That Magnificent Man & His Music Machine

Rating

Album: That Magnificent Man & His Music Machine
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Jet Journey
2)	Blue Star (Theme from Medic)
3)	Skiffling Strings (Swinging Sweethearts)
4)	Lingering Lovers
5)	Colonel Bogey and the River Kwai March
6)	Summertime in Venice
7)	Red Cloak
8)	Melba Waltz, The
9)	Messenger Boy, The
10)	Girl from Corsica, The
11)	Swedish Polka
12)	Under the Linden Tree
13)	Concetta
14)	On the Waterfront
15)	Headless Horsemen, The
16)	Midnight Blue
17)	Song of the High Seas, The
18)	Laughing Sailor, The
19)	Tropical Mirage
20)	Handyman
21)	Three Galleons
22)	Guadalcanal March
23)	Little Laplander, The
24)	Wagon Train
25)	When I Fall in Love
26)	Bluebell Polka
27)	Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?)
28)	Josita
29)	Elizabethan Serenade
1)	633 Squadron (Main Theme)
2)	Love Theme from 633 Squadron
3)	Trap, The (Theme)
4)	Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (Suite)
5)	Lancelot and Guinevere
6)	London Serenade
7)	Return My Love
8)	Where Eagles Dare (Theme)
9)	Mercury Gets the Message
10)	Caf‚ Royal Waltz
11)	Decline and Fall (Theme)
12)	Frenzy (Film Theme)
13)	Morocco Tea Rooms, El
14)	Operation Crossbow (Theme)
15)	Jumping Jupiter
16)	Monte Carlo or Bust (Suite)
17)	India
18)	Miss Marple's Theme
19)	Milky Way, The
20)	Battle of Britain (Theme)
21)	Kill or Cure (Theme)
22)	Girl With the Misty Eyes, The
23)	Departure
24)	Aces High

Album: That Magnificent Man & His Music Machine
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Jet Journey
2)	Blue Star (Theme from Medic)
3)	Skiffling Strings (Swinging Sweethearts)
4)	Lingering Lovers
5)	Colonel Bogey and the River Kwai March
6)	Summertime in Venice
7)	Red Cloak
8)	Melba Waltz, The
9)	Messenger Boy, The
10)	Girl from Corsica, The
11)	Swedish Polka
12)	Under the Linden Tree
13)	Concetta
14)	On the Waterfront
15)	Headless Horsemen, The
16)	Midnight Blue
17)	Song of the High Seas, The
18)	Laughing Sailor, The
19)	Tropical Mirage
20)	Handyman
21)	Three Galleons
22)	Guadalcanal March
23)	Little Laplander, The
24)	Wagon Train
25)	When I Fall in Love
26)	Bluebell Polka
27)	Song from Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart?)
28)	Josita
29)	Elizabethan Serenade
1)	633 Squadron (Main Theme)
2)	Love Theme from 633 Squadron
3)	Trap, The (Theme)
4)	Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (Suite)
5)	Lancelot and Guinevere
6)	London Serenade
7)	Return My Love
8)	Where Eagles Dare (Theme)
9)	Mercury Gets the Message
10)	Caf‚ Royal Waltz
11)	Decline and Fall (Theme)
12)	Frenzy (Film Theme)
13)	Morocco Tea Rooms, El
14)	Operation Crossbow (Theme)
15)	Jumping Jupiter
16)	Monte Carlo or Bust (Suite)
17)	India
18)	Miss Marple's Theme
19)	Milky Way, The
20)	Battle of Britain (Theme)
21)	Kill or Cure (Theme)
22)	Girl With the Misty Eyes, The
23)	Departure
24)	Aces High

Tracks

1. Jet Journey

2. Blue Star (Theme From The TV Series "Medic")

3. Skiffling Strings (Swiging Sweethearts)

4. Lingering Lovers

5. Colonel Bogey And The River Kwai March

6. Summertime In Venice

7. Red Cloak

8. The Melba Waltz

9. The Messenger Boy

10. The Girl From Corsica

11. Swedish Polka

12. Under The Linder Tree

13. Concetta

14. On The Waterfront

15. The Headless Horsemen

16. Midnight Blue

17. The Song Of The High Seas

18. The Laughing Sailor

19. Tropical Mirage

20. Handyman

21. Three Galleons

22. Gudalcanal March

23. The Little Laplander

24. Wagon Train

25. When I Fall In Love

26. Bluebell Polka

27. Song From The Mouling Rouge

28. Josita

29. Elizabeth Serenade

30. 633 Squadron (Main Film Theme)

31. Love Theme From The Film "633 Squadron"

32. The Trap (Film Theme)

33. Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (Suite From T

34. Lancelot And Guinevere

35. London Serenade

36. Return My Love

37. Where Eagles Dare (Film Themes)

38. Mercury Gets The Message

39. Cafe Royal Waltz (From Film "The Trials Of Oscar Wilde")

40. Decline And Fall 9Film Theme)

41. Frenzy (Film Theme)

42. El Morocco Tea Rooms ( As Featured On "The Best Of Peter Sell

43. Operation Crossbow (Film Theme)

44. Jumping Jupiter

45. Monte Carlo Or Bust

46. India

47. Miss Marple's Theme

48. The Milky Way

49. Battle Of Britain (Film Theme)

50. Kill Or Cure (Film Theme)

51. The Girl With The Misty Eyes

52. Departure

53. Aces High (From The Film "Batle Of Britain")

Performer Notes

Liner Note Authors: David Ades; Ron Shillingford.
Ron Goodwin (1925-2003) was one of the top soundtrack and light music composers and conductors in England from the 1950s through the start of the 21st century. Indeed, he was something of a pop culture institution in his own right on that side of the Atlantic, and even caused a few ripples in America as well, at a time when few British artists outside of the comedy field ever did. This double-CD set covers his whole career in two major bodies of work, the first disc devoted to "The Early Years -- Popular Singles" while the second covers "Ron Goodwin's Original Compositions from Films and LPs." It's pretty impressive in both categories, beginning with the first single ever issued under his own name, "Jet Journey," in 1953 (from Parlophone and produced by its young assistant head, George Martin), and encompassing his hit renditions of works by Trevor Duncan and other composers of light music, as well as his covers of various television and movie-related themes, including those by Leonard Bernstein ("On the Waterfront") and Georges Auric ("Song from Moulin Rouge"). His treatment of Bernstein's brooding, introspective main theme is almost comical from a purely analytical standpoint, with its extroverted, string-laden arrangement, which turns the dark-textured original into an upbeat piece of musical exotica. The second disc, containing Goodwin's music from such major feature films as 633 Squadron, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (represented by a beautiful mini-suite), Where Eagles Dare, and Battle of Britain, will be much more familiar to most Americans -- there will even be a revelation or two in his stirring, string- and horn-driven theme from The Trap, and a few of his album themes. The sound throughout is excellent, and it is easy to understand the basis for Goodwin's popularity as a recording artist -- whether working in mono, either in the 78 era or the 45-rpm format, or in stereo later on, he had a knack for bringing out the richest characteristics of the sound of his strings, in particular, and for writing bold, stirring parts for the brass and horns. A good deal of what's here would fit well into the late-'50s/early-'60s category of "space age pop" and can be appreciated on that basis, for enthusiasts of that musical genre. The set, in a narrow double jewel case, also comes with extremely thorough annotation by several hands, reflecting Goodwin's importance in his own country -- and some of what's there may surprise even some of his fans, who may not have known the full range of the man's musical activities. ~ Bruce Eder