- Moon River: The Very Best of Andy Williams
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Moon River: The Very Best Of Andy Williams Compilation album by Andy Williams Released October 13, 2009[1] Recorded 1957-1972 Genre Traditional pop, Vocal pop, Standards, AM Pop, Early pop/rock, Soft rock, Film music, Soundtracks[1] Length 51:40 Label Columbia Andy Williams chronology 100 Hits Legends
(2009)Moon River: The Very Best of Andy Williams
(2009)The Very Best of Andy Williams
(2009)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1] Moon River: The Very Best of Andy Williams is a compilation album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released on October 13, 2009.[1] A note from Williams inside the CD booklet explains that the album "was put together to coincide with my memoir Moon River and Me, published by Viking/Penguin. It includes many of the songs that you made hits. I truly appreciate that, and I hope you enjoy the songs we selected for this CD."[2] The collection covers a wide assortment of his material, including crossover hits ("Can't Get Used to Losing You" and "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story"), stabs at the youth market ("Butterfly" and "Music to Watch Girls By"), a pair of Mancini-Mercer Oscar winners ("Days of Wine and Roses"[3] and "Moon River"[4]), a Christmas classic ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"), and a eulogy to the late Robert F. Kennedy ("Battle Hymn of the Republic".[5]).
A 24-track compilation album released in conjunction with the book publication in the UK was entitled The Very Best of Andy Williams and had the same cover photo and design but had only nine of the 18 tracks on this album in common.[6]
Contents
Track listing
- "Moon River" (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) – 2:46
- Robert Mersey - arranger, conductor, producer[7]
- "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" (Francis Lai, Carl Sigman) – 3:10
- Dick Glasser - producer[8]
- Dick Hazard - arranger[8]
- "Dear Heart" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Henry Mancini) – 2:55
- Robert Mersey - arranger, conductor, producer[9]
- "Butterfly" (Bernie Lowe, Kal Mann) – 2:21
- Archie Bleyer - arranger, conductor[2]
- "Can't Get Used to Losing You" (Jerome "Doc" Pomus, Mort Shuman) – 2:25
- Robert Mersey - arranger, conductor, producer[10]
- "Born Free" (John Barry, Don Black) – 2:27
- Nick DeCaro - arranger, producer[11]
- "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet (A Time for Us)" (Larry Kusik, Nino Rota, Eddie Snyder) – 2:35
- Jerry Fuller - producer[12]
- Al Capps - arranger, conductor[12]
- "We've Only Just Begun" (Roger Nichols, Paul Williams) – 3:15
- Dick Glasser - producer[8]
- Artie Butler - arranger[8]
- "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from 'The Godfather')" (Larry Kusik, Nino Rota) – 3:05
- Dick Glasser - producer[13]
- Al Capps - arranger[13]
- "Can't Help Falling in Love" (George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore) – 3:15
- Dick Glasser - producer[14]
- Al Capps - arranger[14]
- "One Day of Your Life" (Howard Greenfield, Neil Sedaka) – 2:30
- Dick Glasser - producer[14]
- Al Capps - arranger[14]
- "Days of Wine and Roses" (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) – 2:48
- Robert Mersey - arranger, conductor, producer[10]
- "The Village of St. Bernadette" (Eula Parker) – 3:22
- Archie Bleyer - arranger, conductor[15]
- "Music to Watch Girls By" (Sid Ramin, Tony Velona) – 2:38
- Nick DeCaro - arranger, producer[11]
- "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" (Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio) – 3:15
- "In the Arms of Love" (Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Henry Mancini) – 2:56
- Robert Mersey - arranger, conductor, producer[17]
- "Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the St. Charles Borromeo Choir (Julia Ward Howe, William Steffe) – 3:33
- Andy Williams - producer[14]
- "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) – 2:32
- Robert Mersey - conductor, producer[18]
- Johnny Mandel - arranger[18]
Recording dates[2]
- 1/23/57 - "Butterfly"
- 11/19/59 - "The Village of St. Bernadette"
- 1/4/62 - "Moon River"
- 12/2/62 - "Can't Get Used to Losing You"
- 1/16/63 - "Days of Wine and Roses"
- 9/12/63 - "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
- 8/19/64 - "Dear Heart"
- 6/23/66 - "In the Arms of Love"
- 2/21/67 - "Music to Watch Girls By"
- 3/2/67 - "Born Free"
- 9/18/67 - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
- 7/17/68 - "Battle Hymn of the Republic"
- 7/8/69 - "Love Theme from 'Romeo and Juliet' (A Time for Us)"
- 1/14/70 - "Can't Help Falling in Love"
- 4/29/70 - "One Day of Your Life"
- 12/7/70 - "We've Only Just Begun"
- 12/17/70 - "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story"
- 2/17/72 - "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from The Godfather)"
Billboard & UK singles chart positions
Pre-Hot 100 era singles
Song Chart debut Best Sellers in Stores[19] Most Played by Jockeys[19] Most Played in Jukeboxes[19] Top 100[19] Most Played R&B by Jockeys[20] UK [21] "Butterfly" 2/23/57 4 1 (2 weeks) 2 1 (3 weeks) 14 1 (2 weeks) Hot 100 era singles
