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, 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 was posthumously 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 1940s), released 1963, featured additional trombone solos by Ray himself. Both albums are pure light jazz and did not feature any vocals.
Jingle Bells
Ray Conniff Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh
Oer the fields we go laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring making spirits bright
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Day or two ago I thought Id take a ride
Soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank and then we got up-sot
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Now the ground is white, go it while were young
And take the girls tonight and sing a sleigin song
Ya get a bobtail net, ya pickim for him speed
And hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack youll take the lead
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
One horse open sleigh
The song "Jingle Bells" by Ray Conniff Singers is a classic Christmas song that talks about the fun of slaying, dashing through the snow, laughing all the way while riding on a one-horse open sleigh. The song is perfect for singing in groups as it has catchy, repetitive lyrics that are easy to sing along to. The lyrics also talk about riding with a special someone, picking up some speed, and taking the lead, which makes it feel like a thrilling adventure.
The song's lyrics are fun and light-hearted, and promote holiday happiness and joy, and the bells that ring throughout the song add to the festive tone. The last stanza of the song encourages people to take advantage of the snow and go on an adventurous ride with their loved ones. In essence, the song is about enjoying the holiday season and having fun with the people you care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
The joyful sound of the bells ringing in unison is echoing everywhere
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh
Riding in the open sleigh, pulled by a single horse, is an enjoyable experience
Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh
Traveling quickly across the snowy terrain on the open sleigh powered by a lone horse
Oer the fields we go laughing all the way
As we speed across the fields, we are filled with joy and laughter
Bells on bobtail ring making spirits bright
The bells on the horse harness are ringing, lifting everyone's spirit
What fun it is to sing along on a sleigin song tonight
Joining in the sleigh ride song is a fun and memorable experience
Day or two ago I thought Id take a ride
A few days back, I decided to ride in the open sleigh
Soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
Miss Fannie Bright joined me in the open sleigh shortly afterwards
The horse was lean and lank misfortune seemed his lot
The horse pulling the open sleigh was skinny and looked unlucky
We got into a drifted bank and then we got up-sot
The horse carriage got stuck in a snowdrift and ended up overturned
Now the ground is white, go it while were young
The snowy terrain is inviting us to experience the joys of sleigh riding while we're still young
And take the girls tonight and sing a sleigin song
Let's invite the girls to join us this evening and sing our favorite sleigh riding songs
Ya get a bobtail net, ya pickim for him speed
We'll need to select a suitable horse with good speed and attach bells to its harness
And hitch him to an open sleigh and crack youll take the lead
We need to connect the horse to the open sleigh and take charge to lead the ride
One horse open sleigh
The open sleigh is being pulled by a single horse
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANCESCO MOCCHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind