The Village of St. Bernadette
Encyclopedia
The Village of St. Bernadette is an album
by American pop singer Andy Williams
that was released in early 1960 by Cadence Records
. This, his sixth LP for the label, was described by Billboard
magazine as "a lovely set of pop inspirational, hymns and religious themes."
The title song from the album entered the Billboard Hot 100
in the issue of the magazine dated December 14, 1959, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks, peaking at number seven.
The album was released on compact disc for the first time as one of two albums on one CD by Collectables Records
on September 12, 2000, the other album being Williams's late 1959 Cadence
release entitled Lonely Street
. Collectables included this CD in a box set entitled Classic Album Collection, Vol. 1, which contains 17 of his studio albums and three compilations and was released on June 26, 2001.
" was first popularized in the 1920 Broadway musical Sally
and had three versions make the charts in 1921: a duet Charles Harrison
and Elsie Baker
(who was credited as Edna Brown), another duet by Lewis James
and Elizabeth Spencer
, and a solo recording by Marion Harris
. "You'll Never Walk Alone
" was first included on the original cast recording of the 1945 Broadway musical Carousel
, and that September Frank Sinatra
spent one week with the song on the charts in Billboard
magazine. In 1950, the three recordings of "Our Lady of Fatima" that made the charts were by Red Foley
, Richard Hayes and Kitty Kallen
, and Phil Spitalny
& His Hour of Charm Choir.
The French vocal group Les Compagnons de la chanson
entered Billboard
s Best Seller
chart in 1952 with "The Three Bells
", and The Browns
put the song on the charts in 1959. Jane Froman
and Frankie Laine
both made appearances on the Billboard
charts with "I Believe
" in 1953. "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)
originated in the 1954 film White Christmas
, where it is performed as a duet by Bing Crosby
and Rosemary Clooney
, and Eddie Fisher
had a hit with the song that year as well. The three recordings of "Suddenly There's a Valley
" that made it into the top 20 positions on the Billboard
charts in 1955 were by Gogi Grant
, Julius LaRosa, and Jo Stafford
, and Petula Clark
took the song to number seven in the UK that same year. Al Hibbler
and The McGuire Sisters
both made the magazine's Top 10 with recordings of the song "He
" in 1955 as well.
Laurie London
made it to number 12 on the UK singles chart with "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
" in 1957 and also made the top 10 on several of the Billboard
charts in 1958. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain
" originated in the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound of Music
and was covered that same year by Tony Bennett
, who took the song to number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100
. And Anne Shelton spent a week with "The Village of St. Bernadette" on the UK singles chart at number 27 in November 1959.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by American pop singer Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
that was released in early 1960 by Cadence Records
Cadence Records
Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952...
. This, his sixth LP for the label, was described by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine as "a lovely set of pop inspirational, hymns and religious themes."
The title song from the album entered the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in the issue of the magazine dated December 14, 1959, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks, peaking at number seven.
The album was released on compact disc for the first time as one of two albums on one CD by Collectables Records
Collectables Records
Collectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene was previously associated with New York City's Times Square Record Shop, Philadelphia's Record Museum retail chain, and the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels....
on September 12, 2000, the other album being Williams's late 1959 Cadence
Cadence Records
Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952...
release entitled Lonely Street
Lonely Street (album)
Lonely Street is an album by American pop singer Andy Williams that was released in late 1959 by Cadence Records. This, his fifth LP of new material for the label, is described by William Ruhlmann on AllMusic.com as "an album full of songs of lost love and loneliness that found Williams using more...
. Collectables included this CD in a box set entitled Classic Album Collection, Vol. 1, which contains 17 of his studio albums and three compilations and was released on June 26, 2001.
Track listing
- "The Village of St. Bernadette" (Eula Parker) - 3:22
- "He's Got the Whole World in His HandsHe's Got the Whole World in His Hands"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional American spiritual. It was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New, in 1927. In 1933, it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina...
" (traditional) - 3:07 - "Suddenly There's a ValleySuddenly There's a Valley"Suddenly There's a Valley" is a popular song written by Chuck Meyer and Biff Jones and published in 1955.The song was a major hit for Gogi Grant in 1955. Her recording was issued by Era Records as catalog number 1003 and reached Billboard magazine's Top 10...
" (Biff Jones, Charles Meyer) - 2:52 - "Count Your BlessingsCount Your Blessings (Irving Berlin song)"Count Your Blessings " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1954 movie White Christmas.The best-known recordings were made by Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby — who appeared in the film — as well as separate recordings by Eddie Fisher, and the Ray Conniff Singers...
" (Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
) - 3:17 - "HeHe (song)"He" is a song about God, written in 1954, which made the popular music charts the following year.The music was written by Jack Richards, with lyrics by Richard Mullan...
" (Richard Mullan, Jack Richards) - 2:59 - "You'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk AloneYou'll Never Walk Alone is a song from the musical Carousel, a pop standard and football club anthem, for example that of Liverpool F.C.You'll Never Walk Alone may also refer to:* You'll Never Walk Alone , studio album...
