accompaniments throughout are first class, and so, obviously, is the singing; but principally it is the infectious easygoing good humor of the record which remains in the mind. That, and an occasional twist of lyric; no record can be neglected which ends a nostalgic and twang-ridden version of the 'Isle of Capri' with 'I've often felt that we both might have stayed there, if it weren't for those stale mandolins.'"

Track listing

Original release and 1977 reissue

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fancy Meeting You Here" Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen 2:31
2."(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China" Frank Loesser 2:40
3."I Can't Get Started" Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin 3:50
4."Hindustan" Oliver Wallace, Harold Weeks 2:53
5."It Happened in Monterey" Billy Rose, Mabel Wayne2:44
6."You Came a Long Way from St. Louis" John Benson Brooks, Bob Russell 3:07
7."Love Won't Let You Get Away"Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen2:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."How About You?" Burton Lane, Arthur Freed 3:14
2."Brazil" Ary Barroso, Bob Russell3:31
3."Isle of Capri" Will Grosz, Jimmy Kennedy 2:40
4."Say 'Si Si' (Para Vigo Me Voy)" Ernesto Lecuona, Francia Luban, Al Stillman 2:22
5."Calcutta" Ray Evans, Jay Livingston 2:55
6."Love Won't Let You Get Away" (reprise)Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen3:41

1969 RCA Camden reissue (Rendezvous)

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China"Frank Loesser2:35
2."Hindustan"Oliver Wallace, Harold Weeks2:53
3."Fancy Meeting You Here"Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen2:28
4."Brazil"Ary Barroso, Bob Russell3:28
5."You Came a Long Way from St. Louis"John Benson Brooks, Bob Russell3:03
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."How About You?"Burton Lane, Arthur Freed3:11
2."I Can't Get Started"Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin3:47
3."Say 'Si Si' (Para Vigo Me Voy)"Ernesto Lecuona, Francia Luban, Al Stillman2:20
4."It Happened in Monterey"Billy Rose, Mabel Wayne2:40
5."Love Won't Let You Get Away"Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen1:53

2001 Bluebird CD reissue

Titles 1–13 are the original album tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)PerformersLength
14."Ain't A-Hankerin'" Arthur Altman Rosemary Clooney and Bob Hope 2:10
15."Protection"Arthur AltmanRosemary Clooney and Bob Hope2:37
16."Love Won't Let You Get Away"Sammy Cahn, James Van HeusenBing Crosby and Jo Stafford 1:18
17."Fancy Meeting You Here" / "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China" / "Hindustan" (medley)Cahn, Van Heusen / Frank Loesser, Oliver Wallace, Harold WeeksBing Crosby and Jo Stafford4:09
18."Ol' Man River" Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern Bing Crosby1:43
19."Twilight on the Trail" Louis Alter, Sidney Mitchell Bing Crosby2:01

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosemary Clooney</span> American singer and actress (1928–2002)

Rose M. Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There", "This Ole House", and "Sway". She also had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly because of problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy May</span> American composer, arranger and trumpeter

Edward William May Jr. was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for The Green Hornet (1966), The Mod Squad (1968), Batman, and Naked City (1960). He collaborated on films such as Pennies from Heaven (1981), and orchestrated Cocoon, and Cocoon: The Return, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine On, Harvest Moon</span> Song

"Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1908 to great acclaim. It became a pop standard, and continues to be performed and recorded in the 21st century.

"Isle of Capri" is a popular song. The music, a tango foxtrot, was written by Wilhelm Grosz, with lyrics by Jimmy Kennedy and was published in 1934. Ray Noble and his Orchestra with vocalist Al Bowlly, recorded it in London, UK, on August 30, 1934. It was released in November on Victor Records in the United States, reaching number one for seven weeks in early 1935.

"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is a song from the 1956 musical My Fair Lady, with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was originally performed by Rex Harrison as Professor Henry Higgins who also performed it in the 1964 film version.

