Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents emigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Mancini's father, Quinto, was a steelworker, who made his only child begin flute lessons at the age of eight. When Mancini was 12 years old, he began piano lessons. Quinto and Henry played flute together in the Aliquippa Italian immigrant band, "Sons of Italy". After high school, Mancini attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1943, after roughly one year at Juilliard, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of a South German concentration camp.
Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Eight of these albums were certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of America. He had a 20 year contract with RCA Records, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name composer of easy listening music.
Mancini's range also extended to orchestral and ethnic scores (Lifeforce, The Great Mouse Detective, Sunflower, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", Molly Maguires, The Hawaiians), and darker themes ("Experiment In Terror," "The White Dawn," "Wait Until Dark," "The Night Visitor").
Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. Among the symphony orchestras he conducted are the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and with Andy Williams, who had sung many of Mancini's songs.[citation needed]
Mancini had experience with acting and voice roles. In 1994 he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series Frasier, as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie Gunn, the movie version of the series Peter Gunn, the score of which was originally composed by Mancini himself.
Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20 Additionally he was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmys.
Mancini won a total of four Oscars for his music in the course of his career.
Mancini died at the age of 70 in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, California of pancreatic cancer. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of Victor/Victoria. At the time of his death, Mancini was married to singer Virginia "Ginny" O´Connor, with whom he had three children. Ginny Mancini went on to found the Society of Singers a non profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. Additionally the Society awards scholarships to students pursuing an education in the vocal arts and holds the annual Ella Awards.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001.
Almost Persuaded
Henry Mancini Lyrics
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Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair
And eyes that would tempt any man.
Then she came and sat down at my table,
And as she placed her soft hands in mine,
I found myself wanting to kiss her
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and she whispered, "I need you!"
"Take me away from here and be my man."
Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
Last night all alone in a barroom
Met a guy with a drink in his hand.
He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair
And a smile that a girl understands.
Then he came and sat down at my table,
And as he placed his hands over mine,
I found my self wanting to kiss him
For temptation was flowing like wine.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride.
Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
Then we danced and he whispered, "I need you!"
"Let me take you away and be your man."
Then I looked into his eyes and I saw it:
The reflection of my wedding band.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on.
Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The song "Almost Persuaded" tells the story of a person who meets a tempting stranger in a bar. The singer initially feels drawn to the stranger's alluring physical features and is almost persuaded to cheat on their spouse. The temptation is strong, and the singer is ready to ignore their conscience and give in to their desires, but when they look into the stranger's eyes, they see the reflection of their wedding band. At that moment, they are reminded of their commitment to their spouse, and that love stops them from making a mistake. The song takes a twist in the end as it turns out that the singer is a woman, and she meets a man that she feels tempted by.
The song is a poignant reminder of the power of temptation and the importance of staying committed to the ones we love. It portrays how fleeting temptations can be and how love and loyalty should always hold firm. The lyrics are infused with emotion and the soft melody only adds to the melancholic feel of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night all alone in a barroom
The storyteller sets the scene of being alone in a barroom, highlighting the opportunity for encounters.
Met a girl with a drink in her hand.
The storyteller encounters a female figure holding a drink, indicating an approachable state.
She had ruby red lips, coal black hair And eyes that would tempt any man.
The storyteller describes the girl's appealing physical attributes that can attract anyone's attention.
Then she came and sat down at my table, And as she placed her soft hands in mine, I found myself wanting to kiss her For temptation was flowing like wine.
The storyteller narrates the girl's consensual approach and how it led to intimacy and desire like wine's temptation.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride. Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
The storyteller almost let go of morals and self-respect, implying how desire can be overpowering.
Then we danced and she whispered, "I need you!" "Take me away from here and be my man." Then I looked into her eyes and I saw it: The reflection of my wedding band.
The storyteller and the girl show mutual interest and intimacy, but as the storyteller looks into the girl's eyes, they see the reflection of their wedding band, leading to conflict and opposition to temptation.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on. Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The storyteller was very close to giving in to temptation but chose to stop and go home due to the memory and love for their partner.
Met a guy with a drink in his hand. He had bay blue eyes, coal black hair And a smile that a girl understands. Then he came and sat down at my table, And as he placed his hands over mine, I found my self wanting to kiss him For temptation was flowing like wine.
In the second verse, the storyteller encounters a male figure, highlighting how temptation and intimacy do not discriminate based on gender.
And I was almost persuaded to strip myself of my pride. Almost persuaded to push my conscience aside.
The storyteller was once again almost overcome by temptation and let go of their morals, irrespective of gender.
Then we danced and he whispered, "I need you!" "Let me take you away and be your man." Then I looked into his eyes, and I saw it: The reflection of my wedding band.
The storyteller again experiences intimacy and mutual interest, but as they look into the male figure's eyes, they see their reflection of their wedding band, leading to a halt in collusion.
And I was almost persuaded to let strange lips lead me on. Almost persuaded but your sweet love made me stop and go home.
The storyteller was very close to giving in to temptation once again, irrespective of gender. But as before, they remember their love and chose to stop and go home.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Glenn Sutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind