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 Tormรฉ'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.
Catch a Falling Star
Les Baxter and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never let it fade away
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder
Some starless night
Just in case you feel you wanna hold her
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away (never let it fade away)
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day (save it for a rainy day)
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder
Some starless night
And just in case you feel you wanna hold her
You'll have a pocketful of starlight
(Pocketful of starlight)
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away (never let it fade away)
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day (save it for a rainy day)
(Save it for a rainy, rainy, rainy day)
For when your troubles start multiplyin'
And they just might
It's easy to forget them without tryin'
With just a pocketful of starlight
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Never let it fade away (never let it fade away)
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Save it for a rainy day
(Save it for a rainy day)
Save it for a rainy day
The song "Catch a Falling Star" by Les Baxter and His Orchestra conveys a whimsical and romantic message about holding onto moments of joy and hope for when times get tough. The act of catching a falling star and putting it in your pocket symbolizes seizing fleeting moments of happiness and preserving them for darker days. The lyrics emphasize the importance of cherishing these moments and not letting them fade away, as they can serve as a source of comfort and light in difficult times.
The repetition of the phrase "save it for a rainy day" reinforces the idea of saving up these precious moments of happiness for when you may need them most. The imagery of a pocketful of starlight suggests carrying around a reservoir of positivity and warmth that can help dispel the darkness that life sometimes brings. The song encourages listeners to hold onto these moments of magic and love, knowing that they can serve as a beacon of hope in times of trouble.
The mention of love coming and tapping you on the shoulder on a starless night speaks to the unexpected and fleeting nature of love and happiness. The lyrics suggest that when love does come knocking, having a pocketful of starlight can be a source of comfort and reassurance. It's a reminder to appreciate and hold onto love when it appears, as it can provide solace and light during challenging times.
Overall, "Catch a Falling Star" is a tender and poetic reminder to appreciate the moments of beauty and joy that come our way and to hold onto them for when we need a lift. The song's message is one of resilience, optimism, and the power of love and light to guide us through life's inevitable storms. It invites listeners to embrace the magic of the present moment and to always keep a pocketful of starlight close at hand.
Line by Line Meaning
Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket
Seize a precious moment and keep it close to you
Never let it fade away
Always cherish and remember that moment
Save it for a rainy day
Hold onto that memory for when you need it most
For love may come and tap you on the shoulder
Unexpected opportunities for love may arise
Some starless night
During a dark or difficult time
Just in case you feel you wanna hold her
If you want to embrace that chance
You'll have a pocketful of starlight
You'll have a reserve of comfort and hope
For when your troubles start multiplyin'
When challenges become overwhelming
And they just might
It's possible that difficulties will arise
It's easy to forget them without tryin'
You can easily overcome those challenges
With just a pocketful of starlight
By drawing upon positive memories and experiences
Save it for a rainy day
Preserve those moments for when you need them most
Lyrics ยฉ Kanjian Music
Written by: Lee Julien Pockriss, Paul J. Vance
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@GOOSEYGOOSE9
Doug Olsen Told Me About Him.Perry Como Please Rest in peace.
@perrycomeau2627
My parents love this song.
@michelleregis6181
This was a big hit, i was in grade 6 oh the memories. music plays a big part of my past
@johnnyjackson3923
Claire loved this one on โLostโ!
@suitcasetheflagmappersgran7921
Perry Como was a natural singer. An easy going talent who deserved to "make it big". A famous son of Canonsburg, PA๐๐
@smwca123
As is Bobby Vinton, who's now 88 and sidelined with a bad case of shingles since 2015. In 1999 Canonsburg unveiled a statue of Perry, but he was too ill to attend (his wife had died the year before). Bobby declined a similar honor, believing that the town should put the $100,000.00 it would cost toward more important needs.
@ericvonzipper11
Perry had such an easy going; easy listening to voice.
@suitcasetheflagmappersgran7921
Agree.
@rubewaddell1704
Australia's 191st number one.
@user-vm4gv3xv6e
์กฐํ์ 7,772ํ... ์ ๋ค์์ต๋๋ค.