<i>High Society</i> (soundtrack) 1956 soundtrack album by Bing Crosby

High Society is a 1956 soundtrack album, featuring Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Grace Kelly. This was Crosby's fifth LP album, and his first recorded for Capitol Records. It was the soundtrack for the MGM feature film High Society, also released in 1956. Initially issued on vinyl either in mono or stereo format, the album has been issued on CD by Capitol in Japan in 1991 and by Capitol in the UK in 1995. The album was also included in a 3-CD box set called "Original Soundtrack Recordings" issued by the EMI Music Group Australasia

<i>That Travelin Two-Beat</i> 1965 studio album by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney

That Travelin' Two-Beat is a duet album by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney recorded in 1964 and released on Capitol Records in 1965.

"How About You?" is a popular song composed by Burton Lane, with lyrics by Ralph Freed. It was introduced in the 1941 film Babes on Broadway by Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milt Bernhart</span> Musical artist

Milt Bernhart was a West Coast jazz trombonist who worked with Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, and others. He supplied the solo in the middle of Sinatra's 1956 recording of I've Got You Under My Skin conducted by Nelson Riddle.

<i>Irving Berlins White Christmas</i> 1954 studio album by Rosemary Clooney

Irving Berlin's White Christmas was an LP album of songs by Rosemary Clooney from the movie White Christmas, released by Columbia Records in 1954. The album was also released as a set of four 78-rpm records at the same time.

<i>Selections from Irving Berlins White Christmas</i> 1954 studio album by Bing Crosby

Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas is an album with songs from the 1954 movie, White Christmas. Among the featured artists are Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, and Trudy Stevens, with Peggy Lee, who was not in the movie, singing some parts. It is one of the last 78 rpm albums Decca produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Thompson (musician)</span> American musician

Robert Lamar Thompson was a composer, arranger, and orchestra leader from the 1950s through the 1980s. Active in Los Angeles, Thompson was a recording artist for RCA Victor and Dot Records, scored film and television soundtracks, and wrote musical accompaniments for commercials. He composed, arranged, and conducted the orchestra for such wide-ranging artists as Rosemary Clooney, Mae West, Julie London, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, Judy Garland, Jerry Lewis, and Phil Ochs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey, Look Me Over (song)</span> Song from the musical Wildcat

"Hey, Look Me Over" is a song from the 1960 Broadway musical Wildcat. In that show, it was introduced by Lucille Ball, in her only leading Broadway appearance.

The following is the discography for big band and traditional pop arranger Nelson Riddle (1921–1985).

<i>Love</i> (Rosemary Clooney album) 1961 studio album by Rosemary Clooney released 1963

Love is a studio album by Rosemary Clooney, arranged by Nelson Riddle, recorded in 1961 but not released until 1963.

Singer Rosemary Clooney is known for many songs, including "Come On-a My House", "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There" and "This Ole House". This is a partial discography.

<i>Rosie Sings Bing</i> 1978 studio album by Rosemary Clooney

Rosie Sings Bing is a 1978 studio album by the American jazz singer Rosemary Clooney, recorded in tribute to Bing Crosby, who had died the previous year. The album was the second Clooney made for Concord Records.

"Let's Put Out the Lights (and Go to Sleep)" is a popular song by Herman Hupfeld, published in 1932. It was introduced by Lili Damita in the Broadway revue George White's Music Hall Varieties (1932) with the initial title "(Let's) Turn Out the Lights and Go to Bed", and hit versions that year were by Rudy Vallée, Paul Whiteman (vocal by Red McKenzie) and Ben Bernie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bing Crosby's record labels after 1955</span>

After Bing Crosby's long-term Decca Records contract was up, he signed many short-term contracts with a wide variety of labels. These included many popular labels such as Reprise, RCA, Verve, Decca (again), United Artists, Capitol and more.

Alton Reynolds Hendrickson was an American jazz guitarist and occasional vocalist.

References

  1. Bush, John. "Fancy Meeting You Here". AllMusic. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  2. Fancy Meeting You Here at AllMusic
  3. "Bing Crosby-Rosemary Clooney: "Fancy Meeting You Here" (RCA Victor)". Variety. November 26, 1958.
  4. "Spotlight Winners of the Week". Billboard. November 24, 1958.