Song US chart debut Hot
100[22]Easy
Listening[23]Hot R&B
Sides [20]UK chart
debutUK singles
chart[21]"The Village of St. Bernadette" 12/14/59 7 no chart – – – "Can't Get Used to Losing You" 3/2/63 2 (4 weeks) 1 (4 weeks) 7 3/23/63 2 (1 week) "Days of Wine and Roses" 3/16/63 26 9 – – – "Dear Heart" 11/28/64 24 2 (1 week) – – – "In the Arms of Love" 7/30/66 49 1 (2 weeks) – 9/24/66 33 "Music to Watch Girls By" 3/25/67 34 2 (1 week) – 5/6/67 33 "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" – – – – 3/16/68 5 "Battle Hymn of the Republic" 10/19/68 33 11 – – – "Can't Help Falling in Love" 2/28/70 88 28 – 7/4/70 3 (4 weeks) "One Day of Your Life" 6/6/70 77 2 (2 weeks) – – – "(Where Do I Begin) Love Story" 2/6/71 9 1 (4 weeks) – 3/20/71 4 "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme from 'The Godfather')" 4/8/72 34 7 – 8/5/72 42 Personnel
- Archie Bleyer - arranger/conductor ("Butterfly", "The Village of St. Bernadette")
- Artie Butler - arranger ("We've Only Just Begun")
- Al Capps - arranger ("Can't Help Falling in Love", "One Day of Your Life", "Speak Softly Love"), arranger/conductor ("Love Theme from 'Romeo and Juliet'")
- Nick DeCaro - arranger/producer ("Born Free", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Music to Watch Girls By")
- Jerry Fuller - producer ("Love Theme from 'Romeo and Juliet'")
- Dick Glasser - producer ("Can't Help Falling in Love", "Love Story", "One Day of Your Life", "Speak Softly Love", "We've Only Just Begun")
- Dick Hazard - arranger ("Love Story")
- Eddie Karam - conductor ("Can't Take My Eyes Off You")
- Johnny Mandel - arranger ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year")
- Robert Mersey - arranger/conductor/producer ("Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Days of Wine and Roses", "Dear Heart", "In the Arms of Love", "Moon River"), conductor/producer ("It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year")
- The St. Charles Borromeo Choir - background vocals ("Battle Hymn of the Republic")
- Andy Williams - producer ("Battle Hymn of the Republic"); lead vocalist on all selections
Notes
- ^ a b c d "Moon River: The Very Best of Andy Williams - Andy Williams". allmusic.com. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/moon-river-the-very-best-of-andy-williams-r1667007. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ^ a b c (2009) Moon River: The Very Best of Andy Williams by Andy Williams [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music Entertainment 88697 59112 2
- ^ Wiley 1996, p. 1081.
- ^ Wiley 1996, p. 1078.
- ^ Whitburn 2009, p. 1060.
- ^ (2009) The Very Best of Andy Williams by Andy Williams [CD]. London: Sony Music Entertainment UK Ltd. 88697588282
- ^ (1962) Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 8609.
- ^ a b c d (1971) Love Story by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records KC 30497.
- ^ (1965) Andy Williams' Dear Heart by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9138.
- ^ a b (1963) Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 8815.
- ^ a b (1967) Born Free by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9480.
- ^ a b (1969) Get Together with Andy Williams by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9922.
- ^ a b (1972) Love Theme from "The Godfather" by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records KC 31303.
- ^ a b c d e (2002) Album notes for The Complete Columbia Chart Singles Collection by Andy Williams [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music TARCD-1093.
- ^ (1960) The Village of St. Bernadette by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Cadence Records CLP-25038.
- ^ a b (1967) Love, Andy by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9566.
- ^ (1966) In the Arms of Love by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 9333.
- ^ a b (1963) The Andy Williams Christmas Album by Andy Williams [album jacket]. New York: Columbia Records CS 8887.
- ^ a b c d Whitburn 2009, p. 1059.
- ^ a b Whitburn 2004, p. 624.
- ^ a b "Andy Williams". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=1192. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
- ^ Whitburn 2009, pp. 1059–1060.
- ^ Whitburn 2007, p. 295.
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004), Joel Whitburn Presents Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles, 1942-2004, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201608
- Whitburn, Joel (2007), Joel Whitburn Presents Billboard Top Adult Songs, 1961-2006, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201691
- Whitburn, Joel (2009), Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 1955-2008, Record Research Inc., ISBN 0898201802
- Wiley, Mason; Bona, Damien (1996), Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards, Ballantine Books, ISBN 0345400534
Categories:- 2009 compilation albums
- Andy Williams compilation albums
- English-language compilation albums
- Columbia Records compilation albums
- "Moon River" (Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer) – 2:46
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