Ray Conniff, one of the few commercially successful musical geniuses of our… Read Full Bio ↴Ray Conniff, one of the few commercially successful musical geniuses of our time, was born on November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Ray was exposed to music at an early age, his father was the leader/trombonist of the local Jewelry City Band and his mother played the piano.

As a junior in Attleboro High School, Ray and some of his buddies decided to start a dance orchestra. Taking some musical tips from his father, Ray started practicing trombone and wound up playing first trombone for the band. It was for this group that Ray did his first arrangement, his fellow musicians loved his interpretation of "Sweet Georgia Brown."

Out of high school, Ray got his first professional job with Dan Murphy's "Musical Skippers" in Boston. He played trombone, arranged music and drove a panel truck for the band. When a friend of his told him that Boston was too small for a talented musician to make it, Ray headed for the Big Apple.

Ray arrived in New York at the birth of "swing." Before finding a steady gig, he sat in with bands in local clubs and practiced his instrument devoutly. Opportunity found him and he landed his first paying job as trombonist/arranger for Bunny Berigan's band. After a 15 month stint with Berigan, Bob Crosby hired him away in 1939. Ray played with Crosby’s band for a year before he joined Artie Shaw's. Ray's reputation as an arranger was growing and his trombone solos were well known.

After Shaw came Glen Gray and then with the onslaught of World War ll, Ray spent two years with the United States Army arranging for the Armed Forces Radio Services in Hollywood. He was discharged in 1946 and began arranging for Harry James. When "be-bop" hit the musical scene in the late 40's, Ray, whose musical tastes did not connect with "bop", stopped arranging for a while.

This break brought on some hard times for Ray, both emotionally and financially. During this period, he taught himself how to conduct, involved himself in an exhaustive study of hit recordings and developed what he believed to be a "magic formula" of arranging.

In the early 50's, the big break in Ray's career happened when he met Mitch Miller of Columbia Records, who hired him as an arranger. In 1955, Ray got his first chance to try out his sure-fire theory of arranging. The lucky record was Don Cherry's "Band Of Gold." It became a runaway hit. This spurned a series of Conniff-arranged Columbia recording sessions, which resulted in many hit records. Among them were Johnnie Ray's "Just Walking In The Rain," Frankie Laine's "Moonlight Gambler," Guy Mitchell's "Singing The Blues" and Marty Robbins' "A White Sport Coat." Ray was also responsible for the brilliant arrangements of Johnny Mathis' "Chances Are," "Wonderful, Wonderful," and "It's Not For Me To Say."

Ray's success arranging and conducting for other recording artists prompted Columbia to let him record an album under his own name, he was the first artist to use voices and vocal arranging as part of the instrumentation, for instance, female voices double with trumpets, high saxes or clarinets; male voices with trombones or saxes in low register. Ray's debut album "'S Wonderful", was in the Top 20 for nine months. Cash Box voted Ray "the most promising up-and-coming band leader of 1957." He won the same award again in 1958. In 1959, Disk Jockeys voted The Ray Conniff Orchestra and Singers "the most programmed studio orchestra."

By the early 60's Ray's record sales were booming. The Ray Conniff Orchestra and Singers were in great demand. Ray, who prides himself on being able to produce live in concert the same sound created on recordings, brought to the public the first live stereo concert ever to take place in the world. The audiences experienced the sensation of three channel stereo being transmitted throughout the concert hall with the aid of an elaborate stereo sound system. Critics hailed the concert as the "musical event of the 60's." Ray presented his "Concert In Stereo" on US American TV, with ensuing tours through the USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He also played to great acclaim at the Sahara-Tahoe Hotel in Lake Tahoe and the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. During this time, Ray had the chorus step out of the orchestra and they gained fame in their own right, singing the lyrics and they became known as the "Ray Conniff Singers."

During the 70's Ray performed his new show "Happiness Is Music" throughout South America, Japan and England (including the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London). He also performed at the White House during the Vietnam War. In 1974, Ray was the first pop artist from the West asked to go to Russia to record an album in Moscow.

Ray, who is now 85 years old, is still recording approximately one new album a year. He tours annually through Brazil with his complete orchestra and chorus and full houses of people of all ages sing and dance along as he runs up and down the stage like a 20 year old kid, conducting, singing, talking to the crowd, playing his trombone - doing what he does best.

Ray's repertoire includes big band standards, adaptations of classical themes, songs from the movies and the Broadway stage and ranges from top chart hits to Country, and Latin music.

