Moments to Remember

Last updated
"Moments to Remember"
Single by The Four Lads
B-side "Dream On, My Love, Dream On"
ReleasedJuly 18, 1955
RecordedJune 21, 1955
Genre Popular music
Length3:10
Label Columbia
Composer(s) Robert Allen, Al Stillman
Producer(s) Ray Ellis
The Four Lads singles chronology
"Too Much! Baby, Baby"
(1955)
"Moments to Remember"
(1955)
"I Heard the Angels Singing"
(1955)

"Moments to Remember" is a 1955 popular song about nostalgia [1] recorded by Canadian quartet The Four Lads. [2] [3] The song was originally written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman for Perry Como but was turned down by Como's management. [4]

Contents

The Four Lads recording

The Four Lads recorded it in June 1955 for Columbia Records as the B side to the single "Dream On, My Love." [5] Bernie Toorish of the Four Lads credited the enthusiastic endorsement of Cleveland radio DJ Bill Randle for increasing radio airtime play and popularizing the recording. [6] It eventually reached number 2 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 hit list (an early version of the Hot 100), sold 4 million copies and became the group's first gold record.

Besides the voices of the male quartet, the song also contains two uncredited female parts. According to the Four Lads' Frank Busseri, the introductory verse, ("January through December/We'll have moments to remember"), as well as the repeat of the Bridge section in harmony, ("When summer turns to winter",) were sung by Lois Winters of the Ray Charles Singers and the poetic spoken words in mid-song: ("A drive-in movie/Where we'd go/And somehow never watched the show/") were recited by Pat Kirby who at that time was a singer on Steve Allen's television show Tonight!. [5]

Other noted versions

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Four Lads</span> Canadian male quartet

The Four Lads were a Canadian male singing quartet that earned many gold singles and albums in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Their million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember"; "Standing on the Corner"; "No, Not Much"; "Who Needs You?" and "Istanbul".

"No, Not Much" is a popular song published in 1955. The music was written by Robert Allen Deitcher, the lyrics by Al Stillman. The most popular version was recorded by The Four Lads. It was one of a large number of Stillman-Allen compositions that were recorded by the quartet.

"Papa Loves Mambo" is a popular song written by Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, and Bix Reichner and released in 1954.

"Pledging My Love" is a blues ballad. It was written by Ferdinand Washington and Don Robey and published in 1954.

"Magic Moments" is a popular song composed by Burt Bacharach and written by Hal David, being one of the first songwriting collaborations by that duo. This song was recorded by Perry Como and released in 1957 as the B-side of his "Catch a Falling Star"; it reached No. 1 in the UK in 1958.

"Wake the Town and Tell the People" is a popular song with music by Jerry Livingston and lyrics by Sammy Gallop, published in 1955. This song is a wedding day number complete with the chorus imitating the sound of wedding bells, as well as the sounds of the real chimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Hilton</span> British singer (1926–2001)

Ronnie Hilton was an English singer. According to his obituary in The Guardian newspaper, "For a time Hilton was a star – strictly for home consumption – with nine Top 20 hits between 1954 and 1957, that transitional era between 78 and 45rpm records. A quarter of a century later he became the voice of BBC Radio 2's Sounds of the Fifties series".

"Without a Song" is a popular song composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics later added by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, published in 1929. It was included in the musical play, Great Day. The play only ran for 36 performances but contained two songs which became famous, "Without a Song" and "Great Day".

"Don't Take Your Love from Me" is a popular song written by Henry Nemo and published in 1941. Mildred Bailey first recorded this song in 1940 before publication. It was introduced that year by singer Joan Brooks.

"It's the Talk of the Town" is a popular song written by Jerry Livingston, the lyrics by Al J. Neiburg and Marty Symes.

"It's a Good Day" is a popular song written by Peggy Lee and her first husband Dave Barbour and published in 1946. Peggy Lee's recording reached the Billboard charts in January, 1947 peaking at No. 16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?</span> 1942 single by Lucienne Boyer

"Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?" is a French popular song, with music by Léo Chauliac and Charles Trenet and lyrics by Charles Trenet. A version of the song with English lyrics entitled "I Wish You Love" is recognizable by the opening line "I wish you bluebirds, in the spring".

"Don't Blame Me" is a popular song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was part of the 1932 show Clowns in Clover and was published in 1933. Popular versions that year were recorded by: Ethel Waters, Guy Lombardo, and Charles Agnew.

"Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" is a popular song, published in 1925, written by Benny Davis, Joe Burke, and Mark Fisher. Popular recordings of the song in 1925 were by Ben Selvin, Benson Orchestra of Chicago, Lewis James and Irving Kaufman.

"Lies" is a popular song with music by Harry Barris and lyrics by George E. Springer. It was published in 1931.

"My Heart Stood Still" is a 1927 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was written for the Charles Cochran revue One Dam' Thing after Another, which opened at the London Pavilion on May 19, 1927. The show starred Jessie Matthews, Douglas Byng, Lance Lister, and Richard Dolman, running for 237 performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">So Rare</span> 1957 single by Jimmy Dorsey with Orchestra and Chorus

"So Rare" is a popular song published in 1937 by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe. It became a no. 2 chart hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1957.

"Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year" is the title of a 1943 traditional pop composition by Frank Loesser, written for and introduced in the 1944 movie Christmas Holiday, the song was largely overlooked for some ten years before being rediscovered in the mid-1950s to become a pop and jazz standard much recorded by vocalists and instrumentalists.

"Love Is the Sweetest Thing" is a popular song written in 1932 by British band leader and singer Ray Noble. Using guest vocalist Al Bowlly, Noble's recording was a big hit on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing Noble his first American success. It was published by Francis, Day & Hunter Ltd. Like most compositions published in the period, its main refrain is preceded with what were then called "sectional verses" or "introductory verses" which are usually omitted from early recordings and modern performances.

"Please, Mr. Sun" is a song written by Ray Getzov and Sid Frank and performed by Johnnie Ray featuring The Four Lads and the Jimmy Carroll Orchestra. It reached number 6 on the U.S. pop chart in 1952. It was featured on his 1955 album I Cry for You.

References

  1. Browne, Ray Broadus; Ambrosetti, Ronald J. (1993). Continuities in Popular Culture: The Present in the Past & the Past in the Present and Future. ISBN   9780879725938.
  2. Younkman, Tim (10 April 2010). "There's an album for everything under the sun". The Bay City Times. Michigan Live LLC.
  3. QMI Agency. "Four Lads singer Codarini dies". jam.canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. Mitchell, Marilyn (March 20, 2013). "Frank Busseri and The Four Lads Moments to remember". Palm Desert Entertainer. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  5. 1 2 Allen, Ronnie. "Frank Busseri". Ronnie Allen Podcast. Jersey Girls Sing. pp. 25:16–30:45. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  6. Adams, Deanna R. (2002). Rock 'n' Roll and the Cleveland Connection. Kent State University Press. p. 14. ISBN   0873386914.
  7. "A Bing Crosby Discography". BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  8. "45cat.com". 45cat.com. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  9. Hinckley, David (18 July 2008). "Jo Stafford brings to mind a forgotten generation of singers". New York Daily News . Retrieved 2 February 2024.