This is the latest in Acrobat's series featuring the great arranger/conductor/composers of the 'golden era' of popular music during the 1940s and '50s, which so far encompassed the likes of Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Hugo Winterhalter, Ray Conniff and others. Les Baxter began his career arranging for swing orchestras in the early '40s, but made his name both as an arranger/conductor accompanying some the noted vocalists of the day, primarily during his time with Capitol Records, and achieved high-profile chart success in his own name with easy listening orchestral and choral chart entries, scoring No. 1 hits with "Unchained Melody" and "The Poor People Of Paris", and a No. 2 with "April In Portugal", plus around a dozen others. With the dawn of the LP era in the '50s he became famous for pioneering the recording of the style of easy listening orchestral music known as exotica. This great value 107-track 4CD set, which, like our other arranger/conductor collections, has been researched, compiled and annotated by former national newspaper showbiz journalist and photographer Geoff Wilding, traces his career during these two key decades, with examples of his work in all these sectors during that time. It features recordings by some of the noted artists with whom he worked, including Nat King Cole, Margaret Whiting, Freddie Slack, Bing Crosby, Al Martino, Yma Sumac, Jimmy Wakely, Ella Mae Morse and others. It's a fascinating profile of Baxter's multi-faceted talents and career
3 Ain't That Just Like a Man - Margaret Whiting with Freddie Slack & His Orch
4 The Gee Chee Love Song - Freddie Slack & His Orch
5 Cuban Sugar Mill - Freddie Slack & His Orch
6 Bashful Baby Blues - Freddie Slack & His Orch
7 Am I Blue - Eugenie Baird with the Mel
8 Day By Day - Bing Crosby with the Mel
9 I Got the Sun in the Morning - the Mel
10 Try a Little Tenderness - the Mel
11 What Is This Thing Called Love - the Mel
12 Don't You Believe It Dear - the Mel
13 Lunar Rhapsody - Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman with Les Baxter & His Orch
14 Possession - Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman with Les Baxter & His Orch
15 Dance of the Winds - Yma Sumac with Les Baxter & His Orch
16 Virgin of the Sun God - Yma Sumac with Les Baxter & His Orch
17 Lure of the Unknown Lvoe - Yma Sumac with Les Baxter & His Orch
18 Mona Lisa - Nat King Cole with Les Baxter & His Orch
19 The Greatest Inventor of Them All - Nat King Cole with Les Baxter & His Orch
20 My Heart Cries for You - Jimmy Wakely with Les Baxter & His Orch
21 Music By the Angels - Jimmy Wakely with Les Baxter & His Orch
22 Zing Zing - Les Baxter & His Orch. & Chorus
23 The Roving Kind - Les Baxter & His Orch. & Chorus
24 Beautiful Brown Eyes - Jimmy Wakely with Les Baxter's Orch. & Chorus
25 At the Close of a Long Long Day - Jimmy Wakely with Les Baxter's Orch. & Chorus
- Disc 2 -
1 Too Young - Nat King Cole, with Les Baxter & His Orch
2 Because of You - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
3 Unless - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
4 Quiet Village - Les Baxter & His Orch
5 Quiet Village - Martin Denny & His Orch.. Featuring Arthur Lyman (Vibraphone)
6 A Weaver of Dreams - Nat King Cole with Les Baxter & His Orch
7 The Story of My Wife - Nat King Cole with Les Baxter & His Orch
8 Shrimp Boats Are a Comin', (There's Dancin' Tonight) - Dick Beavers with Les Baxter, His Orch. & Chorus
9 As Long As the River Flows on - Tex Ritter with Les Baxter & His Orch
10 When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again - Tex Ritter with Les Baxter & His Orch
11 Blue Tango - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
12 I'm Yours - Dick Beavers with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
13 Kiss of Fire Dick - Beavers with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
14 Lonely Wine - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
15 Auf Wiedersehn Sweetheart - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
16 Indian Summer - Sue Allen with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
17 Suddenly - Bill Kennedy with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
18 April in Portugal - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
19 Romantic Rio - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
20 When You're Mine - Al Martino with Orch. Conducted By Les Baxter
21 All I Want Is a Chance - Al Martino with Orch. Conducted By Les Baxter
22 Ruby - Les Baxter & His Orch
23 I Love Paris - Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orch
24 Gigi - Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orch
25 Tropicana - Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orch
