Leslie Thompson Baxter was an American musician and composer. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica.
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. North wrote the music as a theme for the little-known prison film Unchained, hence the song title. Todd Duncan sang the vocals for the film soundtrack. It has since become a standard and one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, most notably by the Righteous Brothers. According to the song's publishing administrator, over 1,500 recordings of "Unchained Melody" have been made by more than 670 artists, in multiple languages.
"The Poor People of Paris" is the English name of a popular song from France.
"April in Portugal" is a popular song, also named "The Whisp'ring Serenade." The music was written by Raul Ferrão with Portuguese lyrics by José Galhardo as a fado named "Coimbra", about the city of that name in 1947. English lyrics written by Jimmy Kennedy were set to the music, though many of the most popular versions of the song were instrumentals. It is one of the signature songs of Portuguese singer and fadista Amália Rodrigues. It was also recorded in French by the tenor Luís Piçarra.
"Blue Christmas" is a Christmas song written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson and most famously performed by Elvis Presley; it was first recorded by Doye O'Dell in 1948. It is a tale of unrequited love during the holidays and is a longstanding staple of Christmas music, especially in the country genre.
"Mr. Blue Sky" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), featured on the band's seventh studio album Out of the Blue (1977). Written and produced by frontman Jeff Lynne, the song forms the fourth and final track of the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" suite, on side three of the original double album. "Mr. Blue Sky" was the second single to be taken from Out of the Blue, peaking at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart and number 35 in the US Billboard Charts.
Jack K. Pleis was an American jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer. He recorded on London and Decca Records in the 1950s, and Columbia Records in the 1960s. During the course of his career, Pleis worked with many artists, including Louis Armstrong, Harry Belafonte, Bing Crosby, Sammy Davis Jr., Benny Goodman, Earl Grant, Brenda Lee, and Joe Williams. Between 1950 and 1976, over 150 songs were arranged by Pleis. His surname is pronounced "Pleece".
"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 #6 on the U.S. pop chart in 1952. It was featured on his 1955 album I Cry for You.
Passport to Romance is a 1956 album of orchestral pop instrumentals by Percy Faith & His Orchestra. It was released in 1956 by Columbia Records. The album contains 12 songs built around a theme of travel in Europe.
Memories Are Made of This is an album by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra and Chorus. It was released in 1960 on the Columbia label. The album features Conniff, his orchestra, and a chorus performing wordless vocalizing.
Say It with Music is an album by Ray Conniff, His Orchestra and Chorus. It was released in 1960 on the Columbia label.
Memories Are Made of This is an album by Ray Conniff and His Orchestra and Chorus. It was released in 1961 on the Columbia label.
Skins! Bongo Party with Les Baxter is an album by Les Baxter's Drums. It was released in 1957 on the Capitol label.
The Passions is an album by Les Baxter featuring vocals by Bas Sheva. It was released in 1954 on the Capitol label. From February through December 1954, it was included in Billboard's chart of the top five Best Selling Specialized High-Fidelity Albums.
Caribbean Moonlight is an album by Les Baxter. It was released in 1956 on the Capitol label. In January 1957, it reached the No. 5 spot on Billboard magazine's "Pop Instrumentals" chart.
Les Baxter's African Jazz is an album by Les Baxter and His Orchestra. It was released in 1959 on the Capitol label. The album consists of original music composed by Baxter. Upon its release, the album received a four-star rating from Billboard magazine. Billboard called it an "imaginative package" with "inventive treatments", excellent sound, and "lush, rich approaches."
Les Baxter's Jungle Jazz is an album by Les Baxter and His Orchestra. It was released in 1959 on the Capitol label. Plas Johnson is featured on tenor sax and alto flute. The music was composed by Baxter.
The Sacred Idol is an album by Les Baxter and His Orchestra. It was released in 1960 on the Capitol label. The music was composed by Baxter; it was originally intended to be the soundtrack for a film that was never released.
'Round the World with Les Baxter is an album by Les Baxter, His Orchestra and Chorus. It was released in 1957 on the Capitol label. The album was recorded on August 8, 1956.
Calcutta! is an album by Lawrence Welk and His Orchestra. It was released in 1961 on the Dot label. The album featured Frank Scott at the harpsichord and included Welk's No. 1 hit single, "Calcutta".