" (Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
) - 2:27 - "Our Lady of Fatima" (Gladys Gollahon) - 3:23
- "The Three BellsThe Three Bells"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B...
" (Bert ReisfeldBert ReisfeldBert Reisfeld was a lyricist, noted for adapting lyrics to well-known songs either to or from English. The songs he wrote English lyrics for include:...
, Jean VillardJean Villard GillesJean Villard a.k.a. Gilles, was born on June 2, 1895 in Montreux , and died on March 26, 1982 in Vevey, next to his vineyard village of residence Saint-Saphorin that is reputed for its quality Swiss white wine.- Biography :...
) - 3:49 - "Climb Ev'ry MountainClimb Ev'ry Mountain"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess...
" (Oscar Hammerstein IIOscar Hammerstein IIOscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
) - 3:09 - "Sweet Morning" (Kay ThompsonKay ThompsonKay Thompson was an American author, composer, musician, actress and singer. She is best known as the creator of the Eloise children's books.-Background:Catherine Louise Fink was born in St...
) - 2:45 - "I BelieveI Believe (1953 song)"I Believe" is the name of a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman in 1953.I Believe was commissioned and introduced by Jane Froman on her television show, and became the first hit song ever introduced on TV...
" (Ervin DrakeErvin DrakeErvin Drake, born Ervin Maurice Druckman is an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as "It Was a Very Good Year". He has written in a variety of styles and his work has been recorded by musicians from all over the world in a multitude of styles...
, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl, Al StillmanAl StillmanAl Stillman was an American lyricist.-Biography:Stillman was born in New York City. His name was originally Albert Silverman, but changed it to that of a well-known New York banking family. He was Jewish. He attended New York University. After graduation, he contributed to Franklin P...
) - 2:43 - "Look for the Silver LiningLook for the Silver Lining"Look for the Silver Lining" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by B.G. DeSylva. It was written in 1919 for the unsuccessful musical Zip, Goes a Million. In 1920 it was published and reused in the musical Sally whence it was popularized by Marilyn Miller...
" (Buddy DeSylva, Jerome KernJerome KernJerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
) - 3:29
Song information
"Look for the Silver LiningLook for the Silver Lining
"Look for the Silver Lining" is a popular song with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by B.G. DeSylva. It was written in 1919 for the unsuccessful musical Zip, Goes a Million. In 1920 it was published and reused in the musical Sally whence it was popularized by Marilyn Miller...
" was first popularized in the 1920 Broadway musical Sally
Sally (musical)
Sally is a musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Clifford Grey and book by Guy Bolton , with additional lyrics by Buddy De Sylva, Anne Caldwell and P. G. Wodehouse. It was originally produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, opening on December 21, 1920 at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway...
and had three versions make the charts in 1921: a duet Charles Harrison
Charles W. Harrison
Charles Harrison was an American tenor ballad singer.Harrison studied singing in New York City with Frederick Bristol...
and Elsie Baker
Elsie Baker
Elsie Baker was an American singer and actress whose career spanned the gamut from vaudeville through silent movies to Victrola to radio to Hollywood and television....
(who was credited as Edna Brown), another duet by Lewis James
Lewis James
Lewis James Lewis James Lewis James (unknown - February 19, 1959 was a vocalist and among the most active of recording artists in the United States from 1917 through much of the 1930s. He was a member of the The Shannon Four, The Revelers, and The Criterion Trio. He had many Top Ten hits during...
and Elizabeth Spencer
Elizabeth Spencer (soprano)
Elizabeth Spencer was an American singer during the later 19th century and early 20th century.She is primarily remembered as a recording artist for Thomas Alva Edison...
, and a solo recording by Marion Harris
Marion Harris
Marion Harris was an American popular singer, most successful in the 1920s. She was the first widely known white singer to sing jazz and blues songs....
. "You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone is a song from the musical Carousel, a pop standard and football club anthem, for example that of Liverpool F.C.You'll Never Walk Alone may also refer to:* You'll Never Walk Alone , studio album...
" was first included on the original cast recording of the 1945 Broadway musical Carousel
Carousel (musical)
Carousel is the second stage musical by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II . The work premiered in 1945 and was adapted from Ferenc Molnár's 1909 play Liliom, transplanting its Budapest setting to the Maine coastline...
, and that September 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...
spent one week with the song on the charts in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine. In 1950, the three recordings of "Our Lady of Fatima" that made the charts were by Red Foley
Red Foley
Clyde Julian Foley , better known as Red Foley, was an American singer, musician, and radio and TV personality who made a major contribution to the growth of country music after World War II....
, Richard Hayes and Kitty Kallen
Kitty Kallen
Kitty Kallen is an American popular singer who sang with a number of big bands in the 1940s, coming back in the 1950s to score her biggest hit, "Little Things Mean a Lot" in 1954.-Career:...