26 Julie - Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orch
27 Elaine (Gitane) - Les Baxter with His Chorus & Orch
- Disc 3 -
1 Cornflakes - Les Baxter & His Orch
2 Lust Bas - Sheva with Les Baxter & His Orch
3 If You Were Mine - Les Baxter & His Orch. & Chorus
4 Atlantis - Les Baxter & His Orch
5 Wake the Town and Tell the People - Les Baxter with His Orch. Featuring the Notables
6 Midnight on the Cliffs - Leonard Pennario (Piano) with Les Baxter & His Orch
7 Dream Rhapsody - Leonard Pennario (Piano) with Les Baxter & His Orch
8 Venezuela - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
9 Besame Mucho - Betty Reilly with Les Baxter & His Orch
10 Blues in the Night - Betty Reilly with Les Baxter & His Orch
11 The High and the Mighty - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
12 When You're in Love - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
13 I Ain't Mad at You Honey Baby - the Bombers with Les Baxter and Hisorch
14 Blue Mirage - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
15 Unchained Melody - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
16 Blue Star (The Medic Theme) - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
17 If I Love Line Renaud - with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
18 I'll Never Stop Loving You - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
19 The Shrike - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
20 The Poor People of Paris (Jean's Song) - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
21 Simba - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
22 The Trouble with Harry - Les Baxter His Chorus & Orch
23 Down in Mexico - Ella Mae Morse, with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
24 I'm Gonna Walk - Ella Mae Morse with Les Baxter & His Orch
25 Tango of the Drums Les Baxter & His Orch
26 Melodia Loca - Les Baxter & His Orch
27 Sinner Man - Will Holt with Les Baxter's Orch. & Chorus
28 The Left Arm of Buddha - Les Baxter & His Orch
- Disc 4 -
1 Taboo - Les Baxter & His Orch
2 Deep Night - Les Baxter & His Orch
3 The Breeze and I - Les Baxter & His Orch
4 Nightingale - Les Baxter & His Orch
5 Temptation - Les Baxter & His Orch
6 Afro Deesia - Les Baxter & His Orch
7 Brazilian Bash - Les Baxter & His Orch
8 Bustin' the Bongoes - Les Baxter & His Orch
9 Poppin' Panderos - Les Baxter & His Orch
10 Gringo - Les Baxter & His Orch
11 Tahiti (A Summer Night at Sea) - Les Baxter & His Orch
12 Shanghai Rickshaw - Les Baxter & His Orch
13 City of Veils - Les Baxter & His Orch
14 Hong Kong Cable Car - Les Baxter & His Orch
15 Tramp Steamer to Singapore - Les Baxter & His Orch
16 Monika - Les Baxter & His Orch
17 La Panse (Little Flower) - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
18 Love Theme from a Farewell to Arms - Les Baxter & His Orch
19 Dance from Bonjour Tristesse - Les Baxter & His Orch
20 Dance Everyone Dance - Salli Terri with Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
21 Picolissima Serenate - Les Baxter & His Orch
22 Milord - Les Baxter & His Orch
23 Voodoo Dreams - Les Baxter & His Orch
24 Pyramid of the Sun - Les Baxter & His Orch
25 Pepe - Les Baxter His Orch. & Chorus
26 Theme from Manchurian Candidate - Les Baxter & His Orch
27 Manchurian Beat - Les Baxter & His Orch
This is the latest in Acrobat's series featuring the great arranger/conductor/composers of the 'golden era' of popular music during the 1940s and '50s, which so far encompassed the likes of Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Hugo Winterhalter, Ray Conniff and others. Les Baxter began his career arranging for swing orchestras in the early '40s, but made his name both as an arranger/conductor accompanying some the noted vocalists of the day, primarily during his time with Capitol Records, and achieved high-profile chart success in his own name with easy listening orchestral and choral chart entries, scoring No. 1 hits with "Unchained Melody" and "The Poor People Of Paris", and a No. 2 with "April In Portugal", plus around a dozen others. With the dawn of the LP era in the '50s he became famous for pioneering the recording of the style of easy listening orchestral music known as exotica. This great value 107-track 4CD set, which, like our other arranger/conductor collections, has been researched, compiled and annotated by former national newspaper showbiz journalist and photographer Geoff Wilding, traces his career during these two key decades, with examples of his work in all these sectors during that time. It features recordings by some of the noted artists with whom he worked, including Nat King Cole, Margaret Whiting, Freddie Slack, Bing Crosby, Al Martino, Yma Sumac, Jimmy Wakely, Ella Mae Morse and others. It's a fascinating profile of Baxter's multi-faceted talents and career