Ray Conniff Singers
Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 - October 12, 2002) was an America… Read Full Bio ↴Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 - October 12, 2002) was an American musician. He was born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and learned to play the trombone from his father. He studied music arranging from a course book.

After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II (where he worked under Walter Schumann), he was hired by Mitch Miller, then head of A & R at Columbia Records as their home arranger, and he worked with several artists, including Rosemary Clooney, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray. He wrote a top 10 arrangement for Don Cherry's "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies.

Amongst the hit singles he backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "Yes Tonight Josephine" and "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray; "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis; "A White Sport Coat" and "The Hanging Tree" by Marty Robbins; "Up Above My Head," a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray; and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums Tony by Tony Bennett, Blue Swing by Eileen Rodgers, Swingin' for Two by Don Cherry, and half the tracks of The Big Beat by Johnnie Ray.

In these early years he also produced some similar sounding records for Columbia's Epic label under the name of Jay Raye (which stands for "Joseph Raymond") amongst them a backing album and singles with Somethin' Smith & The Redheads, an American male vocal group.

Because of the success of his backings Mitch Miller allowed him to make his own record, and this became the successful 'S Wonderful, a collection of standards that were recorded with an orchestra and a wordless singing chorus (four men, four women). He released many more albums in the same vein, including Dance The Bop (1957), S Marvelous (1957, gold album), S Awful Nice (1958), Concert in Rhythm (1958, gold album), Hollywood in Rhythm (1958), Broadway in Rhythm (1959), and Concert in Rhythm, Volume II (1959, gold album).

In 1959 he started the Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album It's the Talk of the Town. This group of word— not just syllable — singing singers brought him the biggest hit he ever had in his career: Somewhere My Love (1966). The title track of the album was written to the music of "Lara's Theme" from the film Doctor Zhivago, and was a top 10 single in the US. The album also reached the US top 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single and album reached high positions in the international charts (a.o. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan) as well. Also extraordinarily successful was the first of four Christmas albums by the Singers, Christmas with Conniff (1959). Nearly fifty years after its release, in 2004, Conniff was posthumously awarded with a platinum album/CD.

Musically different highlights in Conniff's career are two albums he produced in cooperation with Billy Butterfield, an old buddy from earlier swing days. Conniff Meets Butterfield (1960) featured Butterfield's solo trumpet and a small rhythm group; Just Kiddin' Around (after a Conniff original composition from the 1940s), released 1963, featured additional trombone solos by Ray himself. Both albums are pure light jazz and did not feature any vocals.
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Ray Conniff Singers Lyrics


All Or Nothing At All The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
Angel Of The Morning There'll be no strings to bind your hands Not if my…
Blue Moon Blue moon you saw me standing alone Without a dream in…
Can't Take My Eyes Off You You're just too good to be true I can't take my…
Charade When we played our charade We were like children posing Play…
Christmas The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
Christmas Bride Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh Santa, make her my…
Delta Dawn Delta Dawn what's that flower you have on? Could it be…
Frosty the Snowman Frosty the Snowman was a jolly happy soul With a corncob…
Golden Earrings There's a story the gypsies know is true That when your…
Greensleeves What child is this? Who meant to rest on Mary's lap…
Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A Shine on me sunshine Walk with me world It's a…
Hark the Herald Angels Sing The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…


Harmony I'd like to build the world a home And furnish it…
Here Comes Santa Claus Oh, Santa Claus is coming 'round, he's coming 'round Tonigh…
I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire I don't ever care to rise to power I would rather…
I Only Have Eyes For You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I'll Be Seeing You I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places That…
I'll See You in My Dreams I'll see you in my dreams Hold you in my dreams Someone…
I'm In The Mood For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
It Had To Be You It had to be you, it had to be you. I…
It's the Talk of the Town We were more than lovers, We were more than sweethearts, It'…
Jingle Bells Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way Oh, what fun…
Jolly Old St. Nicholas Jolly old Saint Nicholas Lean your ear this way Don't you te…
Little Green Apples And I wake up in the mornin' With my hair…
Ma He's Making Eyes At Me Little Lilly was oh! So silly and shy And all the…
Most Beautiful Girl Hey, did you happen to see the most beautiful girl…
New York New York Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a…
O Come All Ye Faithful The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
Put Your Hand in the Hand Put your hand in the hand of the man Who stilled…
Remember One little kiss, a moment of bliss, then hours of…
Ring Christmas Bells Ring Christmas bells Ring them loud with the message bringin…
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer You know Dasher and Dancer And Prancer and Vixen Comet and…
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town I just came back from a lovely trip along the…
Silver Bells Silver bells, silver bells, soon it will be Christmas day! …
Sleigh Ride Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing, ring-ting tingle-in…
Somewhere My Love Somewhere, my love there will be songs to sing Although the…
The Christmas Song One is a spirit of Christmas It is the celebration of…
The Christmas Songs Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The First Noel The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
The Green Leaves Of Summer A time to be reapin', a time to be sowin'. The…
The Little Drummer Boy Come, they told me pa-rum pum pum pum Our newborn King…
The Sound Of Silence Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you…
The Story Of The First Christmas The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
The Twelve Days Of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, My true love sent to…
These Foolish Things Oh! Will you never let me be? Oh! Will you never…
They Say It's Wonderful They say that falling love is wonderful It's wonderful, so t…
This Guy's in Love with You You see this girl, this girl's in love with you Yes,…
Twelve Days of Christmas On the first day of Christmas, My true love sent to…
We Wish You a Merry Christmas The First Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor…
What a Child Is This? What child is this? Who meant to rest on Mary's lap…
White Christmas I'm dreaming of the White Christmas (du-ah) Just like the o…
You You'll never know just how much I miss you You'll never…
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To You'd be so nice to come home to You'd be so…
You'll Never Know You'll never know just how much I miss you You'll never…