Swing Softly is the sixth album released by Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis

John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...

. It was his fifth original studio album (following the singles compilation Johnny's Greatest Hits

Johnny's Greatest Hits

Johnny's Greatest Hits is the fifth album release by vocalist Johnny Mathis and the first compilation of his hit singles released by Columbia Records in 1958...

).

Overview

Departing from the lush ballad format of his previous pop albums "Wonderful Wonderful

Wonderful Wonderful (album)

Wonderful Wonderful is the second studio album by Johnny Mathis released in 1957 on the Columbia Record label, in stereo and monoaural.The album was issued in the UK by Fontana Records with alternative artwork...

" and "Warm

Warm (album)

Warm is the third studio album by vocalist Johnny Mathis released in 1958 on the Columbia Record label, in stereo and monoaural. The album was issued in the UK by Fontana Records...

", Mathis proved that he could handle lightly swinging uptempo material in a credible fashion. Under the musical direction of Percy Faith

Percy Faith

Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...

, Mathis' expert vocals skillfully merge pop and jazz in the same way that established artists such as Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra

Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...

, Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...

, Doris Day

Doris Day

Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...

 and Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney

Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...

 were doing around this time. This was quite a feat considering that Mathis was only 23 in 1958 and had only been recording for 2 years at this point.

Track listing

1. "You Hit The Spot" - 2:52
2. "It's De-Lovely
   It's De-Lovely
   "It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, Red Hot and Blue. The song was later used in the musical Anything Goes, first appearing in the 1962 revival. The hit records in late 1936 and early 1937 included versions by Eddy Duchin, Shep Fields, and...
   
   " - 2:47
3. "Get Me to the Church on Time
   Get Me to the Church on Time
   "Get Me to the Church on Time" is a song composed by Frederick Loewe, with lyrics written by Alan Jay Lerner for the 1956 musical My Fair Lady, where it was introduced by Stanley Holloway....
   
   " - 1:45
4. "Like Someone in Love
   Like Someone in Love
   Like Someone in Love is an album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with a studio orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol...
   
   " - 2:40
5. "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
   You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
   "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a popular song written by Cole Porter, for the 1943 film Something to Shout About, where it was introduced by Janet Blair and Don Ameche. Dinah Shore had a major hit with the song at the time of its introduction...
   
   " - 2:12
6. "Love Walked In
   Love Walked In
   "Love Walked In" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was composed in 1930, but the lyrics were not written until 1937, for the movie musical The Goldwyn Follies . Hit versions include Sammy Kaye , The Hilltoppers , Ella Fitzgerald , and Dinah Washington...
   
   " - 2:38
7. "This Heart of Mine
   This Heart of Mine
   This Heart of Mine is a 1946 song. This music standard was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Arthur Freed to be featured in the musical film score, Ziegfeld Follies. This song is introduced by Fred Astaire who danced with Lucille Bremer in a lavish and romantic dance...
   
   " - 2:31
8. "To Be In Love" - 3:01
9. "Sweet Lorraine
   Sweet Lorraine
   "Sweet Lorraine" is a song by the band Uriah Heep, first released on the album The Magician's Birthday. It was written by Mick Box, Gary Thain and David Byron. Sweet Lorraine reached #91 in the US. It is one of the better known songs by the band, famous, in part, for its Moog synthesizer solo,...
   
   " - 2:24
10. "Can't Get Out of This Mood" - 3:08
11. "I've Got The World On A String
    I've Got the World on a String
    "I've Got The World on a String" is a 1932 popular song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was written for the 1932 Cotton Club Parade....
    
    " - 3:11
12. "Easy To Say (But Hard To Do)" - 2:44

Billboard Album Chart

The album's strong sales continued Mathis' consecutive album chart entries peaking at #6 on the Billboard album chart in its original release.

Highlights

The album features many songs considered standards by composers such as Cole Porter

Cole Porter

Cole Albert Porter was an American composer and songwriter. Born to a wealthy family in Indiana, he defied the wishes of his domineering grandfather and took up music as a profession. Classically trained, he was drawn towards musical theatre...

 "(It's De-Lovely

It's De-Lovely

"It's De-Lovely" is one of Cole Porter's hit songs, originally appearing in his 1936 musical, Red Hot and Blue. The song was later used in the musical Anything Goes, first appearing in the 1962 revival. The hit records in late 1936 and early 1937 included versions by Eddy Duchin, Shep Fields, and...

" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

"You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is a popular song written by Cole Porter, for the 1943 film Something to Shout About, where it was introduced by Janet Blair and Don Ameche. Dinah Shore had a major hit with the song at the time of its introduction...

") and Harold Arlen ("I've Got The World On A String

I've Got the World on a String

"I've Got The World on a String" is a 1932 popular song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler. It was written for the 1932 Cotton Club Parade....

") while featuring Mathis' first recording of a George Gershwin

George Gershwin

George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...

 song ("Love Walked In

Love Walked In

"Love Walked In" is a song composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song was composed in 1930, but the lyrics were not written until 1937, for the movie musical The Goldwyn Follies . Hit versions include Sammy Kaye , The Hilltoppers , Ella Fitzgerald , and Dinah Washington...

.") A self confessed fan of Nat King Cole

Nat King Cole

Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...

, Mathis included a cover version of the Cole classic "Sweet Lorraine

Sweet Lorraine

"Sweet Lorraine" is a song by the band Uriah Heep, first released on the album The Magician's Birthday. It was written by Mick Box, Gary Thain and David Byron. Sweet Lorraine reached #91 in the US. It is one of the better known songs by the band, famous, in part, for its Moog synthesizer solo,...

" on this album. The album also features songs originating from Hollywood ("This Heart of Mine

This Heart of Mine

This Heart of Mine is a 1946 song. This music standard was written by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Arthur Freed to be featured in the musical film score, Ziegfeld Follies. This song is introduced by Fred Astaire who danced with Lucille Bremer in a lavish and romantic dance...

") and Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 ("Get Me to the Church on Time

Get Me to the Church on Time

"Get Me to the Church on Time" is a song composed by Frederick Loewe, with lyrics written by Alan Jay Lerner for the 1956 musical My Fair Lady, where it was introduced by Stanley Holloway....

.")