, and Phil Spitalny
Phil Spitalny
Phil Spitalny was a musician, music critic, composer and bandleader heard often on radio during the 1930s and 1940s...
& His Hour of Charm Choir.
The French vocal group Les Compagnons de la chanson
Les Compagnons de la chanson
Les Compagnons de la chanson were a French vocal group from Lyon, France, founded during World War II. Before 1946, they were part of a larger choir called the 'Compagnons de la musique'. The group met Edith Piaf in 1952 at an event in Paris, and recorded a French language song, "Les trois...
entered Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Best Seller
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in 1952 with "The Three Bells
The Three Bells
"The Three Bells", also known as "Jimmy Brown" or "Little Jimmy Brown", is a song made popular by The Browns in 1959. The single reached number one on the U.S. country and pop charts,. outperforming a competing version by Dick Flood. The version by The Browns also hit number ten on the Hot R&B...
", and The Browns
The Browns
The Browns were an American country and folk music vocal trio best known for their 1959 Grammy-nominated hit, "The Three Bells". The group, composed of Jim Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie Brown, had a close, smooth harmony characteristic of the Nashville sound, though their music also...
put the song on the charts in 1959. Jane Froman
Jane Froman
Jane Froman was an American singer and actress. During her thirty-year career, Froman performed on stage, radio and television despite chronic injuries that she sustained from a 1943 plane crash...
and Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine
Frankie Laine, born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio , was a successful American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of "That's My Desire" in 2005...
both made appearances on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts with "I Believe
I Believe (1953 song)
"I Believe" is the name of a popular song written by Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl and Al Stillman in 1953.I Believe was commissioned and introduced by Jane Froman on her television show, and became the first hit song ever introduced on TV...
" in 1953. "Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)
Count Your Blessings (Irving Berlin song)
"Count Your Blessings " is a popular song written by Irving Berlin for the 1954 movie White Christmas.The best-known recordings were made by Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby — who appeared in the film — as well as separate recordings by Eddie Fisher, and the Ray Conniff Singers...
originated in the 1954 film White Christmas
White Christmas (film)
White Christmas is a 1954 Technicolor musical film starring Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye that features the songs of Irving Berlin, including the titular "White Christmas"...
, where it is performed as a duet by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
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 –...
, and Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher
Edward Fisher may refer to:* Ed Fisher , American baseball player* Eddie Fisher , American singer* Eddie Fisher , American player* Ed Fisher , player...
had a hit with the song that year as well. The three recordings of "Suddenly There's a Valley
Suddenly There's a Valley
"Suddenly There's a Valley" is a popular song written by Chuck Meyer and Biff Jones and published in 1955.The song was a major hit for Gogi Grant in 1955. Her recording was issued by Era Records as catalog number 1003 and reached Billboard magazine's Top 10...
" that made it into the top 20 positions on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts in 1955 were by Gogi Grant
Gogi Grant
Gogi Grant is an American popular singer.-Life and career:Grant was born Myrtle Audrey Arinsberg in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the age of 12, she moved to Los Angeles, California, where she attended Venice High School. In California, she won a teenage singing contest and appeared on television...
, Julius LaRosa, and Jo Stafford
Jo Stafford
Jo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s...
, and Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
took the song to number seven in the UK that same year. Al Hibbler
Al Hibbler
Albert George "Al" Hibbler was an American baritone vocalist, who sang with Duke Ellington's orchestra before having several pop hits as a solo artist. Some of his singing is classified as rhythm and blues, but he is best classified as a bridge between R&B and traditional pop music...
and The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...
both made the magazine's Top 10 with recordings of the song "He
He (song)
"He" is a song about God, written in 1954, which made the popular music charts the following year.The music was written by Jack Richards, with lyrics by Richard Mullan...
" in 1955 as well.
Laurie London
Laurie London
Laurie London is an English singer, who achieved fame as a boy singer of the 1950s, recording in both English and German....
made it to number 12 on the UK singles chart with "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" is a traditional American spiritual. It was first published in the paperbound hymnal Spirituals Triumphant, Old and New, in 1927. In 1933, it was collected by Frank Warner from the singing of Sue Thomas in North Carolina...
" in 1957 and also made the top 10 on several of the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts in 1958. "Climb Ev'ry Mountain
Climb Ev'ry Mountain
"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Here it is sung at the close of the first act by the Mother Abbess...
" originated in the 1959 Broadway musical The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
and was covered that same year by Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, who took the song to number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. And Anne Shelton spent a week with "The Village of St. Bernadette" on the UK singles chart at number 27 in November 1959.
Personnel
- Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
- vocalist - Archie BleyerArchie BleyerArchie Bleyer was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive.-Early life:He was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. He began playing the piano when he was only seven years old...
- producer, arranger - Dave GrusinDave GrusinDavid Grusin is an American composer, arranger and pianist. Grusin has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record work, including an Academy award and 12 Grammys...
- pianist, arranger