After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II (where he worked under Walter Schumann), he was hired by Mitch Miller, then head of A & R at Columbia Records as their home arranger, and he worked with several artists, including Rosemary Clooney, Marty Robbins, Frankie Laine, Johnny Mathis, Guy Mitchell and Johnnie Ray. He wrote a top 10 arrangement for Don Cherry's "Band of Gold" in 1955, a single that sold more than a million copies.
Amongst the hit singles he backed with his orchestra (and eventually with a male chorus) were "Yes Tonight Josephine" and "Just Walkin' in the Rain" by Johnnie Ray; "Chances Are" and "It's Not for Me to Say" by Johnny Mathis; "A White Sport Coat" and "The Hanging Tree" by Marty Robbins; "Up Above My Head," a duet by Frankie Laine and Johnnie Ray, and "Pet Me, Poppa" by Rosemary Clooney. He also backed up the albums "Tony" by Tony Bennett, "Blue Swing" by Eileen Rodgers, "Swingin' for Two" by Don Cherry. and half the tracks of "The Big Beat" by Johnnie Ray.
In these early years he also produced some similar sounding records for Columbia's Epic label under the name of Jay Raye (which stands for "Joseph Raymond") amongst them a backing album and singles with Somethin' Smith & The Redheads, an American male vocal group.
Because of the success of his backings Mitch Miller allowed him to make his own record, and this became the successful "'S Wonderful", a collection of standards that were recorded with an orchestra and a wordless singing chorus (four men, four women). He released many more albums in the same vein, including "Dance The Bop" (1957), "'S Marvelous" (1957, gold album), "'S Awful Nice" (1958), "Concert in Rhythm" (1958, gold album), "Hollywood in Rhythm" (1958), "Broadway in Rhythm" (1959), and "Concert in Rhythm, Volume II" (1959, gold album).
In 1959 he started the Ray Conniff Singers (12 women and 13 men) and released the album "It's the Talk of the Town. This group of word— not just syllable — singing singers brought him the biggest hit he ever had in his career: "Somewhere My Love" (1966). The title track of the album was written to the music of Lara's Theme from the film Doctor Zhivago (1965), and was a top 10 single in the US. The album also reached the US top 20 and went platinum, and Conniff won a Grammy. The single and album reached high positions in the international charts (a.o. Australia, Germany, Great Britain, Japan) as well. Also extraordinarily successful was the first of four Christmas albums by the Singers, "Christmas with Conniff" (1959). Nearly fifty years after its release, in 2004, Conniff posthumously was awarded with a platinum album/CD.
Musically different highlights in Conniff's career are two albums he produced in cooperation with Billy Butterfield, an old buddy from earlier swing days. "Conniff Meets Butterfield" (1960) featured Butterfield's solo trumpet and a small rhythm group; "Just Kiddin' Around" (after a Conniff original composition from the 1940's), released 1963, featured additional trombone solos by Ray himself. Both albums are pure light jazz and did not feature any vocals.
Later in the 1960's he produced an average of two instrumental and one vocal album a year. Among these are (Original albums only):
* "'s Wonderful" (1956)
* "Dance the Bop!" (1957)
* "'s Marvelous" (1957)
* "'s Awful Nice" (1958)
* "Concert in Rhythm, Vol.1" (1958)
* "Broadway in Rhythm" (1958)
* "Hollywood in Rhythm" (1958)
* "It's The Talk of the Town" (1959)
* "Conniff Meets Butterfield" (1959)
* "Christmas with Conniff" (1959)
* "Concert in Rhythm, Vol.2" (1959)
* "Young at Heart" (1960)
* "Say It with Music (A Touch of Latin)" (1960)
* "Memories Are Made of This" (1960, gold album)
* "Somebody Loves Me" (1961)
* "'S Continental" (1961)
* "So Much in Love" (1962, gold album)
* "Rhapsody in Rhythm" (1962)
* "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (1962, gold album)
* "The Happy Beat" (1962)
* "You Make Me Feel So Young" (1963)
* "Speak to Me of Love" (1963)
* "Friendly Persuasion" (1964)
* "Invisible Tears" (1964)
* "Love Affair" (1965)
* "Music From 'Mary Poppins', 'The Sound of Music', 'My Fair Lady' & Other Great Movie Themes" (1965)
* "Here We Come A-Caroling" (1965)
* "Happiness Is" (1965)
* "Ray Conniff's World of Hits" (1966)
* "En Español (The Ray Conniff Singers Sing It in Spanish)" (1966)
* "This Is My Song" (1967)
* "Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album" (1967)
* "It Must Be Him" (1967, gold album)
* "Honey" (1968, gold album)
* "Turn Around Look at Me" (1968)
* "I Love How You Love Me" (1968)
* "Live Europa Tournee 1969/Concert in Stereo" (1969)
* "Jean" (1969)
* "Concert In Stereo: Live At 'The Sahara Tahoe'" (1969)
* "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (1970)
* "We've Only Just Begun" (1970)
* "Love Story" (1970)
* "Great Contemporary Instrumental Hits" (1971)
* "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" (1971)
* "Love Theme from "The Godfather" (1972)
* "Alone Again (Naturally)" (1972)
* "I Can See Clearly Now" (1972)
* "Ray Conniff in Britain" (1973)
* "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" (1973)
* "Harmony" (1973)
* "The Way We Were" (1973)
* "The Happy Sound of Ray Conniff" (1974)
* "Ray Conniff In Moscow" (1974)
* "Laughter in the Rain" (1975)
* "Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" (1975)
* "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1975)
* "I Write the Songs" (1975)
* "Live in Japan" (1975)
* "Send in the Clowns" (1976)
* "Theme from 'SWAT' and Other TV Themes" (1976)
* "After the Lovin'" (1976)
* "Exitos Latinos" (1977)
* "Ray Conniff Plays the Bee Gees and Other Great Hits" (1978)
* "I Will Survive" (1979)
* "The Perfect '10' Classics" (1980)
* "Exclusivamente Latino" (1980)
* "Siempre Latino" (1981)
* "The Nashville Connection" (1982)
* "Musik für Millionen" (partly produced for a German TV show in 1982)
* "Amor Amor" (1982)
* "Fantastico" (1983)
* "Supersonico" (1984)
* "Campeones" (1985)
* "Say You Say Me" (1986)
* "30th Anniversary Edition" (1986)
* "Always in My Heart" (1987)
* "Interpreta 16 Exitos De Manuel Alejandro" (1988)
* "Ray Conniff Plays Broadway" (1990)
* "'S Always Conniff" (1991)
* "Latinisimo" (1993)
* "40th Anniversary" (1995)
* "Live in Rio (aka Mi Historia)" (1997)
* "I Love Movies" (1997)
* "My Way" (1998)
* "'S Country" (1999)
* "'S Christmas" (1999)
* "Do Ray Para O Rei" (2000).
Between 1957 and 1968, he had 28 albums in the American Top 40, the most famous one being "Somewhere My Love" (1966). He topped the album list in Britain in 1969 with "His Orchestra, His Chorus, His Singers, His Sound". He also was the first American popular artist to record in Russia—in 1974 he recorded "Ray Conniff in Moscow" with the help of a local choir. His later albums like "Exclusivamente Latino", "Amor Amor" and "Latinisimo" made him very popular in Latin-American countries, even more so after performing in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. In Brazil and Chile he was treated like a young pop superstar in the 1980s and 1990s when he was in his 70s and 80s. He even played live with his orchestra and eight-person chorus in large football stadiums as well as in Viña del Mar.
Ray Conniff was a quiet, modest sympathetic artist. He always worked in the background so that in the fifties there were rumours that this man didn't even exist and his name was just a name fake as then his orchestral sound was so sensational. Nevertheless he sold about 70 million albums world-wide and continued recording and performing until his death in 2002.
He died in Escondido, California, and is interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
In 2004, a memorial two-CD compilation set, "The Essential Ray Conniff", was released, featuring many rare and previously unreleased tracks. "The Singles Collection, Vol.1" was released on the Collectables label in 2005. This also features many rare tracks.
