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.
Lover
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let you
We broke the ties that bind
I wanted to forget you
And leave the past behind
Still, the magic of the night I met you
Seems to stay forever in my mind
And high above
The moon was new
And so was love
This eager heart of mine was singing
Lover where can you be
You came at last
Love had its day
That day is past
You've gone away
This aching heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I'm so lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
When I remember every little thing
You used to do
I grow lonely
Every road I walk along
I walk along with you
No wonder I am lonely
The sky is blue
The night is cold
The moon is new
But love is old
And while I'm waiting here
This heart of mine is singing
Lover come back to me
In Fly Me To The Moon, the lyrics describe the emotional turmoil of a person who has lost a lover and is struggling to forget them. The opening lines describe the singer's choice to let their lover go and break the ties that bind them. At first, they wanted to forget their lover completely and leave the past behind them, but the memory of the night they met continues to haunt them. This indicates that despite their attempts to move forward, the singer is still deeply affected by this past relationship.
The lyrics then shift to describe the night the lovers first met. The sky was blue and the moon was new, indicating that this was a fresh and exciting time in their lives. The singer's eager heart is singing, but they are also longing for their lover to return. This longing is intensified by the fact that the lovers have broken up, leaving the singer feeling lonely and nostalgic for the past.
As the song progresses, the singer's desperation grows. They recall every little thing that their lover used to do, and they feel as though they are walking along every road with them. Despite the passing of time, the singer's love is as strong as ever. The sky is still blue, the night is still cold, and the moon is still new, but the singer's lover is gone. The song ends with the same refrain, "Lover come back to me," as the singer longs for their love to return.
Overall, Fly Me To The Moon is a poignant expression of the pain and longing that comes with lost love. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and emotional intensity, making it a timeless classic that speaks directly to the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
You went away
You left my side
I let you
I allowed you to go
We broke the ties that bind
We ended our relationship
I wanted to forget you
I wished to erase you from my memory
And leave the past behind
And move on from what we had
Still, the magic of the night I met you
However, the enchantment of our first encounter
Seems to stay forever in my mind
Seems to linger eternally in my thoughts
The sky was blue
The sky had a blue hue
And high above
And was located far above
The moon was new
The moon was in its early phase
And so was love
And so was our affection
This eager heart of mine was singing
My enthusiastic heart sang
Lover where can you be
My darling, where are you?
You came at last
You finally arrived
Love had its day
Our love had its time
That day is past
That time is gone
You've gone away
You have left again
This aching heart of mine is singing
My pained heart is singing
Lover come back to me
Beloved, return to me
When I remember every little thing
As I recollect every small detail
You used to do
The things you once did
I'm so lonely
I feel so isolated
Every road I walk along
Every path I take
I walk along with you
I walk with you in my memories
No wonder I am lonely
It's no surprise I feel alone
The night is cold
The night is chilly
But love is old
But our love has endured
And while I'm waiting here
And as I patiently wait
This heart of mine is singing
My heart sings
Lover come back to me
Beloved, return to me
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, TuneCore Inc., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, ONErpm, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind