He was born in Venice, Italy and his father was the concertmaster of the La Scala orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. His family moved to England in 1912, where he studied at Trinity College of Music in London. After graduation, he formed his own orchestra, which played in and around Birmingham. By the time World War II broke out, his orchestra was one of the most popular in England, both on the BBC and in live performances.
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 Ronnie Binge, who developed the cascading string sound that became his hallmark in such hits as Charmaine. His records were regulars in stores selling hi-fi stereo equipment, as they were produced and arranged for stereo reproduction.
He recorded for Decca until the mid-1950s, at which time he switched to 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 to 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.
Mantovani made his last recordings in 1975.
Since his death at his 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 salability of the Mantovani name is underscored by new recordings being made as the Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately, 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.
The Shadow of Your Smile
The Mantovani Orchestra 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 Mantovani Orchestra's The Shadow of Your Smile is a love song that expresses feelings of longing and the impact of separation on one's thoughts and emotions. The opening lines, "The shadow of your smile, when you have gone, will colour all my dreams and lighten the dawn," illustrate how the memory of a loved one can stay with a person and affect their perspective even after they have gone. The lyrics convey a sense of sadness and loss, but also a lingering sense of hope and a longing to be reunited with the person they love.
The verse, "Look into my eyes, my love, and see all the lovely things you are to me" expresses the adoration and appreciation that the singer feels for their partner. They paint a picture of the beauty they see in their lover's eyes, and the happiness that they bring into their lives. The song speaks to the powerful impact that love and a deep connection can have on someone, and the feelings of pain that can arise when that connection is broken.
Overall, The Shadow of Your Smile is a powerful and emotional love song that speaks to the universal human experience of love and loss.
Line by Line Meaning
The shadow of your smile
The memory of your smiling face and the veneer of happiness that you projected will linger on in my mind
When you have gone
After you leave me, the shadow of your smile will remain in my thoughts
Will color all my dreams
The shadow of your smile will be so vivid in my dreams that it will imbue them with the memory of the happiness we shared
And light the dawn
The shadow of your smile will be so radiant that it will appear to light the dawn, illuminating the new day
Look into my eyes my love and see
If you gaze into my eyes, my beloved, you will see the reflection of all the lovely things that you represent to me
All the lovely things you are to me
You mean everything to me and I cherish and value all the beautiful qualities that make you who you are
Our wistful little star
Our relationship was like a wistful, longing star in the sky, beautiful but distant
It was far, too high
Our love was unreachable, like a star in the heavens that we could never hope to touch or possess
A teardrop kissed your lips
I saw you shed a tear and I longed to kiss your lips and comfort you
And so did I
I felt your sadness and wanted to share that moment with you, so I too kissed your lips
Now when I remember spring
When I look back on the past, and remember the springtime of our love
All the joys that love can bring
I recall all the happiness and fulfillment that being in love with you brought into my life
I will be remembering
The thing that stands out most in my memory is
The shadow of your smile
The image of the radiant, happy smile that you always wore, which will remain forever etched in my mind
Lyrics Β© Wixen Music Publishing, TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mandel, Paul Webster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
the gardener
The sound of his cascading strings make me shiver, beautiful.
laujul9395
Gracias
Me quedarΓ© muchas semanas con su mΓΊsica.
Mr. Wholer
I'll take several weeks enjoying your wonderful music
Thank you
chi00769
Good sound !
Gianfranco Longo
wonderful
Mark Herron
Music π΅πΆ Choice brought me here!Go HUG someone today IF they're been vaccinated or not π« Blessings and Hugs πππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππππ!
Dora Clubehome
I love