Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller (born Mitchell William Miller on 4 July 1911) is remembered as… Read Full Bio ↴Mitch Miller (born Mitchell William Miller on 4 July 1911) is remembered as one of the best-selling recording artists of the 1950s and early '60s. He was an executive at Columbia Records for many years and headed his own male choir, "Mitch Miller and the Gang", before striking out on his own.
Born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York, Mitchell William Miller and his choir were famed for their campy Sing Along With Mitch television show of the 1960s. During the second season of "Sing Along with Mitch," Mitch Miller himself coined the catch phrase "All Smiles." These were preceded by the instructions to "sing along; just follow the bouncing ball" (a large dot that "bounced" above the words that were superimposed on television of the song that Mitch was singing). Miller's biggest hits with the choir were "The Yellow Rose of Texas," a drum-propelled version of the old March, and "Colonel Bogey March", then enjoying new popularity from its use in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). In addition to the television show, Miller and his choir recorded a series of best-selling albums.
One of the singers in Miller's choir, Bob McGrath, went on to a long career as one of the hosts of the PBS children's television show, Sesame Street.
As head of artists & repertory (A&R) at Mercury Records in the late forties, and Columbia Records in the fifties and early sixties, Miller gained a reputation for creating records that created what music historian Will Friedwald calls an "aural texture":
“ Miller also conceived of the idea of the pop record 'sound' per se: not so much an arrangement or a tune, but an aural texture (usually replete with extramusical gimmicks) that could be created in the studio and then replicated in live performance, instead of the other way around. Miller was hardly a rock 'n' roller, yet without these ideas there could never have been rock 'n' roll. 'Mule Train,' Miller's first major hit (for Frankie Laine) and the foundation of his career, set the pattern for virtually the entire first decade of rock. The similarities between it and, say, 'Leader of the Pack,' need hardly be outlined here. ”
— Will Friedwald noted in Sinatra: The Song Is You, Da Capo Press, 1997.
While this did not always sit well with Columbia's more established performers (Frank Sinatra, for example), Columbia had an amazing hit-to-release ratio during that time.
Miller signed and produced many important pop standards artists for Columbia, including Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Guy Mitchell (whose pseudonym actually was based on Miller's first name), and helped direct the careers of artists who were already signed to the label, like Doris Day, Dinah Shore and Jo Stafford to just name a few. He therefore became one of the most successful pop music producers ever.
Miller is frequently (and probably unfairly) referred to by rock music historians as an "enemy" of early rock and roll. He did back John Hammond's signing of Bob Dylan to capitalize on the folk music craze. While he did ultimately lose his job as Columbia head for not signing the types of acts teenagers were buying, Miller did originally attempt to sign Elvis Presley, but balked at the amount Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Miller is also an accomplished oboe and English horn player. He supported himself in his early career in the 1930s and 1940s as a session oboist; among his more celebrated studio dates in the non-classical field were for The Voice of Frank Sinatra and bebop pioneer Charlie Parker's famous Bird With Strings albums. He played in the CBS house orchestra for the 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast, and he later recorded Sibelius's Swan of Tuonela with Leopold Stokowski for RCA, and the Mozart Oboe Concerto for Columbia. He has also guest-conducted many of the top American orchestras.
Born to a Jewish family in Rochester, New York, Mitchell William Miller and his choir were famed for their campy Sing Along With Mitch television show of the 1960s. During the second season of "Sing Along with Mitch," Mitch Miller himself coined the catch phrase "All Smiles." These were preceded by the instructions to "sing along; just follow the bouncing ball" (a large dot that "bounced" above the words that were superimposed on television of the song that Mitch was singing). Miller's biggest hits with the choir were "The Yellow Rose of Texas," a drum-propelled version of the old March, and "Colonel Bogey March", then enjoying new popularity from its use in the movie The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). In addition to the television show, Miller and his choir recorded a series of best-selling albums.
One of the singers in Miller's choir, Bob McGrath, went on to a long career as one of the hosts of the PBS children's television show, Sesame Street.
As head of artists & repertory (A&R) at Mercury Records in the late forties, and Columbia Records in the fifties and early sixties, Miller gained a reputation for creating records that created what music historian Will Friedwald calls an "aural texture":
“ Miller also conceived of the idea of the pop record 'sound' per se: not so much an arrangement or a tune, but an aural texture (usually replete with extramusical gimmicks) that could be created in the studio and then replicated in live performance, instead of the other way around. Miller was hardly a rock 'n' roller, yet without these ideas there could never have been rock 'n' roll. 'Mule Train,' Miller's first major hit (for Frankie Laine) and the foundation of his career, set the pattern for virtually the entire first decade of rock. The similarities between it and, say, 'Leader of the Pack,' need hardly be outlined here. ”
— Will Friedwald noted in Sinatra: The Song Is You, Da Capo Press, 1997.
While this did not always sit well with Columbia's more established performers (Frank Sinatra, for example), Columbia had an amazing hit-to-release ratio during that time.
