He was also musical director for a large number of musicals and other plays, including ones by Noel Coward. After the war, he concentrated on recording, and eventually gave up live performance altogether. He worked with arranger and composer Ronnie Binge, who developed the "cascading strings" sound (also known as the "Mantovani sound").[citation needed] His records were regulars in stores selling hi-fi stereo equipment, as they were produced and arranged for stereo reproduction. In 1952 Binge ceased to arrange for Mantovani, but his distinctive sound remained.
He recorded for Decca until the mid-1950s, and then London Records. He recorded over 50 albums on that label, many of which were top-40 hits. These included Song from Moulin Rouge and Cara Mia, which reached No. 1 in Britain in 1953 and 1954, respectively. The latter was also Mantovani's first U.S. Top Ten hit.
In the United States, between 1955 and 1972, he released over 40 albums with 27 reaching the Top 40 and 11 the Top Ten. His biggest success was with the album Film Encores, which made it to No. 1 in 1957. Similarly, Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes made it to No. 2 in 1961 and sold over one million albums.
In 1959, Mantovani starred in his own syndicated television series, Mantovani, which was produced in England and which aired in the United States. 39 episodes were filmed.[1]
Mantovani made his last recordings in 1975.[citation needed]
[edit] Music style and influences
The cascading strings technique developed by Binge became Mantovani's hallmark in such hits arranged by Binge as "Charmaine". Binge developed this technique to replicate the echo experienced in venues such as cathedrals by arrangement alone, in an echo-free surrounding.
Author Joseph Lanza describes Mantovani's string arrangements as the most "rich and mellifluous" of the emerging light music style during the early 1950s. He stated that Mantovani was a leader in the use of new studio technologies to "create sound tapestries with innumerable strings", and that "the sustained hum of Mantovani's reverberated violins produced a sonic vaporizer foreshadowing the synthesizer harmonics of space music."[2]
In 1958 Mantovani and his family bought a holiday home in Bournemouth in Durley Chine Road, then in 1961 acquired a new property in Burton Road (now part of Poole). He moved, finally, to a new home in Martello Road in Poole.
Since his death at a care home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1980, his music has enjoyed a minor revival,[citation needed] with much of his catalogue reappearing on CD and an orchestra bearing his name performing concert tours. The saleability of the Mantovani name is underscored by new recordings being made as the Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately[neutrality is disputed], a large number of CDs are also available of unauthorized recordings, billed as Mantovani or Mantovani Orchestra.[citation needed] There have also been CDs released under the Mantovani name of recordings made by others while Mantovani was still alive.[citation needed] Thus, consumers of this music are advised to familiarize themselves with the conductor's discography. Material with the London Records logo on it is apt to be genuine Mantovani, while other recordings are less likely to be actual Mantovani recordings.[citation needed]
The continued popularity of Mantovani's music is evident by the number of original albums which are being released, on labels such as Dutton-Vocalion, and by the many compilations available throughout the world. In 2008, as a result of successful, ongoing CD sales, amongst other contributing factors, the Mantovani Orchestra (performing from the original scores) was recreated for a tremendously successful historical tribute concert, sponsored by Bentley Motors, held at the Lighthouse, in Poole, England, on 27 January, conducted by Sam Newgarth, MBE. Much critical acclaim has led to the planning of a second concert, to take place in January 2009, at the same venue. There are four Mantovani websites in honour of the maestro, a written biography by Colin MacKenzie entitled Mantovani - A Lifetime In Music (ISBN 1-905226-19-5). For further information, please visit http://www.hallowquest.com/mantiindex.htm; http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/torumonty; http://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk (re. ticket sales for 31 January 2009). A ten CD set 'The Wonderful World of Mantovani' was released in November 2008 in Japan (a link to the website in Japan may be found by visiting www.hallowquest.com/mantiindex.htm), featuring many rare tracks which have never been released on CD before, in a superbly remastered format, and, following the success of the Mantovani Orchestra's 2008 concert, 'More MANTOVANI Magic' took place at Lighthouse in Poole, England, on 31 January 2009, again conducted by maestro Sam Newgarth MBE. The concert was sponsored by Poole Audi, and also with the generous support of Richard Cox.
I Don't Want to Walk Without You
Mantovani Lyrics
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They've asked me out a hundred times or more
But all I say is, "Leave me in the gloom"
And here I stay within my lonely room
'Cause
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
But now I find that
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
No, sire
These lyrics are about a person who is sitting alone in their room after a breakup. Their friends are inviting them to go out and have fun but they decline every time because they do not want to be happy without their ex-partner. The person realizes that they do not want to walk alone and do things without their ex because their presence means so much to them. The person had thought that they would be able to forget about their ex and be okay on their own by taking a walk, but instead they find themselves missing their ex more than ever. They even mention that they do not want to walk without sunshine because everything is so gloomy without their ex in their life. The person ends the lyrics by pleading their ex to come back because they cannot imagine going through life without them.
This song displays the pain and struggle of someone going through a heartbreak. It depicts how the person cannot enjoy themselves even though their friends are trying to cheer them up. They are fixated on their ex and cannot imagine doing anything without them. The lyrics show a vulnerability and a rawness that many people can relate to when going through a heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
All our friends keep knocking at the door
My friends still want to hang out and spend time with me
They've asked me out a hundred times or more
My friends have asked me to come out many times
But all I say is, "Leave me in the gloom"
I've been telling my friends that I don't want to go out and prefer to be alone
And here I stay within my lonely room
I've been spending time alone in my room
'Cause
I don't want to walk without you, Baby
Walk without my arm about you, Baby
I miss you and don't want to go out without you by my side
I thought the day you left me behind
I'd take a stroll and get you right off my mind
But now I find that
I thought that I would forget you after you left me, but I haven't
I don't want to walk without the sunshine
Why'd you have to turn off all that sunshine?
You brought joy and light into my life, and now I feel lost without you
Oh, Baby, please come back or you'll break my heart for me
'Cause I don't want to walk without you
No, sire
Without you, I feel broken and incomplete, and I need you to come back into my life
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John William Callis, Philip Oakey, Adrian Philip Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind