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.
Windmills of your mind
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind!
The lyrics of Mantovani's song "Windmills of your mind" are metaphorical and thought-provoking. It speaks of various experiences that are cyclical and continuous like a wheel within a wheel. It starts with the comparison of life to a circular and spiral pattern, where its beginning and end are indefinite. The song suggests that life is ever-changing yet perpetual, like a never-ending snowball rolling down a hill. It is full of new experiences and unfamiliar sensations, like a carnival balloon, or a carousel that is continuously moving. The image of a clock whose hands are sweeping by the minutes of its face represents the swift passing of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life is like a never-ending cycle enabling progress or regress and change is inevitable.
Never ending or beginning on an ever spinning reel
Time flows like a continuous loop without any starting or finishing point.
Like a snowball down a mountain, or a carnival balloon
Life can be like a snowball rolling down a hill or a balloon floating around, picking up speed and momentum.
Like a carousel that's turning running rings around the moon
The never-ending cycle of life can seem like a never-ending ride, going in circles and chasing after the unattainable.
Like a clock whose hands are sweeping past the minutes of its face
Time moves quickly, and with each passing moment, the past fades away while the future is slowly becoming the present.
And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space
The world is constantly in motion, and everything is connected, just like the earth revolving silently through space.
Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind!
Life can sometimes feel like a never-ending maze of thoughts and ideas going in circles in our minds.
Like a tunnel that you follow to a tunnel of its own
Life can seem like an endless journey, leading us down various paths that are connected and intertwined.
Down a hollow to a cavern where the sun has never shone
Sometimes, the path we take can lead us into darkness, where we may feel lost or alone, surrounded by our fears and doubts.
Like a door that keeps revolving in a half forgotten dream
Memories can be like doors that open and close, leading us to half-forgotten dreams and experiences that we can't quite recall.
Or the ripples from a pebble someone tosses in a stream
Small actions and decisions can have far-reaching effects, just like a pebble thrown into a stream can create ripples that spread outwards.
Keys that jingle in your pocket, words that jangle in your head
Along our life journey, we collect various experiences, memories, and ideas that we carry with us - like keys jingling in our pocket or words that bounce around in our minds.
Why did summer go so quickly, was it something that you said?
Life can feel fleeting, and the moments we experience can slip away before we even realize it, leaving us wondering if we made the most of our time.
Lovers walking along a shore and leave their footprints in the sand
Love can leave an imprint on our lives, just like lovers leaving footprints in the sand that will eventually fade away, but the memories will stay with us forever.
Is the sound of distant drumming just the fingers of your hand?
Sometimes, the things we hear or feel can be misleading, and what we think is happening may not be the reality.
Pictures hanging in a hallway and the fragment of a song
Memories can be triggered by various things, like pictures or a song.
Half remembered names and faces, but to whom do they belong?
As we journey through life, we meet many people, and for some, their names and faces fade from our mind, leaving us wondering who they were or how they impacted our lives.
When you knew that it was over you were suddenly aware
Sometimes, the realization that something has come to an end can make us acutely aware of the passage of time and the impact of our choices.
That the autumn leaves were turning to the color of her hair!
Our senses and memories can be closely connected, reminding us of people or moments from our past that still hold meaning for us.
Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel
Life is a never-ending cycle, where everything is connected and intertwined, leading us down different paths that eventually lead us back to where we started.
As the images unwind, like the circles that you find
As we reflect on our lives, memories and experiences can surface, leading us down paths of thought that can eventually circle back to where we began.
In the windmills of your mind!
Our thoughts and ideas can often feel like they are churning around in our minds, similar to the constant motion of windmills.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind