Mitch Miller – The Yellow Rose Of Texas -Selected A & B Sides 1950-62 – 2CD

Mitch Miller was a hugely influential personality in the US record business in the 1950s in his position as A&R Director of Columbia Records, guiding the careers of major stars during that era, but he was also a hit-making artist in his own right, an oboist, conductor and producer who championed a style of novelty singalong pop which struck a chord with a market still recovering from the dark days of WWII. Many artists hated the material he insisted they record, but there’s no denying his success, although he never adapted to the changes that rock ‘n’ roll brought about. However, right through into the 1960s his series of hugely-popular “Singalong” albums defied the march of musical time. This 56-track 2-CD collection comprises selected A & B sides of his releases on the Columbia label during this era, and features all his 16 career hits including the No. 1 “Yellow Rose Of Texas”, and the top 20 entries “Tzena, Tzena, Tzena”, “Lisbon Antigua”, “Song For A Summer Night”, “March From River Kwai/Colonel Bogey” and “Children’s Marching Song”. With plenty of rousing marches, novelty songs, happy-go-lucky movie choruses and the like, it captures the essence of Mitch’s approach, and it’s one that will lift the spirits for many listeners who enjoyed his singalong style back in the day.

Track Listing:

CD1:
Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 1. Tzena Tzena Tzena -   2. In My Arms -   3. Song Of Delilah -   4. Autumn Leaves -   5. Sea Of The Moon -   6. Keep Me In Mind -   7. Cider Night (The Drinking Samba) -   Mitch Miller & His Horns & Chorus: 8. Greensleeves -   Mitch Miller & His Horns: 9. Love Makes The World Go Round -   Mitch Miller: 10. Kalamazoo To Timbuktu -   Mitch Miller & His Horns & Chorus: 11. Cuban Nightingale (Sun Sun Babae) -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 12. Meet Mr Callaghan -   13. Just Dreaming -   Mitch Miller & His Orch.: 14. Oriental Polka -   15. Elaine -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 16. Under Paris Skies -   Merv Griffin with Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 17. Frou Frou -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 18. Napoleon -   19. Sabrina -   20. Follow Me -   21. On Honolulu Bay -   22. Yellow Rose Of Texas -   23. Bonnie Blue Gal -   24. Lisbon Antigua -   25. Willie Can -   Mitch Miller & His Orch.: 26. Madeira -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 27. St. Lawrence River -

CD2:
Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 1. President On The Dollar -   2. Song For A Summer Night -   3. Jubilation T. Cornpone -   4. War And Peace -   5. Song Of The Sparrow -   6. A Very Special Love (Song For The Ninth Day) -   Mitch Miller: 7. Java -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 8. Whistle Stop -   Mitch Miller & His Orch.: 9. The River Kwai March - Colonel Bogey -   10. Bonnie Eloise -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 11. The Key (To Your Heart) -   12. Bluebell -   Mitch Miller & His Singalong Chorus: 13. Moonlight And Roses -   Mitch Miller And His "Sing Along With Mitch" Chorus: 14. Children's Marching Song (Nick Nack Paddy Whack) -   Mitch Miller & His Singalong Chorus: 15. Holiday For Lovers -   Mitch Miller & The Gang: 16. Hey Betty Martin -   17. Alouette March -   Mitch Miller: 18. Do-Re-Mi -   Mitch Miller & The Gang: 19. Sing Along -   20. Walkin Down To Washington -   21. Must Be Santa -   22. That Old Gang Of Mine -   Mitch Miller with Orch. & Chorus: 23. Tunes Of Glory -   Mitch Miller & The Gang: 24. The Whiffenpoof Song (Baa! Baa! Baa!) -   25. Poor Butterfly -   26. I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover -   27. Guns Of Navarone -   Mitch Miller & the Singalong Gang: 28. Aura Lee -   Mitch Miller & His Orch. & Chorus: 29. The Longest Day -