Gene Puerling and Don Shelton had originally formed part of the successful all-male vocal group, The Hi-Lo's, some years previously. The Singers Unlimited Group were originally formed to record for commercials in the USA, but as time progressed, they were persuaded to enter the recording studio to record a series of albums. On the recommendation of Oscar Peterson (who was also signed to the label at the time), they gained a contract with German label MPS. They recorded two albums in 1971, the first a cappella, the second with Peterson's then current trio.
The group produced 15 albums, of which arguably the most well-known is their Christmas Album (which was actually recorded before the group's association with MPS.) All of the 14 albums they recorded specifically for MPS (between the years 1971-1982) are collected in the 7 CD box set entitled Magic Voices.
Magic VoicesPuerling's Singers Unlimited arrangements earned him the reputation as one of the best vocal writers in the world. The renowned jazz-gospel vocal group Take 6 often gives credit to Puerling and the Singers Unlimted as innovators in the a cappella world, claiming that Take 6 "went to school" on Puerling's arrangements.
Puerling took advantage of cutting-edge multitracking techniques of German studio engineer Hans George Brunner-Schwer to create his advanced harmonic concepts and the group's signature sound. In the overdubbing process, baritone Puerling and tenor Shelton would often add two additional middle parts, after which all parts were "doubled" and "tripled." Creating these extra tracks created the fuller, richer sound of the group's recordings, and is now a common recording practice.
Len Dresslar (born 1924), bass of the Singers Unlimited, arguably best known as the voice of the Jolly Green Giant ("Ho, Ho, Ho!") for well over 40 years, as well as the voice behind countless other jingles from Chicago, passed away in 2005. He had also been the President of the Chicago branch of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) for several years in the mid to late eighties.
The Shadow of Your Smile
Singers Unlimited Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you have gone
Will color all my dreams
And light the dawn
Look into my eyes my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me
It was far, too high
A teardrop kissed your lips
And so did I
Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
The song "Shadow of Your Smile" by Singers Unlimited is a beautiful and poignant expression of a lover's feeling of loss and longing for their partner. The lyrics speak of how the shadow of the person's smile, their memory, will color all the dreams of the singer and light their dawn, indicating their presence will always remain with the singer. The lyrics encourage the person to look into the eyes of the singer and see their love for them. The next stanza speaks of how their love was like a wistful little star that was far too high, beyond their reach. A tear drop kissed their lips, and so did the singer. The last stanza talks about how when the singer remembers the joys of love in the upcoming spring season, they will recall the lovely memories of the shadow of their partner's smile.
The song is a beautiful representation of how love leaves an indelible mark on our memories, and even though it can be painful, it is a reminder of how powerful and real love can be. It speaks to the heartache that comes when someone we cherish is no longer with us and the need to remember them through the happy times we shared.
Line by Line Meaning
The shadow of your smile
The memory of your smile will linger in my mind.
When you have gone
After you leave, the memory of your smile will still remain with me.
Will color all my dreams
The memory of your smile will impact my dreams and bring it to life.
And light the dawn
It will make the new day that I wake up to feel brighter and more hopeful.
Look into my eyes my love and see
Please look at me and understand how much you mean to me.
All the lovely things you are to me
You are a wonderful person who brings joy and love to my life.
Our wistful little star
Our hopes and dreams together were small and may not have come true.
It was far, too high
Our hopes and dreams were too difficult to reach.
A teardrop kissed your lips
We shared a moment of sadness and love.
And so did I
I also shed a tear out of love and affection for you.
Now when I remember spring
When I look back on the memories of our happy times together.
All the joys that love can bring
I will recall all the happiness and wonderful feelings that love can bring.
I will be remembering
I will always cherish and hold on to these memories.
The shadow of your smile
The memory of your smile will always stay with me and bring me comfort.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
손재화
The shadow of your smile
When you are gone
Will color all my dreams
and light the dawn
당신 미소속의 그림자는
당신이 떠난 뒤에도
나의 꿈들을
채색하여 줄 것입니다.
Look into my eyes my love and see
All the lovely things you are to me
Our wistful little star was far too high
A teardrop kissed your lips and so did I
나의 눈동자를 보세요 그리고 알아 주세요.
당신은 내게 있어서 모든 것이라는 사실을
높은 하늘에 쓸쓸해 보이는 작은 별
나의 눈물로 젖은 당신의 입술
Now when I remember spring
All the joys that love can bring
I will be remembering
The shadow of your smile
내가 지금 사랑의 기쁨이었던
봄을 회상할 때면
당신의 미소에 깃든
그림자를 생각하겠지요
`
DragoReborn7
I love how half the comments are nostalgic, talking about how hauntingly beautiful this song is, how talented this group was,
And the other half are screaming about fake son and pounding back a few beers and throwing some haymakers
Adolf Hitler
Did ya see the video they're coming from?
Jonald Jodonald
It's almost like hitting the real thing!
Neil Jaxtyn
i know I'm kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to watch newly released series online?
Tristan Zayn
@Neil Jaxtyn flixportal :P
Neil Jaxtyn
@Tristan Zayn Thank you, I signed up and it seems to work =) Appreciate it!
BIX SINGS the music of life
Singers Unlimited are truly the finest of all vocal ensembles every assembled. What all vocalists aspire to--not weird, not twisted, not corny, not self-aggrandizing, but pure, simple, and harmonic perfection. Oscar Peterson knew that. Ask any top musician, and they'll mention them. Singing like the best orchestras, thank you, and hope many more discover you...old friends.
FriPilot
Then, there are the Hi-Lo's too, bix. And a few others that Gene produced.
Jack Foy
ITS ALMOST LIKE HITTING THE REAL THING!
Nick Alexander
One of the finest vocal groups ever. Plus Oscar Peterson's incredible piano stylings. Phenomenal.