The Road to Hong Kong (soundtrack)

Last updated
The Road to Hong Kong: Original Soundtrack Album
The Road to Hong Kong (soundtrack).jpg
Soundtrack album by
Released1962
Recorded1962
Genre Soundtrack, vocal
Length31:54
Label Liberty
Bing Crosby chronology
My Golden Favorites
(1961)
The Road to Hong Kong: Original Soundtrack Album
(1962)
Bing's Hollywood
(set of 15 albums)

(1962)

The Road to Hong Kong is a 1962 soundtrack album issued by Liberty Records (No. LOM 16002) [1] from the film of the same name. The film starred Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Joan Collins and Robert Morley with cameos from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Sellers and David Niven. Robert Farnon conducted the music for the film. All the songs were written by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics). Robert Farnon wrote four orchestral pieces for the soundtrack and these are annotated in the listing. [2]

Contents

Bing’s love ballad – “Let’s Not Be Sensible” includes a few lines from Joan Collins and in the film there is an abrupt interruption which curtails the song as Bing is about to sing “love”. The tracks for the film would probably have been recorded in September 1961 and one assumes a full version would have been laid down of “Let’s Not Be Sensible” prior to its subsequent editing. However, it seems that the original track was mislaid or erased and Bing had already returned to the USA by the time the LP was being prepared. The producer of the LP and the complementary single had no choice but to try to use the version employed in the film even though the ending was missing. The solution was to bring in Mike Sammes, a well known vocal arranger and backing singer, to sing the word “love”. [3]

The entire album was included in the Sepia Records CD "The Road to Hong Kong / Say One for Me" (Sepia 1216) issued in 2013. [4]

Reception

The film itself was well received and so was the album. Variety said:

Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, a couple of pic pros, have whipped up a serviceable score for the latest Bing Crosby-Bob Hope-Dorothy Lamour “Road” film. It comes over as highly pleasing soundtrack set that should get a good sales runoff with the pic’s playing dates. The set was done in England with Robert Farnon conducting the orch but the values are pegged primarily for the US market. In the song spotlight are the Crosby-Hope duet on “Team Work”, Crosby’s balladeering on “Let’s Not Be Sensible” and Miss Lamour’s “Warmer than a Whisper”. In all, the package is loaded with a marquee pull and a bright spirit that’s hard to beat. [5]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleLyricsMusicPerformer(s)Length
1."Overture" Sammy Cahn Jimmy Van Heusen Robert Farnon & Orchestra2:44
2."Team Work"CahnVan HeusenBing Crosby & Bob Hope2:12
3."Reluctant Astronauts"̶FarnonRobert Farnon & Orchestra3:10
4."Warmer Than a Whisper"CahnVan HeusenDorothy Lamour3:04
5."The Only Way to Travel"CahnVan HeusenRobert Farnon & Orchestra2:28
6."Let's Not Be Sensible Blues"CahnVan HeusenRobert Farnon & Orchestra2:33
Side two
No.TitleLyricsMusicPerformer(s)Length
1."The Road to Hong Kong"CahnVan HeusenBing Crosby & Bob Hope3:06
2."Let's Not Be Sensible"CahnVan HeusenBing Crosby & Joan Collins2:35
3."Lamasery Chant"̶FarnonRobert Farnon & Orchestra3:56
4."Moon over Hong Kong"̶FarnonRobert Farnon & Orchestra3:35
5."The Chase"̶FarnonRobert Farnon & Orchestra2:31

Related Research Articles

<i>Road to Bali</i> 1952 film by Hal Walker

Road to Bali is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Released by Paramount Pictures on November 19, 1952, the film is the sixth of the seven Road to … movies. It was the only entry in the series filmed in Technicolor and was the first to feature surprise cameo appearances from other well-known stars of the day.

