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.
Experiment In Terror
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through a meadow land toward a closing door
A door marked "nevermore" that wasn't there before
The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
The days of wine and roses and you-oo-oo
The song "Experiment in Terror" by Henry Mancini features hauntingly beautiful lyrics that convey the idea of the fleeting nature of happiness and love. The opening lines of the song, "The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at play," suggest the carefree nature of youth and the innocence of falling in love. However, this beauty is short-lived, as the lovers are soon left standing at a "closing door" marked "nevermore" - a doorway that was not there before. This imagery suggests that the relationship has come to an end, and the singer is left feeling lost and alone.
The second verse of the song shifts to the night, which is described as "lonely" and filled with "memories." The singer reflects on the "golden smile" that introduced them to the happiness and love they once knew - the days of wine and roses. This phrase suggests that the memory of the relationship is like a sweet, intoxicating drink that the singer can never taste again. The passing breeze is a metaphor for the transience of life and love, and the way that memories can be carried away on the wind.
Overall, the lyrics of "Experiment in Terror" are profound and deeply moving, capturing the complexities of human emotions and the ephemeral nature of love and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
The days of wine and roses laugh and run away like a child at play
The happy times seem fleeting, just like a playful child running through a meadow.
Through a meadow land toward a closing door
Those happy times are disappearing, heading towards an uncertain future.
A door marked "nevermore" that wasn't there before
That future seems ominous, with a door to sorrow marked 'nevermore' appearing out of nowhere.
The lonely night discloses just a passing breeze filled with memories
In the quiet of the night, one is reminded only of happy times and memories.
Of the golden smile that introduced me to
A particular smile stands out, one that introduced the listener to a special someone or special time.
The days of wine and roses and you
And that special someone was present in the happy times, which seem now to have passed by too quickly.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HENRY NICOLA MANCINI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gtpluvr
I grew up in the Chicago area in the early 70's watching Creature Features every saturday night on WGN and this was the opening song of the show...Mancini has music that will forever live on!
@frankkoller2622
Me too! 👍
@kennethbeavers6903
Yeessssss same here!! Man those were some good days of Television
@teddbertrand2627
Yup. We would have a pizza delivered ($3.00), sit in front of those folding tv trays and watch every weekend.
@efisch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYRp83XCVI
@surfercrow
The Mancini original is by far the best. (my opinion). First heard it in the early 70s in Chicago on WGN channel 9, “Creature Feature” 10:30 PM Saturday night—unforgettable!
Al Caiola’s version (used for “Chiller Theater”) is pretty good, more playful—-but Mancini’s is pure genius—the harp flourishes, the lush strings in the epic bridge section—& that sinister 6/8; perfection!🖤
@msr1116
Perfect descriptive word for the feel of this instrumental......sinister.
@OlymPigs2010
Mancini's orchestrations are so lush....it really takes you on a trip!!!
@chi69201
Thumbs up to the Chicagoans checking in! GN's genius choice for CF's opening theme still gives me chills! Didn't know it then but Chaney's "London After Midnight" graphic was genius too. WGN also used Brubeck's "Take 5" for their old movie feature. The cool cats at GN had great taste in music but as a kid, I didn't realize that at the time! Jerry G. Bishop's SYT "Svengoolie" used Link Wray's "The Rumble"! Chicago has ALWAYS been blessed with music programming genius! Anyway, thanks for posting
@douglaslambert3133
"Take Five" was written by his saxophonist Paul Desmond, orchestrated by Dave Brubeck.