10 Days of Xmas: Henry Mancini - "A Merry Mancini Christmas" (1966)

Henry Mancini and his Orchestra & Chorus - "A Merry Mancini Christmas" (1966) - RCA

Hello Friends,

"Nice Wreath"
(Gil Elvgren)

We had high hopes for this Henry Mancini mid-60's Christmas LP.   Tiki T. and I were hoping to be transported back in time to a swingin' bachelor pad with lots of red xmas lights, fancy cocktails and stategically-placed mistletoe; instead we were transported to a modern day shopping mall with gaudy decorations, a tinny sound-system and long lines at the Old Navy store!

Very middle of the road LP here!  Sounds like a million other easy-listening holiday-themed records.   There's some decent big band arrangements of all the holiday favorites, backed by a rather pedestrian chorus.  Being Mancini we were hoping for something a little bit jazzier, more Latin-sounding, more experimental.  Its not terrible by any stretch, just very standard!  

One standout track kicks off Side Two and that's the Mancini-penned, "Carol for Another Christmas".  This was the theme music Mancini wrote for a Rod Serling-scripted teleplay of the same name.  It only aired on television once (December 28, 1964) and starred Peter Sellers, Sterling Hayden, Ben Gazzara, Britt Ekland, Eva Marie Saint and others.  Produced by the Xerox Corporation, it was a 90 minute sci-fi update of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" meant to  promote the United Nations.  Most of us have never seen it, but those who have say its a terrifying Cold War allegory told in the dark & twisted style of "The Twilight Zone".  FESTIVE!

RATING: 3 Carols for Another Christmas out of 5

Gettin' Lucky with Mr. Lucky!

Henry Mancini - "Music From Mr. Lucky" (1960) - RCA Victor

Hello you cool cats, 

Tonight, we're gettin' dressed up fancy-like and drinking some sparkling wine while listening to Henry Mancini's snazzy soundtrack to the short-lived television series, Mr. Lucky.  The TV series might have only of lasted 34 episodes, but the music on the soundtrack LP is timeless!

Mr. Lucky (CBS TV) Credits

A great listen, this album is more "jazz for the Sears crowd" as I like to call it-- a genre pretty much defined by Mancini.   

At the heart of each of the songs is an easy listening orchestration that's both smooth and familiar. Mancini then adds a jazz element to flesh out the tunes-- a pinch of bebop here, some walking bass lines there and a healthy dash of latin rhythms to boot.  Finally, some of the songs are punctuated by the grinding sharpness of a skating-rink organ making for some very swingin' stuff!   

Also, the album is produced by a guy named Dick Peirce.  How can you go wrong with a producer like that??  

RATING: 4 One Eyed Cats out of 5