Ray has survived in the music business for over 65 years, he has recorded over 100 albums to date and has sold over 70 million albums, cassettes and CD's. He is the proud recipient of a Grammy Award for his recording of "Somewhere My Love”, two Grammy nominations, over 10 gold albums, 2 platinum albums (“Somewhere My Love” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas”), CBS Records-Best Selling Artist for 1962 Award and countless international awards. He was also one of the few artists to receive the prestigious CBS Records International Crystal Globe Award for outstanding sales outside of the United States. His catalog sales have surpassed those of Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

In March of 1997, after 40 years with Columbia Records / CBS Records / Sony Music, Ray signed new contracts with PolyGram / Universal Records and Abril Music of Brazil. He recorded three albums for PolyGram: "Ray Conniff Live In Rio," "I Love Movies," and a tribute to the late Frank Sinatra, entitled "My Way.”

His recordings for Abril Music include “’S Country,” featuring Brazilian Country Music and his fourth Christmas album, “’S Christmas.” In 2000, Ray recorded yet another album for Abril Music featuring the music of Roberto Carlos, entitled “Do Ray Para o Rei.”

In September 2001, Ray gave a series of concerts in Brazil again, before he celebrated his 85th birthday on November 6. In March 2002, Ray followed an invitation of Liza Minnelli and David Gest and performed his greatest hit, "Somewhere My Love" at their wedding in New York.

After having suffered a stroke he made very good progress during a stay at the Palm Springs Stroke Center. He had already made plans for another tour and new recordings. However, on 12th October 2002 Ray Conniff passed away in San Diego.

We Three Kings of Orient Are
Ray Conniff and The Singers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We Three Kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain,
Moor and mountain,
Following yonder Star.
O Star of Wonder, Star of Night,
Star with Royal Beauty bright,
Westward leading,

Still proceeding,
Guide us to Thy perfect Light.
Gaspard.
Born a King on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King for ever,
Ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
O Star,
Frankincense to offer have I,
Incense owns a Deity nigh:
Prayer and praising
All men raising,
Worship Him God on High.
O Star,
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;—
Sorrowing, sighing,
Bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
O Star
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King, and God, and Sacrifice;
Heav’n sings Hallelujah:

Hallelujah the earth replies.
O Star,

Overall Meaning

In the song "We Three Kings of Orient are," the lyrics speak of the journey of the three wise men, also known as the three kings or magi, who traveled from the East to visit the newborn Jesus in Bethlehem. They are described as kings from the Orient (the East) and are carrying gifts as they traverse different landscapes such as fields, fountains, moors, and mountains, following a guiding star. The star is seen as a symbol of wonder, beauty, and light, leading them in their quest to find the perfect light, which is representative of the divinity of Jesus.

Each of the three kings then speaks individually about the specific gift they bring for the baby Jesus. Gaspard brings gold as a gift to "crown Him again," symbolizing Jesus' kingship and eternal reign over all. The second king is offering frankincense, which was traditionally used in religious ceremonies as a way of honoring and worshiping the divine. This represents the recognition of Jesus as a deity. The third king, known as Balthazar, presents myrrh, a bitter perfume associated with burial rituals, symbolizing the future suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, as it foreshadows his eventual death and entombment.

The lyrics continue to emphasize the significance of the birth of Jesus, declaring him to be a glorious and divine figure who is both king and God, but also the ultimate sacrifice. The mention of heaven singing "Hallelujah" and the earth responding in kind highlights the joyous impact and universal reverence that Jesus' birth brings.

Overall, the song "We Three Kings of Orient are" tells the story of the biblical event involving the visit of the three wise men and reflects on the profound meaning of Jesus' birth, his kingship, divinity, and the sacrifice he would eventually make for humanity.

Line by Line Meaning

We Three Kings of Orient are,
The three kings from the East are making their way

Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Carrying gifts, we travel a great distance

Field and fountain,
Through fields and springs

Moor and mountain,
Across moorlands and mountains

Following yonder Star.
In pursuit of that shining star

O Star of Wonder, Star of Night,
Oh, star that brings wonder and illuminates the night

Star with Royal Beauty bright,
A radiant star with majestic beauty

Westward leading,
Guiding us westward

Still proceeding,
Continuing on our journey

Guide us to Thy perfect Light.
Lead us to your divine light

Gaspard.
One of the kings named Gaspard