Jim Nabors - Sings Love Me With All Your Heart (1966)

How many of you grew up watching Jim Nabors as Gomer Pyle, first as the gas station attendant on "The Andy Griffith Show" and later as the goofy marine private on "Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C."? I absolutely loved Gomer and never missed the show. And remember the first time you heard that baritone singing voice come out of that goofy guy? What a surprise! I used to love to try to imitate his singing (imagine a little girl doing that) and really got a kick out of it. (Come to think of it, I still try to sing "O Holy Night" in my best Jim Nabors voice.) My mom thought he was a wonderful singer and loved his version of "O Holy Night", so she did not appreciate my attempts to sing it the way he did ("Stop singing! You're ruining the song!"). Anyway, I still get a kick of listening to old Jim Nabors records, and he sings a lot of very familiar songs on this album. This is his second album (he recorded his first album in character as Gomer Pyle).

Track listing for Jim Nabors Sings Love Me With All Your Heart:

Side 1:
1. Love Me With All Your Heart (Cuando Calienta el Sol)
2. You're Gonna Hear from Me (from "Inside Daisy Clover")
3. You Don't Know Me
4. Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme from "Dr. Zhivago")
5. Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody
6. Strangers in the Night

Side 2:
1. The Impossible Dream (from "Man of La Mancha")
2. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (from "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever")
3. Swanee
4. I'm Yours
5. What Now My Love

Mario Lanza - A Legendary Performer (1976)

Here's one in a category that I don't usually post - a record of Mario Lanza songs. I got this record during one of the several times that I was in one of those mail-order record clubs. I had seen a movie starring Mario (where he sings "Arrivederci, Roma") and just fell in love with him. To this day, that song brings tears to my eyes because he sings it so beautifully. I know my mom was pleased that I liked this kind of music - thought I was growing out of that "rock and roll" stuff!

Mario Lanza, tenor. He was around for too few years. Legendary performer. Legendary personality. He stamped his image on his times and left the sound of his voice for a world to enjoy.

Track listing for Mario Lanza - A Legendary Performer:

Side 1:
1. Be My Love
2. Because
3. The Loveliest Night of the Year
4. Serenade
5. Torna a Surriento
6. Arrivederci, Roma

Side 2:
1. Celeste Aida (Heavenly Aida)
2. Vesti la Giubba (On with the Play)
3. Granada
4. Marechiare
5. Mattinata
6. O Sole Mio

Here's the scene from the movie "Seven Hills of Rome" where Mario sings "Arrivederci, Roma":

Wayne King - Wayne King in Hi-Fi (196?)

If you like music with lots of lush string arrangements, then you'll like this album. I mostly bought this record for the album cover, but I also like all the songs. And I have fond memories of dancing to Wayne King songs at the practice parties of the dance studio where I took ballroom dancing for several years. All the songs on this album are well known and often-requested standards of the time, but I have to admit I had to chuckle when I heard "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" because I associate that song with the movie "Young Frankenstein"! Well, the liner notes do refer to these songs as mood music, after all. (I couldn't find a release year for this album, but I'm guessing 1960s.)

And now, get set for a wonderful treat in high fidelity... as Wayne King and his orchestra show you how to put the "mood" in mood music.

Track listing for Wayne King in Hi-Fi:

Side 1:
1. Sweet and Lovely
2. L'Amour, Toujours L'Amour
3. I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All
4. To Each His Own
5. Silver Moon
6. Sleepy Lagoon

Side 2:
1. They Say It's Wonderful
2. Harbor Lights
3. Laugh! Clown! Laugh!
4. Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life
5. Prisoner of Love
6. The One Rose (That's Left in My Heart)

George Maharis - Sings! (1962)

I love celebrity vocals. And I love my George Maharis albums! In case you are not familiar with him, he starred in the TV series "Route 66" along with Martin Milner. George was a singer before he became an actor, and switched to acting due to overuse of his vocal chords. As it seemed to be the thing to do back in the day, he recorded several albums while he was a popular TV star. I found this album in the HPB bargain bin and was very excited and surprised that the 5x7 b&w "autographed" picture of George was still in the record sleeve! (The picture is just a b&w version of the album cover.) All the songs are familiar pop standards, and I like all of them, but I really like his jazzy version of "Route 66". As the liner notes sum up:

George Maharis' interpretations of the ballads in this album reflect the highly creative and individual nature of a young actor who is seeking, and finding, new means of self-expression.

