The Shadow Of Your Smile (Johnny Mathis album)
Encyclopedia
The Shadow Of Your Smile is the twenty fourth original studio album released by singer Johnny Mathis
and his eighth album for Mercury Records
.
recalled his earlier work for Columbia Records
comprised as they were of Broadway
showtunes, film music and standards, this album looks forward to Mathis' albums in his second Columbia Records
period (beginning in 1967) where he began to cover contemporary hits. This album is made up mostly of cover versions of current hits and songs from recent shows and films.
", this is Mathis' most successful album for Mercury Records
peaking at #9 on the Billboard album chart. This was Mathis' twenty eighth album to place on the chart. Mathis also had a hit single from this album: "On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" peaked at #98 on the Hot 100 singles chart and at #6 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
exploded on the American music scene in 1964 leading to many established music stars recording their songs. Among them, Ella Fitzgerald
("Can't Buy Me Love
"), Peggy Lee
("A Hard Day's Night
") and Jack Jones
("And I Love Her
".) Mathis recorded his first songs by the group for this album, "Yesterday
" and "Michelle
". He would record further songs by the group on subsequent albums. Other contemporary song hits that Mathis covered for this album include "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)" which is sung in the original language, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco
" a hit for Tony Bennett
in 1962, and "A Taste of Honey
", a popular song from 1960 that had been already covered by many artists including Barbra Streisand
, Sarah Vaughan
and The Beatles
.
"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
" opened on Broadway
in 1965. Mathis included three songs from its score for this album: the title song, "Melinda" and "Come Back To Me". A decade earlier "West Side Story
" was breaking new ground in musical theatre, Mathis having already recorded a number of songs from its score. For this album he continues his exploration of that landmark musical with "Something's Coming".
Mathis had often turned to Hollywood for song inspiration and on this album he includes two current movie themes. "The Shadow of Your Smile
" won the Academy Award as the year's best song in 1965. It was the love theme to the Elizabeth Taylor
/Richard Burton
film "The Sandpiper
". "Moment To Moment" was the theme to the film of the same name from the same year. It was written by Henry Mancini
and Johnny Mercer
, yet another in the increasing number of songs by this composer recorded by 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...
and his eighth album for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
.
Overview
Where his previous albums on Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
recalled his earlier work for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
comprised as they were of 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...
showtunes, film music and standards, this album looks forward to Mathis' albums in his second Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
period (beginning in 1967) where he began to cover contemporary hits. This album is made up mostly of cover versions of current hits and songs from recent shows and films.
Track listing
- "Moment to Moment" - 2:23
- "The Shadow of Your Smile [From The SandpiperThe Shadow of Your Smile"The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as "Love Theme from The Sandpiper", is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel with the lyrics written by Paul Francis Webster...
]" - 3:03 - "MichelleMichelle (song)"Michelle" is a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song departs from most of The Beatles' other recordings in that some of the lyrics are in French...
" - 2:33 - "YesterdayYesterday (song)"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
" - 3:04 - ""Something's Coming [From West Side Story]" - 2:50
- "A Taste of HoneyA Taste of Honey (song)"A Taste of Honey" is a pop standard written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow. It was originally an instrumental track written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey . Both the original and a cover by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song Grammy Awards...
" - 3:04 - "I'm in Love for the Very First Time" - 3:12
- "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)" - 2:38
- "I Left My Heart in San FranciscoI Left My Heart in San Francisco"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is a popular song, written in 1954 by George Cory and Douglass Cross, and best known as the signature song of Tony Bennett...
" - 2:59 - "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" - 2:43
- "Melinda [From "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"]" - 2:43
- "Come Back to Me" - 3:00
Billboard Album Chart
With the exception of his 1963 holiday album with the label "Merry ChristmasMerry Christmas (Johnny Mathis album)
Merry Christmas is the seventh album and first Christmas album by singer Johnny Mathis. Released in 1958 by Columbia Records , it was also the sixth original studio album by the singer....
", this is Mathis' most successful album for Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
peaking at #9 on the Billboard album chart. This was Mathis' twenty eighth album to place on the chart. Mathis also had a hit single from this album: "On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)" peaked at #98 on the Hot 100 singles chart and at #6 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.
Highlights
The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
exploded on the American music scene in 1964 leading to many established music stars recording their songs. Among them, 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...
("Can't Buy Me Love
Can't Buy Me Love
"Can't Buy Me Love" is a song composed by Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles on the A-side of their sixth British single, "Can't Buy Me Love"/"You Can't Do That".-Interpretation:...
"), Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
("A Hard Day's Night
A Hard Day's Night (song)
"A Hard Day's Night" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released on the movie soundtrack of the same name in 1964...
") and Jack Jones
Jack Jones (singer)
John Allan "Jack" Jones is an American jazz and pop singer. He was one of the most popular vocalists of the 1960s.-Overview:...
("And I Love Her
And I Love Her
"And I Love Her" is a song recorded by The Beatles, written mainly by Paul McCartney . The fifth track on their third album, A Hard Day's Night, it was released 20 July 1964 with "If I Fell" as a single by Capitol Records in the United States, reaching #12 in Billboard.The Beatles performed "And I...
".) Mathis recorded his first songs by the group for this album, "Yesterday
Yesterday (song)
"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
" and "Michelle
Michelle (song)
"Michelle" is a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song departs from most of The Beatles' other recordings in that some of the lyrics are in French...
". He would record further songs by the group on subsequent albums. Other contemporary song hits that Mathis covered for this album include "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)" which is sung in the original language, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco" is a popular song, written in 1954 by George Cory and Douglass Cross, and best known as the signature song of Tony Bennett...
" a hit for Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
in 1962, and "A Taste of Honey
A Taste of Honey (song)
"A Taste of Honey" is a pop standard written by Bobby Scott and Ric Marlow. It was originally an instrumental track written for the 1960 Broadway version of the 1958 British play A Taste of Honey . Both the original and a cover by Herb Alpert in 1965 earned the song Grammy Awards...
", a popular song from 1960 that had been already covered by many artists including Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
.
"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston. It concerns a woman who has ESP and has been reincarnated...
" opened on 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...
in 1965. Mathis included three songs from its score for this album: the title song, "Melinda" and "Come Back To Me". A decade earlier "West Side Story
West Side Story
West Side Story is an American musical with a script by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins...
" was breaking new ground in musical theatre, Mathis having already recorded a number of songs from its score. For this album he continues his exploration of that landmark musical with "Something's Coming".
Mathis had often turned to Hollywood for song inspiration and on this album he includes two current movie themes. "The Shadow of Your Smile
The Shadow of Your Smile
"The Shadow of Your Smile", also known as "Love Theme from The Sandpiper", is a popular song. The music was written by Johnny Mandel with the lyrics written by Paul Francis Webster...
" won the Academy Award as the year's best song in 1965. It was the love theme to the Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
/Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
film "The Sandpiper
The Sandpiper
The Sandpiper is a 1965 film starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, directed by Vincente Minnelli.-Plot:Laura Reynolds is a free-spirited, unwed single mother living with her young son Danny in an isolated California beach house...
". "Moment To Moment" was the theme to the film of the same name from the same year. It was written by Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
and Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, yet another in the increasing number of songs by this composer recorded by Mathis.
External links
- [ All Music Review]