Jackie Gleason was a very versatile entertainer. I first became acquainted with Jackie Gleason not through Ralph Kramden from
The Honeymooners, but through Sherriff Buford T. Justice from the
Cannonball Run movies. It wasn't until I was a teenager when I first watched
The Honeymooners and was blown away by the comic timing of the entire cast. I remember thinking, "They sure don't make shows like this anymore."
Now, in my forties, I have become acquainted with another side of Jackie Gleason: musical conductor and composer.
In the early 1950s, Jackie Gleason put together a popular series of instrumental albums that catered to mood. The first was
Music for Lovers Only, which was originally released in 1952. A longer, stereo version came out in 1954. I just happened to pick up a decent copy of that album at Half Price Books for fifty cents.
The cover features a close up of a table, two empty wine glasses in the background. A purse, a pair of gloves and a key sit on the table as two cigarettes burn in an ashtray; one cigarette marked by pink lipstick. The description of the album on the back is hysterical:
"A wisp of cigarette smoke in the soft lamplight, the tinkle of a glass, a hushed whisper…and music for lovers only. This is love’s entrancing setting. For music, in a thousand ways, describes each glowing facet of romance. In this album Jackie Gleason has chosen a group of love's most appealing melodies...tender ballads that have special significance for all of us. Here is tuneful, sentimental music for your most relaxed listening moments."
This album was very popular. In fact, it remains one of the most popular albums of all time. Yes, you heard me right.
Music for Lovers Only still holds the record for number of weeks in the top ten on the Billboard Charts: 153 weeks. Michael Jackson's
Thriller was there for only 78 weeks.
Jackie Gleason followed up the success of
Music for Lovers Only with a series of emotion-categorized music:
Music to Make You Misty,
Music to Remember Her, and
Music to Change Her Mind, to name just a few. In total, Jackie Gleason produced close to 60 albums throughout his career.
Jackie Gleason was not a musician, however. In fact, he couldn't read a note of music. How much music did he create himself? That depends on who you talk to. Some claim that Jackie Gleason hummed melodies to assistants and those assistants then put it to music. Indeed, he is given writing and conducting credits for music on
The Honeymooners. Others claim that the only thing Gleason did was cash checks.
He didn't use traditional music terms when explaining the music that he wanted played. Sometimes, he used descriptions such as "
pissing off a high bridge into a teacup" in order to get the sound he wanted from the musicians.
Nevertheless,
Music for Lovers Only is a good album. Nostalgic, really. Not anything that you would hear today, but probably very common in the Fifties as the bins at Goodwill and other thrift shops are filled with such remnants.
Soon, you'll be able to hear tracks from
Music for Lovers Only as we bring back the Vinyl Brunch on weekends here at Vinyl Voyage Radio. The Vinyl Brunch will feature music not in regular rotation at the station: classical, instrumental, jazz and much, much more.
Stay tuned for more information.
Meco was actually Domenico Monardo, a record producer and musician. Star Wars made him big, at least for a while, in the late 70s. He put together a band and they played in disco clubs across the country. He recorded several albums, mostly of movie themes. Star Wars figured prominently in his repertoire. He even produced a Star Wars-themed Christmas album in 1980. I have never heard this album, but it features a song entitled, "What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas (When He Already Owns a Comb?)" 
On the January 2014 edition of Adventures in Vinyl, we have a special K-Tel album from 1973. It is the Bright Side of Music. I picked up this album recently at a Goodwill store and when I brought it home, the first thing I noticed was its condition. It was remarkably free of dust, scuffs and scratches. And that's unusual for an album over 40 years old.
I have several used albums on which people either wrote their names or placed address labels. And these albums generally are in better condition that the other albums. I guess someone who marks their albums takes their music very seriously.
New for 2014---the Vinyl Brunch is back! Every weekend morning from 8 am to 12 pm Central time, we will play the best eclectic music, perfect for easing into your weekend routine. The Vinyl Brunch will feature music not normally in rotation on Vinyl Voyage. On the Vinyl Brunch you will hear some classical, some jazz, and some showtunes. In addition, we will feature some of the best classic vocals by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis and many, many more.
Jackie Gleason was a very versatile entertainer. I first became acquainted with Jackie Gleason not through Ralph Kramden from The Honeymooners, but through Sherriff Buford T. Justice from the Cannonball Run movies. It wasn't until I was a teenager when I first watched The Honeymooners and was blown away by the comic timing of the entire cast. I remember thinking, "They sure don't make shows like this anymore."gleason1.jpg)
Yep. It's getting to be that time of year. Terrestrial radio started playing Christmas music on November 13 here in Chicago. Way too early, in my opinion. Especially when they play the same 10 songs every hour.
Over the last several weeks, I've been scouring the local thrift stores for Christmas vinyl goodies. This year, we are adding a few more to the rotation that now exceeds 450 songs. That's a lot of Christmas music. I read last year that the local terrestrial radio station that plays Christmas music has only 150 songs or so on their playlist. And it is painfully apparent.
I can't believe I didn't have this album: The Carpenters: A Christmas Portrait. This album came out in 1978 and features the oft-heard, "Merry Christmas Darling." But it has some other great tunes as well, including several instrumentals. Nothing beats the voice of Karen Carpenter, in my opinion.
Ray Conniff and the Ray Conniff Singers: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Nothing says early 60s like Ray Conniff. This was one of the best selling albums of 1962.
In 1963, Dick Biondi was the first DJ to play the Beatles. The song was "Please Please Me" and the radio station was WLS-AM 890 in Chicago. Fifty years later, Dick Biondi still spins records on WLS. Although he has appeared on stations all over the country, Chicago has been his home for most of his career. Now 81 years old, Dick Biondi is a Chicago tradition. In fact, I have listened to Dick Biondi my entire life. 
Avoiding the crazy "Black Friday" crowds, I decided to stop at my local thrift shop today in order to peruse the selection of vinyl. And there, in a stack of discs, a young Dick Biondi smiled up at me. He had thick hair back in 1968, large black-rimmed glasses and a suave smile. Here was the "Wild I-Tralian," as he liked to call himself.