Top Of The World
Ray Conniff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There is wonder in 'most every thing I see
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream
Everything I want the world to be
Is now comin' true especially for me
And the reason is clear, it's because you are here
I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world
Somethin' in the wind has learned my name
And it's tellin' me that things are not the same
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me
There is only one wish on my mind
When this day is through I hope that I will find
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me
All I need will be mine if you are here
I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world
I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
And the only explanation I can find
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
Your love's put me at the top of the world
The song “Top of the World” by Ray Conniff is about the feeling of absolute joy and wonder that the singer feels when they are with their beloved. The first verse opens up with the singer describing how they are feeling as if they are in a dream-like state, with wonder in everything they see around them, including the bright blue sky and the shining sun in their eyes. The second verse explains how everything that the singer has ever wished for in the world is now coming true, and it is all because of their lover being close by. The chorus describes the feeling of being on top of the world and looking down upon creation, with the love of their partner being the sole reason for this exhilarating sensation.
In the third verse, the sense of change that is about to come is described, and the singer feels that something magical has happened, and they feel the presence of their lover even when they are not around. In the fourth verse, the singer reflects on their day and how wonderful it has been, and they hope that the same happiness carries over to the next day for themselves and their lover. The song concludes with a repeat of the joyous chorus to emphasize the feeling of being on top of the world because of their lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Such a feelin's comin' over me
I am experiencing an overwhelming emotion.
There is wonder in 'most every thing I see
I find beauty and amazement in everything around me.
Not a cloud in the sky, got the sun in my eyes
The weather is perfect and I am enjoying the warmth of the sun.
And I won't be surprised if it's a dream
I am so happy that I feel like I might be dreaming.
Everything I want the world to be
My dreams and desires for the world are becoming reality.
Is now comin' true especially for me
I am experiencing the fulfillment of my dreams, specifically for me.
And the reason is clear, it's because you are here
The person I am with is the reason why I am so happy and fulfilled.
You're the nearest thing to heaven that I've seen
The person I am with is the closest thing to perfection that I have ever experienced.
I'm on the top of the world lookin' down on creation
I am feeling as if I am on top of the world, looking down at everything around me.
And the only explanation I can find
The only reason I can attribute my happiness to is...
Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around
...the love that I have found since being with the person I am with.
Your love's put me at the top of the world
Their love has given me a sense of euphoria and happiness that has placed me on top of the world.
Somethin' in the wind has learned my name
There is something intangible in the air that recognizes me.
And it's tellin' me that things are not the same
This intangible force is making me aware that things have changed.
In the leaves on the trees and the touch of the breeze
I am noticing positive changes in my environment, such as the foliage and wind.
There's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me
These positive changes are bringing me a pleasing sense of joy and happiness.
There is only one wish on my mind
I have only one desire at this moment.
When this day is through I hope that I will find
At the end of the day, my hope is to find...
That tomorrow will be just the same for you and me
...that tomorrow will bring the same happiness and fulfillment for both myself and the person I am with.
All I need will be mine if you are here
As long as I am with the person I love, I have everything I need.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Bettis, Richard Lynn Carpenter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joao Roberto Sousa
Vozes maravillosas. Coral mais fantástico do mundo. Orquestra idem. Maestro nota 1000.
Joao Roberto Sousa
Música maravilhosa. Se tornou melhor ainda nas mãos de Ray Conniff .
marcelo tita
Lindas canções, que nos fazem viajar
Jorge Ferreira
O casamento dos meus pais foi ao som de Ray Conniff,em 1976.
Toca até hoje em casa.
Passou de geração.
Xavier verdés
Bonita cancion magníficament interpretada por Ray Coniff i sus cuatro muchachos i ellas cuatro
Hay unos acords de guitarra fantàsticament expresados por su instrumentista. Fantàstics.
João Roberto S
A competência chegou ali e parou. Que maravilha, músicos, coral e claro o magnífico maestro.
Guillermo Delgado Vélez
"LA CIMA DEL MUNDO", OTRO DE LOS TEMAS MÁS CONOCIDOS DEL DUETO "THE CARPENTERS", ES AQUÍ PRESENTADO EN VIVO POR EL MAESTRO RAY CONNIFF AL FRENTE DE SU ORQUESTA Y DE SUS COROS, EN EL CONCIERTO PRESENTADO EN TOKIO, JAPÓN, EL 11 DE DICIEMBRE DE 1991.
Bspellma
The singers really look like they are enjoying singing. Great job
Enrique Nino
Muy buena musica.
Ирина Шашкина
Рэй - великий мастер, но и голоса такие надо ещё найти! От этой музыки хочется ЖИТЬ, ЛЮБИТЬ, ТВОРИТЬ! А когда вокалисты вступают, то вообще хочется им подпевать