<i>Road to Rio</i> 1947 film by Norman Z. McLeod, Jack Rose

Road to Rio is a 1947 American semimusical comedy film directed by Norman Z. McLeod and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose, the film is about two inept vaudevillians who stow away on a Brazilian-bound ocean liner and foil a plot by a sinister hypnotist to marry off her niece to a greedy fortune hunter. Road to Rio was the fifth of the "Road to …" series.

<i>The Road to Hong Kong</i> 1962 film by Norman Panama, Melvin Frank

The Road to Hong Kong is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of Hong Kong under British Rule. This was the seventh and last in the long-running Road to … series and the only one not associated with, and to be produced by, Paramount Pictures, though references to the others in the series are made in the film and shown in Maurice Binder's opening title sequence.

"All the Way" is a song published in 1957 by Maraville Music Corporation. The music was written by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.

<i>Road to Utopia</i> 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker

Road to Utopia is a 1946 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker and starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour. Filmed in 1943 but not released until 1946, Road to Utopia is the fourth film of the "Road to …" series. Written by Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, the film is about two vaudeville performers at the turn of the twentieth century who go to Alaska to make their fortune. Along the way they find a map to a secret gold mine. In 1947, Road to Utopia received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

<i>Road to Singapore</i> 1940 film by Victor Schertzinger

Road to Singapore is a 1940 American semi-musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour and Bob Hope. Based on a story by Harry Hervey, the film is about two playboys trying to forget previous romances in British Singapore, where they meet a beautiful woman. Distributed by Paramount Pictures, the film marked the debut of the long-running and popular "Road to ..." series of pictures spotlighting the trio, seven in all. The supporting cast features Charles Coburn, Anthony Quinn, and Jerry Colonna.

<i>Road to Zanzibar</i> 1941 film by Victor Schertzinger

Road to Zanzibar is a 1941 Paramount Pictures semi-musical comedy film starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, and marked the second of seven pictures in the popular "Road to …" series made by the trio. It takes place in the Sultanate of Zanzibar.

"(Love Is) The Tender Trap" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.

<i>Fancy Meeting You Here</i> 1958 studio album by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney

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. The album was originally issued in both mono and stereo, catalog numbers LPM/LSP 1854. The concept behind Fancy Meeting You Here was a combination of 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 tune called "Fancy Meeting You Here," and Cahn writing 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. Billy May conducted, and contributed his usual bouncy and lively arrangements. All of that served as a setting for the always enjoyable interaction between Crosby and Clooney.

<i>Variety Girl</i> 1947 film by George Marshall

Variety Girl is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Mary Hatcher, Olga San Juan, DeForest Kelley, Frank Ferguson, Glenn Tryon, Nella Walker, Torben Meyer, Jack Norton, and William Demarest. It was produced by Paramount Pictures. Numerous Paramount contract players and directors make cameos or perform songs, with particularly large amounts of screen time featuring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Among many others, the studio contract players include Gary Cooper, Alan Ladd, Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, William Holden, Burt Lancaster, Robert Preston, Veronica Lake, William Bendix, Barbara Stanwyck and Paula Raymond.

<i>Dixie</i> (film) 1943 film by A. Edward Sutherland

Dixie is a 1943 American biographical film of songwriter Daniel Decatur Emmett directed by A. Edward Sutherland and starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. Filming in Technicolor, Dixie was only a moderate success and received mixed reviews. Contrary to rumor, it has not been withdrawn from circulation due to racial issues but is simply one of hundreds of vintage Paramount Pictures from the 1930s and 1940s now owned by Universal and not actively marketed. The movie was broadcast several times in the late 1980s on American Movie Classics channel. The movie produced one of Crosby's most popular songs, "Sunday, Monday, or Always".