Track listing for George Maharis - Sings!:

Side 1:
1. I Want to Be Wanted
2. It's All in the Game
3. I'll Never Smile Again
4. Moon River
5. Can't Help Falling in Love
6. Hurt

Side 2:
1. Teach Me Tonight
2. You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby
3. (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66!
4. My Kind of Girl
5. Witchcraft
6. After the Lights Go Down Low

Jerry Murad's Harmonicats - Fiesta! (1962)

Who doesn't love some good harmonica music??? And the Harmonicats are awesome! It's kind of hard to believe that all the music on this album is just three guys - Jerry Murad, Al Fiore, and Don Les - playing their harmonicas. I grew up listening to most of these songs (performed by others), and these versions are just great! I would definitely play this album at my next fiesta themed dinner party!

Track listing for Jerry Murad's Harmonicats - Fiesta!:

Side 1:
1. Guadalajara
2. The Peanut Vendor (El Manisero)
3. Espana Cani
4. La Golondrina
5. Siboney
6. Adios Muchachos

Side 2:
1. Adios
2. Les Filles de Cadix (The Maids of Cadiz)
3. La Virgen de la Macarena
4. La Cumparsita
5. Mexican Hat Dance
6. Granada

Jackie Gleason - Music, Martinis, and Memories (1954)

This is the last of my Jackie Gleason albums. The best way to describe it is by its liner notes:

Music, martinis, and memories... each creates a wonderfully soft, romantic haze. Put them all together and you have a very special effect - a mood whose warmth and tenderness are irresistibly appealing.
The memories and martinis should be yours, of course; the music may be provided by someone else - and nobody can do that more expertly than Jackie Gleason. His famous album presentations - lovely ballads richly orchestrated and featuring the lyric trumpet of Bobby Hackett - are remarkably conducive to that intriguing sentimental spell.
It's really quite possible, in fact, to omit the memories and martinis; but with or without them, you'll find this collection of Jackie Gleason interpretations to be romantic music at its very best, an ideal setting for your most delightful listening moments.

Track listing for Jackie Gleason - Music, Martinis, and Memories:

Side 1:
1. Once In a While
2. I Can't Get Started
3. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
4. My Ideal
5. Yesterdays
6. I Love You
7. Unforgettable
8. How High the Moon

Side 2:
1. I'll Be Seeing You
2. Shangri-La
3. I Remember You
4. It Could Happen to You
5. Somebody Loves Me
6. Time On My Hands (You in My Arms)
7. The Nearness of You
8. The Song is Ended

Fats and the Chessmen - Let's Twist (1962)

I really didn't expect much from this album when I bought it, as I really only bought it for the cover art. But, boy, did I love it when I listened to it! This album was obviously recorded to capitalize on the popularity of the Twist dance craze, as there were many Twist records that came out around that time. And I have no idea who Fats and the Chessmen were (no, it's not THE "Fats"). But this album will certainly get you up and dancing! It's quite enjoyable and a fun one to play at your next dance party! If one of your new year's resolutions was to exercise more, then I suggest playing this record and dancing to it - a lot more fun than any of the Wii Fit exercise routines!


Track listing for Fats and the Chessmen - Let's Twist:

Side 1:
1. Twistin' U.S.A.
2. An Odd Twist
3. Lemon Twist
4. Ooh Poo Pa Doo
5. Organ Twist
6. Peppermint Twist

Side 2:
1. Let's Twist Again
2. Old MacDonald Had a Twist
3. Big Ben Twist
4. Insistin' On Twistin'
5. Honkin' the Twist
6. The Twist