Cha Cha! Billy May
Cha Cha! Billy May is a studio album released by Billy May in 1960 on Capitol LP record T1329 (monophonic) and ST1329 (stereophonic).[1] The album features instrumental Latin renderings of big band standards and theme songs of many top musical outfits. Many of the arrangements are done tonge-in-cheek, even Capitol's own publicity described "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" as "unforgivable".[2] Further playfulness is revealed in the song "Good-Bye" in which May's arrangement references the Benny Goodman bandmembers' habit of singing "go to hell, go to hell" over the repeating riff.[3] The album was recorded on October 1, 1959, at the Capitol Tower in Hollywood.[1] May's experience arranging and performing this album subsequently influenced his arrangements for the Frank Sinatra album Sinatra Swings.[4]
Cha Cha! Billy May | |
---|---|
Studio album by | |
Released | 1960 |
Genre | Big band |
Label | Capitol |
Producer | Dave Cavanaugh[1] |
Track listing
Side one
- "In a Mellow Tone-Cha-Cha" (Duke Ellington) – associated with Duke Ellington/Count Basie
- "Twelfth Street Rag-Cha-Cha" (Euday L. Bowman) – associated with Pee Wee Hunt
- "Artistry in Rhythm-Cha-Cha" (Stan Kenton) – Stan Kenton theme.
- "The Poor People of Paris-Cha-Cha" (Marguerite Monnot - René Rouzaud) – associated with Les Baxter
- "Good-Bye-Cha-Cha" (Gordon Jenkins) – Benny Goodman closing theme.
- "Leap Frog-Cha-Cha" (Joe Garland - Leo Corday) – Les Brown theme.
Side two
- "Flyin' Home-Cha-Cha" (Benny Goodman - Lionel Hampton) – associated with Lionel Hampton
- "Snowfall-Cha-Cha" (Claude Thornhill) – Claude Thornhill theme.
- "In the Mood-Cha-Cha" (Joe Garland - Andy Razaf) – associated with Glenn Miller.
- "I Remember-Cha-Cha" (Billy May)
- "Tuxedo Junction-Cha-Cha" (Johnson - Dash - Hawkins - Feyne) – associated with Glenn Miller.
- "Bijou-Cha-Cha" (Ralph Burns) - associated with Woody Herman
References
- Mirtle, Jack (1998). The Music of Billy May: A Discography. Greenwood Press. pp. 188–189. ISBN 9780313307393.
- "Party-giving Primer No.2 (Capitol advertisement)". The Michigan Daily. February 26, 1960. p. 5. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- Friedwald, Walt (1995). Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art. Da Capo Press. p. 249. ISBN 9780786751594.
- Friedwald, Walt (1995). Sinatra! The Song Is You: A Singer's Art. Da Capo Press. p. 297. ISBN 9780786751594.