The Singers Unlimited | |
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 The Singers Unlimited in 1972 (left to right: Len Dresslar, Don Shelton, Bonnie Herman, Gene Puerling) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, easy listening |
| Years active | 1967–1982 |
| Labels | MPS |
| Past members |
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The Singers Unlimited was a four-part jazz vocal group formed by Gene Puerling in 1971. [1] The group included Len Dresslar (better known as the Jolly Green Giant in General Mills commercials), [2] Bonnie Herman, and Don Shelton.
Gene Puerling (1929-2008) and Don Shelton (1934-Present) had formed part of Puerling's vocal group, The Hi-Lo's, some years previously, [3] though Shelton was a 1959 replacement for Hi-Lo's member Bob Strasen. The Singers Unlimited were created to record for commercials, but as time passed they were persuaded to record albums. [4] On the recommendation of jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson, they signed a contract with MPS Records in Germany. [4] Peterson's trio played on their first-recorded album, In Tune . The group made fifteen albums. Fourteen were recorded for MPS between 1971 and 1982 and were collected in the box set Magic Voices.
Puerling's arrangements for Singers Unlimited earned him a reputation as one of the best vocal writers in the world. Members of the vocal group Take 6 often give credit to him and the Singers Unlimited as innovators in a cappella, [5] claiming they "went to school" on his arrangements.
Puerling took advantage of cutting-edge, multi-tracking techniques of German studio engineer, Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer, to create his harmonic concepts and the group's signature sound. In the overdubbing process, baritone Puerling and tenor Shelton would often add two additional middle parts, after which all parts were "doubled" and "tripled." Creating these extra tracks created the fuller, richer sound of the group's recordings. The group would record their songs by having Bonnie Herman record a simplified version of the melody, after which, Len, Gene, and Don would fill in the remaining parts. Once this process had been completed, Bonnie Herman's original melodic line would be replaced with a new one, in which she could add melodic embellishments and add "color" to the group's sound. [6]
Bass singer Len Dresslar (1924–2005) was known as the voice of the Jolly Green Giant ("Ho, Ho, Ho!") for over 40 years, as well as the voice behind other jingles. He was president of the Chicago branch of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) for several years in the mid-to-late 1980s.
Bonnie Herman was the singer of the original "Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There" commercial jingle, which ran for several years. She is the daughter of Lawrence Welk original Champagne Lady, Lois Best, and Jules Herman, who was a trumpeter in the Welk orchestra. She is the niece of big band leader Woody Herman.
Anita Belle Colton, known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances that shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer". Refusing to pander to any female stereotype, O'Day presented herself as a "hip" jazz musician, wearing a band jacket and skirt as opposed to an evening gown. She changed her surname from Colton to O'Day, pig Latin for "dough", slang for money.
"Sweet Georgia Brown" is a jazz standard composed in 1925 by Ben Bernie and Maceo Pinkard, with lyrics by Kenneth Casey.
Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green was an American jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He played on over 250 recordings and released more than two dozen albums as a soloist. He was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1995.
Robert Murray Gordon McConnell, was a Canadian jazz trombonist, composer, and arranger. McConnell is best known for establishing and leading the big band The Boss Brass, which he directed from 1967 to 1999.
Elmer "Len" Dresslar Jr. was an American voice actor and vocalist. He is best known as the deep bass voice of the Jolly Green Giant in commercials for General Mills.
The Hi-Lo's were a vocal quartet formed in 1953, who achieved their greatest fame in the late 1950s and 1960s. The group's name is a reference to their extreme vocal and physical ranges.
Eugene Thomas Puerling was a vocal performer and vocal arranger. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Puerling created and led the vocal groups The Hi-Lo's and The Singers Unlimited. He was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices in 1982 for his arrangement of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square". A Latin song he arranged for Singers Unlimited, "One More Time, Chuck Corea," inspired by Chuck Mangione and Chick Corea, has been adapted and used by marching bands, drum and bugle corps and jazz ensembles. He died just six days before his 79th birthday, due to complications from diabetes.
Extensions is the fifth studio album by the Manhattan Transfer, released on October 31, 1979, by Atlantic Records.
Mecca for Moderns is the sixth studio album by the Manhattan Transfer. It was released in 1981 by Atlantic Records.
Elmer "Mousey" Alexander was an American jazz drummer.
David Pell was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and record producer. He was best known for leading a cool jazz octet in the 1950s.
Jack Nimitz was an American jazz baritone saxophonist, nicknamed "The Admiral".
Marty Morell is a jazz drummer who was a member of the Bill Evans Trio for seven years—longer than any other drummer. Before joining Evans, he worked with the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims Quintet, Red Allen, Gary McFarland, Steve Kuhn, and Gábor Szabó.
In Tune is a 1971 studio album by The Oscar Peterson Trio and The Singers Unlimited.
The Summit format is used in jazz to bring together performers on a particular musical instrument. Though these recordings often feature other musicians, the main instrument is focused upon in a celebratory way.
This Time It's Love is an album made by the American vocal group, The Hi-Lo's, with an orchestral accompaniment arranged and conducted by Clare Fischer, recorded and released on the Columbia label in 1962 as CL 1723 (mono)/CS 8523 (stereo).
This is the discography for American jazz musician Clare Fischer.
The J's with Jamie was an American musical group specializing in commercial jingles in the 1950s and 1960s. The group's core members were Jamie and Joe Silvia, a married couple who played with a number of session musicians and other singers. They worked within the booming mid-20th century Chicago advertising industry in both radio and television with clients including well-known food companies, politicians, appliance manufacturers, and industry associations. The couple declined invitations to go on tour, opting to stay in Chicago with their family, but did record three albums for Columbia Records, including a combination of original songs and covers of standards and Broadway show tunes. At the 6th Annual Grammy Awards in 1964, The J's with Jamie were nominated in two categories: Best New Artist and Best Performance by a Vocal Group. Shortly before disbanding in 1967 to found a commercial production firm, the Silvias released another two albums as Jamie and the J. Silvia Singers.
Christmas Jollies is the third album released by Vincent Montana Jr. and his first Christmas album. It was recorded and released on Salsoul Records in November 1976. The album includes a few new Christmas tunes, co-written by Vincent Montana Jr. himself, entitled, "There's Someone Who's Knocking" with the children's chorus singing, "Merry Christmas All" with his daughter, Denise Montana, singing the lead and "Christmas Time" with the sweet honeyed-voices of the session girl-group, The Sweethearts of Sigma, that features group members Barbara Ingram, Evette Benton and Carla Benson. This highly successful album also includes disco renditions of "The Little Drummer Boy", "Sleigh Ride" and so on, plus the orchestrated instrumental version of "Silent Night". Side two is semi-instrumental with two different medleys, such as "Christmas Medley" with the family chorus singing and "New Year's Medley" with The Salsoul Singers singing in the background. Christmas Jollies went on to become the best-selling holiday albums of 1976 and 1977.
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