<i>Robin and the 7 Hoods</i> (album) 1964 studio album by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Falk

Robin and the 7 Hoods is a 1964 12" vinyl LP album originally issued by Reprise as No. F-2021. Wrongly assumed to be a true soundtrack album of the film Robin and the 7 Hoods, it was advertised as "Original score from the motion picture musical comedy" which is correct. The film was made in November/December 1963 and the album was subsequently recorded at United Recording, Hollywood, in April 1964. The scene with Frank Sinatra's vocal of "I Like to Lead When I Dance" was dropped, so only the background instrumental can be heard in the film.

"Personality" is a popular song with lyrics by Johnny Burke and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. It was written for the 1946 film Road to Utopia, and Dorothy Lamour performed it in the movie. Van Heusen said that he wrote the song with a limited vocal range to accommodate Lamour.

<i>Sinatra: Soundtrack to the CBS Mini-Series</i> 1992 compilation album by Frank Sinatra

Sinatra: Soundtrack To The CBS Mini-Series is a 1992 double disc compilation album by American singer Frank Sinatra.

<i>Say One for Me</i> (album) 1959 soundtrack album by Bing Crosby

Say One for Me is a soundtrack album issued by Columbia Records from the film of the same name. See Say One for Me for the film. The film starred Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner and Ray Walston. Lionel Newman conducted the musical backing for the film and he was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Scoring of a Musical Picture" but was unsuccessful. All the songs were written by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics). The version of "The Secret of Christmas" included on the album was not the one from the actual film. The soundtrack version had Robert Wagner and Debbie Reynolds joining Bing for a few lines. Instead, Bing recorded the song again on March 25, 1959 with Frank De Vol and his Orchestra.

<i>Anything Goes</i> (soundtrack) 1956 soundtrack album by Bing Crosby

Anything Goes is a soundtrack album issued by Decca Records from the film of the same name. The film starred Bing Crosby, Donald O'Connor, Jeanmaire, and Mitzi Gaynor. Joseph J. Lilley was the musical director with special orchestral arrangements by Van Cleave. All the songs were written by Cole Porter with the exception of three additional songs from Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Sammy Cahn (lyrics) which have been annotated in the listing below. The soundtrack recording took place between April and June 1955. Three songs were recorded in February 1956 with Joseph J. Lilley and his Orchestra for inclusion in the album to replace the original soundtrack versions.

<i>Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves</i> (album) 1957 studio album by Bing Crosby

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is an LP album by Bing Crosby made for children by Golden Records in 1957. The Arthur Norman Choir and Orchestra provide support. The music was by Mary Rodgers and the lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The album has been reissued by various record companies sometimes in a different edited form. The song "I Love You Whoever You Are" was issued as a single by Kapp Records (KAPP195) in October 1957.

<i>Selections from Road to Utopia</i> 1946 studio album by Bing Crosby

Selections from Road to Utopia is a studio album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby released in 1946 featuring songs that were presented in the American musical comedy film Road to Utopia. However, the song "Road to Morocco" came from the film of the same name and was not actually used in Road to Utopia. Another song - "Goodtime Charlie" - was sung by Crosby and Bob Hope in the film but was not commercially recorded. The songs "Would You?" and "Personality" were sung by Dorothy Lamour in the film, not Crosby.

<i>Songs from Mr. Music</i> 1950 studio album by Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Dorothy Kirsten

Songs from Mr. Music is a Decca Records studio 78rpm album of phonograph records by Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters and Dorothy Kirsten of songs from the film Mr. Music.

<i>Road to Bali</i> (album) 1952 studio album by Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Peggy Lee

Road to Bali is a Decca Records studio album by Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Peggy Lee of songs featured in the film Road to Bali released in 1952. All of the songs were written by Jimmy Van Heusen (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics). The songs were featured on a 10” vinyl LP numbered DL 5444 and in a 3-disc 45rpm box set numbered 9-375.

References

  1. The Road to Bing Crosby. The British Crosby Society. 1963. p. 292.
  2. "Sepia Records" . Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  3. The Road to Bing Crosby. The British Crosby Society. 1963. p. 293.
  4. "Sepia Records" . Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  5. "Variety". Variety. June 27, 1962.