Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles for further studies at Pepperdine College. Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer. At the age of 23 he joined Mel Tormé's Mel-Tones, singing on Artie Shaw records such as "What Is This Thing Called Love?".
Baxter then turned to arranging and conducting for Capitol Records in 1950, and was credited with the early Nat King Cole hits, "Mona Lisa" and "Too Young", but both were actually orchestrated by Nelson Riddle.[1] (In later releases of the recordings the credit was corrected to Riddle.[citation needed]) Not a uncommon practice these days: Baxter himself had arranged Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" in 1947 for a recording conducted by Frank De Vol. In 1953 he scored his first film, the sailing travelogue Tanga Tika. With his own orchestra, he released a number of hits including "Ruby" (1953), "Unchained Melody" (1955) and "The Poor People Of Paris" (1956). The latter recording sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.[2]He also achieved success with concept albums of his own orchestral suites: Le Sacre Du Sauvage, Festival Of The Gnomes, Ports Of Pleasure, and Brazil Now, the first three for Capitol and the fourth on Gene Norman's Crescendo label. The list of musicians on these recordings includes Plas Johnson and Clare Fischer.
Baxter also wrote the "Whistle" theme from the TV show Lassie.
Baxter did not restrict his activities to recording. As he once told Soundtrack! magazine, "I never turn anything down".
In the 1960s, he formed the Balladeers, a besuited and conservative folk group that at one time featured a young David Crosby.[citation needed] He operated in radio as musical director of The Halls of Ivy and the Bob Hope and Abbott and Costello shows.
Like his counterparts Henry Mancini, Lalo Schifrin and James Horner, Baxter later worked for the film industries from 1960s to 70s. He worked on movie soundtracks for American International Pictures where he composed and conducted scores for Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films and other horror stories and teenage musicals, including The Pit and the Pendulum, Panic in Year Zero!, Beach Party, The Comedy of Terrors,The Dunwich Horror, and Frogs. Howard W. Koch recalled that Baxter composed, orchestrated, and recorded the entire score of The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) in a total of three hours for $5,000.[3]
With less soundtrack work in the 1980s, he scored music for theme parks and SeaWorlds. In the 1990s, Baxter was widely celebrated, alongside Martin Denny and the Arthur Lyman Group, as one of the progenitors of what had become known as the "exotica" movement. In his 1996 appreciation for Wired magazine, writer David Toop remembered Baxter thus:
"Baxter offered package tours in sound, selling tickets to sedentary tourists who wanted to stroll around some taboo emotions before lunch, view a pagan ceremony, go wild in the sun or conjure a demon, all without leaving home hi-fi comforts in the white suburbs".
Baxter has a motion picture star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6314 Hollywood Blvd.
Because of You
Les Baxter and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because of you my romance had its start
Because of you the sun will shine
The moon and stars will say you're mine
Forever and never to part
I only live for your love and your kiss
It's paradise to be near you like this
And I can smile
Because of you
I only live for your love and your kiss
It's paradise to be near you like this
Because of you my life is now worthwhile
And I can smile
Because of you
The lyrics to Les Baxter's song "Because of You" speak to the overwhelming effect that love can have on a person's life. The singer credits their current happiness to the person they love, who has brought a newfound meaning to their life. The opening line, "Because of you there's a song in my heart," refers to the way that love can inspire creativity and joy, as though the singer can't help but burst into song because of the way they feel.
The second line, "Because of you my romance had its start," suggests that the singer feels that their life didn't truly begin until they met this person. The third line, "Because of you the sun will shine," is notable because it implies that the singer's outlook on life has been transformed completely - now that they have love in their life, everything seems brighter and more optimistic. The final line, "Forever and never to part," speaks to the intensity of the singer's feelings for their love, as though they know that they will be together forever.
The chorus is essentially a repetition of the opening verse, but with a few key differences. Instead of saying "there's a song in my heart," the singer says "my life is now worthwhile," which speaks to the deep sense of fulfillment they feel because of their relationship. The line "It's paradise to be near you like this" is particularly romantic, suggesting that simply being in the same room as their love is enough to make the singer feel like they're in heaven. Finally, the closing line "And I can smile because of you" is a fitting end to the song, suggesting that the singer's love is the source of all joy and happiness in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Because of you there's a song in my heart
You have brought joy and happiness into my life, giving me a reason to sing a song of love and hope in my heart.
Because of you my romance had its start
The love we share has given birth to the most beautiful romance, one that fills my heart with joy and happiness.
Because of you the sun will shine
Your presence in my life makes everything brighter and brings warmth and light to even the darkest of days.
The moon and stars will say you're mine
The beauty of the night sky reminds me of the love and connection we share, and how the universe reflects the fact that we belong together.
Forever and never to part
Our love is deep and strong, and I know we will always be together, never to be separated by anything or anyone.
I only live for your love and your kiss
You are the center of my world, and everything I do or feel is connected to the deep love and passion I have for you.
It's paradise to be near you like this
Being close to you, feeling your touch and hearing your voice, is like being transported to a world of paradise, where everything is perfect and beautiful.
Because of you my life is now worthwhile
Your love has given my life purpose and meaning, and every moment spent with you is precious and valuable.
And I can smile
You bring joy and happiness into my life, and even in the darkest moments, your presence brings a smile to my face and fills me with hope and love.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Arthur Hammerstein, Dudley Wilkinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-tr3be9yh7k
I love that song. Come on musicians, create more of these positive lyrics!
@jamescity1160
This song is just Devine! One of my all-time favorites. Thanks for the upload!
@RationalDischarge
What ever happened to music like this? That lush orchestration, those melding choral voices, and the soaring strings...it's all just too perfect!
@CatsPjamas1
Since my favorite music is mostly from the '50's and '60's, I often wonder what it would have been like to live back then. Seems like it was such a romantic time, I certainly haven't found much of that today. I was born in 1978.
@TheSchmuck2
Sure, it was pretty nice if you were nestled in affluent white cishetero normie privilege :) but heaven help you if you were weird or poor or anything else.
@noorclean2915
Only pretty if you were white anglo and male … if you are person of color or jewish or italian, you might face discrimination anf racism
@user-tr3be9yh7k
Get a grip guys. Can't you look past the negativity all the time? Just enjoy some REAL music!
@richard4677
Dear person, to live in that era was so full of romance and beauty, I lived in another country, and this kind of music was in fashion all over the world. The walks on the beach at sunset, driving along the coastline and listening in the radio this kind of music was awsome, inspiring leaving you with a sweet taste for life itself.
@EBrindley77
Does anybody know the names of the singers in the Les Baxter Chorus? It’s driving me crazy that I don’t know their names. Those Les Baxter singers are a national treasure and nobody knows their names.
@windstorm1000
I agree--we need more beautiful music in these frenetic times--NOT more frenetic music. I see less happy now even with all these electronic gadgets--Mom and Dad and grandpa were way calmer, feet to the earth!! Must partically because of music they listened to!!