Miller signed and produced many important pop standards artists for Columbia, including Frankie Laine, Johnnie Ray, Ray Conniff, Percy Faith, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett, Guy Mitchell (whose pseudonym actually was based on Miller's first name), and helped direct the careers of artists who were already signed to the label, like Doris Day, Dinah Shore and Jo Stafford to just name a few. He therefore became one of the most successful pop music producers ever.
Miller is frequently (and probably unfairly) referred to by rock music historians as an "enemy" of early rock and roll. He did back John Hammond's signing of Bob Dylan to capitalize on the folk music craze. While he did ultimately lose his job as Columbia head for not signing the types of acts teenagers were buying, Miller did originally attempt to sign Elvis Presley, but balked at the amount Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, was asking.
A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Miller is also an accomplished oboe and English horn player. He supported himself in his early career in the 1930s and 1940s as a session oboist; among his more celebrated studio dates in the non-classical field were for The Voice of Frank Sinatra and bebop pioneer Charlie Parker's famous Bird With Strings albums. He played in the CBS house orchestra for the 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast, and he later recorded Sibelius's Swan of Tuonela with Leopold Stokowski for RCA, and the Mozart Oboe Concerto for Columbia. He has also guest-conducted many of the top American orchestras.
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Mitch Miller Lyrics
Annie Laurie / Auld Lang Syne Maxwellton's braes are Bonnie Where early fa's the dew And i…
Auld Lang Syne Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind…
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
Back In Your Own Backyard We leave home expecting to find a blue bird, Hoping ev'ry…
Bidin But I'm bidin' my time, Cause that's the kinda guy I'm While…
Bluebell Don't be blue My pretty bluebell Don't you fret Although you…
Bonnie Blue Gal I found a little honey Who thrills me through and through. R…
Bye Bye Blackbird No one here can love or understand me Oh, what hard…
Deck the Hall Deck the halls with boughs of holly Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la…
Do Re mi Do (do) re (re) mi (mi) Fa (fa) so (so) la…
Dó-Ré-Mi Do (do) re (re) mi (mi) fa (fa) So (so) la…
Don I wrote my mother I wrote my father And now I'm…
Don't Fence Me In Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies…
Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree I wrote my mother I wrote my father And now I'm…
Down By The Old Mill Stream Down by the Old Mill Stream where I first met…
Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue Five foot two, eyes of blue But oh, what those five…
Frosty the Snowman Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul With a corncob…
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen God rest ye merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay, Rememb…
Goodnight Sweetheart Good night sweetheart, till we meet tomorrow Good night swe…
Heart of My Heart I sometimes wish I was a kid again Down in the…
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus Underneath the mistletoe las…
I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover I′m looking over a four leaf clover That I overlooked before…
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old …
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear It came upon the midnight clear That glorious song of old Fr…
It Must Be Santa Who's got a beard that's long and white? Santa's got a…
It's Only a Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea But…
Joy To the World Joy to the World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive…
Kalamazoo To Timbuktu There′s a train by the station in Kalamazoo And it soon…
Kalamzoo to Timbuktu There′s a train by the station In Kalamazoo And it soon will…
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Oh the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so…
Let the Rest of the World Go By Is the struggle and strife we find in this life Really…
Lisbon Antigua Mitch Miller Miscellaneous Lisbon Antiqua LISBON ANTIGUA …
Must Be Santa Who's got a beard that's long and white? Santa's got a…
Now Is The Hour Sunset glow fades in the west, Night o'er the valley…
O Little Town of Bethlehem Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee…
On Top of Old Smokey On top of Old Smokey, All covered with snow, I lost my…
Red River Valley From this valley, they say you are going We will miss…
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town I just came back from a lovely trip along the…
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon 'Round her neck she wore a yellow ribbon She wore it…
Side By Side Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money Maybe we're ragged…
Silent Night Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright Round y…
Singin' in the Rain I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain What…
Sleigh Ride Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting tingle-in…
Swanee Way down upon the Swanee River, Far, far away That's where m…
Sweet Violets Sweet violets Sweeter than all the roses Covered all over fr…
Tea For Two Picture you upon my knee Just tea for two and two…
That Old Gang of Mine I've got a longing way down in my heart For that…
The Children's Marching Song This old man he played one He played nick nack…
The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at yo…
The Gang That Sang "Heart Of My Heart" I sometimes wish I was a kid again Down in the…
The Longest Day Many men came here as soldiers Many men will pass this…
The Sleigh Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting tingle-in…
The Twelve Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave…
The Whiffenpoof Song To the tables down at Mory's To the place where Louie…
The Yellow Rose Of Texas There's a yellow rose in Texas that I am gonna…
Till We Meet Again Smile the while you kiss me sad adieu When the clouds…
Twelve Days Of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave…
Tzena Tzena Tzena Tzena, Tzena, Tzena, Tzena Can't you hear the music playing …
We Three Kings We three kings of Orient are Bearing gifts we tra afar. Fiel…
When Johnny Comes Marching Home When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah! We′ll…
When You Wore a Tulip I met you in a garden in an old Kentucky…
Winter Wonderland (Wonderland, winter wonderland, wonderland) Sleigh bells …
Yellow Rose of Texas There's a yellow rose in Texas that I am gonna…